Cast and Crew:  Paul Fix, R. G. Armstrong, Christopher George

What It’s About: Hired gun Cole Thornton (John Wayne) refuses a job with rancher Bart Jason (Ed Asner) because it would put him in conflict with the town sheriff, his old friend J.P. Harrah (Robert Mitchum).  Thorton ends up allying with Harrah and a young kid bent on vengeance named Mississippi (James Caan) to oppose Jason and his hired goons.

Why Watch it Today?: John Wayne was born on this date in 1907.  El Dorado is, for my money, the most fun of the three versions of this story that Howard Hawks and John Wayne made together, and one of Wayne’s best late period Westerns, with a fantastic cast.

Other Choices:  Stagecoach, The Quiet Man, The Searchers, Fort Apache, The Shootist, True Grit, Rio Grande, Three Godfathers, The Cowboys, Flying Leathernecks