Shalako

The caste alone is worth the admission: Connery, Bardot, Hawkins,Steven Boyd, Eric Sykes, Honor Blackman, Woody Strode, others ... Mostly European (actors) - strange for a Western - but not unrealistic to the times. Hawkins and Boyd - both recently out of starring in Ben Hur. A coterie of fine acting talent and charismatic screen artists. Proves my theory as to why Western Film will never die: Every Actor and every Director want to make a Western at some point. Connery and Bardot have some nice interplay in sharing the bulk of the screen time. Meanwhile here's some decent action here in what is a pretty well a straight up Western adventure tale. Possibly a Western that will enjoy greater appreciation with time.

The idea behind Shalako is not as preposterous as it sounds. Lots of European nobles came here for hunting parties during the American wild west period. As was pointed out in the beginning of Shalako among others was the Grand Duke Alexis of Russia where Buffalo Bill served as a guide to his party.

That being said I'm sure none of them were as dense as Peter Van Eyck who when warned of Indian danger, refuse to leave an area. Quite frankly those Indians should have wiped those blockheads out and would have if not for the efforts of intrepid Indian scout Shalako, played by Sean Connery in a cowboy suit.

Connery looks real nice, but if he wanted to play a western a better script would have done for him. Sean knows this thing is a turkey, but if you had the opportunity to work with Brigette Bardot, would you pass it up.

Stephen Boyd is the best one here as the turncoat guide of the Europeans. Boyd was a good looking man with a trace of arrogance in his screen persona that made him right for a part like Messala in Ben-Hur, but wrong for Livius in The Fall of the Roman Empire. He's back in his proper element.

And I can't give the ending away, but folks take my word for it, it is ridiculous.

Still if you want to see some unfamiliar faces for westerns, this is a good movie to see.

Brigitte Bardot went on to Hollywood but did not fare any better... 'Shalako,' a British-produced Western directed by Edward Dmytryk, teamed her with Sean Connery and Stephen Boyd (her partner in 'The Night Heaven Fell') in a smoldering relationship charged with tension and passion...

The idea is cute and unbelievable: A party of European aristocrats are on a hunting safari in New Mexico in the 1880's... They are traveling with full equipage including butlers, maids, fine linens and vintage wines...

When their safari is led upon an Apache reservation, the Indians become annoyed, and Countess Irina Lazaar (Brigitte Bardot) is attacked by a savage Apache... Shalako (Sean Connery), a scout for the U.S. Army, bravely attempts to save her and leads the aristocrats away from imminent annihilation... With the Indians determined to attack, each member of the hunting party faces the greatest peril of their lives...

Edward Dmytryk seems to have attempted to recapture the freshness and essence of the 'B.B.' that Roger Vadim had helped to shape... But the re-creation escapes him, despite the careful choice of Louis L'Amour's novel and the casting of international stars as Jack Hawkins ('Lawrence of Arabia'), Peter Van Eyck ('The Longest Day'), Honor Blackman ('Goldfinger'), Woody Strode ('Spartacus'), and Valerie French ('Jubal').

The film never becomes exciting despite incidental brutalities...

While I will concede that Shalako is not a groundbreaking film, I must take issue with the low average score it has received. The story is fairly engaging, Sean Connery is in great form, and Brigitte Bardot is as comely as ever! She reminds me of Claudia Schiffer! I also love her accent! She and Sean Connery share a very nice restrained romance. Some people might interpret this film as a celebration of the New World over the Old World but really that is too much of an analytical assertion. To me, it's a great star vehicle and a nice rousing adventure celebrating ingenuity, honor, and perseverance. 7/10.

I was able to watch Sean Connery & Bridget Bardot in a movie from a Louis Lamour western novel "Shalako" (1968).

Shalako Carlin (Connery), meets Countess Irina Lazaar (Bardot) as he is rescuing her from an Indian attack. She is part of a European hunting part that has strayed on to the Apache reservation. As they try to return to her hunting party, they are stopped by Apache's with death in their eyes. In order to save the group Shakalo promises Chief Chato (Woody Strode) they'll be off the reservation by morning. The Countess also gives her word.

When they arrive at the camp Baron Frederick Von Hallstatt (Peter Van Eyck) hears their story & gets a good laugh (as does the rest of the party). Why should they do what a bunch of savages want them to do? Bosky Fulton (Stephen Boyd), their head scout, refuses to turn the party around. The rest are in agreement. Of course the Apaches won't be. Shakalo sets up a safe area for them to hide & goes for help.

Morning comes & charming-as-a-rattlesnake Fulton & his men take off with the water, supplies, most of the guns & ammo, plus money & jewelry. He also takes off with one of the 'ladies'. On their way out the scoundrels run off the horses. (One would think the outlaws wanted to prove dead men...& women...tell no tales.)

Shakalo is forced to return to find this group of mostly arrogant fools in quite the predicament. How are they going to get out? Will this diverse group be able to co-operate & combine their knowledge & talents to escape their enemies? That's a really good question!

The rest of the cast includes:

Jack Hawkins as Sir Charles Daggett, Honor Blackman as Lady Julia Daggett, Alexander Knox as Sen. Henry Clarke, Valerie French as Elena Clarke.

It's not a class 'A' western but it's not terrible. The song over the opening & ending credits is just plain awful but the scenery is beautiful. I'd give it *** out of 5 for the scenery alone.