Big Jim McLain
Directed by Edward Ludwig
House Un-American Activities Committee investigators Jim McLain and Mal Baxter come to post war Hawaii to track Communist Party activities even though belonging to the party was legal at the time. They are interested in everything from insurance fraud to the sabotage of a U.S. naval vessel.
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Big Jim McLain Ratings & Reviews
- Mister ArnJune 5, 2025“Big Jim McLain” is a clear product of early Cold War paranoia, with John Wayne playing a HUAC investigator on a mission to root out communists in Hawaii. The film wears its agenda proudly, less a story than a sermon, casting Wayne as the embodiment of American virtue. It's heavy-handed, unapologetically propagandistic, and as a movie, it simply doesn’t hold up.
Big Jim McLain Trivia
Big Jim McLain was released on August 30, 1952.
Big Jim McLain was directed by Edward Ludwig.
Big Jim McLain has a runtime of 90m.
Big Jim McLain was produced by Robert Fellows.
House Un-American Activities Committee investigators Jim McLain and Mal Baxter come to post war Hawaii to track Communist Party activities even though belonging to the party was legal at the time. They are interested in everything from insurance fraud to the sabotage of a U.S. naval vessel.
The key characters in Big Jim McLain are Jim McLain (John Wayne), Nancy Vallon (Nancy Olson), Mal Baxter (James Arness).
Big Jim McLain is rated Approved.
Big Jim McLain is an Action, Adventure, Drama film.
Big Jim McLain has an audience rating of 3.8 out of 10.