★ 7 / 10
One boy goes with Quantrill, the other goes
John Chard
One boy goes with Quantrill, the other goes with Sherman. Bandolero! is directed by Andrew V. McLaglen and written by Stanley Hough and James Lee Barrett. It…
One boy goes with Quantrill, the other goes with Sherman.
Bandolero! is directed by Andrew V. McLaglen and written by Stanley Hough and James Lee Barrett. It stars James Stewart, Dean Martin, Raquel Welch and George Kennedy. A Panavision/De Luxe color production, music is by Jerry Goldsmith and cinematography by William H. Clothier.
Initially set in Texas, 1867, the pic in short plot form entails the leading men, ruffian robbers with a glint in their eye, and leading lady, on a road trip of some discomfort. They are being pursued by the law led by George Kennedy, whilst having to deal with internal fighting and a date with blood thirsty Mexican bandits.
Bubbling away in the mix is the tale of two brothers (Stewart and Martin) who went different ways during the Civil War, the conversations of such between the two most potent and worth sampling. Add in Welch for dressage and sexual tension, with Kennedy's stoic lawman in pursuit of both her and the outlaws, and it's got firecrackers simmering in the narrative. Hanging and the threat of sexual assault further stokes the fires, all while we are asked to take seriously guys with names like July Johnson and Roscoe Bookbinder!
McLaglen directs with competent hands befitting the occasion, in other words let your star named cast operate without mugging for the camera - with the visual ticks of Stewart and Kennedy a joy as opposed to doing down the material. Goldsmith's score is a bit too modern sounding for the time period of story setting, but as expected it's a blood stirrer. While locales are most pleasing as the great Clothier cements his status as a Western genre legend.
Ultimately with the cast assembled it really should be a far better film than what it is, but if nothing else, the odd blend of humour and serious themes makes for an intriguing viewing. Whilst as Kennedy slots in to steal the film from his more illustriously named co-stars, it's enough to just enjoy a cast and director comfortably at work. 7/10
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★ 7 / 10
Good fun for fans of the Western genre.
Hey_Sweden
Jimmy Stewart plays a loner who masquerades as a hangman in order to save the lives of Dee Bishop (Dean Martin) and his gang. Along the way, the gang gets a…
Jimmy Stewart plays a loner who masquerades as a hangman in order to save the lives of Dee Bishop (Dean Martin) and his gang. Along the way, the gang gets a hold of feisty Mexican bride Maria (Raquel Welch), and keeps her with them so they can have a hostage on hand. Pursuing them DEEP into Mexico is a lawman (George Kennedy) whose mission is rather personal: not only did he not appreciate being made to look foolish, but he's in love with Maria, hoping that he can win her love. The main problem that both pursuers and the pursued have is that they are travelling through bandit country.
And the bandits in this beautifully photographed, widescreen Western are particularly bloodthirsty, giving the film some potent, grisly implied violence.
There's a first rate cast in this one, with Dino and Jimmy supported by other familiar faces like Andrew Prine, Will Geer (an unsurprising scene stealer as a cantankerous aged outlaw), Clint Ritchie, Denver Pyle, Sean McClory, Harry Carey Jr., Don 'Red' Barry, Guy Raymond, Perry Lopez, Jock Mahoney, Dub Taylor, John Mitchum, and Patrick Cranshaw. But it's really the fact that the main roles are played with some nuance that makes the difference in this amiable-enough story. Dino is no hardcore criminal, but always has been a cynic. Jimmy gets to play a character who is a might shadier than others he's played. "It was something to do." The lovely Raquel is a delight, holding her own opposite such talented veterans. And Kennedy is solid in an even-handed portrayal of a very determined man.
Screenplay by genre veteran James Lee Barrett, based on a story by Stanley Hough, while Andrew V. McLaglen, who himself did lots of work in the genre, is in the directors' chair. One of the brightest elements has to be the typically zesty score by Jerry Goldsmith.
Seven out of 10.
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