Rio Conchos

"Rio Conchos" is a tough, fast-paced, action-packed western, with good performances by all concerned. If the story--Union soldiers go undercover to find the men who are supplying guns to renegade Indians and outlaws and come across a Confederate plot to carve out territory in the West--seems familiar, that's because it's a variation of John Wayne's "The Commancheros" of a few years earlier, and it's almost as good, and in some ways better. Richard Boone gives a very flavorful performance as the tough major in charge of the operation, in conflict with subordinate Stuart Whitman. Jim Brown, in his film debut, is a bit stiff, but otherwise acquits himself quite well. Anthony Franciosa, playing a Mexican outlaw paroled to accompany them on the mission, doesn't quite pull the characterization off, but handles the action scenes very well. Director Gordon Douglas, an old pro at this kind of picture, keeps things going at breakneck speed, with exciting action scenes and good byplay between the characters. This is one of the best-made action westerns of the '60s, with good plot twists, and is consistently interesting all the way through. Highly recommended for western fans.

Rio Conchos is a story about two men who won't let go and keep seeking vengeance. Richard Boone is a former Confederate soldier who came home to find his family massacred and is wreaking a terrible vengeance on the Indians. Kind of like Ethan Edwards would in The Searchers if left to his own devices.

The other man is Edmond O'Brien, Boone's former commanding officer, who is seeking vengeance for the lost Confederate cause and the way it went down in Generals Grant and Sherman's war of attrition. He's hijacked a group of repeating Spencer rifles and is about to trade them to Chief Rudolfo Acosta of the Apaches.

When Boone is found with one of the repeaters by the army, he's tossed in the guardhouse and then given a choice of staying there or leading Captain Stuart Whitman to the weapons. After thinking it over somewhat Boone agrees.

So an unlikely quartet of Whitman, Boone, Jim Brown, and Anthony Franciosa set out. This group has little regard for each other and that does impede the teamwork involved to successfully pull off the mission of either get the weapons back or destroy them.

This was the feature film debut of Cleveland Browns halfback Jim Brown who went on to a pretty successful acting career after his days on the gridiron were through. OF course Tony Franciosa as their Mexican guide/interpreter is as usual the best one in the film. Talk about someone no better than he ought to be.

Rio Conchos has enough action to satisfy the biggest western fans around. The ending, shall we say the conclusion of the film and the mission leave an uncertain future for the survivors of the last battle.

Two years after the Civil War, an unlikely team of four men go on a mission to find a missing cache of Federal rifles; the trail leads to a private army of ex-Rebels and Apaches, as well as a surreal antebellum mansion built in the middle of the desert along the Rio Conchos River in Mexico. The scouting unit consists of an alcoholic ex-Confederate major and Indian-hater (Richard Boone), a gallant but formidable Army captain (Stuart Whitman), a Buffalo Soldier sergeant (Jim Brown), a likable Mexican cutthroat (Tony Franciosa) and, later, an Apache woman (Wende Wagner). The private army is led by a cracked, bitter ex-Rebel general (Edmond O'Brien).

This 1964 Western has uncomfortable similarities to John Wayne's "The Comancheros" (1961), which also co-starred Whitman. "Rio Conchos" is about on par, but I give the edge to "The Comancheros." Anyway, this was the theatrical debut of Jim Brown, who gave up his football career at its peak to try his hand at acting. He would return to the Western genre with the similar "100 Rifles" five years later.

While not ranking with the best 60's Westerns (e.g. "One-Eyed Jacks," "Ride the High Country," "Hombre," "Nevada Smith," "Bandolero!" and "True Grit"), "Rio Conchos" is a brutal, energetic and colorful Western. It's not far behind "Duel at Diablo," "El Dorado" and "Shalako." I'd put it on par with "The Sons of Katie Elder," "The War Wagon" and "The Undefeated."

The film runs 1 hour, 47 minutes and was shot in Arizona and Utah. The effective and timeless score is by Jerry Goldsmith.

GRADE: B

Gritty and well written Western tale with jarring burst of violence . Good western with nifty non-stop action in the old 20th Century Fox tradition set in Texas with towering actors , unstopped action and spectacular scenarios ; dealing with three Army buddies search for 2000 stolen rifles . 1867 , after the Civil War , a weapon shipping has been stolen to army and as responsible appears captain Haven (Stuart Whitman) , he is assigned to go to Mexico as incognito to avoid arms to be sold Apaches , being accompanied by a misfit outfit . He along with a furious racist agree to lead a hazardous expedition through Apace territory . As the group is formed by an ex-Confederate officer called Lassiter (Richard Boone) , a bitter ex-Rebel army major whose wife and children have been killed by the Apaches , the African-American sergeant Franklyn (Jim Brown) and a Mexican prisoner named Rodríguez (Anthony Franciosa) condemned to death row . As two Army officers, an alcoholic ex-Confederate soldier and a womanizing Mexican travel to Mexico , the object is to find another ex-Confederate who is about to sell hundreds of robbed guns to the Indians . They are ¨Comancheros¨ is a word that refers to those who favored or advantaged of Comanche Indians by selling weapons and alcohol . The Indians are out on a rampage of killing , vengeance against the white intruders and with the aim for getting weapons . As four men stalking the Apache nation on a mission that could drench the whole Southwest in blood and flames . From Texas they go to Chihuahua where a megalomaniac Southern ex-general named Pardee (Edmond O'Brien) living at a mansion in Louisiana style and commanding an army of bushwhackers attempts to re-initiate a war by Indian upheaval led by Bloodshirt (Rodolfo Acosta) . At the end there takes places a peculiar apocalypse plenty of explosion , dynamite , powder , fire and rifles .

This actioner Western contains thrills , adventures , rider pursuits , wonderful outdoors , impressive attacks and loads of crossfire . It is a very fine picture that could become another western worthy of any anthology . This is an unusually brutal tale of a hard-bitten sergeant assembling a detail of misfit cavalrymen to hold-off rampaging Indians and rebels . Well developed film with gloomy energy , crafty characters , sober lighting , abundant night scenes , elegant camera movements and especial dramatic pace , including a dialectic about racism . The picture relies heavily on the relationship among the misfit group , though gets enjoyable nuances and charm enough and along the way confront Indians rebels and themselves . In this film "Rio Conchos" also titled ¨Guns of Rio Conchos¨ the spectator enjoys because it has a lot of issues that make it agreeable . Even the female character played by attractive Wende Wagner as India Sally, reveals a woman who knows that she wishes and makes it irresistible . Stuart Whitman and an expert all-star-cast shine in this gripping story about a dangerous mission carried out by a motley bunch and director takes a fine penned screenplay by Clair Huffaker creating a cavalry-Indians tale that is far from ordinary , exploring the anguish and desperation of a varied group . Features convincing playing from the always reliable Richard Boone as a violent and hard-hitting racist and memorable Anthony Franciosa as womanizer Mexican . Jim Brown is good in his film debut and he gave up his football career, at its peak, to try acting . Colorful cinematography in truly De Luxe Colour by Joseph MacDonald . Offbeat musical score in suspenseful and thrilling style by the great Jerry Goldsmith .

The motion picture was professionally directed by Gordon Douglas , at his best . He's an expert on adventures cinema as ¨Black arrow¨ , ¨Fortunes of Captain Blood¨ , both starred by Louis Hayward and Western , as he proved in the films starred by Clint Walker such as ¨Fort Dobbs¨, ¨Yellowstone Kelly¨ , ¨Gold of seven Saints¨ , Gregory Peck as ¨Only the valiant¨ in similar plot to ¨Chuka¨ , Richard Boone as ¨Rio Conchos¨ considered the best , and on bandits legendary as ¨Doolins of Oklahoma¨ , ¨Great Missouri raid¨, among others

An eclectic cast rounds out this rather rugged western film. Craggy Boone stars as a man who hates the Apaches because they slaughtered his wife and child (hardly an original background for a character.) When he is found using a certain rifle to kill his prey, he is arrested and thrown in jail with knife-wielding Franciosa, who is set to hang for murder. It turns out that the rifle is one of a huge shipment that has gone missing and it's up to cavalry captain Whitman and his sergeant Brown to retrieve them. Boone and Franciosa join them in order to aid the mission (and set up dramatic conflict within the contingent.) The foursome travels the dusty terrain of Utah and the American Southwest, encountering Indians and Mexican bandits along the way, all the while mistrusting each other. They believe the guns are in the possession of a dethroned Confederate Colonel (O'Brien), who wants to rebuild the South in all it's glory out West! (He even builds a mansion-like plantation home out of timber with fine furnishings and curtains in the windows, but no ceilings and, in most cases, no walls!) On the way to O'Brien, the quartet also picks up a spitfire Apache girl (Wagner) who tried to do them in with a gang of pals, but failed. If it all sounds pretty standard and pat, it is to a point, but thanks to the entertaining cast, the captivating Jerry Goldsmith score, the location scenery and the rough edges of the story, it manages to be an entertaining film. Boone puts a lot of compelling flavor into his role. Whitman is less impressive, but does a nice enough job. Franciosa is very hammy and indulgent, but keeps it interesting anyway. Brown (a man with an unbelievable physique) has almost nothing to say or do, but still comes across as warm and thoughtful, not to mention strong! He retains his dignity at a time when racial tensions were beginning to start their boil-over. O'Brien has a lot of fun with his outre character. Wagner is nearly unrecognizable in a sketchy character. Her loyalties are divided and her reasoning isn't always clear. (Her character speaks no English in the film.) She would soon enter pop culture history as the loyal assistant to "The Green Hornet" on TV. Several memorable moments occur in the film including a standoff between the men and some Apaches at a deserted house, a torture sequence in which the men are dragged by horses and flogged with straps and the sight of O'Brien's surreal timber estate. This isn't a particularly well known western, but it certainly has merit as it demonstrates the changing level of content in the genre and contains some solid acting.