Bandido!

You can usually count on Richard Fleisher to deliver the goods, and here he does not disappoint. Robert Mitchum as an American soldier-0f-fortune gives a good performance. However, the always reliable Zachary Scott virtually steals the movie in the heavy role. The film was shot on location and that certainly adds to the fun. I recommend this film.

This one deals with an one man army at a mighty adventure . A yankee soldier of fortune , Robert Mitchum , playing both sides in a blazing war of revolt , as he does a spot of smuggling in 1916 revolutionary Mexico , the period during which this film is set , as war swept Mexico . As the Gringo mercenary crossing the river , as he runs into problem with Mexican people and being nicknamed ¨Alacran¨, at the same time relentlessly chased by the Regulars . The rebel revolutionaries and continuous treason reflect different aspects of his situation . Then , Mitchum falls for the gun-running's unhappy wife , Úrsula Thiess ; crossing swords with her husband , the wealthy weapon dealer , Zachary Scott . The cry that rooked the world'd hottest strip the hell ¡.

A Western drama with noisy action , shootouts , crosses , and doublé crosses . Bursting with attractive characters, interesting themes , sub-plots , symbols , and with very decent filmmaking and interpretation. Photographically with portentous images and musically , it's a continuous treat . The picture centers on Mitchum , a gringo mercenary operating South of Border , in a gun-running mission , as he finds out the blessings , belonging and the burderns of the Mexican revolution . This flick bears a certain resemblance to ¨The wonderful country¨1959 by Robert Parish with Robert Mitchum , Julie London , Garry Merrill , Albert Dekker . Robert Mitchum grapples rather unsteadly with his role as a gunrrunner who ends with his heart in the right place . Robert gives a lively as well as easy acting as an extremely ambitious dealer to get his objectives . The gorgeous eye-candy Úrsula Thiess , who married Robert Taylor , is pretty good as the wife with a thunderous life , though she attempts to take a honest way. Úrsula began her professional career as a model, landing small movie roles and eventually relocating to California, where her Hollywood career bloomed . Her film credits include Monsoon , Bengal Brigade, which co-starred Rock Hudson. She also appeared with Glenn Ford in The Americano and The Iron glove alongside Robert Stack . His husband is finely performed by usually nasty Zachary Scott , as he often plays bad guys . Gilbert Roland also takes advantage from a villain but good character . Satisfying support cast plenty of prestigious secondaries such as : Zachary Scott , Douglas Fowley , Henry Brandon , and the Mexican : Rodolfo Acosta, Jose Torvay , Victor Junco , and the latin lover Gilbert Roland . And a cast of thousands , including a lot of extras , as the older Mexicans hired as extras in the film were former soldiers of Pancho Villa and others were former government troops who fought them. Interesting and well structured screenplay by Earl Fenton , based on a successful story . It contains a colorful cinematography in Cinemascope , Color De Luxe by Ernest Laszlo , including wonderful landscapes from Iguala, Guerrero , Torreon , Yaltupec , Durango , Cuernavaca , Taxo , Acapulco , Guerero , Bavisne and Churubasco studios , Mexico ; in fact , it was shot on many of the actual battle sites of the 1916 Mexican revolution . And a sensitive and rousing musical score by the classy composer Max Steiner , adding marvelous Mexican sounds and songs .

This modest drama/action/Western picture was professionally and firmly directed by Richard Fleischer , assisted by a Mexico production unit ; though slowly filmed, as I miss more action and shots, but it also has explosion, pursuits and impressive battles . The movie was a collaboration between Robert Mitchum's independent production company DRM Productions and Robert L. Jacks Productions , supported by the prestigious fimmaker Richard Fleischer . Richard was a prolific craftsman who made a lot of films in all kinds of genres throughout a long career in which he was able to endow with a wealth of personal detail . As he directed adventures: Vikings , 20000 leagues under the sea , Red Sonja , Conan the destroyer , Mandingo , Ashanti , Doctor Dolittle , The prince and the pauper ; Thrillers: Mr Majestick , The Don is dead , The new Centurions , Million dollar mystery ; Historical : Barabbas ; Terror : Amityvile 3 the Demon ; Musical : The jazz singer ; Wartime : Tora tora tora ; Sci-Fi : Soilent Green ; Crime : 10 Rillington Place , The Boston strangler , Compulsion , See no evil ; Noir film : The narrow margin , The clay pigeon , Armored car robbery , Follow me quietly , Trapped . Rating : 6.5/10 acceptable and passable . Well worth watching .

"Bandido" is a sort of western settled settled during the Mexican revolution leaded by Emiliano Zapata against the ruling of Porfirio Díaz in the early 20th century.

Robert Mitchum is an American adventurer that makes his living by selling guns to the part that pays better who predictably turns for the just cause. The villain is the always reliable Zachary Scott, obviously in the "wrong" side, married to the amazingly beautiful but wooden Ursula Theiss who obviously too turns her affections to Mitchum. Gilbert Roland is a revolutionary leader who also goes for the guns for his cause.

Though not a great film at all, "Bandido" is an entertaining adventure with a simple script, a rather fast development, impressive outdoor locations (mainly at the seashore), a good colourful photography, romance and well handled action sequences.

Richard Fleischer was a daring all-terrain director who gave as such good products in different genres as "Compulsion", "Soylent Green", "Blind Terror", "The Vikings", "Tora Tora Tora", "Ashanti", "The Boston Strangler" or "The Jazz Singer" (1980). He tries his hand in westerns here and he gets an acceptable movie surely enjoyable for fans of the genre.

This film begins in 1916 with a civil war raging in Mexico and refugees heading north in search of safety. Yet even though the vast majority want to cross the Rio Grande River into the United States, there are a few Americans who willingly venture south in search of opportunities that the war can provide. To that effect, the film subsequently focuses on a gunrunner named "Mr. Kennedy" (Zachary Scott) who has just entered Mexico to help finalize plans with the Mexican government to provide arms and ammunition to them. Also with him is his wife "Lisa Kennedy" (Ursula Thiess) who he uses to impress all of the men he does business with. For her part, Lisa doesn't like being used in this manner but, even though she has expressed her feelings about it to him, her attempts have fallen on deaf ears--and their marriage has been seriously damaged as a result. Meanwhile, another opportunist by the name of "Mr. Wilson" (Robert Mitchum) has observed the interaction between the two and, having obtained knowledge of the transaction between Mr. Kennedy and the Mexican government, has devised a plan to steal the arms shipment and sell it to the opposing side. In order to do that, however, he will need all the help he can get and the man he wishes to do business with, "Colonel Jose Escobar" (Gilbert Roland) is not someone who tolerates failure. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this film was produced during a time when good Westerns were in great demand at both the local drive-in and indoor theaters across America. Looking back, although it was financially successful in its own right, I'm not sure it was nearly as appreciated as it should have been. But then again, there were other quality Westerns made during this time as well. So, the competition was rather fierce. Be that as it may, I enjoyed this film and I have rated it accordingly. Above average.

Robert Mitchum had a hand in producing Bandido, an independent production released by United Artists in 1956. It was supposed to be more of an existential type story about a mercenary during the Mexican Civil Wars of the teen years. What finally emerged was your run of the mill action adventure story with Mitchum mixing business with pleasure during the revolution. The business was arms, but the pleasure was Ursula Thiess.

Thiess is married to Zachary Scott who finds money far more beautiful than Thiess if that's possible. He's looking to sell a large cache of arms to the government which certainly has the cash on hand. Mitchum however while he says he's detached from the politics does harbor a certain sympathy for the rebels who locally are headed by Gilbert Roland.

The film was shot on location in Mexico and the two best things it has going for it are the beautiful location photography in Mexico and the performance of Gilbert Roland. Roland's a bit more intense in his role as the revolutionary chief than he normally is, but he still has that incredible charm working overtime for him. There are so many films where I find him the best thing in them.

According to the Mitchum biography by Lee Server, he got himself in a bit of woman trouble while down there. Nothing new for Mitchum except for the fact it was his stand in who abused a young woman who thought it was Bob himself. When you have that kind of a reputation, trouble will seek you out even when you're completely innocent. It all worked out for Mitchum however.

Ursula Thiess pretty much ended her career as actress with this film, she had married Robert Taylor a couple of years earlier and was now going to be a mother again. She had two children by her first marriage to German producer George Thiess, but now she was going to devote full time to the raising of Taylor's children.

Bandido is your run of the mill action adventure story. One wonders though what Mitchum had in mind for the original plot.