L'or des pistoleros

WATERHOLE #3 (4 outta 5 stars) I've always loved this movie... mostly for the a great song by Roger Miller ("The Code of the West") that plays throughout. James Coburn is a con man and grifter who comes across a map that leads to a fortune in stolen US Army gold. Carroll O'Connor is the crooked sheriff who stays on Coburn's tail. The movie kind of meanders along in a lazy way... with amusing comedy bits and some violent gunplay along the way. As I said, the Roger Miller soundtrack is what really propels this movie along... without it I think the movie would be barely mentionable. The only flaw in this movie... the reason I can't give it 5 stars is for the awful subplot about James Coburn raping the sheriff's daughter and having her fall in love with him for the rest of the movie. I guess a case could be made that the movie is supposed to be "satirizing" the casual treatment of rape by its characters but such "playful" moments as describing rape as "assault with a friendly weapon" seem calculated as laughs AT women rather than AGAINST the menfolk. This probably didn't bother people a bit in 1967 but nowadays... well, you can see why this doesn't play much on TV anymore.

Well, at least a cult of my friends, who saw this movie at least a dozen times at the drive-in during 1967-68, and learned the dialogue by heart. I finally got a copy of the film (and the soundtrack) about 10 years ago, have viewed it a few times since, and it is still to me one of the great overlooked comedies and westerns. Not comedy-western, which was so overdone in the 60's, but it stands tall in both genres. And it is the film that I watched when I heard of Carroll O'Connor's death. He is nothing short of wonderful in this pre-Archie role. And Coburn as Lewton Cole: perfect, another of his great sly characters.

Yes, "Waterhole #3" is sexist and cynical, and also hilarious and a bold statement of the true "Code of the West," its theme that is brilliantly told by the troubadour, Roger Miller, in song and narration. It can be rightly accused of misogyny, because it dares to show and lampoon the attitudes of the macho old west toward women and not just the pseudo-heroic male violence that was the narrow theme of countless western films. Put in the context of 1967 and the radical changes being ushered in in terms of sexual identities and expressions, I think this film was, if anything, progressive in its provocation. That's sure how we took it. And its cynicism about greed and self-interest was a warning and not an anti-heroic celebration.

But the main thing is that it's a great comedy, with an outstanding ensemble of dramatic character actors dipping their toes in comedic waters to great result: James Whitmore, Tim Carey, Claude Akin, Joan Blondell, and Bruce Dern ("Sure left us bare, ain't that right, John?")

From a true cultist: 10 out of 10

"The place Arizona, the year eighty-four," the song tells us, and James Coburn is on a relaxed hunt for stolen gold. There are plenty of actors in this comedy western whose faces you know but can't put a name to. Lewton Cole (Coburn's cool, ironic hero) is a blatant imitation of Clint Eastwood's screen cowboy persona. Indeed, the whole film shows the strong influence (in its look and its style of humour) of the Spaghetti Westerns.

I came to this movie determined to dislike it, but found that I couldn't. There is an excellent shot of Cole inspecting Quinlen's corpse, shot from ground level against a terrific sunset, but this lyricism is all too brief. Thereafter, it is all wacky scampering in pursuit of the gold. Coburn holds the screen effortlessly and his amiable performance sets the tone.

Timothy Carey, the tough guy in Kubrick's "Paths of Glory", turns up here as a likeable villain, and shows a distinct talent for comedy. TV's Arch Bunker, Carroll O'Connor, plays Sherriff John. Margaret Blye is Billee, the sherriff's babe daughter. A very young Bruce Dern pops up in a nice cameo, and an ageing Joan Blondell is unrecogniseable as Lavinia.

The shoot-out in the cathouse is well done as these things go, but beyond that there is little more to say.

Verdict - Mildly entertaining nonsense.

Waterhole #3 is a darn funny movie. It seems everyone is a crook or a crook wannabee.

A series of ongoing blunders by each character moves this comedy western along with a smile. Each time you wonder what could possibly go wrong, something does.

It's unfortunate the P. C. Crowd is too overly woke to appreciate this humor. But then again, humor escapes them.

Waterhole #3 is good enough to watch again in order to catch any innuendos that slipped by unnoticed on your first viewing.

Good character acting & funny. A side of Claude Akins I've never seen. James Coburn is in top form with his signature smile.

Produced by Blake Edwards' company, Geoffrey Productions, "Waterhole #3" shows the hand of Edwards in its nod-and-a-wink approach to sex. Although it could never be made today, because of our PC environment and the film's loose treatment of (maybe) rape and casual sex, this film nevertheless stands the test of time because of a fine cast, a good soundtrack and a witty script. The only negative comment I can make concerns the atrocious continuity and editing mistakes. They really hurt an otherwise funny film. One of James Coburn's best.