Released theatrically in Mexico in 1969 (and on TV in America in 1971) and directed by Earl Bellamy, "The Desperate Mission" is an American Western released to TV starring Ricardo Montalban as Joaquin Murrieta, the real-life 'Mexican Robin Hood' who was the inspiration for Johnston McCulley's Zorro. The movie focuses on Murrieta just after losing his land, his wife and everything else. Disillusioned, he joins a dubious band of Americans hired by a wealthy man (Anthony Caruso) to escort his beautiful wife (Ina Balin) away from the lawless countryside to safety in San Francisco, but more's going on than meets the eye. Earl Holliman, Jim McMullan, Slim Pickens and Roosevelt Grier play members of the gang whereas Miriam Colon plays a spiritual senorita who's along for the ride.Depending on one's point of view, Murrieta was either an infamous bandit or a Mexican hero. So many tales have been birthed around him that it is hard to disentangle the fantastical from the factual. Some evidence suggests that he wasn't one man, but rather three to five, whose exploits were combined. Coinciding with "The Desperate Mission," there's a general consensus that gringos drove Murrieta from a lucrative California mining claim in the mid-1800s and, in succession, his wife was ravished, his sibling lynched, and Juaquin himself horsewhipped. From there, the story that the movie conveys is pretty much fictional or, at best, speculative.The history of "The Desperate Mission"—shot in Mexico and released theatrically there—shows that it's not some ordinary TV Western. It may not be a big-budget Western like the contemporaneous "The Wild Bunch," but it ain't no cheapo TV flick either. In any case, Ricardo shines as the protagonist and easily carries the movie. Despite Murrieta's embittered disillusionment you can tell he's a noble man underneath and definitely doesn't fit in with trash like Shad Clay (Holliman). Speaking of Clay, you know he's a snake from the get-go, albeit a snake with charm. They're easy to spot if you know what to look for. Likable Rosey Grier has an interesting peripheral role. In fact, the supporting characters in general are well-defined and performed adeptly by the actors. The story is engaging because it's about finding yourself after being momentarily lost, not to mention the courage to stand up for what's right, and then follow through.The movie runs 96 minutes and was shot in Durango, Mexico.GRADE: B

Sunday is my Western day and I selected this one out of a collection pack of 20 movies. It starts off fast and interesting but after 5 minutes with the introduction of the rest of the players, it suddenly stalls with some weak acting.Once the mission is assigned, however, it again picks up some speed which it is able to decently maintain through the rest of the movie. High points are that there are strong characters here and there, the villain is decent, and supporting characters, such as the friars, are believable.There are weak points, though, as well such some major characters not being believable at all and some come close to being comic relief. This movie, further, doesn't have the energy that could enable one to become lost in its world for 90 minutes or so. The movie is not capable of taking the watcher out of the audience, so they can only watch and listen. The obvious breaks for commercials are distracting although they do provide an exit for awkward moments.It was worth a look once, but I have many more Westerns to see before I'll bother to return to this one.

Wealthy Spaniard Ricardo Montalban loses his land and roams the west, joining up with redneck Earl Holliman's band of mercenaries, including Slim Pickens and Rosey Grier. They're hired by a Mexican landowner to escort his wife to San Francisco, a mission that masks an ulterior motive.This has pretty good production values for a late-sixties/early-seventies made-for-television movie. It's fairly decent too, but a lack of action and focus in the first hour keeps it from being as good as it could have been. Basically, it's a TV show that looks like a feature film.Still, it's worth watching for the great performances and characterizations. The charismatic Montalban is perfectly cast as a wise, cultured hero. He and the likable, but shifty Holliman contrast nicely and play well together, for a while at least.

I warn you, what you deal with has nothing to do with William Wellman's adaptation of Joaquim Muriata's "real" life - Robin Hood of Eldorado, shot in 1936. And this last feature - Wellman's one - was also far from the famous outlaw's actual story. But it was far better than this TV movie.I don't say it is really bad, but a bit disappointing. Nothing new in this topic about a bunch of men, whose fortunes meet, and who decide to help a wealthy man's wife to rejoin San Francisco. To escort her stagecoach. The rich man is played by Anthony Caruso; a Mexican of course. And during the journey to Frisco, they discover that the stagecoach has a gold bullion inside it. That's the beginning of the end of our heroes' friendship. They will have to fight not only bandits but also among themselves...And the gorgeous Mexican woman has also to do with it. A lot, as you can guess...We have seen this a thousand times. But the movie is watchable.