This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

BIG JIM MCLAIN feels like a big screen outing for the McCarthyist witch-hunts that were going on in Hollywood at the time. This black and white drama/thriller sees John Wayne and James Arness, both taller than tall actors, travelling to Honolulu on the trail of some Communist bad guys in order to bring them to book.The film benefits from a decent and unusual setting with a great number of local character actors playing in support. Unfortunately, the villains in this film are rather weak and not really villainous at all depending on your political persuasion. There are a couple of bouts of fisticuffs but too much of the screen time is bogged down in lethargic romance and time-wasting. You can sense that Wayne is itching to get back in the saddle and go for his guns against a real enemy.

Even though the script and directing were a bit rough, the storyline was almost OK. The film quality (I know – it was black and white) – sucked, and other than Wayne and Arness, I didn't notice any memorable talent. Nancy Olsen was meh – OK – I guess. As mediocre as this flick is, it is a movie of its time. I got the message loud and clear…the US and the rest of the world were still recovering from a horrible war, and communism is/was a dangerous road go down. I have seem this movie once and doubt I will sit through it again. If it wasn't for John Wayne and James Arness, this movie would probably end up starless – but those two are in it – so I will have to hand out five stars.

Working for the U.S. House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), tall wizened John Wayne (as Jim McLain) is disgusted as guilty citizens take the Fifth Amendment when asked, "Are you now or have you even been a member of the Communist Party?" With tall young James Arness (as Mal Baxter) as his partner, Mr. Wayne is sent to root out Commies in Hawaii. In the future 50th state, Wayne is attracted to much younger Nancy Olson (as Nancy Vallon). Wayne and Ms. Olson get cozy as the soundtrack plays "Hawaiian Wedding Song"... Located anywhere and everywhere, the Commies are bent on "enslaving the common man." Wayne is there to stamp them out. Veda Ann Borg and Hans Conried make the most of the assignment, and some of it is unintentionally amusing. "Big Jim McLain" is Wayne with the warts showing, and they're not all political.** Big Jim McLain (8/30/52) Edward Ludwig ~ John Wayne, Nancy Olson, James Arness, Alan Napier

As somebody rightfully remarked under Trivia, the German version runs the whole thing as a Drug Enforcement Story with J. Wayne and J. Arness following the trail of the drug ring to Hawaii. It is quite perplexing to see, that the whole story could be so easily streamed to a complete different thing with proper dubbing and off screen comment by the Duke. Just as perplexing is it, that something like this could be produced and distributed and carry such an a priori moralic attitude of the Government being right and the methods used as well, even if some basic laws need to be bended or broken along the way. That stuff is not worth more then 4/10.