Bandolero!

An entertaining Western whose major selling points are a winning cast and beautiful outdoor photography, 1968's "Bandolero!" proved an easy 100 minutes for me to sit through. In it, James Stewart rescues brother Dean Martin and his sleazy gang from a neck-stretching party in 1867 Texas, after Dino & Co.'s botched bank robbery. They hightail it over the Mexican border with the recently widowed "vistoso" Mexican Raquel Welch as their hostage, while sheriff George Kennedy and his posse follow in hot pursuit. Truth be told, Kennedy is more hot for Raquel than the pursuit of justice, and who wouldn't be? Racky, 28 here and at the peak of her sex goddess phase, looks terrific, and acts very passably. She makes for a very convincing Mexican (although, in real life, her father was Bolivian and her mother of English descent). Stewart (need it even be said?) is fine as always, and supplies much of the film's humor with his double takes and slowpoke delivery. This is no Anthony Mann Western, however, and Stewart was ever so much more impressive in oaters such as "Winchester '73" (1950) and especially "The Naked Spur" (1953). Dino, it should be added, is also fine as a decent guy who just can't seem to make good. "Bandolero!" also features some amusing lesser characters (particularly that hangman!) and a surprisingly gritty and quite violent conclusion. It's no Peckinpah bloodbath, but following what is essentially a fun, lighthearted Western, it does shake the viewer. Lesson to be learned: Don't press your sexual "favors" on a Mexican woman if she's anywhere near a six-shooter!

Bandolero starts out as an amiable western. Former Quantrill raider Dean Martin gets caught robbing a bank where Raquel Welch's husband was killed. He and his gang are sentenced to hang and the town of Valverde Texas even sends for a professional hangman to do it right. Of course Dean's brother James Stewart hears about it and waylays the hangman and takes his place.

Stewart helps effect an escape for the outlaws minutes before the hanging. And after Dean and his gang get away, Stewart goes and robs the bank that they were unsuccessful in robbing in the first place.

Up to this point Bandolero is one of the funniest westerns I've ever seen and had the film stopped right there and been a television special it would have gotten rave reviews.

But Bandolero changes and becomes deadly serious as a posse led by Sheriff George Kennedy and Deputy Andrew Prine chase them across the border and into Bandolero (bandit) country. Mexican bandits who have no use for Americans. These are probably the ancestors of Alfonso Bedoya's bunch from Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Along the way Stewart and Martin connect and Martin takes Raquel Welch as a hostage.

Bandolero is a good film, but it's far better in the beginning when it is played for laughs than when it becomes serious. Still I would recommend it to western fans.

Sure, Dean and Jimmy starred in better westerns in their careers, RIO BRAVO and THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE, to name a few, but this one doesn't have John Wayne. The Duke didn't need to be here. This is a good ride that holds the formula western of better days to its heart and you're none the worse off for having given 90+ minutes of your time. And yes, Raquel Welch is gorgeous, baking in the hot Mexico sun. Dino doesn't sing, but the soundtrack by Jerry Goldsmith is haunting.

this movie has larry mcmurtry written all over it--as someone else has noted, three of the characters have names that later showed up in "lonesome dove", roscoe's last name is bookbinder, and larry mcmurtry is a bookseller and book fanatic, most of the film is set near the texas/mexico border, where lonesome dove is located, and dee and mace have a brotherly relationship much like call and gus (and don't forget "lonesome dove" began as a screenplay intended for james stewart and john wayne) and dee and mace talk about going to montana and starting a ranch......

larry mcmurtry doesn't get a screen credit here, but i'll betcha he had something to do with the screenplay......

anyone know for sure?

In Texas , two outlaws brothers (Jimmy and Dino) become fugitives who flee after being jailed and about hanging . The brothers along with their gang (Will Geer , among others) taking a hostage (Raquel Welch) flee across the Mexican frontier . During escape south of border run into trouble with their Mexican counterparts . Meanwhile , they're pursued by a sheriff (George Kennedy) , deputy (Andrew Prine) and a posse.

This is a nice Western-pursuit plenty of action , violence , shootouts , and quite bemusing . Agreeable acting by Dean Martin as the bad brother and terrific performance by James Stewart as the good but greedy brother . Stewart appears in all Andrew McLagen's other best movies, ¨The rare breed¨ and ¨Fool's parade¨. Furthermore , gorgeous Raquel Welch giving a mediocre acting , as always . Support cast is frankly excellent , such as : Andrew Prine , Will Geer , Clint Ritchie , Denver Pyle , Harry Carey Jr , Perry Lopez , Jock Mahoney and Dub Taylor . In addition , George Kennedy as tough but enamored sheriff is cool .George Kennedy & Dean Martin played together before in "The Sons of Katie Elder" and would do so again in "Airport" .

The movie displays an awesome cinematography in colorful outdoors by William H. Clothier , John Ford's usual . Spectacular and exciting musical score by the great Jerry Goldsmith who composes with his habitual panaché . The motion picture was well realized by Andrew McLagen , Victor Mc Lagen's son . He was a Western expert, starting in television series as ¨Gunsmoke¨ of which direct many episodes.Besides assistant director of famous Western filmmakers as John Ford, William Wellman and Budd Boetticher . Maclagen's Western talent kept him directing projects throughout the 70s and 80s and enjoyable John Wayne vehicles as ¨McLintock¨ and ¨Cahill,Us Marshall¨ and his best movie, ¨Chisum¨ . Although his product of this time was dispiriting to those who would have liked to have seen subtler talents re-emerge. Rating : Acceptable and amusing Western , it will appeal to Jimmy and Dino enthusiastic and of course, Raquel Welch fans.