Catlow

This decent but little known comedy-western is all about acting! Especially Yul Brunner has the time of his life portraying a smooth cattle-thief who just promoted himself to gold-robber. His name is Catlow and he rides through the Texan desert with his gang of thugs, chased by Sheriff Richard Crenna (the two are buddies even though they ought to be enemies) and hired hit man Leonard Nimoy. Everybody – Catlow as well as his pursuers – encounters trouble on their ways, such as aggressive Indians, sneaky Mexican villains and deadly ladies… The script of this film (which I believe was filmed in Spain, like many contemporary westerns) isn't very special and lacks coherence. Sam Wanamaker's direction is very hammy and it looks like though the cast is pretty much doing what they feel like. Still, it often is enormous fun to see the comic interactions between Brunner and Crenna when they're trying to outsmart each other with lists and dialogues. Leonard Nimoy is terrific as well, but unfortunately he has little screen time. The beautiful camera-work and exhilarating Country & Western music make you regret that the story is so weak.

Lovable rogue Yul Brynner is accused by an unscrupulous rancher of rustling cattle, for rounding up unbranded strays on government land. Pursuing him is his old pal Richard Crenna, who vows to take him alive and hired killer Leonard Nimoy, who would rather him dead. Before long they're all in Mexico, where Brynner plots to a fortune in gold from some upper-crust military elites.

The first half of this well-made, light-hearted western is incredibly fast-paced, with some very amusing interplay between Crenna and Brynner. The second half, where the action is moved south of the border, is a little more routine, though still worth seeing for the great performances by the leads. However, Nimoy disappears from the screen for a long time.

There's a certain level of crudeness to the proceedings though, with a few threats to shoot in either the genitals or the buttocks, a blow to Yul's testicles, and an almost full-frontal Nimoy, tussling with a (thankfully) fully-clothed Brynner!

CATLOW is a very entertaining MGM western from 1971 and features Yul Brynner as the title character. Based on a Louis Lamour story, the script allows Brynner and costar Richard Crenna, who play outlaw and marshal respectively, a fair amount of witty banter and plenty of action sequences. Meanwhile, Leonard Nimoy, who wrote about how much he enjoyed making this movie in his autobiographies, is a most impressive heavy, seeking Catlow for his own reasons.

If one had not ever seen Brynner in a previous screen performance, and if one had never heard of Nimoy's television alter ego Spock, this would be the perfect film to get familiar with the actors' considerable talents. The vicious gunfighter he plays is a departure for Nimoy, who even has a rare nude scene to perform. Brynner, for his part, plays his anti-heroic figure with such relish that one can't help but be entertained by him.

What works best of all with CATLOW is the film's quick and even pace. There is seldom a slow moment. The action sequences build logically, then end quickly, usually giving way to the next sequence that is already building. Since much of the film has been shot on location, the authentic exteriors add yet another winning element to the picture's overall entertainment value.

Yes, you read that right - Nimoy does a nude scene! (Though it might be a body double.) If you can get past that, you find a really entertaining western. Yul Brynner is great - it's nice to see him have a role that gives him a chance to do some comedy. Kudos to the rest of the cast as well, though Nimoy is mostly wasted in a role that just has him pursuing Brynner (and not much else.) Fast-paced, plenty of smiles and laughs (though a number of serious scenes that work as well), and plenty of action - what more do you want?

This is a rather little entertaining western to watch. It has all of the violence and shooting but still it's made in a sort of more light and fun way.

Never thought I would ever see Leonard Nimoy in a western. He made some appearance in western's but mostly in series and TV-movies. I think this is his biggest western's role out of his career. On top of that, he also plays the villain in this one and he does it extremely well. He truly had some real talent for playing the bad guy and I wouldn't had minded seeing him in more roles such as this one. Yul Brynner is also good as always. He really was in his element in westerns. In this movie he takes a more of a kind and humorous approach, which also works out really well for him.

The characters are good ones but the character treatment isn't among the greatest. Yul Brynner will disappear out of the movie for some time, then Richard Crenna and then Leonard Nimoy. He's supposed to be the main villain, but nevertheless he gets hardly featured in the second halve of the movie at all. Consistency is not a too common thing within this movie.

It's fine that the movie concentrates mainly on two characters, that are different and also on the other side of the law, but still great friends, although they are not afraid to punch, or shoot at each other either to get what they want. This sort of approach of an unlikely friendship isn't of course uncommon in a western.

The story is a fine one, that leaves plenty of room for action. There a lot of shootouts, also involving villainous Indians. It all makes sure that the movie at all time is a fast going, with plenty happening on the screen.

It's a real '70's western. '70's westerns are a total different thing from westerns from any other decade. It has that typical kind of '70's rawness all over it and in this case the movie also features some experimental techniques, such as some extremely fast editing in some scenes. Not sure if it truly helps or uplifts the movie but it still makes it a tiny bit more interesting to watch.

Really a movie I enjoyed watching, though it's obviously no genre classic. It's just too small and insignificant for that.

7/10

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