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Big Jim McLain

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Tomatometer 2 Reviews 38% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
Jim McLain (John Wayne) and his partner, Mal Baxter (James Arness), are investigators for the House Un-American Activities Committee, who are sent to Hawaii to find the leaders of a local Communist Party. They visit Dr. Gelster (Gayne Whitman), a psychiatrist who is treating one of the party members. While there, McLain charms the doctor's secretary, Nancy Vallon (Nancy Olson), and asks her out. As their hunt continues, McLain and Baxter become targets of Communist boss Sturak (Alan Napier).
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Big Jim McLain

Critics Reviews

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Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews 07/28/2008
D
Pathetic anti-Communist propaganda film with a snarling John Wayne at his ugliest as a macho windbag special agent for HUAC. Go to Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com 05/27/2006
2/5
The name of Wayne's special agent for the HUAAC had the same initials as those of Senator Joseph McCarthy, which was not a coincidence, and Wayne himself believed that his popular propagandistic film helped McCarthy's reelection campaign. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Matthew D @RT74523642 07/18/2022 Communist is bad! Communist is bad! Communist is bad! Don't be a communist! Communist is bad! *Thank Christ, an action scene* Communist is bad! Communist is bad! Communist is bad! Don't be a communist! Communist is bad! *The end* See more Ed M @RT80499164 07/11/2021 Slow. Hokey. John Wayne was famously anti-communist and this is basically just a propaganda piece. See more 12/22/2020 This movie tells us a fictional version of what was going on in the US back in the 50's. Senator Joe McCarthy was trying his best to beat the communists, and the many infiltrators of Hollywood and congress, the senate and the presidential Cabinet, as well as the unions, media and education fought very successfully against him. This movie tells you how the Communists operated then and now. It was very well done. It is not very well rated but then, you have to really love your country, know what the communists have done and are doing today to really see the value of the movie. I recommend a book called, "None dare call it conspiracy" "The Venona Papers" and "Rules for Radicals" to get a feel for the truth. See more william d @acsdoug 08/17/2020 Weak drama that is nonetheless interesting for its depiction of the perceived communist threat at the height of the cold war, as well as for the travelogue-like scenes of 1950s Hawaii. I also enjoyed seeing Alan Napier in something other than his role as Alfred in the old Batman TV series. See more 09/05/2015 Hunting Communists in Hawaii. A fifties era McCarthyism propaganda film. Joe must have loved it. I love John Wayne, but this film leaves a lot to be desired. This film seeks to glorify the Joe McCarty era paranoia and propaganda. The Americans who sought to discredit those who may have had left leaning ideas and Communist Conspirators attempting to undermine the country. Blacklisting and the suppression of Freedom of Speech and the right to self expression or thought was heroic. And John Wayne plays one of those "Heroes". The only thing interesting about this film is the glimpse into that era. See more 07/21/2015 During the times of Communism See more Read all reviews
Big Jim McLain

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Cast & Crew

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Edward Ludwig

Director

John Wayne

Jim McLain

Nancy Olson

Nancy Vallon

James Arness

Mal Baxter

Alan Napier

Sturak

Veda Ann Borg

Madge
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Big Jim McLain

Big Jim McLain (1952) Big Jim McLain (1952) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Jim McLain (John Wayne) and his partner, Mal Baxter (James Arness), are investigators for the House Un-American Activities Committee, who are sent to Hawaii to find the leaders of a local Communist Party. They visit Dr. Gelster (Gayne Whitman), a psychiatrist who is treating one of the party members. While there, McLain charms the doctor's secretary, Nancy Vallon (Nancy Olson), and asks her out. As their hunt continues, McLain and Baxter become targets of Communist boss Sturak (Alan Napier).
Director
Edward Ludwig
Producer
Robert Fellows
Screenwriter
James Edward Grant, Eric Taylor, Richard English
Distributor
Warner Bros.
Production Co
Warner Brothers/Seven Arts
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 30, 1952, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 1, 2009
Runtime
1h 30m
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