Valdez Is Coming

Screen legend Burt Lancaster plays Bob Valdez, an ageing Mexican-American lawman who is called upon to assist in the apprehension of a supposed murderer. The resulting confrontation was instigated by thoroughly nasty land baron Frank Tanner (Jon Cypher), who turns out to be a very bad guy indeed. The murder suspect ends up dead, and Valdez believes that his Indian wife should be compensated. So he goes to Tanner to appeal to him to pony up half of the needed dough ($100) but Tanner and his men laugh at Valdez and humiliate him instead, tying him to a cross. After Valdez is freed, he's ripe for revenge, abducting Tanners' woman Gay Erin (Susan Clark) as he gets ready for a final showdown.

While this entertaining Western does ultimately turn rather conventional, it's still an interesting and thoughtful look at bigotry in the Old West. Based on the novel by Elmore Leonard, and scripted by Roland Kibbee and David Rayfiel, it combines some complex character relationships and details with a tried and true revenge story. Lancaster hand picked Edwin Sherin to direct the feature, based on Sherins' success guiding "The Great White Hope" on Broadway, and Sherin proves up to the task of working in this genre. He gets solid performances out of a well chosen cast, and gives certain scenes just the right amount of tension. Lancaster is quietly authoritative and appealing as Valdez, and Cypher is just right as his snake-mean adversary. The latter gets an "introducing" credit here, as do the late, great actors Richard Jordan, as the cowardly R.L. Davis, and Barton Heyman, as Tanners' main henchman El Segundo. There's also a brief scene for the always excellent Hector Elizondo. Filmed on location in Spain, this features the expected dazzling scenery as well as a stirring - and sparingly used - music score by Charles Gross. But what folks may not expect is that ending. Sherin, Lancaster, and company definitely deserve some credit for doing such a thing.

If you're a Western fan, and always like discovering overlooked pictures, give this one a shot.

Seven out of 10.

Life's full of coincidence, no? This is true: just a few weeks back, I happened to pick up another novel from Elmore Leonard called 'Valdez is coming'. After reading it, I said to a close friend, 'Hey, this is a great story – and it'd be another great movie..." So, when he told me it already was, I just had to get it and have a look.

Leonard is prolific: not only one of America's premier authors, he's responsible for some of the most talked about films ever, among them being Get Shorty (1995), Mr. Majestyk (1974 ), Jackie Brown (1997 ), Pronto (1997 ) and many others. So, when you get wind of another one from this master storyteller, you sit up and take notice.

Leonard's heroes tend to fall into two camps: the tough guy who's got heart when needed, or the guy with heart who gets tough when pushed. In both cases, you get a character who's the type of guy you'd always like to have as a friend, but never as an enemy...

Bob Valdez (Lancaster) is the local constable who gets caught up in a stand-off between an alleged killer and a vigilante posse led by Frank Tanner (Jon Cypher). After being forced to kill the accused murderer, Valdez tries unsuccessfully to persuade the towns' leaders and Tanner to kick in some compensation for the man's Apache widow. They refuse, of course, and, in the process of asking Tanner again, Valdez is cruelly treated: Tanner orders his men to tie a wooden cross to Valdez's back and then forces him to walk back to town – some fifteen miles.

Unhappily for Tanner, he picked the wrong guy to bully: Valdez is a retired scout and Indian fighter who knows how to exact revenge. He returns to Tanner's spread and kidnaps his girl friend, thus forcing Tanner to pursue both of them into the high sierra – the very place that Valdez knows better than anybody. That sets up the final confrontation between the two men, but preceded by Valdez picking off eleven of Tanner's men with better tactics and better firepower. And, for a western, the final scene is unique: you'll never see another western with an end like it. Bar none...

Filmed in Spain, up in the sierra, the cold terrain and air are overwhelming, almost. The music sound track is adequate and doesn't intrude as others have; the editing is just a tad too quick in a couple a places, but the photography is just stunning. Lancaster gives a solid performance as the Mexican constable, with just the right amount of lilt to his affected Mexican-English, and his tacit subservience to the bullying Americans; Cypher is excellent as the cruel and near-sociopathic trail boss and landowner; Susan Clark is competent, but not outstanding, as the kidnapped girlfriend; and a special mention for Barton Heyman as El Segundo who finally learns what true loyalty means. In sum, a stellar cast for a well-produced and very intelligent western.

If you like the western genre, in my opinion this one ranks in the top ten for that genre. So, if you haven't seen it yet, I give this one my highest recommendation.

The opening scene begins like a Sunday picnic/Turkey shoot: well-dressed couples in period costumes milling around, young boys plunking away with their new rifles. It takes a minute or so to realize that this is stand-off with a man sealed inside a log cabin. A few racial epithets later and we realize the man is (a) black and (b) possibly innocent of the crime he is accused of.

Director Edwin Scherin lucked into a fine script co-authored by Elmore Leonard, one of the pioneers among popular writers to take up the subject of racism in best-selling detective and action novels. He uses Burt Lancaster, the title character, judiciously at first, having him enter inconspicuously and a little awkwardly, like a man who knows he is out of place. But soon Lancaster assumes control of the deadlocked situation, and but for the interference of a trigger-happy shooter (Richard Jordan), almost manages to end it peacefully.

This scene sets off the plot events that follow, as Valdez tries to obtain money to compensate the man's Native American widow. Most of the action - except for the bizarre humiliation of Valdez at the hands of a wealthy gun-runner - follows standard formulas, but Lancaster underplays his role so well that the clichés turn to his and the movie's advantage. Add solid supporting roles by John Cypher, Susan Clark, and an offbeat ending, and you have a surprisingly engaging Western that delivers what we expect and then some.

Valdez is Coming is a companion piece to Martin Ritt's HOMBRE. Both stories center on a single man's moral code, as does MR. Majestyk with Charles Bronson. Filled with incredible dialogue and a trailer that cried out,"Tell Frank Tanner, Tell El Segundo and the sixteen others, Valdez Is Coming.Valdez, a good old man tries to ask Frank Tanner for some money to support a widow that was married to a mullato Tanner forced Valdez to kill. Not only doesn't Tanner give the widow and money, after a second attempt of restitution Tanner throws Valdez to his men who tie him to a cross and leave him in the desert to die. A slimey Richard Jordon releases him and 'Bob' Valdez puts his old military uniform on and with his scatter gun and 'indian fightin' ways Valdez proceeds to kill all the men who don't recognize his code of honor, meanwhile stealing and wooing Tanner's woman. An absolute classic of the spaghetti western genre carried to a higher realm by Leonard's script and Lancaster's subtle acting.

I've watched this film over and over. There is perfection in it's brevity, assuredness in performance, outrageous make up, good costumes, peculiarly effective non-classical western camera-work and Burt! Perhaps one day I will write that piece on Burt's political stance demonstrated in his movies, but for now will add my name to the list of Valdez supporters. I particularly admire the taut structure and tone, the minimal but highly emotional exchanges between the players and the curious fact that none of the Mexicans are played by - Mexicans. I do not agree with the associations made by some commentators about the Leone connection. This film came from a completely different camp. This is Lancaster territory not Leone's. I would love to talk to Edwin Sherin about this film or any of the surviving cast and crew. Any offers?