And on a horse, no less! Quite an eclectic cast of actors populates this film which ends up being a pretty realistic character study as well.
You have steely blue-eyed Max Von Sydow (of such diverse films as "The Seventh Seal" and "Hannah and Her Sisters") uncharacteristically portraying a crop-dusting Swede and the handsomely aging silent film star Gilbert Roland playing the level-headed Mexican Captain (suffering from Malaria of all things) who decides to bring in (for the $5k reward) escaped and wrongfully accused convict Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. (Stephanie's dad and of "The F. B. I." and "Wait Until Dark" fame).
What really livens up the film though is Emilio Fernandez playing the greedy & equally grumpy guitar-strumming, fly-swatting Sgt. Who as the movie progresses makes the bandits in "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" seem more like the Three Amigos!
Even though Yvette Mimieux was an odd choice for this western, she acquitted herself nicely as Efrem's somewhat comatose girlfriend, while Fernandez and the very handsome & youthful-looking deputy Nino Castelnuovo sang (a funny, closed-captioned tune) and cast a few longing glances at her. A tanned soft-spoken, flute-blowing Henry Silva rounded out the cast as Nino's superstitious Indian friend.
The film also had some unique and unexpected little instances like the old Mexican deputy removing his spur and spinning it next to his ear like a fidget (or is that widget?) which added to the film's curiosity value, and the dialogue was equally odd in parts. (I.e. Fernandez's Sgt. Lopez ringing the old church bell.)
As stated at the review's beginning, as the movie's events unfold, each player gradually reveals his/her true character, with the exception of quick-tempered Fernandez whose personality was pretty transparent from the start.
I really enjoyed this interesting little movie and because of his wonderfully low-key and graceful performance, I'm going to scout out more of Gilbert Roland's earlier films. I just watched a little blurb on TCM recently that said he and Clara Bow were co-stars and fell in love when they were twenty and just starting out in the movies. So sweet. RIP all - sadly, Silva and Mimieux just passed away in 2022 and 2021 I believe.
You have steely blue-eyed Max Von Sydow (of such diverse films as "The Seventh Seal" and "Hannah and Her Sisters") uncharacteristically portraying a crop-dusting Swede and the handsomely aging silent film star Gilbert Roland playing the level-headed Mexican Captain (suffering from Malaria of all things) who decides to bring in (for the $5k reward) escaped and wrongfully accused convict Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. (Stephanie's dad and of "The F. B. I." and "Wait Until Dark" fame).
What really livens up the film though is Emilio Fernandez playing the greedy & equally grumpy guitar-strumming, fly-swatting Sgt. Who as the movie progresses makes the bandits in "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" seem more like the Three Amigos!
Even though Yvette Mimieux was an odd choice for this western, she acquitted herself nicely as Efrem's somewhat comatose girlfriend, while Fernandez and the very handsome & youthful-looking deputy Nino Castelnuovo sang (a funny, closed-captioned tune) and cast a few longing glances at her. A tanned soft-spoken, flute-blowing Henry Silva rounded out the cast as Nino's superstitious Indian friend.
The film also had some unique and unexpected little instances like the old Mexican deputy removing his spur and spinning it next to his ear like a fidget (or is that widget?) which added to the film's curiosity value, and the dialogue was equally odd in parts. (I.e. Fernandez's Sgt. Lopez ringing the old church bell.)
As stated at the review's beginning, as the movie's events unfold, each player gradually reveals his/her true character, with the exception of quick-tempered Fernandez whose personality was pretty transparent from the start.
I really enjoyed this interesting little movie and because of his wonderfully low-key and graceful performance, I'm going to scout out more of Gilbert Roland's earlier films. I just watched a little blurb on TCM recently that said he and Clara Bow were co-stars and fell in love when they were twenty and just starting out in the movies. So sweet. RIP all - sadly, Silva and Mimieux just passed away in 2022 and 2021 I believe.