Bandolero!

Without comparing it to any of the acknowledged "greats" or even better westerns any of the stars made, "Bandolero" is a satisfying movie - interesting enough story with a bit of a humorous twist, well-mounted, beautifully shot, and everybody involved does their customary good job. If it drags a bit in some of the campfire scenes, it makes up for it in the action scenes. Must single out Rudy Diaz, who plays the chief Mexican bandit, as making a particularly vivid impression in his few scenes. Oh, I almost forgot, another rousing Jerry Goldsmith score worth owning on its own account. What more can you ask, seeing great guys like Jimmy, Dean, George, Harry Carey & Co., and of course Raquel, going thru long-practiced paces they knew so well by this time?

An entertaining Western whose major selling points are a winning cast and beautiful outdoor photography, 1968's "Bandolero!" proved an easy 100 minutes for me to sit through. In it, James Stewart rescues brother Dean Martin and his sleazy gang from a neck-stretching party in 1867 Texas, after Dino & Co.'s botched bank robbery. They hightail it over the Mexican border with the recently widowed "vistoso" Mexican Raquel Welch as their hostage, while sheriff George Kennedy and his posse follow in hot pursuit. Truth be told, Kennedy is more hot for Raquel than the pursuit of justice, and who wouldn't be? Racky, 28 here and at the peak of her sex goddess phase, looks terrific, and acts very passably. She makes for a very convincing Mexican (although, in real life, her father was Bolivian and her mother of English descent). Stewart (need it even be said?) is fine as always, and supplies much of the film's humor with his double takes and slowpoke delivery. This is no Anthony Mann Western, however, and Stewart was ever so much more impressive in oaters such as "Winchester '73" (1950) and especially "The Naked Spur" (1953). Dino, it should be added, is also fine as a decent guy who just can't seem to make good. "Bandolero!" also features some amusing lesser characters (particularly that hangman!) and a surprisingly gritty and quite violent conclusion. It's no Peckinpah bloodbath, but following what is essentially a fun, lighthearted Western, it does shake the viewer. Lesson to be learned: Don't press your sexual "favors" on a Mexican woman if she's anywhere near a six-shooter!

In Texas , two outlaws brothers (Jimmy and Dino) become fugitives who flee after being jailed and about hanging . The brothers along with their gang (Will Geer , among others) taking a hostage (Raquel Welch) flee across the Mexican frontier . During escape south of border run into trouble with their Mexican counterparts . Meanwhile , they're pursued by a sheriff (George Kennedy) , deputy (Andrew Prine) and a posse.

This is a nice Western-pursuit plenty of action , violence , shootouts , and quite bemusing . Agreeable acting by Dean Martin as the bad brother and terrific performance by James Stewart as the good but greedy brother . Stewart appears in all Andrew McLagen's other best movies, ¨The rare breed¨ and ¨Fool's parade¨. Furthermore , gorgeous Raquel Welch giving a mediocre acting , as always . Support cast is frankly excellent , such as : Andrew Prine , Will Geer , Clint Ritchie , Denver Pyle , Harry Carey Jr , Perry Lopez , Jock Mahoney and Dub Taylor . In addition , George Kennedy as tough but enamored sheriff is cool .George Kennedy & Dean Martin played together before in "The Sons of Katie Elder" and would do so again in "Airport" .

The movie displays an awesome cinematography in colorful outdoors by William H. Clothier , John Ford's usual . Spectacular and exciting musical score by the great Jerry Goldsmith who composes with his habitual panaché . The motion picture was well realized by Andrew McLagen , Victor Mc Lagen's son . He was a Western expert, starting in television series as ¨Gunsmoke¨ of which direct many episodes.Besides assistant director of famous Western filmmakers as John Ford, William Wellman and Budd Boetticher . Maclagen's Western talent kept him directing projects throughout the 70s and 80s and enjoyable John Wayne vehicles as ¨McLintock¨ and ¨Cahill,Us Marshall¨ and his best movie, ¨Chisum¨ . Although his product of this time was dispiriting to those who would have liked to have seen subtler talents re-emerge. Rating : Acceptable and amusing Western , it will appeal to Jimmy and Dino enthusiastic and of course, Raquel Welch fans.

A patchy western which has rather ambivalent attitudes towards it's two main characters,the Bishop brothers,oddly played by Jimmy Stewart and Dean Martin! It's most improbable to accept the above as siblings,never mind Western badmen.The film itself seems to wearily accept this as all throughout the two are treated as sympathetic ne'er-do-well's trapped by unfavourable circumstance,whereas the rest of Martin's gang are portrayed as ruthless villains.

The best scenes are certainly in the first 30 minutes of the film,with Martin and his gang waiting to be hanged after a failed bank robbery;Cowboy drifter Stewart accidentally finds out about the impending execution of his brother,and overpowers the hangman involved so he can arrange an elaborate escape.All these early scenes work very well,continually laced with effective black humour,and an enjoyable concentration on Stewart and witty duologue's with such familiar Western character actors such as Ray Barcroft,Dub Taylor and Guy Raymond.

After the escape,things oddly turn flat.Stewart robs a bank(non-violently)afterwards,Martin and gang gently abduct Raquel Welch,and are relentlessly pursued by Sheriff George Kennedy and deputies.There's good chemistry between Stewart and Martin,and one or two effective scenes thereafter,but BANDOLERO! tends to get bogged down in dullish conversation and not enough action.A sub-plot of Ms Welch falling in love with Martin(after his gang ruthlessly murdered her husband Jock Mahoney) is even more improbable than Dino and Jimmy being members of the same family,and her attempt at a Latin-American accent(she is of Bolivian descent)is adequate but that doesn't automatically mean a good performance.Another sub-plot involving murderous bandits gives the film a surprisingly brutal and violent edge,aspects which were creeping into US film at this time in the late 60's,which as far as Western films were concerned reached a near zenith in the following year's THE WILD BUNCH.The film should've been shorter with better pacing,but isn't too bad thanks to Messers Stewart and Martin,despite their obvious miscasting.

Bandolero starts out as an amiable western. Former Quantrill raider Dean Martin gets caught robbing a bank where Raquel Welch's husband was killed. He and his gang are sentenced to hang and the town of Valverde Texas even sends for a professional hangman to do it right. Of course Dean's brother James Stewart hears about it and waylays the hangman and takes his place.

Stewart helps effect an escape for the outlaws minutes before the hanging. And after Dean and his gang get away, Stewart goes and robs the bank that they were unsuccessful in robbing in the first place.

Up to this point Bandolero is one of the funniest westerns I've ever seen and had the film stopped right there and been a television special it would have gotten rave reviews.

But Bandolero changes and becomes deadly serious as a posse led by Sheriff George Kennedy and Deputy Andrew Prine chase them across the border and into Bandolero (bandit) country. Mexican bandits who have no use for Americans. These are probably the ancestors of Alfonso Bedoya's bunch from Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Along the way Stewart and Martin connect and Martin takes Raquel Welch as a hostage.

Bandolero is a good film, but it's far better in the beginning when it is played for laughs than when it becomes serious. Still I would recommend it to western fans.