Johnny Concho

This is a wonderful movie with Frank Sinatra playing against type as a mean-spirited bully who keeps an entire town under his thumb because his older brother is an infamous gunfighter. When two strangers ride into town, Johnny Concho's life is threatened and the weary townsfolk refuse to stand up for him. He is left with no choice but to show his cowardice and leave. It is only after he has nothing and no one does he finally see the strength within himself. Fabulous performances by old blue eyes, and William Conrad.

I was lucky enough to get to see this film many years ago in England. I've seen hundreds of films since,but I've never forgotten this one.Although Sinatra was playing a not very endearing character,he was excellent in the role.A lot of people seem to think that he did'nt really come into his own until his role in "From Here To Eternity" but in my opinion he was magnificent in Concho.The other role that sticks in my mind is that of William Conrad.I'd never see or heard of him before this film. Conrad plays a terrific part in this film.I remember his deep and gravelly voice and he uses it beautifully to enhance the few words he speaks with a menace that sets the tone of his character.Also I remember the music, that both introduces Conrad and and seems to surround him whenever he appears.An excellent film and my only disappointment was that I never ever got the chance to see it again. It seems to have disappeared from the face of the earth. I see in the titles that it says that the film is in black and white but when I saw it was indeed in full color, I remember Sinatra's blue shirt.

I love nearly every Frank Sinatra film I have seen...though, oddly, I'm not a particular fan of him or his music. But after seeing him in so many terrific movies, I couldn't help but look for the rest...the ones forgotten over time.

When the story begins, everyone in town is afraid of Johnny Concho (Sinatra). He's a punk and his nasty gunslinging brother has given Johnny a lot of confidence...so much so that he pretty much does as he pleases. If he plays cards, everyone lets him win. If he wants to buy something, he takes it and never pays for it. He's definitely someone who is easy to hate...and the entire town hates and fears him. However, one day a gang of three gunman arrive in town...and announce to everyone that they just killed Johnny's brother! Then, the leader (William Conrad) announces that the town is his...and if Johnny stays, he should prepare to die!

What happens next is great. The tough swaggering Johnny is suddenly exposed as a coward...a man who is more afraid to die than stand up to these killers. And so he slinks out of town, as the gang gave him 24 hours to leave or else! Before he leaves, Johnny begs folks to help him stand up to these guys...and no one is willing, as they are thrilled to no longer be under the Concho's thumb. What's next? Well, stay tuned and see...and be prepared for a very exciting picture.

During the 1920s through the 1950s, Hollywood must have made half a billion westerns....and 95% of them had one of about half a dozen plots. To say that there is a strong sameness about them all is fair. But fortunately for "Johnny Concho", the film is among the 5% of wholly original, and therefore compelling westerns. It's exciting, difficult to predict and offers some great opportunities for fine actors like Sinatra as well as Keenan Wynn, WIlliam Conrad and Wallace Ford to show their skills. Overall, a wonderful western...and one of the better ones you can find.

I watch it all the time.

If you want to see it sent me $2,ust joking.

Here is where I can watch it anytime. Sinatra really stood out among the other actors

I liked Bill Conrad. He always made a great

I used to look for this movie all the time and never could find it but stumbled upon it at night just surfing the web.

Funny thing it nowhere in the movie does it show red Concho.

The movie is very good and the more you watch it the more you like it,\. It is not like Once upon a time in the west with Fonda and Bronson and the beautiful Claudia Cardinale. Jason Robards is in it also. This is one of my favorite movies of all time.

I'm 83 so I've seen a lot ofthem.

I saw this movie in 1956 when I was eight. I liked the story a lot: the coward who relied on his brother, and then had decide to either stand on his own two feet or tuck tail and run off. I really enjoyed the ending, and at eight years old, found no flaw in the film. I've wanted to see it again, but hadn't found it anywhere. I did another search and found it on Dailymotion today and just now finished watching it again. The amazing thing is that after seeing it once 67 years ago, the film is just as I remembered it.

I suppose it is a bit hard to believe that a town would give things to Concho out of fear for his non-resident brother, but I also think it's believable that people didn't want to have the brother show up and have Frank start pointing fingers. I especially liked the way the town pitched in to help after Concho made his decision on how to deal with the William Conrad character.

I'm not a film critic, but I thought the acting very good. I consider a cast of Frank Sinatra, Phyllis Kirk, William Conrad, Willis Bouchey, Keenan Wynn, Leo Gordon, Claude Akins, and Strother Martin (bit part) pretty good for a 1956 B&W Western.