Catlow

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?

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

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.

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.

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.