As part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of John Wayne’s 1971 film Big Jake, the legendary actor’s estate is teasing an upcoming McCandles Family Reunion.

By 1971, The Duke had already starred in what seems like countless classic western films. In fact, he had already worked with director George Sherman on numerous western projects. But Big Jake would be Sherman’s last film of his long directing career. Although critics reviewed the movie with mixed results, it grossed $7.5 million in the US, which made it one of the most successful films of the year.
The McCandles family bands together to help return Big Jake’s grandson who was kidnapped for ransom. John Wayne’s lead role character is joined by his sons who set off to deliver the kidnapper’s ransom. But the McCandles clan has no intention of handing over the money without a fight.
Now that five decades have passed, John Wayne’s estate is bringing some of the cast back together again. The iconic actor’s sons Patrick Wayne (James MCCandles) and Ethan Wayne (Little Jake) both had starring roles in the 1971 film. Additionally, another Hollywood legend Robert Mitchum’s son, Christopher Mitchum, portrayed Michael McCandles.

All three men are making an appearance at the upcoming reunion. It takes place in Fort Worth, Texas on Nov. 3 with a pre-reception cocktail hour and a live panel interview with the actors. If interested, you can get more information and purchase tickets here.
“‘Not hardly.’ Never underestimate Jacob McCandles… or the whole McCandles family. Join us November 3rd for the McCandles Family Reunion! A live panel featuring Patrick Wayne, Ethan Wayne, and Chris Mitchum,” John Wayne’s official Instagram account wrote.
John Wayne’s Son Patrick Reveals How He Named His Son
Speaking of John Wayne’s son Patrick, he recently revealed in his new podcast that he used one of his dad’s unused nicknames to name his child. That’s right, The Duke’s grandson is named after his grandfather in a roundabout sort of way.
While Wayne’s children haven’t shared the spotlight in Hollywood anywhere close to their father, many of them have acted as well. Patrick Wayne has starred in more than 40 movies over the years, including sharing the screen with his famous dad in 11 films.
While his father’s fans may not know The Duke’s family well, they’re getting to know his children better these days. Wayne’s son Ethan has created The John Wayne Gritcast, a podcast that dives into all things John Wayne. During the debut episode, Ethan’s siblings Patrick and Marisa were special guests. While Wayne’s children spoke about their life with their Hollywood dad, Patrick shared the origin story of his son Anthony’s name.
“Raoul Walsh was going to name my dad, he was gonna name him Anthony Wayne,” Patrick explained. “But then, ya know, they called him ‘Mad Anthony Wayne’ after the general in the Revolutionary War. So they said, ‘Wayne, yeah, but we’ll call him John Wayne. So I named my son Anthony Wayne.”