Copyright 1 November 1961 by 20th Century-Fox Film Corporation. New York opening at the Paramount, 1 November 1961. U.S. release: 30 October 1961. U.K. release: 29 January 1962. 9,507 feet. 106 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Texas Ranger falls for an outlaw's daughter.NOTES: Shooting from 18 June 1961 to early August 1961. Location scenes filmed in Moab, Utah. This was director Michael Curtiz's last film. Movie historian Allen Eyles claims that "Wayne himself stood in for Curtiz at times as the director weakened from the ill health that led to his death shortly after the film's completion."In the film, both as written and shot, Buchanan plays Judge Roy Bean. However, following criticism by some critics notably Paul V. Beckley of The New York Tribune ("Does Edgar Buchanan always have to play Judge Bean or is this a commercial?"), Fox flacks changed the name of the character in the studio's publicity sheets to "Judge Thaddeus Breen".COMMENT: Curtiz's last film stands up rather well. An expansively produced (on attractive actual locations), incident-packed western with tailor-made roles for Wayne and Whitman (it is obvious that Curtiz was building him up from "Francis of Assisi", but he would never again have a part as good as this and his career from here on is a slow and gradual decline). Ina Balin looks good too — and her career also amounted to little after this. Same can be said about Nehemiah Persoff who makes such an impression here. Lee Marvin also registers strongly in his brief but awful (in the literal sense) appearance. The script has a welcome leavening of humor and wit and doesn't take itself too seriously. Curtiz's direction is very polished and accomplished, using varied camera set-ups, reverse angles, the whole armory of Hollywood technique, very, very smoothly edited together. It's true that the action spots were directed by Cliff Lyons (and some very spectacular footage it is too. Particularly impressive is a scene in which a buck-board capsizes in front of the camera), but the smooth professional handling of the dialogue scenes cannot be discounted, nor can the charm and like- ability of Wayne's performance — rarely has he appeared so relaxed, so at ease and unforced. Another factor in the film's appeal is the rousing music score contributed by Elmer Bernstein. Good to see Curtiz going out on such a high note, with an entertaining script backed up by a solid cast of pros and solidly professional behind-the-camera work on a budget that was really worthy of his talents.

"The Comancheros" is ostensibly set in the independent Republic of Texas, which existed between 1836 and 1845. (References to the presidency of Sam Houston, who held office twice, mean that the action can be dated to either 1836-38 or 1841-44). Even by Hollywood standards, however, there was little attempt to make the film historically accurate. Most of the clothes and weapons we see are those of several decades later, and there is a reference to the city of Yuma, Arizona, which did not exist at this date. One character is even referred to as a former Confederate officer, although the Confederacy would not come into existence until a number of years after the events depicted.Paul Regret, a Louisiana gentleman, kills a man in a duel and flees across the border into Texas. He believes that he will be safe there, but the Texan government are anxious not to offend the United States and Jake Cutter, a Texas Ranger, is sent to arrest him in order to return him to Louisiana to face trial. Regret speaks English without any foreign accent, and even pronounces his own surname in an anglicised manner, but because he is of French ancestry Cutter always addresses him as "Monsieur", which he insists on mispronouncing as "Mon Sewer".Before Regret can be extradited, however, he and Cutter are forced join forces when they are caught up in an attack by the Comanche Indians. Although the film was made as late as 1961, it reverts to the traditional Hollywood stance of depicting American Indians as bloodthirsty savages. (Some Westerns from the fifties, such as "Broken Arrow" and "Apache", had tried to show Indians in a more positive light). Certainly, the Comanche had the reputation of being ferocious warriors who took no prisoners, but the film never explores the question of whether they might have had good cause to hate the white man; Mirabeau Lamar, President of Texas between 1838 and 1841, went so far as to advocate their genocide.The real villains of the film, however, are not so much the Comanche themselves but the "Comancheros", described here as white men fighting alongside the Indians, although in reality Comancheros were traders, mostly of Hispanic stock, who made a living by trading with the Comanche. These Comancheros are a gang of criminals whose main activity is supplying the Comanche with guns and whiskey and who are based in a secret hideout in the Texas desert. Their leader is the aforementioned "former Confederate officer".This is not John Wayne's greatest film, but he does enough to keep matters interesting, and combines well with Stuart Whitman (a largely forgotten actor today) as Regret. The changing relationship between Cutter and "Mon Sewer" Regret is at the heart of the film. At first, of course, the two are adversaries, although Regret frequently refers to Cutter as "my friend". (To which Cutter invariably replies "I'm not your friend"). After the Comanche attack, however, they unexpectedly find themselves on the same side and they become, if not exactly friends, at least partners. Regret never does have to stand trial over that killing in Louisiana, a breach of the normal Production Code requirement that killers should be seen to pay for their crimes. Perhaps the censors took the old-fashioned view that duels were a matter of honour rather than wilful murder.Nehemiah Persoff is good as the ruthless wheelchair-bound Comanchero leader Graile, but the rest of the supporting cast have less to do. Ina Balin as Graile's daughter Pilar is largely there to provide a love- interest for Regret. At one time it seems that Cutter will also get his own love-interest in the shape of Joan O'Brien's attractive widow Melinda, but this potential plot-line never goes anywhere. Lee Marvin, probably the second-biggest name in the cast after Wayne, is featured in a surprisingly minor cameo as an outlaw who gets killed off early on.Officially, "The Comancheros" was the final film of that great director Michael Curtiz, who died shortly after it was completed. (I know his work could vary in quality, but "great" is the only adjective that will do for a man with films like "The Adventures of Robin Hood", "Dodge City" and "Casablanca" on his CV). In fact, Curtiz was taken ill during filming and Wayne himself took over as director to complete the picture, although he was not credited. (Wayne's only official directing credits were for "The Alamo" and "The Green Berets"). Changing directors in mid- stream in this way is never an easy process, and this may account for the fact that the film does not always seem to flow particularly smoothly, but overall this is generally an enjoyable western. 6/10

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.

The pace does sag quite badly in the middle but other than that, The Comancheros is an excellent film. Visually, it is beautifully mounted with the scenery and cinematography wonderful to look at. I love Elmer Bernstein's score as well, it is in my view one of his best and certainly most elegiac. The script sparkles, the story is very well constructed and filled with rip-roaring action and the direction is marvellous. The acting is very fine too, while John Wayne is the one who dominates the movie, he gets lively support from Stuart Whitman and in a star-making role Lee Marvin is just terrific. All in all, it is a very good film. 8/10 Bethany Cox