The Comancheros (1961)

Crappy film

As Good As It Gets

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Texas Ranger Jake Cutter arrests gambler Paul Regret, but soon finds himself teamed with his prisoner in an undercover effort to defeat a band of renegade arms merchants and thieves known as Comancheros.The film's production is almost as interesting as the film itself. Heck, maybe even more so. Paul Wellman's novel had been bought for the screen by George Stevens who wanted to direct it after "Giant" (1956). However, he then became interested in making "The Diary of Anne Frank" and sold the film rights to Fox for $300,000.Clair Huffaker ("Seven Ways from Sundown") was signed by the studio to adapt it for producer Charles Brackett with Gary Cooper to star. However, Cooper was in ill health and in early 1961 Douglas Heyes was announced as writer and director. John Wayne and Charlton Heston were announced as stars, but Heston dropped out and was replaced by Tom Tryon, then Heyes dropped out and was replaced by Michael Curtiz. Fox had the script rewritten by Wayne's regular writer James Edward Grant ("Angel and the Badman"). Because of Wayne's involvement, Paul Regret (who was the lead in the novel) was played down and Wayne's part had to be amplified.Ultimately, this is very much a John Wayne film. His preferred writer, him starring, and even him directing at some points when Michael Curtiz was too ill to come to set. There are many things about John Wayne as a person that are despicable, but as a Hollywood personality he is among the biggest.

The Comancheros, in this highly improbable yarn, are a bunch of Americans, who are headquartered in a longstanding secrete village in an obscure Texas canyon land, and who supply the rampaging Comanche with firearms, ammo, whisky, etc., and who frequently make up part of their raiding parties on American settlers. ... Well, the real Comancheros were mostly mestizos, operating out of the Santa Fe region of New Mexico. They had been very important as trading partners with the Comanche since 1780, after the brilliant Spanish governor of New Mexico: Don Anza, included the latter in a grand alliance of several important tribes with the Spanish against the thieving Apaches of New Mexico and nearby regions. They continued to be the main middlemen for Comanche trade(mostly stolen animals and other items) into the mid 1870s, when the last Comanche finally surrendered to reservation life.The yarn begins with a couple of French New Orleans dandies, supposedly in 1843, dueling over the rights to continue dating a woman. Professional gambler Paul Regret is the winner, but faces a murder charge. He flees on a luxurious river streamer, bound for Galveston , Texas, which happens to include Texas ranger Jake Cutter, on the lookout to arrest Regret and take him to the Louisiana border(Why would a ranger be so interested in him??). Well, Galveston is a coastal city, with no river connection with New Orleans. Thus, the riverboat trip makes no sense! Instead of returning with Regret on the ship, Cutter horse rides with him toward the Louisiana border, and happens to pass by his former cattle ranch. His successors have just been murdered, apparently by Comanche, reminding us of "The Searchers". Inexplicably, the countryside looks like the canyonlands of the Colorado Plateau, rather than the piney woods of coastal Texas(because we are actually in eastern Utah). Also, inexplicably, Cutter has removed Regret's handcuffs, seemingly taking a liking to the young man, although he continues to insist that he is not his friend. With Cutter's back turned, Regret deals him what should have been a skull-shattering blow with a shovel, and rides off. Cutter miraculously recovers in a downpour, and eventually meets Regret, rearrests him, and they resume their horse journey toward Louisiana, which includes a visit to another cattle ranch friend. Unfortunately, a combo of Comanche and Comancheros attack while they are there, shortly after a ranger patrol left. During the battle, Regret rides, initially to flee, but returns with the rangers, who beat off the attackers. Regret is now sort of a hero, thus Cutter gives up his mission. They then visit another ranch run by a beautiful widow friend of Cutter, who seems to be waiting for Cutter to ask to marry her.Later, Cutter and Regret partner as undercover gun runners, hoping to discover the secrete location of the Comanchero's village. Comanche appear and, seeing that they are carrying revolutionary lever action repeating rifles(not produced until Civil War times, at earliest), escort them to the Comanchero's village. Initially, they are not welcomed, being hung by their wrists. Their unlikely savior is the daughter of the headman, Pilar, who had a brief affair with Regret on that steamboat(how convenient!). However, she deduces that Cutter is actually a ranger and hints this to her father. Things go back and forth in an uneasy period., as a large party of Comanche arrives for a victory celebration(Some wear the traditional feathered war bonnets of many plains tribes. But the Comanche of this era mostly wore bison hide bonnets with 2 horns). As Cutter, Regret, and Pilar are about to leave in their wagon, a shootout begins, and they are chased by a huge party, who should have easily dispatched them!! A ranger patrol then arrives in the nick of time(How did they know where to go??), dispersing the pursuers and burning the village. Cutter departs with the rangers, leaving Regret and Pilar to pursue their plan to flee to Mexico.Among the positives is the background music, composed by Elmer(not Leonard) Bernstein. Also, the spectacular eastern Utah canyonland scenery, sometimes including the isolated La Sal mountains in the background. John Ford previously discovered the virtues of this region for some of his later westerns. It does rather resemble some of the canyon landscape of the Texas panhandle region, which was the heart of Comancheland during the mid 19th century, and which contained a secrete wagon-livestock trail extending to the Santa Fe region, much used by the Comanche and Comancheros.Wayne's character was occasionally called 'Big Jake', which was the title of one of Wayne's lesser late westerns, released a decade later. Wayne managed to include son Patrick and his young daughter in minor parts.Yes, there are a superabundance of falling horses and Indians in the several battles, courtesy of the futuristic repeating rifles and pistols. The main characters seem totally immune to the legendary marksmanship of mounted Comanche warriors. Featured chief Iron Shirt was a real, much feared, Comanche chief during this era, who wore Spanish armor under his shirt to deflect arrows and most bullets of this era, finally killed by large caliber buffalo gun bullets.Famous director Michael Curtiz's last film, as he was dying of cancer.

Enjoyable western with the surprisingly nice pairing of John Wayne and Stuart Whitman. Wayne plays Texas Ranger Jake Cutter. That's quite possibly the manliest name ever. Cutter arrests gambler Paul Regret (Whitman), who is wanted for killing a man even though it was in a fair duel. A lot of stuff happens but basically Cutter grows to respect and like Regret and the two team up to take on the Comancheros and the Comanches. I could explain the difference but it's probably better if you look it up. Solid cowboys and Indians western with a good cast. Nice support from Lee Marvin, Nehemiah Persoff, Jack Elam, Bruce Cabot, and Patrick Wayne. Henry Daniell appears briefly. The obligatory love interests are Ina Balin and Joan O'Brien. This is legendary director Michael Curtiz's last film. He was sick with cancer throughout the filming so an uncredited Wayne did quite a bit of the directing.

This movie starts off with "Paul Regret" (Stuart Whitman) killing a man in a duel in Louisiana. What he doesn't know is that the man he killed is the son of a powerful judge who willingly disregards the honor of a duel and charges him with murder. Having little choice but to flee the state, Paul boards a steamboat to Galveston, Texas. On the way there he meets a mysterious lady by the name of Pilar Graile (Ina Balin) who he falls in love with. However, upon the ship's arrival into port he is arrested by a Texas Ranger by the name of "Jake Cutter" (John Wayne). Although he is intent on taking Paul back to Louisiana for trial, Jake encounters problems with the Comanches and their trading partners, the Comancheros. At any rate, rather than give the entire story away I will just add that this is an old-style Western movie which flourished at drive-in theaters across America during this period. John Wayne gives his usual top-notch performance. Additionally, Stuart Whitman and Lee Marvin (as the Comanchero named "Crow") are also quite good. Unfortunately, the rest of the cast don't necessarily distinguish themselves and the plot at times lacked realism. For example, the marksmanship of the Texas Rangers was too incredible to be believed--especially since their targets were riding at full speed on horseback. But again, this an old-style western which requires a little bit of latitude in that regard. All in all though it was entertaining and definitely worth a look for those who enjoy Westerns.