The Comancheros

The Comancheros" , Curtiz's last film , deals with a Texas Ranger named Jake Cutter ,a big man with soft heart , (the Duke John Wayne), assigned to bring a dandy gambler named Paul Regret (Stuart Whitman) for killing . Comancheros is a word that refers to those who favored or advantaged of Comanche Indians by selling weapons and alcohol . The relationship shared between the Ranger " and his prisoner" a dandy accused for murder in a duel to the son of an officer , gets enjoyable nuances and charm enough . Along the way confront bad boy (Lee Marvin) and a gang of liquor-and-gun running nasties of the title commanded by a villain ( Nehemia Persoff) whose daughter (Ina Balin) falls in love with Paul .

This actioner Western contains a wonderful friendship , thrills , adventures , rider pursuits , impressive attacks and loads of crossfire . ¨The Comancheros" Curtiz does the human touch including lots of nice moments , it is a very fine picture that could become another western worthy of any anthology. In the film "The Comancheros" the spectator enjoys because it has a lot of issues that make it agreeable . Even the female character played by attractive Ina Balin as "Pilar", reveals a woman who knows that she wishes and makes it irresistible. Large support cast formed by Western usual players as Edgar Buchanan , John Dierkes , Michael Ansara and special mention to big Lee Marvin . Breathtaking and lively musical score by Elmer Berstein , one of the best of Western genre along with ¨The Magnificent Seven¨ soundtrack. Colorful and spectacular cinematography in Cinemascope by William Clothier , John Ford's ordinary .

This well-paced film is stunningly directed by Michael Curtiz . He does the human touch and full of insight that accompanied him during most of his films and the story develops pleasantly in a large frame with an interesting plot and fully adjusted to the requirements of the action, which had to be shot in long part by specialist Cliff Lyons . Even in a time of filming, Curtiz had to be briefly hospitalized and the actor John Wayne, a character who gets very nice here, had replaced on the set. He was already sick, but accepted, perhaps because they wanted to die in a movie set . Michael Curtiz concludes a great legacy that included dramas, adventures, comedies, musicals, horror, historical films, police ... and a few westerns . He was an expert in strictly American film Noir genre and in drama as proved in ¨Bright Leaf , Flaming Road , Passage Marseille¨ and of course ¨Casablanca¨ . But also was specialist on adventure genre as ¨Adventures of Robin Hood , Sea Hawk ,Charge of the light Brigade , Private lives of Elizabeth and Essex¨ and Western as ¨Proud rebel, Dodge city¨and of course ¨Los Comancheros¨ . After directing about 180 films, the Hungarian director Michael Curtiz was already 73 years old, when he was called to lead what would be his last film and among all these pictures , many of them form already part of the great classics of cinema as ¨Angel with dirty faces¨ . .Rating : Good , above average . Worthwhile watching .

...was this rousing action western starring John Wayne, who also directed many scenes uncredited when the ailing Curtiz was too ill to shoot.

It's a pretty good western overall, not terribly original or up to the best of the genre, but certainly a solid, entertaining production with a veteran cast and few good action sequences that should please most Western fans and Wayne fans. In his typical and well-loved manner, Wayne plays Jake Cutter, a Texas Ranger trying to bring in a charming gambler charged with murder after a fatal duel, and also to deal with a band of outlaws who are trading in guns and whisky with the hostile Comanche Indians. Stuart Whitman plays the gambler, who meanwhile has fallen for a mysterious and independent-minded beauty he met before being arrested (Ina Balin), and later discovers she's the daughter of the ruthless head of the Comancheros (Nehemiah Persoff).

There are brief but memorable roles played by Lee Marvin, Bruce Cabot, Edgar Buchanan, Henry Daniell, and even Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, among others.

I Recently got The Comancheros on DVD and watched it last night. I believe that is the first time that I have seen this film completely. I must admit to having a preference for John Wayne's earlier films from Stagecoach into the late 40's. This was the period when the studios were stills casting John Wayne in assorted roles with greater for lesser degree of success(who could forget him as the Mongolian emperor?) So only recently, I have been rediscovering his great performances in his middle period. But this is about another actor in this film. I just read all the other user comments listed about this film. Several correctly praised the small part played by Lee Marvin. He is always reliable for standout performances. But not any of the comments mentioned the truly standout performance by unknown "Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams" in the part of Ed McBain, the gunrunner. It was a small role but to my thinking probably the best acting in this or many other movies. Well, that's my two cents. "Nuff sed"

John Wayne made better films with John Ford and Howard Hawks and he even made more historically accurate films. But for pure entertainment value this is the quintessential Duke.

Cecil B. DeMille was of the opinion that motion pictures have to move. He wouldn't have anything to complain about The Comancheros on that score. There's not a dull moment in the film. This was the last directorial effort of Michael Curtiz and he kept the action flowing.

Three things stand out in The Comancheros. First Elmer Bernstein's music keeps the action going. You will be humming that theme days after viewing this film. Secondly the Cinemascope photography is breathtaking even viewing a formatted VHS copy. I remember seeing The Comancheros in the Sheepshead Bay Movie Theatre in Brooklyn as a lad and a theater is where this film should really be viewed.

But mostly since the two of them are on the screen together for about half the film, the chemistry with John Wayne as Texas Ranger Jake Cutter and Stuart Whitman as fugitive Paul Regret is what sets the whole tone of the film. Wayne and Whitman only worked one other time together and that was in The Longest Day. They were such a perfect fit it's a pity they didn't do more together.

This was also the first time the Duke worked with Lee Marvin. Marvin's character is only on screen for about 10 minutes, but you remember him throughout. This is also the final screen appearance of Guinn "Big Boy" Williams who must have done at least fifteen films with Michael Curtiz back in the heyday of Warner Brothers.

The Comancheros deserves an honored place in the performances of John Wayne and can't be beat for entertainment. A MUST for Duke fans.

I really enjoy this film, though it's more about how much I love the sights in the American Southwest, and William Clothier's Cinemascope photography of locals in Utah and Arizona is simply stunning here, and the wonderful Elmer Bernstein score, and less to do with the conventions of the Western genre in general and John Wayne movies in particular. Both had become pretty stale by the time this picture was made. As a 'serious' Western it can be dismissed; it's about as historically accurate as "Blazing Saddles" and I don't know what's supposed to look worse, the scalped head make-up Lee Marvin (who practically steals the film) wears or the wig-pieces Wayne sports. However, this forty-year-old movie plays as better entertainment than most movies made today. It's hardly cynical, tries to reinforce ideas of right and wrong, and knows it's not to be taken seriously anyway. You can also tell that everyone seems to be having a very good time making this movie. It's also the last of more than 150 films directed by Michael Curtiz (though Wayne had to direct a lot of it himself when Curtiz fell ill [Curtiz died shortly after filming ended]). A beautiful letterboxed transfer of this movie was done for laserdisc in 1993. It also featured commentary by stars Stuart Whitman, Patrick Wayne, Michael Ansara and Nehemiah Persoff, as well as production stills, script pages, posters and lobby cards. Somebody at Fox at the time thought the movie deserved this 'Collector's Edition' treatment, so I can only hope that person is still there and that this will be replicated on DVD soon.