She Came to the Valley (1979) User Reviews

Cheap, thoroughly unimpressive

[BrianG · 3/10 · 9 May 2000]

I first saw this thing several years ago on cable at 3 in the morning. One viewing of this dud will show you why it was on at 3 in the morning. Director Albert Band specialized in cheap Italian westerns in the '60s, and this has the look, feel and sound of one. Only the fact that it was shot in English in Texas, instead of in Italian in Spain, distinguishes it from the stinkers that Band put out back then. His filmmaking skill haven't improved, either. What this film actually looks like is a home movie on a slightly bigger-than-average budget (for a home movie, that is). For some reason Band was able to attract a pretty decent cast, but he doesn't do anything with them. Scott Glenn looks embarrassed, as well he should be, you get the feeling from his "performance" that he wishes he were somewhere else. Freddy Fender, while a good singer, overacts outrageously as Pancho Villa. Ronee Blakeley, another country singer, is a bit better as a pioneer woman caught up in the swirling atmosphere of the Texas/Mexico border during the Mexican Revolution early in this century. It's a good premise, but Band isn't good enough of a director, and the budget is much too low, to do anything interesting with it. A couple of haphazard gun fights and a few flimsy huts set on fire, are just about it for the "action" in the picture. There's a lot of talk, most of which has been said in countless westerns before it and a lot of which makes no sense at all, the photography is poor, the sound is awful, and it apparently was edited with hedge clippers. If you're a fan of Blakeley, Fender or Glenn, don't waste your time on this dud. If you're a western fan, don't waste your time on this dud. If you have seen every movie ever made in the history of mankind except this one, don't waste your time on this dud. Poor in all departments. Avoid it like the plague.

A Lackluster Run-of-the-Mill Western

[Uriah43 · 4/10 · 29 April 2020]

This film begins with a man by the name of "Pat Westall" (Dean Stockwell) who has a dream about buying some land out in a desolate part of Texas in Webb County and moving his wife "Willy Westall" (Ronee Blakely) and young child there to start a farm. Unfortunately, just prior to actually traveling there Pat suffers from an accident which leaves him badly hobbled and delays their departure for some time. When they get there they do the best that they can but after a couple of years they decide to move to the Rio Grande Valley with the encouragement of a friend by the name of "Bill Lester" (Scott Glenn). What they don't realize is that there is quite of bit of political turbulence in that area revolving around two separate groups of people. The first involves German attempts to cause unrest with America while the other group is led by none other than-"Pancho Villa" (Freddy Fender). Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this film essentially suffered from a certain lack of cohesion and character development which impacted the plot from start-to-finish. Likewise, none of the actors seemed quite able to dominate the screen in any way which is sometimes necessary for a film of this type. Be that as it may, while this wasn't a bad Western by any means, it definitely had room for improvement and for that reason I have rated it accordingly. Slightly below average.

Boring And Stiff As A Board

[FightingWesterner · 2/10 · 4 October 2009]

Director Albert Band co-wrote and produced a few good spaghetti westerns in the sixties. In the seventies he landed back on American shores with a thud in this misfire about turn of the century housewife Ronnee Blakeley, her long suffering crippled husband Dean Stockwell, and their old friend Scott Glenn, who runs guns for Pancho Villa, played by country singer Freddy Fender.

A decent cast tries hard but leaden pacing and a general lack of interesting developments sink this. In fact, the film goes on for nearly an hour, dwelling on Blakeley and Stockwell's dull domestic life, before anything even resembling a plot is hatched.

Once Pancho Villa enters the picture, you get to see just how embarrassingly naive Stockwell and Blakeley's characters are.

Cinematographer Daniel Pearl and Art Director Robert A. Burns were more successful a few years earlier in another regionally made film, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre!

The actors give it their all...but it's not enough.

[Jill-68 · 2/10 · 27 April 2001]

A very poorly-made film....not even up to straight-to-video standards. In spite of that, the actors do their darndest to put the story across. Sometimes they try too hard, I'm afraid, and I wince at the overacting. Scott Glenn, however, stays above the fray. He really does a fine job with his character. And the story drew me in as the film progressed, and I began to overlook the obvious flaws. By the time the film was finished, I realized it was just an old-fashioned western...and there isn't anything wrong with that, is there? Still, hard to believe this film was made in 1977. It has a very 1957 feel to it. It should only be sold or rented for 1957 prices, too.

Low-budget would be western with good cast.

[Serpent-5 · 22 September 1999]

With good cast (Stockwell, Glenn, and Blakely) and singer freddy Fender playing Pancho Villa, this got to be a intresting film, but it isn't. Stockwell and Blakely plays a couple who lives in Texas, but Pancho Villa and Glenn effect their lives. Glenn gives a very deadpan performance, as if he didn't want to be in this. Fender chews up the role as Villa, but telly Savalas did it better in the 1971 film. The title song is sunged by Fender. The film seems to be on several diffrent video labels, so they must be a copyright problem or something. The seems to be re-done as the US subtitles (on Mexican dialogue) look like it was on video optics.

This is a "local interest" film

[aeroaceh · 1/10 · 11 February 2001]

The making of this film was a big deal to the local residents of the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. Based on the book of the same name by Cleo Dawson it caused quite a local stir when it came out. I remember going to see it and being greatly disappointed. My immediate reaction was that there must have been some sort of scam in which writers or producers or directors conspired to milk investment money out of over eager locals. I also suspected that the only place it was ever released in a theater was in South Texas. Another local interest movie was based on the singer Selena and was made up the coast in Corpus Christi. Obviously that movie had quite a different impact!

Maybe the worst movie I've ever seen

[bmall · 1/10 · 16 March 2007]

Okay. I grew up in the Rio Grande Valley. I remember when they filmed this movie. And yes, everyone down there got very excited when it was being shot. (I even know some folks who were in it) I almost recommend that people see it... as an example of a horrible movie. Scott Glenn's performance was typical... terrible. But here's an example of how bad the movie was. Several "actors" were cast from the local population. One was a DJ at a local discotech. In the film, he wears a cowboy hat, since this is supposed to be, you know, a western? Only thing is, his hat is a Mickey Gilley type hat. Like from Urban Cowboy. I guess they told everyone to bring their own wardrobe. So, you know how you'll sit around with your friends and discuss the worst movies you've ever seen? This is the one I always win with.

How Dry Was My Valley

[randwolfray · 2/10 · 21 April 2010]

I just watched this movie on one of those $1 DVDs you get near the checkout at WalMart. I guess it was worth a dollar, mainly because it was packaged with another movie that was much more enjoyable. Still, I'm not sorry I watched it, even though it was hard to sit through. It was an experience. I agree with most of the reviewers here that the cast was a good one, and they tried really hard to make the seemingly pointless material come alive. On a more positive note: the movie is an unusual Western that deals with some real, late nineteenth century-early twentieth century history that most Westerns don't portray. And I'll say this for it... the script is so artless it actually makes the story more believable in a quirky sort of way. It has a kind of Reality TV feel to it. A lot of Dean Stockwell and Ronee Blakeley's family life was hard to watch though, because you just knew something was bound to go wrong to mess up their happiness. And besides that, Stockwell's character gets a crippling load dropped on him, and later gets run over by a car. Some days it just doesn't pay to get out of bed.

Why Was This Movie Made??

[Cubbyboy · 1/10 · 17 October 2006]

I live here in south Texas when this movie was being made/filmed. What a waste of time, cast and story. The whole enchilada was just REALLY, REALLY BAD. This has to be the worst movie ever made here in the RIO GRANDE VALLEY.The story line was very confusing why this woman came to the valley. She should of just stayed home and not come here. At least this terrible movie would of never been made. The sets were very cheaply constructed. The scenes were shot anywhere their cameras were allowed. Not many people here in the valley cared to go see this movie, everyone thought this was just a very bad joke. They could not find enough local people to play some the roles, so they hired some newscasters from the local television stations. At least they had "some show biz" background!! This movie reminds me of school kids doing a movie as a class project.

Not a great movie

[RatHole · 10/10 · 22 January 2004]

Well I am biased, my father is Klaus Eggers, one of the German bad guys. I thought the movie could be improved upon, but my dad was funny. While it is true that everyone in the valley was excited about the movie, it was obvious that the producers, director, and editors did not care quite enough.

Go dad!

El Crappo Grande

[NoDakTatum · 1/10 · 7 October 2023]

Two Academy Award nominees, a Grammy Award winning singer, and Scott Glenn get mired in a horrible western that is a chore to endure. Willy (Ronee Blakley) and Pat (Dean Stockwell) move to the scrub country of Texas. Pat was hurt when a box fell on him, so Willy finds herself doing most of the work around their isolated ranch. Up rides Bill (Scott Glenn) for no other reason than to move the story along by suggesting the family move closer to the Rio Grande river. The couple and their two young daughters do so, settling in the new town of Mission. Willy follows through with her dream of owning a store while racist Pat drinks. The Texans worry about Pancho Villa (Freddy Fender?) looting the hamlet, and one night Mission is raided. It turns out Bill has been running guns for Villa when he's not making googly eyes at Willy. The Mexican Army has been putting on peasant clothing and pretending to be Villa's men, then raiding the American side of the border. Bill's captured, and Villa rides to rescue him, but only after Willy shames him into doing so.

This is another film in the public domain so the print is awful but the story is unwatchable. Stockwell tries to perform, and Blakley spends her screen time staring off into space. The screenplay is full of "dramatic" moments that had me giggling- Pat's smashing of his leg brace against a wagon wheel, a rabid coyote attacks one of the daughters, and most of the supporting cast telling Willy what a wonderful person she is. Pat dies...no, not a spoiler, this happens at the beginning of the film, but the way he dies is hilarious. I began talking to the screen, MST3K-style, as the story wore on and on, and nothing happened. Director/co-writer Band did not seem to have any sort of plan when it came to shooting this film. You could hum along with poor Fender as he is forced to sing the awkward title song, or feel embarrassed for the actors as they step on each other's lines and wait for Band to yell "cut." "She Came to the Valley," also known as "She Came FROM the Valley" (whuh?) and "Texas in Flames," is the worst western I have seen since "Apache Blood" and "Texas Rangers." The onscreen talent never had a chance.

Don't bother

[dickfab · 11 February 2021]

Skip the movie. It's a really poor adaptation of a darn good book. Read it.

Big Valley with the little house, and absolutely wretched.

[mark.waltz · 2/10 · 31 August 2021]

Excruciatingly bad photography, confusing editing and overwrought music are just a few of the flaws of this impossible to watch western. The characters are so poorly constructed that even if you could understand their motivations and sympathize with their plight, you find it impossible to really care about them. The film, made with both English and Spanish (poorly subtitled), may express the feelings of squalor and desperation, is a series of situations that never gel together for a comprehensive narrative, and the situations are so depressing that they make the crisis of the Ingalls family of "Little House on the Prairie" seem lighthearted by comparison.

Ronnie Blakely, Dean Stockwell, Scott Glenn and Freddie Fender (absolutely laughable as Pancho Villa) must have needed the work badly to accept the script as written. The little girl has such an annoying shrill voice that you have to wonder if she didn't know her lines and was dubbed by a cartoon voice over actress. The transfer to DVD is obviously bad pan and scan, but the film is so tedious that releasing a restored version would be of no use as no one would want to suffer through this again. I nickname this How the West Was Bland.

Pathetically Putrid

[StrictlyConfidential · 1/10 · 10 March 2022]

"She Came To The Valley" was originally released back in 1977.

Believe me, you're wasting your time with this certified dud. This one is pathetic film-making on all counts.

Anyway - As the story goes - A couple homesteading in South Texas near the border with Mexico are placed in the middle of a situation involving characters from both sides of the border. With a revolution swirling in Mexico, people in Texas find the turmoil spilling over to their side of the border with the likes of Pancho Villa and his men roaming the countryside.