A shorter review of tbis video appears in my "10 Best Westerns" article.
A very good example of the Western, with the Duke doing as Jake Cutter, Texas Ranger extraordianaire.
The movie opens in New Orleans in the early 1840's. Gambler Paul Regret (a very good Stuart Whitman) has an appointment at the famous "Dueling Oaks." Regret comes out on top in the affair of honor, but the loser turns out to be the son of a local judge, which means that Regret can't expect the usual blind eye a New Orleans gentleman usually gets for killing someone in a duel. So he does the only thing a gentleman can do in this situation...he runs like hell!
He ends up on a coastel steamer heading for the (currently independent) Republic of Texas, where he meets Pilar (Ina Balin), a lovely young woman of mysterious antecedents, with a hulking (and obviously jealous) bodyguard named Amalon (Michael Anasara). Paul and P{ilar hit it off immediately, and do more than hold hands (offscreen).
At Gavelston, Jake Cutter comes aboard, and handcuffs the still sleeping Regret. Paul is naturally a bit dismayed at this, and trys evertthing from sympathy to bribery to get Cutter to look the other way. But the big ranger will be swayed from his duty, he's even amused by Regret's blandishments and pretensions (he cheerfully keeps referring to the Creole Regret as Mon-sewer). Pilar meanwhile has apparently disappeared.
Regret keeps trying, and trying, and Cutter remains steadfast (and adept at thwarting Regret's escape attempts). Until they come to the remains of Jake's old ranch...and the remains of those he sold it to. While they bury the dead, Paul sees his chance and clouts Jake with a shovel.
Jake returns to Austin without his prisoner, his horse, and a significant portion of his dignity, as his fellow rangers goodnsturedly rib him. But serious business break up these hi-jinks as Major Henry (Bruce Cabot), talks to Jake,and we learn that there's a band of Whites selling liqour and guns to the Comanches. Fortunately there is a lead to this gang in the form of a gun runner (a fine comic performance by veteran Western stalwart Guinn "Big Boy" Williams), who was intercepted with a load of guns. Jake agrees to go undercover as the Gunrunner to smoke the gang out.
Jake meets the contact man, an obnoxious gunman by the name of Tully Crow (a marvelous Lee Marvin in an all too brief part). Things start off well, until they join a poker game...and guess who's also sitting in on this game (1...2...3...all together now) Paul Regret. Crow proves a very sore loser...and Jake has to kill him. He grabs Paul and proceeds to run him in.
They stop at a grain ranch, where Major Henry and the boys are resting after an encounter with the Comanches. Paul gets handcuffed to an anvil, and Major Henry rides off with half the company to gather up settlers. Jake stays with the to protect ranch family (who can't move because the wife is about to have a baby at any minute). A mixed force of Indians and Whites attack the ranch ( and yeah, you guessed it...the woman goes into labor during this little fracas). Regret apparently flees, but returns with Major Henry in the nick of time (in honor of his heroics, the baby is named Regret...no doubt inducing long, expensive hours of therapy later in life).
Regret also recieves a reprieve of sorts. The rangers call up a friendly judge (Edgar Buchanan), who has them sign perjured affadavit...which states that Regret has been a ranger for several years. This proves to be something of a two edged sword...as Regret now has to accompany Jake on his mission to break up the gang...
This is a good Western...with plenty of action, some good performances, and a well written script. There's so much good one is almost tempted to forget the persian flaw of the characters walking around with 1873 Colt Peacemakers and Winchesters in the 1840's. But, I think there's plenty of room to suspend disbelief.
The cast is wonderful. The Duke, by this time, had his western persona down pat, so he fits the role of Cutter like a well made glove. Everybody does a good job from Whitman's elegant (but manly) Regret to Ansara's mean as hell Amalon. But it's Nehimiah Persoff as Grayle, the Blofeldesgue master criminal who runs the gang who nearly steals the show. Witty, elegant, and fiendishly brilliant, Grayle is dead-on perfect as the wheelchair bound archfiend. Marvin's Crow also achieves some neat limelight hijacking...but he's killed off far too early. Ina Balin does a fine job as Pilar, the heiress to the criminal empire who changes sides for love.
The action sequences are virtuousic, and they keep coming. Making for a real feast for us fans of old fahioned shoot-em-ups. Maybe they're not as slick as those computer enhanced "Matrix" sequences...but they do the job.
Overall, if you like Westerns, you'll love "The Comancheros." It's good old fashioned fun.
Recommended:
Yes
Viewing Format: VHS Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 9 - 12
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.