A large-scale if little-known Western which has several connections to the John Wayne vehicle, THE COMANCHEROS (1961) the same studio (Fox), the same co-star (Stuart Whitman), the same screenwriter (Clair Huffaker), the same composer (Jerry Goldsmith) and, above all, a similar plot line (rifles belonging to the U.S. army are being stolen and sold by a band of renegades to the Indians) but is sufficiently different in tone and approach to stand on its own considerable merits.
The film is admirably served by a terrific cast: Richard Boone (in one of his best roles as a man hardened by the Apaches' massacre of his family), Anthony Franciosa (a surprising Golden Globe nominee as a charming Mexican rogue, but whose duplicity sees him killed halfway through the picture), Whitman (as the nominal hero, he's basically playing the part John Wayne had in THE COMANCHEROS!), Jim Brown (as Whitman's black lieutenant; watching this, I was reminded of 100 RIFLES [1969] another Western of his that I recently acquired but have yet to catch up with), Edmond O'Brien (a relatively small but typically vigorous role as the Confederate Colonel waging his own private Civil War two years after the conflict ended) and Rodolfo Acosta (as the Apache chief and Boone's sworn enemy); it only lacks a substantial female presence (restricted to a young Indian squaw they meet on the way).
The terrific climax sees Boone, Whitman and Brown eventually being captured and tortured by the Apaches with the Southern rebels looking on, but they are eventually freed by the squaw who has grown to respect them; subsequently, both Boone (who manages to settle his score with Acosta) and Brown are killed and the film closes with O'Brien seeing his dream of glorious reprisal literally go up in flames.
Given that several minor Westerns have, thankfully, already been released on DVD, it is quite baffling why RIO CONCHOS is as yet unavailable on this format and, in fact, for my two viewings of the film so far, I've had to make do with Italian-dubbed TV screenings which, at least, presented the film in the correct 'Scope aspect ratio.
The film is admirably served by a terrific cast: Richard Boone (in one of his best roles as a man hardened by the Apaches' massacre of his family), Anthony Franciosa (a surprising Golden Globe nominee as a charming Mexican rogue, but whose duplicity sees him killed halfway through the picture), Whitman (as the nominal hero, he's basically playing the part John Wayne had in THE COMANCHEROS!), Jim Brown (as Whitman's black lieutenant; watching this, I was reminded of 100 RIFLES [1969] another Western of his that I recently acquired but have yet to catch up with), Edmond O'Brien (a relatively small but typically vigorous role as the Confederate Colonel waging his own private Civil War two years after the conflict ended) and Rodolfo Acosta (as the Apache chief and Boone's sworn enemy); it only lacks a substantial female presence (restricted to a young Indian squaw they meet on the way).
The terrific climax sees Boone, Whitman and Brown eventually being captured and tortured by the Apaches with the Southern rebels looking on, but they are eventually freed by the squaw who has grown to respect them; subsequently, both Boone (who manages to settle his score with Acosta) and Brown are killed and the film closes with O'Brien seeing his dream of glorious reprisal literally go up in flames.
Given that several minor Westerns have, thankfully, already been released on DVD, it is quite baffling why RIO CONCHOS is as yet unavailable on this format and, in fact, for my two viewings of the film so far, I've had to make do with Italian-dubbed TV screenings which, at least, presented the film in the correct 'Scope aspect ratio.