Avis des utilisateurs

Being a Spanish rather than Italian production, I don't think this rates as an official Spaghetti Western – yet, it's been included with a clutch of such efforts in a budget-release Box Set (which I've rented and am currently going through); the treatment itself, in fact, isn't even really evocative of that distinctly baroque style!

The film-makers managed to acquire two American stars for this one: veteran Joseph Cotten and William Shatner (a fashionable commodity at the time thanks to the STAR TREK phenomenon on TV); they actually complement each other quite well, the reliable Cotten being a laid-back yet plain-speaking marshal and Shatner brooding albeit given occasionally to his trademark histrionics – especially since he plays twins, i.e. cowboy hero and the troublesome half-breed of the title!

The narrative also incorporates a subplot involving rival factions fighting for control of the town of Rio Hondo; female interest is provided by lovely blonde Rosanna Yanni (co-star of the two "Red Lips" films by Jess Franco made the previous year), who's assaulted by one Shatner and loved by the other. Eventually, the two siblings face-off in a duel on horseback – which both undertake bare-chested and wearing a bandana (presumably, to confuse the audience as to the identity of the victor)! At the end of the day, the film proves a tolerable diversion if nothing more – unless one counts Shatner's almost campy intensity (particularly in his caricatured Indian portrayal) as an added source of gratification! I should also mention here that the terribly inappropriate jazzy score is a pain to listen to and, besides, the pan-and-scan version I watched had an irritating tendency to jump-cutting within the same shot in search of the current speaker's face!!

The motion picture industry has trained viewers to expect certain types of music for certain types of movies and individual scenes. Occasionally a film score breaks with tradition and is recognized for its brilliance. The opening music of White Comanche should be judged with an open mind because it is within reason to allow experimentation at times. It did not turn into a classic western theme, but it is not too far out of place. As the movie continues there are some musical passages that definitely should not have been used. One sequence uses music that invokes the image of a chase scene in an old comedy, and another would have been appropriate for late 60's crime drama set in a big city. The music itself was good, but its placement does not enhance the movie. Instead it is noticeable and distracting.

William Shatner gives two acting performances that are totally opposite. As Johnny Moon, Shatner really does give a good performance. The sophistication of Johnny's character comes through, and if this were Shatner's only role in White Comanche it would be regarded more highly. As Notah Moon, Shatner cannot be taken seriously. When acting as the domineering Notah, he does not convey an image of a leader. Instead, he looks like he is rehearsing his lines for the first time. In addition, Notah is the only "comanche" with short, perfectly combed hair at all times while the rest of the Indians all have long hair.

Joseph Cotten is flawless in his performance as Sheriff Logan, but it is sad to see him in a movie that did not capitalize on his talent. Cotten must have been hired to add a "name" to the cast, but there was little for him to work with in his role.

The remainder of the cast varied in their acting qualities. Kelly, The General, and the Mayor appear to give good performances, but the dubbed voices in the soundtrack are lifeless. All of the fight scenes look like the weekend performances from a cowboy theme park-- fun in the moment but not good on film.

The greatest problem that plagued White Comanche was probably the cheapest to fix, the script. Only one scene gives some history between Johnny and Notah, and it has little depth. There is no account of how the rift between Grimes and General Garcia began or escalated. Neither Sheriff Logan or the saloon girl, Kelly, have any history. A little more explanatory dialog could have made the characters more dynamic.

White Comanche is not well made, but do not avoid it if you have the time and desire to view it.

I wondering how William Shatner was involved in this average Spanish western, the premisse wasn't so bad at all, in fact no make sense, a twins brother half bread comanche & white man, but to consider it a crap there a long distance, the picture has a bad reputation by a large majority IMDB's users, however to me was an easily appreciation, therefore l find the answer, actually the people found a outrageous Captain Kirk got engaged in poor picture like that, a step down in your career, a place which he didn't dare to go, the picture itself is watchable and there good and bad moments, in time Joseph Cotten also has some criticism too????

Resume:

First watch: 2018 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD-R / Rating: 5.75

Hilariously bad western with Shatner playing the dual "good twin/bad twin" roles. This was made in Spain during his Star Trek years (hey, it seemed to have worked for Eastwood before him!). The incomprehensible back story winds up with a gun battle between fractious factions in the town of Rio Hondo (does anyone know what they're fighting about?). It also supports some other characters running around trying to hang innocent people. But the main clash is between the two twins which proceeds to a mano-a-mano finale in which Shatner gets to bare both his chests. I personally found his characteristic staccato delivery perfect for the Comanche twin Notah (speaking sterotypically of course). And for Star Trek fans - only one of him gets the girl! The film also suffers from a jazz influenced musical score, but, hey, that's the least of its problems.

It's a good thing that Star Trek prime became such a cult item. I would hate to think that William Shatner would have his career judged by this monstrosity of a western.

It's probably well that critics remember that at the time this film was done, Star Trek was not the big cult item it became. It was an ambitious science fiction show in its first run that drew a loyal steady audience that NBC decided to cancel after three years. It's fan base grew in syndication and THEN Star Trek became an industry unto itself.

So William Shatner in accepting this part had no idea what his future had in store for him. I think if he had he wouldn't have done this film.

It's just plain terrible. It's poorly dubbed, it's music score is the worst I've heard for a western since The Outlaw, the acting is terrible and the plot line ridiculous.

Shatner plays twin brothers who are from an anglo father and a comanche mother. One of them identifies with the whites and the other the Indians. Come to think of it there was an episode in Star Trek prime where the transporter divided Captain Kirk into a good and evil self. That one was far better done than this film.

I'm sure Shatner might have thought he would go the way of Clint Eastwood and Charles Bronson in spaghetti westerns. But I think he knew early on what a dog this film was and he overacts outrageously. Especially as his Indian self. Joseph Cotten is around for this also and he looks like he misses those good old days with Orson Welles.

Just think when Bill Shatner did Comanche blanco he had no idea that his immortality was already sealed.

If the Italian made cowboy flicks were "Spaghetti Westerns", this must be an "Enchilada Western", and it suffers by comparison. If it weren't for the presence in the cast of Cotten and Shatner, I'm sure this would be considered a "Cowboy and Indians" farce. I don't know how the two of them got involved in this but it was so compelling to Shatner that he played two roles. From horses who prance and dance little jigs in otherwise serious scenes, to Notah leading his band of Comanches while continuing to ride a western saddle, to buzzards that sound suspiciously like amplified crows, this whole thing might be somewhat entertaining if only the actors didn't take themselves so seriously.

Notable Actors: William Shatner! Joseph Cotton! Victor Isreal! William Shatner again!

I leave reservation and travel many miles on my BMX to see this film many moons ago. Me heap excited to see Comanche people on film as me feel tribe under-represented in the cinematic medium. Um Squaw 'couldn't be arsed' so me go on lonesome.

Me not know who William Shatner is but me not remember many ginger folk in tribe. And he two brothers? One of which take Peyote? We not takers of such drugs. Our um only weakness is Steakbake from Greggs on reservation. I see recent picture of William Shatner and he look like he like Steakbake too. Quite a lot.

So there's one Shatner who bad (and he Indian one! Not good!) and one who boring cowboy type who I guess is Indian too). Indian Shatner want kill white man for boom-stick and horses and cowboy Shatner want stick peace pipe in Rosanna Yanni's Happy Hunting Ground.

Also, grumpy old Bastard Joseph Cotton got problems with white ranch men fighting but they seem to kill each other without Shatner getting involved too much, although this meant big gun fight happen too soon. Grumpy old Bastard Joseph Cotton good here, but better in Lady Frankenstien (which good because you see Rosalba Neri's Teepees! And in Slaughter Hotel you see her under scalp!).

Shatner then fight Shatner in end. This a bit bloodier than usual film but crappy too due to cheapness and Shatner crapness. How!

Spanish movie made Paella Western that contains thrills , action and lots of gratuitous gunplay . It deals with two half-breed brothers , a cowboy called Johnny Moon (William Shatner) and his ruthless Indian twin brother called Notah (William Shatner) . Notah likes peyote and gets the crazy idea that he's the Comanche messiah sent to lead the Comanche nation against the white man but more specifically the dusty desert town of Rio Hondo . Moon , estranged from his brother, decides to face Notah either by words or by bullets . As Moon goes to the tribe location where meets Noaha and his pregnant wife called White Fawn (Perla Cristal) . After that , Johnny saves a damsel in distress (Rosanna Yanni) but she thinks that Johnny is Notah who formerly attacked to her . Meanwhile , two rival bands taking on to death , there takes place a bloody gunfight between the General Garcia bunch (Mariano Vidal Molina) and Grimes gang (Luis Prendes)

There is plenty of action in the movie , guaranteeing shootouts , fights or stunts every few minutes . This is an enjoyable Chorizo or Gazpacho Western dealing with a continuous confrontation among protagonists and both of them against several opponents ; it packs thrills , action , brawls , crossfire and drags at times , balancing in ups and downs . William Shatner , in his only Western , plays pretty well two roles , the good guy and the bad guy ; while Joseph Cotten plays an upright sheriff , this is his third Spaghetti Western , he had previously played ¨Mario Sequi's The tramplers¨ and ¨Sergio Corbucci's Hellbenders¨ . It's a thrilling western with spectacular outdoors filmed in Manzanares Del Real , La Pedriza and Colmenar Viejo ,Madrid , being interiors shot in Roma studios , Madrid . The movie has the typical European Western characters , as the bloody facing off , greedy antiheroes, dusty and spectacular showdowns , extreme baddies ; although being middlingly directed . Filmed in Spain on a miniscule budget while William Shatner was on hiatus from playing Captain Kirk on Star Trek , this film features him playing the dual role of half-breed twin brothers in the Old West . Agreeable secondary cast has several familiar faces from Paella Western such as Mariano Vidal Molina , Chris Huerta , Jose Canalejas , Barta Barri , Simon Arriaga , Victor Israel and many others . This Chorizo Western was filmed in 1968 , a notorious year in the development of European western that almost doubled since former year with movies mostly filmed in Spain and Italy . It results to be a peculiar version about confrontation between brothers ; theme to be treated in Spaghetti as ¨The tramplers¨(1965) by Mario Sequi with Joseph Cotten , Gordon Scott and Franco Nero and other Hollywood films such as ¨Broken Lance¨(1954) by Edward Dmytryck with Spencer Tracy as daddy and sons as Robert Wagner , Earl Holliman , Hugh O'Brian ; and previously in ¨House of strangers¨ (1949) by Joseph L Mankiewicz with Edward G Robinson , Luther Adler and Richard Conte .

The motion picture was regularly directed by Jose Briz Mendez , an usual filmmaker of documentary and TV episodes , this is his second picture having previously filmed a movie titled ¨Ragan¨ with Ty Hardin . Sadly the movie has also been relegated to what is sometimes called Spaghetti Western Hell, a denomination used to describe pictures that have fallen out of copyright or ¨Public Domain¨ and seem destined to stay that way, though as usual a widescreen presentation might improve one's perception of the results , hence my neutral rating of 6/10 . However , this film is listed among The 100 Most Enjoyably Bad Movies Ever Made in Golden Raspberry Award founder John Wilson's book 'The official Razzie Guide' .

The white Commanche is actually identical twin brothers played by William Shatner, one a ruthless peyote ingesting warrior chief who leads his followers into believing there will be a revival of there fortunes, and the other who tries to fit in with both cultures, but who has to deal with the consequences of his crazy brother and finally in the end is forced with the inevitable showdown. The film focuses more on the second brother, and if there is any criticism that would be where it should start, as the first one, the drugged out warrior seems to be the more interesting subject. But that wouldn't allow for the dubious necessity of having a plot where the cultures clash and the other brother gets to fall in love with the saloon girl his crazed brother earlier raped after leading an attack on the stage coach she was a passenger in. So one brother confronts the hatred and vengeance that the other brother caused. It's a good premise that's a bit restricted by the talent and budget, but is original and interesting.

Released in 1968, "White Comanche" is a Spanish Western (no Spaghetti) starring William Shatner in a dual role as twin half-breed brothers, one who assimilates with the European settlers while the other stirs up Comanche hostilities. The former, Johnny Moon, holds up in a town waiting for a showdown with the latter, Notah. While there, he befriends (sort of) the sheriff played by Joseph Cotton and romances a saloon girl (Rosanna Yanni). Besides the menace of Notah, the three are caught between the factions of a range war.

Like Clint Eastwood with the so-called Man with No Name trilogy (1964-66) and Burt Reynolds with "Navajo Joe" (1966), Shatner decided to roll the dice with a Euro Western during his break from Star Trek. Unfortunately, whereas those movies enlisted the talents of the brilliant Ennio Morricone for their exceptional scores, "White Comanche" got stuck with a palpably bad score by Jean Ledrut (although there are a couple decent parts). Seriously, the crappy semi-jazz score sounds lifted from a vinyl album of failed nightclub music; it doesn't match the action, especially in the suspense-violence scenes, e.g., when Notah pursues the white woman and roughs her up in the opening act.

Another negative, like most Euro Westerns, is that the movie has a decidedly comic book tone that could never be mistaken for real life. It's only a rung above the tone of the 3rd Season Star Trek episode "The Paradise Syndrome" where Capt. Kirk acquires amnesia and becomes the Indian-like Kirok. Speaking of Star Trek, "White Comanche" is reminiscent of the 1st Season episode "Enemy Within" where Kirk is split into to two selves – a spiritual Kirk and a dark Kirk. That's what you have with "White Comanche" where the story focuses on the "good" counterpart, Johnny Moon.

If you can look beyond the horrible score, comic book tone and Star Trek-isms, "White Comanche" has good characters, an engaging story and loads of Western action. I particularly enjoyed the interesting relationship that develops between Moon and Sheriff Logan. The relationship between Moon and Kelly (Yanni) is good too. If "White Comanche" had a decent score I would raise my rating.

The movie runs 93 minutes and was shot in Colmenar Viejo, Manzanares el Real & Estudios Roma, Madrid, Spain.

GRADE: B-

Actually it's not as awful as its reputation, well OK it's not very good either, but there is still a uniqueness to the story that warrants interest, and it's hugely enjoyable in that unintentional way.

William Shatner stars as "two" brothers of mixed race raised on a Comanche reservation. The one brother is Notah, a peyote taking bad boy who firmly follows the "not very" Comanche way and enjoys killing and raping white folk, the other is Johnny Moon, living as a white pale eyes dude who is a dandy with a pistol and fed up of being mistaken for his brother. So much so Johnny says enough is enough, it's time to have a duel and vanish his brother from the planet. As Johnny goes about his ways in the town of Rio Honcho, where he is building in preparation for "the duel", he has to deal with suspicious folk, bounty hunters, the alluring town vixen Kelly (Rosana Yanni) and the wise old sheriff (Joseph Cotton) who is simultaneously trying to avert a range war and keep an eye on Johnny.

What unfolds, in a blurry collage of bad dubbing, bad sound effects, bad musical scoring, bad acting and bad stereotyping, is a Freudian tinged tale of doppleganger complex and perverse Stockholm/Lima Syndrome type kinks. Director (and I use the term lightly) José Briz Méndez more or less just lets "The Shat" have his day in the Madrid sun, giving him the chance to be Clint Eastwood and Henry Brandon for one movie only. There's a nasty edge to the whole thing, which would be insulting were it not so ludicrous, but damn is it funny! And I'm not just talking about Shatner's ill fitting pants.

Poisonous paella served at the cult café. 5/10

MR. MIKE'S COUCH-TIME MOVIE REVIEW WHITE COMANCHE.

Yes, the line above is spoken in the context of some time-honored Native American fable. It's just one of the many nuggets that make this sofa-time well spent. White Comanche features William Shatner (Capt. Kirk)during a break from Star Trek starring in an Italian western. Now, hold on. Hindsight being 20-20 and all, this might not have been the disastrous career move we've come to expect from the strict method-acting thespian with Shat's pedigree.( wait, that 20-20 reference might be another native American truism ! Put yourself in Shatner's shoes, no small feet for a guy who stands 5-7 at best! Clint Eastwood was making a big splash in Italian Westerns. Of course, THOSE Italian westerns were shot with more than one camera. But hey, you get on a plane for Italy, you don't find out these things right away.

Summary: Shat plays half-breed, twin brothers. Johnny Moon the misunderstood cowpoke in the polycotton blend slacks, and Notah Moon, the bloody savage killer Comanche brother who wears his hair just like Johnny's and yes, Mom still lays Notah's polycotton blend slacks on the bed for him each night too. Notah eats peyote, sees visions (all off-camera) and believes he is a Comanche messiah, sent down to the reservation to get a lot of Italians dressed as Indians all hot and bothered ! There's a showdown in the street.

The reliable (but obviously down on his luck) Joseph Cotton wrestles with the script as the well-meaning sheriff who reaches out to Johnny. And Rossana Yani, one hot Italian actress, who of course plays Kelly, the whore with a heart of gold, the love interest.

The movie is godawful. Poor cinematography, obvious jump cutting, stilted script, misplaced period music. The director tries to update the Cowboys/Indians shoot 'em up with drug references and then throw in the old Prince/ Pauper routine. Tired. A better budget might have pulled it off, but would have probably meant a better, more expensive cast (like say, Vince Edwards, Lee J. Cobb and Connie Stevens as Kelly). If that were the case, NO ONE would remember this movie. Kelly is beautiful, but has no one idea what her lines mean in English. At one point, she sympathizes with Johnny's abuse by prejudice, "We're all outcasts in someway, I'm part French, English with a little German mixed in." Of course, there's NO IRISH connection, her name IS KELLY.

Points of interest: Visible telephone poles in the old west, Notah Moon's on-again, off-again saddle trick. He does this same magic with his warpaint. Shatner's use of Kirk-esque grappling moves in his far too-long fight scene. Kelly's quick leap in the sack with the twin brother of the man who raped her. This logic is rivaled only by her insistence on bathing alone in the middle of nowhere in a spicy scene guaranteed to save the special effects budget. With the money saved, the crew was able to construct a SIXTH building for the set!

Cotton is not bad in this picture. It's easy to pile on Shat, but he's not a bad actor either in the right role. But God can't help this production. The music is not to be missed. Pick up White Comanche today. But do it when the Video stores are bulk selling their VHS stock.

White Comanche gets 3 potatoes: 1 for the soundtrack 1 for Rosanna Yanni (no relation and that's why she gets a potato!) 1 for the incredible marksmanship. Everyone who dies in this picture, save Notah, all take a bullet right between the eyes.

Thats the same sensation you'll experience if you see White Comanche !

Yes this is a dull film for the most part, but the sight of Shatner as Notah with his bare white chest is worth at least taking a look. If you don't want to sit through the whole film come in on the last part where the two brothers fight it out on horseback in an extremely badly shot close out.

Actually saw it so many years ago that I don't remember much of the film. However, knew Gil Kay, the director, when he was living in Madrid in the late 60's and wonder if he is still around and writing and directing. At the time he had a screenplay, that he wrote, and was trying to produce it in Spain. Madrid was a hotbed of film activity, fueled mainly by Samuel Bronston's productions. Big names and, for those days, big budgets compared to the Spanish economy. Gil was an integral part of the ex-pat community of film makers, most of whom came over to work on specific projects but, seduced by the extraordinary life style in Madrid, remained, sometime for years, trying to put together productions. A few succeeded but most returned to Hollywood poorer but wiser. So, anybody know if Gil is still alive and active? What was his last effort? Would appreciate an update at my email address: dickzie32@Yahoo.com

(Yep. May contain spoilers)

OK - I ask you - Are 2 William Shatners (teamed up together in a single movie) better than one William Shatner?

Well, without even the slightest bit of hesitation, I'd confidently answer - No way, Jose. 2 are not better than one, as is so plainly evident here in White Comanche. (Did they ever attempt this sort of duplication nonsense with Shatner in Star Trek?)

As I'm sure everyone is aware - Shatner played dual roles in White Comanche. And, yep, it was the predictably stale tale of "good boy/bad boy" here, as well. And even though these identical, half-breed, twin brothers may have been at total odds with each other and hung out on different sides of the tracks (so to speak), it became clearly evident, right off the bat, that when it came to their choice of jeans that these 2 brothers obviously shopped at the same bargain-basement outpost for style and brand. (This, you can well-imagine, cut down, big-time, on any repeated wardrobe changes for Shatner throughout the story.)

Featuring a decidedly "Jazz" soundtrack, White Comanche, with its preposterous violence, and its pure slapstick rape scene, contained every single Western-movie cliché (imaginable) in the book. In fact, White Comanche was so utterly disappointing at times that it was almost enough to turn one right off the genre of Westerns, once and for all.

Veteran actor, Joseph Cotten, as Sheriff Logan (Rio Hondo's pathetically useless law-enforcer), looked bored and tired in his role. Put quite plainly, Cotten's less-than-fascinating performance as Deputy Dawg could only be best described as nothing short of a total "phone in". Tsk-Tsk on Joseph Cotten.

If nothing else, White Comanche featured some really hilarious stunts. Like, for instance, when "good" twin (Johnny Moon) jumped off a 40 foot cliff to escape the wrath of some of the General's henchmen, he landed squarely in amongst a tangle of treacherous looking bushes. Certain that Johhny must now be punctured and mangled to pieces by the many sharp branches, he, literally, walked away from this ordeal completely unscratched. (Ha! - What a hoot!)

When it came to shoot-outs in White Comanche, it seemed that being shot straight through the forehead (dead center, of course) was, undoubtedly, the most popular way of all to die. And if that wasn't demented enough, the male actors (who were the Comanche braves) totally killed me, wearing the dumbest looking, most ill-fitting wigs that I've ever seen.

P.S.

Try watching White Comanche in black and white. I certainly found it more suitable when viewed this way, rather than in color.

This movie gets extremely low ratings and rankings on almost every website you look at, but this is one of the best westerns I have seen. Yes, it's low budget, 1960's foreign attempt at an American Western, but somehow it manages to be one of the best westerns ever. Somewhere over the years this film seems to have slipped into the public domain because it's on a lot of the big multi-pack movie sets from Platinum DVD, TreeLine, and Mill Creek. It's also available for free on several legitimate websites. So, since it's free online, and only a few pennies to get on DVD you should give this one a look if you ever enjoyed a spaghetti western, or ever feel nostalgic for old 1960's westerns.

Halfbreed Comanche (William Shatner) holes up in the town of Rio Hondo (How crack pot is that?) waiting for a showdown with his renegade peyote-munching twin brother while dodging bounty killers and still having time to get involved in a local land dispute between two angry bigwigs.

Filmed during a Star Trek summer hiatus, this is Shatner's only foray into the European western genre.

White Comanche is extremely low budget fun, though there's plenty of ridiculousness, including the final showdown between the two brothers that occurs without the benefit of split-screen technology and the canned jazz score.

Joseph Cotten gets an honorable mention for being the best actor in the movie.