In 1909 John Fain (Richard Boone) headed up a gang of outlaws in the great McCandles Raid, killing 10 and kidnapping young Jake McCandles for a modest one million dollar ransom.

Martha (Maureen O'Hara) and Jacob (John Wayne) McCandles have been seperated for many years. With the kidnapping of the grandson he has never seen, Martha sends for Big Jake to take the money to the kidnappers. His two sons want to go along, James (Patrick Wayne) and Michael (Chris Mitchum). James gives his father a hard time the entire trip because of him leaving and not coming back to see them in fifteen years. Michael, on the other hand seems to have a lot of respect for his father.