A personal favorite. Four men are teamed on a mission to find missing rifles; the trail leads to an ante-bellum Southern mansion built in the middle of the desert, and a private army led by a crazed, vengeful Rebel general. As much a fantastic adventure tale as a Western, "Rio Conchos" mixes "The Commancheros" with "North by Northwest" and keeps the action coming to a spectacular climax. The four uneasily teamed men include two cool hipsters (charismatic Richard Boone and suave Anthony Franciosa) and two tough squares (smoky-voiced Stuart Whitman and muscular Jim Brown, in his film debut.) Boone -- a TV star here in one of his few screen starring roles -- commands the screen, with Franciosa a smooth foil. Certain elements are dangerously dated -- bloodthirsty Indians, a "wily" Mexican in Franciosa's character -- but the film's tough viewpoint and exciting action is still a wonder to behold. Best of all: Jerry Goldsmith's flavorful, macho Western adventure score, which climaxes with immense power in the last minute of the film. Note: several scenes in this film match those in "The Professionals," made two years later in 1966.
Review of Rio Conchos
