This is a typically glossy late John Wayne western. Wayne plays Cahill a US Marshall whose job has meant that he has somewhat neglected his kids. When they decide to rob a bank with the help of George Kennedy and his gang they find themselves in trouble. John Wayne looks pretty tired in this although he still has a great screen presence. The film is essentially about a man's relationship with his sons and as such there is relatively little action. This is itself is no bad thing but it's just that the plot is a little too thin to carry the film. As a result it's just intermittently interesting mainly when George Kennedy is on screen. This is John Wayne in reflective mood but it's just not comparable to his great performance in the brilliant 'The Shootist'. Overall although watchable there's just not enough of interest here to make this anything but an average western.

(6/10) Not a great film, but is underrated simply for the fact that this is labeled by many as one of Wayne's weaker westerns in the latter stages of his career. Duke has a great supporting cast around him highlighted by Neville Brand as Indian tracker Ben Lightfoot, and villain George Kennedy. The Fink couple and writing team famous for penning Dirty Harry lacked originality for bringing up the same plot devices used in the Duke western Big Jake they wrote two years prior (Wayne choosing a gun slinging career over his children and Wayne teaming up with an Indian tracker). However I can forgive them since both areas were improved in this go around. Although some of their writing, such as Kennedy's sudden change of heart when Billy Jo was sick, was pretty weak.

The teenagers are often played by actors in their mid-twenties (and sometimes even older).Let's do Andrew McLagen justice:Gary Grimes was about eighteen ,Danny's age in the movie.Made at the time when westerns were on the wane (in the second half of the seventies,they were completely overshadowed by the sci-fi) ,"Cawhill US Marshall " pits again John Wayne against youngsters ,after "true grit" two years before;but this time ,these are his sons."Cawhill" ,although it has some of the western permanent features is also a melodrama (instead of the actor/actress or the businessman or the cop in modern times who neglects his sons who go to the dogs ,it is a US marshal -check the title-),a thriller (will the young boy who knows where the loot is hidden talk? ) with snatches of horror flicks (the cemetery).The father/son is a subject which was not this new in western,but the boys were generally older.Wayne portrays a relatively old father whose wife passed away at an early time.Too bad the only female character (Marie Windsor) should be so underwritten.The boys learn in the movie how painful it is growing up.An Indian scout epitomizes wisdom and hope.

Many liberals like to bitch John Wayne out - I know because being a left-winger I have to put up with whiny liberals for company! What many of these liberals forget is that John Wayne - whilst politically unacceptable in many ways - was still an actor and a human being. Something some ''liberals'' complain about is Republican political oriented criticism on liberal actors and directors and the disrespect of the artistic talents of these liberal personages. I see no difference in disrespect to a left-winger or a right-winger so the hypocritical stance of these liberal ''film fans'' doesn't do their ideology any favours.The film 'Cahill U.S. Marshal' whilst not being the greatest of westerns, is an enjoyable western with a good message - which isn't as Republican or right-wing as some other voters claimed. The wonderful acting from John Wayne and George Kennedy is on par with their best work, the plot is original and the opening of the film is fantastic and rousing.One of the features that other voters have not commented on is the music by Elmar Bernstein. The score for 'Cahill' is amongst the great composer's finest work and the song 'A Man Gets To Thinking'' sung by Charlie Rich is a good theme on par with the 'True Grit' by Glen Campbell and I am sure that a lot of Country and Western fans - I am only mildly enamoured with this genre - will enjoy it.