The hangman is summoned to take care of a band of bank robbers lead by Dee Bishop (Dean Martin). But the real hangman never makes it. Instead, Dee's brother Mace (James Stewart) takes his place. Just as the robbers are about to have their necks snapped, Dee uses Mace's gun to make a daring escape. With a posse hot on their heels, the gang heads for Mexico. Along the way, they pick up a hostage, Maria Stoner (Raquel Welch). Maria just happens to be the widow of one of the men killed in the bank holdup. They've got a good lead on the dogged sheriff, but once they enter Mexico, they're in bandolero country. They'll have to elude,not only the sheriff, but the local bandits if they're to escape.As is obvious from the rating I've given Bandolero!, I enjoy this movie. It's not perfect - far from it in fact - but it's got a lot going for it that really works on me. First, the opening 45 minutes with the robbery, hanging, and escape moves at a really nice pace. It's a nice way to get things kicked off. Second, the acting is stellar and a real key to my overall enjoyment. Stewart gives a surprisingly touching performance that I wasn't expecting in a movie like Bandolero! Martin plays it straight and comes off looking like a real actor. Welch isn't great, but goes a long way to redeeming herself in the film's finale. The supporting cast is top notch with Will Geer, Denver Pyle, Andrew Prine, Guy Raymond, and George Kennedy. Kennedy, in particular, is worth mentioning. He plays against type and imbibes his Sheriff July Johnson with unexpected vulnerability.Third, i got a real kick out of Jerry Goldsmith's score. Seemingly inappropriate at times, it reminded me a bit of something you'd hear from Morricone in an Italian Western - not an American made Western. There are other touches here and there, like some really impressive scenery, but I won't go into detail. The biggest complaint i have is with the plotting and pacing after the initial escape. Once in Mexico, the film settles into a predictable pattern - ride, camp, attempted rape, Dean Martin saves the day - repeat. Still, the overall film is entertaining enough for me to rate a 7/10.

Another IMDb reviewer summed this up perfectly. They called it a "time-filler" and that's exactly what it feels like. The Western genre is a crowded one and there are many films that stand tall above the rest and unfortunately Bandolero is not one of them. James Stewart is no stranger to the genre and I have seen so many of his westerns and they range from amazing to so-so and this sits firmly in the so-so camp. Its almost hard to believe because they seem to have so many pieces in place (including a great cast) but it never takes off for some reason. The direction is sloppy and the pacing of the film is way off from what it should be. A man poses as a hangman to free his brother and their group of bandits. Chased by a determined sheriff they hold up in a small dwelling and are forced to work together to take on a group of Mexican cowboys. Sounds awesome! Delivery of this concept is anything but. Literally you have this build up and its not until the last ten minutes of the film when the showdown happens. Maybe they are trying to establish the characters but it fails in that respect too because these characters (many of them played by iconic actors) feel empty and lack any sort of real depth that make you emotionally attached to them.James Stewart is looking a little long in the tooth in this film and he seems almost bored in the role. He has this quiet drawl and just seems to lack the spark and fire he has shown so many times before in great Westerns. His character had such great potential but it seems like no one cared enough to put the effort in. Legendary actor and performer Dean Martin plays Stewart's brother and the chemistry between them is sadly lacking. In fact, it was barely there. Martin seems like he's trying much harder than the rest of the cast but the script leaves something to be desired and needs so much editing. I'm not sure if I have seen Raquel Welch in anything else. I know that she's considered a legend in her own right but not for this. She is excruciating in this film. She looks bored, she acts bored, her line delivery is awful and the forced and ridiculous romance between her and Dean Martin is...well awful. She single-handedly lowers the quality of this cast and that's unfortunate. She looks so out of place. George Kennedy does a decent job as the Sheriff hot on the trail of the Bishop Brothers. He is very underused and I desperately wanted to see more from his character and the relationship between him, Martin and Stewart but it takes a long time to get around to that too and we hardly see him for most of the middle of the movie.So there is a lot wrong with Bandolero. Its unfortunate because it had a huge budget, a great cast, a decent concept but everyone involved sort of dropped the ball from that point on. The shoot-outs are great, the action scenes are good but it ends up being nearly completely forgettable. Director Andrew McLaglen is a great director, and knows Westerns well but somewhere along the lines, something went off track with this. Its not a total wash, it is still enjoyable, it is indeed a "time-waster." A lot of Westerns are and that's perfectly fine but when you have this sort of cast and budget, you expect something more. 6/10

I know this may sound ridiculous, but am I the only one who thinks Jimmy Stewart murdered the hangman? What else would he have done? Tied him up and left him to the wolves? Injured him badly enough he was unconscious for more than a day? Isn't it kind of silly that we're supposed to ignore that? He waltzes into town and scolds Dean Martin about 'What would Mother think', right after he murdered an innocent man! Preposterous, you might say...But could the bloodthirsty character of the hangman have been a way to justify his murder? No, no, I'm sure Jimmy just sat down with him and had a heart to heart about the situation, what with the war, and mother dead of heart break, and all, I guess the hangman decided to give him his clothes and horse and walk back to town naked and take the stage coach back to Oklahoma. Don't think so? Well then this movie is about Jimmy Stewart, cold blooded killer.Also, if he had just never rescued his brother, there would be like twenty less fatherless children in that town! Yeah, yeah, I know the response comments like this will get, but I really do think the disappearing hangman is a step too far.

Bandolero! is a run of the mill western which benefits from a watchable cast. This was the only time James Stewart and Dean Martin appeared in the same movie, i believe. The screenwriter James Lee Barrett would also write The Cheyenne Social Club, teaming Stewart with Henry Fonda. A movie which also shares the same cinematographer as this one, William Clothier, who shot billions of westerns.But i'll be honest, being a man and all, i naturally watched this mainly for Raquel Welch. Although at this point in her career, she wasn't given much to do in movies except for wearing skimpy outfits or playing the damsel in distress, the latter of which she plays here. She was still a few years away from taking charge of her own western, Hannie Caulder. A movie that is shockingly still not on DVD, (taps my foot, waiting for an explanation). Despite Welch having a supporting role, you wouldn't know that from looking at the DVD cover which has a big picture of her front and center.Aside from the cast, there's really not much else to rave about with this one. It's just an average western that is a nice time passer while it's on, and then pretty much forgotten within hours after watching it. Something that can be said for pretty much every western that came out in 1968.