The 1965 John Wayne Western The Sons of Katie Elder went through a bunch of changes before it was produced.
Originally, it was to be a historical film about Texas outlaws, the Marlows. John Sturges (The Magnificent Seven, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral) was the director and Alan Ladd was to star.
But over 12 years, Henry Hathaway became director, the script became less about history, and John Wayne became the lead.
And the title? Producers referred back to one of the alleged aliases of "Bi

True West May/June 2025
In This Issue:
Features
- Historic Hotels of the American West
- A Journey Through Wyoming’s Outlaw History
- A Journey Through Washington’s Wild Frontier
- Blazing The Oregon Trail
- Journey Through Time
- Did Brigham Young Order a Massacre?
- Mountain Meadows Scapegoat John D. Lee VS. A Firing Squad
- Mormons in the Movies
- An Indigenous Consultant Ensures Accuracy
- The Battle Axe And A Raw Deal
- Showdown: Bridger VS. Brigham
- The Mountain Man and the Mormon Moses
- The Ghosts of Mountain Meadows
- The War Before the War
- Mountain Meadows