User Reviews

It's really a shame and a great pain for me to have this one in my library since so many years, and not be able to see it again and again...

Why, you may ask...

Well, it's because I have it in f...Pan and Scan. The guy who invented that would deserve to be hanged high. F...bastard.

QUANTEZ is a real masterpiece, a great western, a flaming, blazing movie that must be discovered again. No one seems to have seen it. But if it is in f... outrageous Pan and Scan, it's really no worth while. Forget it. I hope that a TV broadcast will air it soon, and in LBX, of course. Or this film released in DVD.

I wait for this since so long.

There is something of WILD BUNCH in this movie. In its topic. Mac Murray plays here an outstanding character which reminds me the Holden one in Peckinpah's masterpiece.

When I'll see it again, it will be the most beautiful day of my life.

An outlaw gang, including a woman, give the slip to a posse chasing them. Then, they make their way across the desert toward the little town of Quantez, to rest their horses before a perilous journey across a desert to Mexico..........Except for the beginning and last portions, this story takes place at night, mostly in the saloon of the deserted Quantez, with rather poor lighting, Hence, it feels like a film noire, definitely claustrophobic.........The first hour goes rather slowly, as we get somewhat acquainted with the various members of the gang...........There's Heller(John Larch): technically the leader of the gang, although it seems to me that Fred MacMurray, as the oldest and wisest, should have been the leader. He is called Gentry ,formerly called John Coventry..........Then, there's Sydney Chaplin, as Gato: a white man raised by the Apache, who still thinks of himself as half Apache. During the outlaw's stay, he forms a shaky alliance with the local Apache(incredibly, only a stone's throw from where the outlaws are!). The Apache chief, Delgadito. agrees to attack the outlaws at dawn, then the Apache and Gato will split the stolen money. John Gavin, plays Teach, the youngest and newest member of the gang, coming from the East..........Finally, there's blond knockout Dorothy Malone, as Heller's girlfriend, who is weary of her station. It seems that Heller is also weary of her, insulting her, and suggesting that they leave her behind. Clearly, Chaney is ready to leave Heller the first chance she gets. Gentry and Teach are ready to defend her, and each suggests they leave the others, and try to start a new life, and each gets a kiss. Unfortunately, Heller sees the passionate kiss and hug Teach receives, and starts a fight with Teach, they roll around in the puddle as well as on dry land. Gentry finally demands that they end it........Several members suggest to a partner that they kill the others and split the money. But, none of these plans is carried out.........Finally, morning breaks. Time for the Apache to strike. But, first, Gentry shoots Heller, who was about to shoot Teach. Also, Gato runs toward the Apache, but is shot with an arrow........So, now there are 3 outlaws left, who are attacked by the Apache. Somehow, they get to their horses and gallop away, ahead of the Apache. Eventually, Chaney's horse stumbles, dumping her. Luckily, she's not hurt, but the Apache are approaching, So, they abandon their horses, and run for cover behind some low rocks.........One stays behind and shoots the Apache as they run forward. The other two head for the rim of the canyon, and carefully descend the ladder made of wood slats. ........Eventually, the Apache overwhelm the sharpshooter and kill him as he is cutting the ropes to hold the ladder..........Now, why were the Apache chasing the 3. They are primarily interested in the loot, not in fighting a battle with the whites, where some would die. No idea where the loot is. None of the 3 have it on them. Maybe it's in a saddlebag, or maybe left back at the saloon. Are the Apache going to try to track them down? They have no rifle, although probably a 6 shooter, and no horses. What's their chance of survival? Of course, they are still wanted by the sheriff..........Back during the night, a rider appeared, singing and strumming his guitar. It was James Barton. Why did he show up in this ghost town in the middle of the night?. They asked him to sing a song. He sang one about robbery and killing. Heller didn't like it. Then, Barton offered to paint a portrait of Chaney This, he did. Most said it was good, but Heller complained that it didn't look like her. It is evident to the others that Heller intends to kill Barton for his horse, as one of their horses died. But, Gentry sneaks Barton out to his horse, and he hurries away..........As others have mentioned, this goes too slow for about an hour, thus it is not a particularly exciting western.

Copyright 1957 by Universal-International. New York opening at RKO neighborhood theaters as the lower half of a double bill with a second run of "Tammy and the Bachelor": 6 September 1957. U.S. release: 1 October 1957. U.K. release: 7 September 1958. Australian release: 5 July 1957 (sic). 80 minutes. Cut by Rank Film Distributors to 68 minutes in the U.K. for release on a double bills.

SYNOPSIS: A gang on the run after a successful bank robbery hole up for the night in Quantez, a mysteriously empty frontier town.

VIEWERS' GUIDE (all versions): Strictly adults.

COMMENT: CinemaScope seems an odd choice for a "B" western that, aside from its opening action and solid climax, is largely set indoors.

Mind you, it still offers well above average entertainment, though it says much for the general standard of acting that the best performance comes not from any of the big-name players, but from the little known (as far as most moviegoers were concerned) James Barton, who provides a wonderfully engaging interlude as a wandering minstrel.

On the other hand, Fred MacMurray's playing seems a bit too off the cuff to be wholly convincing. You would think that he had just that moment memorized his lines, but had not been given any opportunity to practice them and get the feel of them.

And, although no fault of her own, Dorothy Malone also betrays the obvious haste with which the movie was made, thanks to her glaringly obvious make-up.

Even the sound recording is unusually rough by Hollywood's usually meticulous standards.

OTHER VIEWS: This film sets out with half-hearted self-consciousness after a theme — that the man on the run is hunted down from within as much as by external forces; but it succeeds only in being an object lesson in ponderous time-wasting. — Monthly Film Bulletin (reviewing the 68-minute version).

As the opening credits end we see five riders crossing the desert at speed; we soon learn that they have robbed a bank and are fleeing the pursuing posse. They manage to evade the posse but end up one horse down; hoping to find a replacement and somewhere to rest before continuing to Mexico they head to the small town of Quantez. When they get there something is very wrong; the town is totally deserted; it looks as though everybody just left a week before. The group consists of four men; Heller, the leader who killed a man during the robbery; Gentry, a man who seems to eschew violence; Teach, a young gun from back east and Gato, a white man who was raised by the Apache; the fifth member of the gang is Chaney, a beautiful blonde woman who Heller considers his but Teach clearly has an eye on. It soon becomes apparent to Gato, and the audience, that everybody left because they were chased out by the local Apache; he meets up with them and offers them half the takings from the robbery if they will kill the others. Back in the town's saloon tensions rise amongst the others; Chaney can't get over seeing a man die and keeps screaming and Heller can't abide any other man going near her. When an elderly man rides into town tensions rise further as it is obvious that Heller intends to kill him for his horse and Gentry intends to make sure he rides out alive. As the night passes it looks increasingly likely that they will start killing each other before the Apaches get a chance to strike in the morning.

Most B Westerns are fairly action packed with a hero who goes from one action scene to the next until he finally confronts his nemesis; this one is different though; there are no heroes; even the more sympathetic characters are villains and rather than having a succession of action scenes we get a series of moments each of which serve to raise the tension but providing no relief until the finale when the expected action occurs. With no heroes all bets are off as to who, if anybody will survive! I hadn't heard of this film until I saw it advertised in the TV guide this morning; I'm glad I chose to watch it though as I really enjoyed it. The small cast did a fine job; particularly Fred MacMurray, Gentry; Dorothy Malone, Chaney and John Larch who played the vicious Heller. This may be a little known western if no big name stars but if you are a fan of the genre I definitely recommend checking it out if you get the chance.

One thing I need to say right away is that this film moves very slow the first 45 minutes. It's very deliberate in how the characters are presented and how we get to know them. What's interesting is that we see Dorothy Malone joining the men in the beginning, this group of outlaws on their way to Mexico, but she is very much a peripheral figure at first. We get to know the other characters first. But then gradually, we see how the men behave a certain way around her, and how all of them secretly (and not so secretly) have designs on her. So mid- way through the picture, she is more the central presence, a woman who represents their fantasies and the flesh and blood reality of having a woman ride along on the trail. The scene where they intercept some painter to do her portrait is well done. And also what makes it work is that she has her own demons, her own insecurities to overcome.

But it's the last ten to fifteen minutes that are the best. At this point, the plot begins to pick up speed and we have a very dramatic pay off on the edge of a canyon. We still don't know who she's going to end up with. I won't spoil it, but she did wind up with the guy I wanted her to be with...so it was ultimately very satisfying. And the ending is kind of shocking; it leaves you with a lot to think about.

Highly recommend QUANTEZ for western fans who have the patience to sit through the slower scenes at the beginning.