McLintock! (1963)
“He tamed a territory — now he'll try taming his wife.”
Streamed free from the Internet Archive · no signup, no cost — this film is in the public domain.
Synopsis
In 1895, wealthy cattle baron George Washington "G.W." McLintock rules the Mesa Verde territory but can't manage his own home: his estranged wife Katherine returns from back East seeking a divorce and custody of their college-age daughter Becky. As Katherine bosses the ranch and a hired widow stokes her jealousy, G.W. juggles homesteader disputes, the mistreatment of his Comanche friends, and a budding romance between Becky and ranch hand Dev Warren. Loosely inspired by Shakespeare's 'The Taming of the Shrew,' it plays the Western for broad slapstick, building to a riotous Fourth of July and a famously raucous reconciliation.
Cast
About the Director
Andrew V. McLaglen — Andrew V. McLaglen was the son of John Ford regular Victor McLaglen and had cut his teeth on low-budget features and television. Wayne handed him 'McLintock!,' which McLaglen said "put me in the big time"; he went on to direct four more Wayne pictures, including 'Chisum' and 'The Undefeated,' as a dependable craftsman of action and Western fare.
Why It’s Free: The Public-Domain Story
'McLintock!' is in the public domain because its copyright was never renewed. Produced by Wayne's own company, Batjac Productions, the film needed a renewal in its 28th year under the 1909 Copyright Act; when Batjac failed to file, the copyright lapsed in 1991, and a 1994 court ruling confirmed the film itself is public domain (its musical score remained separately protected).
Behind the Scenes
Wayne developed the project partly to voice his own views on Western depictions of Native Americans, marriage, and political corruption, leaning deliberately into comedy and slapstick. It was the first film fully produced by his son Michael Wayne and starred his son Patrick in the juvenile lead. Shot in Technicolor and Panavision at Old Tucson Studios and around southern Arizona, it was released by United Artists on November 13, 1963.
Did You Know?
- The plot is loosely based on Shakespeare's 'The Taming of the Shrew.'
- It was a true family affair: Wayne's sons Michael (producer) and Patrick (co-star) and daughter Aissa all worked on it.
- Maureen O'Hara said Wayne didn't fake the famous coal-shovel spanking — "My bottom was black and blue for weeks!"
- Wayne wears his trademark "Red River D" belt buckle, seen across several of his films.
Reception & Legacy
'McLintock!' was a box-office hit, grossing about $14.5 million in North America and helping Wayne recover ground lost on the costly 'The Alamo.' Critics were more reserved about the broad farce, but the film is remembered as a turning point where Wayne began stamping his personal views onto his pictures — and it remains a perennial favorite thanks to its wide public-domain availability.
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