Catlow

In this European made western, Yul Brynner plays it considerably lighter than he did in The Magnificent Seven. Adapted from the Louis L'Amour novel, Catlow is a pretty amusing romp through the old west by Yul Brynner as an outlaw and Richard Crenna as Ben Cowan, the marshal sworn to bring him in, but alive. The two of them were in the Civil War together and that kind of bond doesn't sever easily.

But Catlow's got all kinds of people who want him bad, the Mexican Army, the Indians, and a mean hired killer in the person of Leonard Nimoy. He's also got a girlfriend in Daliah Lavi who definitely has an agenda involving Brynner that's all her own. As for Nimoy before he became the wise and logical Vulcan Mr. Spock, he played all kinds of nasty types on television and in film.

I'm surprised Richard Crenna didn't do more westerns in his career, probably had he come along earlier he might very well have. It's a career path he should have taken.

Brynner and Crenna have a nice easy chemistry between them, it's the main reason for checking out Catlow.

Jed Catlow (Yul Brynner) and his men lead a cattle herd. He's accused of cattle rustling by wealthy rancher Parkman who has hired ruthless Orville Miller (Leonard Nimoy) to be judge, jury, and executioner. Catlow's buddy Ben Cowan (Richard Crenna) is a Marshal duty-bound to bring him in. Catlow is planning on a gold heist with his two pursuers following behind.

This is a Hollywood western made in Spain. Brynner and Crenna is trying to make a buddy-enemy movie while Nimoy tries very hard to be a villain against his typecast. I don't see this as being bad but nothing is actually that good. Brynner has his normal accent. Crenna's lightness takes away some of the intensity. The premise is fine but nothing interesting is added. It's an old fashion western at a time when westerns should be striving to be different. They fight Indians and Mexicans. It all ends up feeling flat.

Catlow is directed by Sam Wanamaker and adapted to screenplay from the Louis L'Amour novel by Scott Finch and J.J. Griffith. It stars Yul Brynner, Richard Crenna, Leonard Nimoy and Daliah Lavi. Filmed in Metrocolor/Panavision, photography is by Ted Scaife and music by Roy Budd.

One time buddies in the Civil War, Catlow (Brynner) and Cowan (Crenna), are now on opposite sides of the law. Let the shenanigans begin!

Catlow is one of those Oaters that is - in spite of its ordinariness - so harmless to the point it's near impossible to dislike with genuine displeasure. Essentially it finds Brynner and Crenna as pals constantly playing cat and mouse with each other, all while they are entangled in danger (courtesy of Mexican soldiers, Indians and Nimoy's vengeful gunman) and affairs of the heart (Lavi and the beautiful Jo Ann Pflug).

It's all very formulaic, and directed as such, but there's still a lot going for it. Everybody seems to be having a good time of things, with some hamming it up on purpose - obviously with a tongue in cheek nod to Spaghetti Westerns - others relishing chances to exude ebullience (Lavi) and gruff meanness (Nimoy). There's some truly funny moments, with witty dialogue to match, and the action scenes are as solid as the rock formations that boom out of the Almeria locations.

Budd's musical score is a bit hit and miss, often sounding like it belongs in an episode of Alias Smith and Jones as opposed to a full feature length film, while there's a lack of an edge to make the finale be anything other than run of the mill. Tis fun though! Pic looks lovely, with TCM HD channel showing a print that extols the virtues of having a top cinematographer on lens duties. Harmless and enjoyable enough, even if ultimately it's forgettable once over. 6/10

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!

Yul Brynner plays the cheerfully lawless rogue "Catlow", perpetually on the run from lawman and friend "Ben" (Richard Crenna) and malevolent bounty hunter "Miller" (Leonard Nemoy - in one of his early post-Star Trek roles). Great music, obviously 'influenced' by the soundtrack to "The Magnificent Seven", and an over-the-top plot involving stealing mexican gold stolen from the confederacy, Apaches, alternatively willing and vengeful women, banditos, and enough captures and escapes for several movies. Lightweight fun (in that lightheartedly violent way of late-1960's/early 1970's movies, in which any character whose name we didn't know was liable to receive instant death from the hero or villain -- a characteristic, of course, of many action movies to this day), with just enough actual danger (from the Apaches and Miller) to keep it interesting.