— If you want these horses, I sell them to you. Did you bring some gold with you?
— No.
— Silver?
— Just lead.

As Chisum opens, there sits John Wayne on his horse, both of them frozen in profile by a lonesome pine. “Chisum, Chisum”, thunder a chorus and orchestra, “he’ll still keep goin’ on”. And you’d better believe it, especially with the same business repeated at the fadeout. In between, there are few surprises. — Howard Thompson