User Reviews

Rio Conchos is directed by Gordon Douglas and adapted to screenplay by Joseph Landon from the Clair Huffaker novel. It stars Richard Boone, Stuart Whitman, Jim Brown, Tony Franciosa, Wende Wagner and Edmond O'Brien. Music is scored by Jerry Goldsmith and Joseph MacDonald is the cinematographer. Out of 20th Century Fox it's a CinemaScope production filmed in De Luxe Color, and primary location used for filming was Moab, Utah.

One ex-Confederate officer out for revenge against the Apache, one Army Captain driven by a sense of duty, one Buffalo Soldier continuing to prove himself and one Mexican convict getting a second shot at freedom. Four men, one journey, a mission to find who is arming the Apache with repeating rifles. Danger, mistrust and hostility are their only companions.

The plot may be routine, and certainly it owes a debt to The Comancheros (Huffaker involved there too), but this is a tough and dark Western propelled by fine acting, quality direction and photography to die for. Structured around a men on a mission basis, each one with their own particular issues, it's very much a character driven piece. It's the time spent in the company of these men that makes the film so riveting, it never gets dull, the character dynamics are such, that we never quite know what to expect from the next part of the journey. Director Douglas also doesn't shy from action, pitting our odd group against Mexican Bandits and Apache Indians along the way, and then delivering a high octane finale that has a few twists and turns to keep it away from being formulaic.

Whitman and Brown acquit themselves well enough, as does Wagner as the sole female of the piece. But acting wise this film belongs to Boone and Franciosa. The former portrays a bitter vengeful heart with ease, with a lived in alcoholic face, his destiny you feel is mapped out from the off. The latter shines as the ebullient character of the group, shifty, sly and as untrustworthy as it gets, Franciosa's play off of Boone gives the film its central pulse beat. But arguably all players are trumped by MacDonald's photography and Douglas' use of the scenery. From pretty much the first frame the landscape is the big character here. Douglas wisely using many long shots to reveal miles of vistas, then knowing when to pull in close to envelope the characters to give off the feeling of mental claustrophobia. Exterior work here belies the budget afforded the film, and all told it's a far better movie than the bigger produced Comancheros. Goldsmith's score is also a plus point, striking the mood from the get go, his arrangements flow at one with the hazardous destiny of the four men.

One of the better 60's Westerns, it's in desperate need of a remastering job being done on it. 8/10

Rio Conchos is a story about two men who won't let go and keep seeking vengeance. Richard Boone is a former Confederate soldier who came home to find his family massacred and is wreaking a terrible vengeance on the Indians. Kind of like Ethan Edwards would in The Searchers if left to his own devices.

The other man is Edmond O'Brien, Boone's former commanding officer, who is seeking vengeance for the lost Confederate cause and the way it went down in Generals Grant and Sherman's war of attrition. He's hijacked a group of repeating Spencer rifles and is about to trade them to Chief Rudolfo Acosta of the Apaches.

When Boone is found with one of the repeaters by the army, he's tossed in the guardhouse and then given a choice of staying there or leading Captain Stuart Whitman to the weapons. After thinking it over somewhat Boone agrees.

So an unlikely quartet of Whitman, Boone, Jim Brown, and Anthony Franciosa set out. This group has little regard for each other and that does impede the teamwork involved to successfully pull off the mission of either get the weapons back or destroy them.

This was the feature film debut of Cleveland Browns halfback Jim Brown who went on to a pretty successful acting career after his days on the gridiron were through. OF course Tony Franciosa as their Mexican guide/interpreter is as usual the best one in the film. Talk about someone no better than he ought to be.

Rio Conchos has enough action to satisfy the biggest western fans around. The ending, shall we say the conclusion of the film and the mission leave an uncertain future for the survivors of the last battle.

An eclectic cast rounds out this rather rugged western film. Craggy Boone stars as a man who hates the Apaches because they slaughtered his wife and child (hardly an original background for a character.) When he is found using a certain rifle to kill his prey, he is arrested and thrown in jail with knife-wielding Franciosa, who is set to hang for murder. It turns out that the rifle is one of a huge shipment that has gone missing and it's up to cavalry captain Whitman and his sergeant Brown to retrieve them. Boone and Franciosa join them in order to aid the mission (and set up dramatic conflict within the contingent.) The foursome travels the dusty terrain of Utah and the American Southwest, encountering Indians and Mexican bandits along the way, all the while mistrusting each other. They believe the guns are in the possession of a dethroned Confederate Colonel (O'Brien), who wants to rebuild the South in all it's glory out West! (He even builds a mansion-like plantation home out of timber with fine furnishings and curtains in the windows, but no ceilings and, in most cases, no walls!) On the way to O'Brien, the quartet also picks up a spitfire Apache girl (Wagner) who tried to do them in with a gang of pals, but failed. If it all sounds pretty standard and pat, it is to a point, but thanks to the entertaining cast, the captivating Jerry Goldsmith score, the location scenery and the rough edges of the story, it manages to be an entertaining film. Boone puts a lot of compelling flavor into his role. Whitman is less impressive, but does a nice enough job. Franciosa is very hammy and indulgent, but keeps it interesting anyway. Brown (a man with an unbelievable physique) has almost nothing to say or do, but still comes across as warm and thoughtful, not to mention strong! He retains his dignity at a time when racial tensions were beginning to start their boil-over. O'Brien has a lot of fun with his outre character. Wagner is nearly unrecognizable in a sketchy character. Her loyalties are divided and her reasoning isn't always clear. (Her character speaks no English in the film.) She would soon enter pop culture history as the loyal assistant to "The Green Hornet" on TV. Several memorable moments occur in the film including a standoff between the men and some Apaches at a deserted house, a torture sequence in which the men are dragged by horses and flogged with straps and the sight of O'Brien's surreal timber estate. This isn't a particularly well known western, but it certainly has merit as it demonstrates the changing level of content in the genre and contains some solid acting.

I was kinda expecting a black hats/white hats movie but that's not what this is. The heroes are pretty rotten men themselves. Richard Boone, Stuart Whitman, Jim Brown, and Anthony Franciosa play four rather ruthless characters trying to track down the man selling guns to the apache. Boone in particular is outstanding as the Indian hater who just murders apache on sight! Franciosa is a smiling Mexican who can't be trusted for a second. Whitman and Brown are not quite as bad but they certainly aren't likable either. One of the real attractions in this movie is Wende Wagner who plays this sexy Indian girl. Not an important character and she never speaks a word of English, but you can't take your eyes off her.

Gritty and well written Western tale with jarring burst of violence . Good western with nifty non-stop action in the old 20th Century Fox tradition set in Texas with towering actors , unstopped action and spectacular scenarios ; dealing with three Army buddies search for 2000 stolen rifles . 1867 , after the Civil War , a weapon shipping has been stolen to army and as responsible appears captain Haven (Stuart Whitman) , he is assigned to go to Mexico as incognito to avoid arms to be sold Apaches , being accompanied by a misfit outfit . He along with a furious racist agree to lead a hazardous expedition through Apace territory . As the group is formed by an ex-Confederate officer called Lassiter (Richard Boone) , a bitter ex-Rebel army major whose wife and children have been killed by the Apaches , the African-American sergeant Franklyn (Jim Brown) and a Mexican prisoner named Rodríguez (Anthony Franciosa) condemned to death row . As two Army officers, an alcoholic ex-Confederate soldier and a womanizing Mexican travel to Mexico , the object is to find another ex-Confederate who is about to sell hundreds of robbed guns to the Indians . They are ¨Comancheros¨ is a word that refers to those who favored or advantaged of Comanche Indians by selling weapons and alcohol . The Indians are out on a rampage of killing , vengeance against the white intruders and with the aim for getting weapons . As four men stalking the Apache nation on a mission that could drench the whole Southwest in blood and flames . From Texas they go to Chihuahua where a megalomaniac Southern ex-general named Pardee (Edmond O'Brien) living at a mansion in Louisiana style and commanding an army of bushwhackers attempts to re-initiate a war by Indian upheaval led by Bloodshirt (Rodolfo Acosta) . At the end there takes places a peculiar apocalypse plenty of explosion , dynamite , powder , fire and rifles .

This actioner Western contains thrills , adventures , rider pursuits , wonderful outdoors , impressive attacks and loads of crossfire . It is a very fine picture that could become another western worthy of any anthology . This is an unusually brutal tale of a hard-bitten sergeant assembling a detail of misfit cavalrymen to hold-off rampaging Indians and rebels . Well developed film with gloomy energy , crafty characters , sober lighting , abundant night scenes , elegant camera movements and especial dramatic pace , including a dialectic about racism . The picture relies heavily on the relationship among the misfit group , though gets enjoyable nuances and charm enough and along the way confront Indians rebels and themselves . In this film "Rio Conchos" also titled ¨Guns of Rio Conchos¨ the spectator enjoys because it has a lot of issues that make it agreeable . Even the female character played by attractive Wende Wagner as India Sally, reveals a woman who knows that she wishes and makes it irresistible . Stuart Whitman and an expert all-star-cast shine in this gripping story about a dangerous mission carried out by a motley bunch and director takes a fine penned screenplay by Clair Huffaker creating a cavalry-Indians tale that is far from ordinary , exploring the anguish and desperation of a varied group . Features convincing playing from the always reliable Richard Boone as a violent and hard-hitting racist and memorable Anthony Franciosa as womanizer Mexican . Jim Brown is good in his film debut and he gave up his football career, at its peak, to try acting . Colorful cinematography in truly De Luxe Colour by Joseph MacDonald . Offbeat musical score in suspenseful and thrilling style by the great Jerry Goldsmith .

The motion picture was professionally directed by Gordon Douglas , at his best . He's an expert on adventures cinema as ¨Black arrow¨ , ¨Fortunes of Captain Blood¨ , both starred by Louis Hayward and Western , as he proved in the films starred by Clint Walker such as ¨Fort Dobbs¨, ¨Yellowstone Kelly¨ , ¨Gold of seven Saints¨ , Gregory Peck as ¨Only the valiant¨ in similar plot to ¨Chuka¨ , Richard Boone as ¨Rio Conchos¨ considered the best , and on bandits legendary as ¨Doolins of Oklahoma¨ , ¨Great Missouri raid¨, among others

This was directed by Gordon Douglas and stars Richard Boone, Stuart Whitman, Jim Brown and Edmond O'Brien. Boone stars as a former major in the confederate army and is now just a drunk who hates the Indians and kills as many as he can. Boone is found with a repeating rifle that was stolen from the army but he didn't know that and is thrown in jail. Whitman was the soldier who was in charge of the rifles but they were stolen and taken down to Mexico. So Whitman and Brown go after the rifles undercover and they take Boone and Anthony Franciosa, a Mexican who was about to be hanged, along with them. It's a pretty good western and it's nice to see Boone with the starring role instead of playing the villain.

Two years after the Civil War, an unlikely team of four men go on a mission to find a missing cache of Federal rifles; the trail leads to a private army of ex-Rebels and Apaches, as well as a surreal antebellum mansion built in the middle of the desert along the Rio Conchos River in Mexico. The scouting unit consists of an alcoholic ex-Confederate major and Indian-hater (Richard Boone), a gallant but formidable Army captain (Stuart Whitman), a Buffalo Soldier sergeant (Jim Brown), a likable Mexican cutthroat (Tony Franciosa) and, later, an Apache woman (Wende Wagner). The private army is led by a cracked, bitter ex-Rebel general (Edmond O'Brien).

This 1964 Western has uncomfortable similarities to John Wayne's "The Comancheros" (1961), which also co-starred Whitman. "Rio Conchos" is about on par, but I give the edge to "The Comancheros." Anyway, this was the theatrical debut of Jim Brown, who gave up his football career at its peak to try his hand at acting. He would return to the Western genre with the similar "100 Rifles" five years later.

While not ranking with the best 60's Westerns (e.g. "One-Eyed Jacks," "Ride the High Country," "Hombre," "Nevada Smith," "Bandolero!" and "True Grit"), "Rio Conchos" is a brutal, energetic and colorful Western. It's not far behind "Duel at Diablo," "El Dorado" and "Shalako." I'd put it on par with "The Sons of Katie Elder," "The War Wagon" and "The Undefeated."

The film runs 1 hour, 47 minutes and was shot in Arizona and Utah. The effective and timeless score is by Jerry Goldsmith.

GRADE: B

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.

The western was still a going commercial concern when Gordon Douglas made this decent example of the genre in 1964. Within a few years, of course, Peckinpah, Leonne and latterly Clint Eastwood amongst others would completely overturn the genre, giving new meaning to the term 'revisionist'. Douglas was no auteur but a good jobbing director, professional enough to tell a good yarn. There is nothing terribly original about this yarn, (it's really a rehash of "The Commancheros"), as potential enemies Richard Boone, Stuart Whitman, Tony Franciosa and Jim Borwn join forces to find a shipment of rifles stolen by the Indians. There is plenty of sage-brush and desert in the action sequences providing the requisite pleasures we associate with a good horse-opera, even if this one turns surprisingly cynical and bitter. There is a scenery-chewing supporting turn from Edmond O'Brien and Tony Franciosa enjoys himself as a Mexican Lothario whose way with a knife comes in very handy. And Jerry Goldsmith's score is first-rate.

Dusty, swaggering outdoor yarn features Richard Boone in another one of his aw-shucks, embarrassed-to-be-up-here performances playing a former Confederate Major-turned-Apache hunter who is recruited by Texas Calvary to find the mercenary Confederate Colonel who is selling stolen government guns to the Apaches. Locales and violent action both serviceable, even if the camera-work is continually unsure and the editing sloppy. Boone barks orders convincingly enough, yet he's almost charming when acting sheepish (a response which really suits him). Tony Franciosa tries out his Latino accent as a Mexican cutthroat along for the journey, while Jim Brown shows off his incredible physique and Stuart Whitman looks pained throughout. No surprises here (except for the quick entrance and exit of an infant), while the final showdown is pure formula--a dull one. *1/2 from ****

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.

RIO CONCHOS had a lot of potential . A former confederate officer who`s family have been murdered by Apaches joins up with a group of former union soldiers , one of whom is black , in order to destroy a bunch of rifles that have fallen into Apache hands . This premise sets up a character study about bitterness , racial hatred and possible betrayal , but being a 1960s western a posse of major cliches ride in from the horizon which cuts off the potential at the pass . Take this cliche for example , a convicted murderer wins a stay of execution if he helps the motley group find the weapons . If you set this in the second world war you`ve goty a cliche similar to nearly every war movie made in the 60s and 70s . In fact didn`t every Italian war film rip off a similar plot ? To be fair RIO CONCHOS was filmed several years before THE DIRTY DOZEN so this aspect probably felt quite fresh when seen at the cinema on its original release . There`s other things that make the movie dated though , like the stereotypical Mexicans who call everyone either " Gringo " or " Hombre " . I was seriously expecting Speedy Gonzales to turn up

There is something very odd about Edmond O`Brian`s villain who appears at the end . In many ways he`s like a meglomaniac who appears in James Bond films but not quite . After watching him on screen for a few minutes I had a niggling feeling in the back of mind that this character had been re-named and re-set in another film but where ? Suddenly a character asked " You want water ? " and the reply of " Go drink paddy water " flashed like a diamond bullet into my head . Of course Kurtz from APOCALYPSE NOW , and it was then that I made a startling observation that the basic structure of RIO CONCHOS of having a contrasting band of soldiers travel through hostile territory in order to complete a mission against a renegade army officer is the same as APOCALYPSE NOW so much so I can`t help thinking Coppola borrows as much from this film as he did from Conrad`s HEART OF DARKNESS . It goes without saying but that RIO CONCHOS is far inferior to APOCALYPSE NOW

"Rio Conchos" is a tough, fast-paced, action-packed western, with good performances by all concerned. If the story--Union soldiers go undercover to find the men who are supplying guns to renegade Indians and outlaws and come across a Confederate plot to carve out territory in the West--seems familiar, that's because it's a variation of John Wayne's "The Commancheros" of a few years earlier, and it's almost as good, and in some ways better. Richard Boone gives a very flavorful performance as the tough major in charge of the operation, in conflict with subordinate Stuart Whitman. Jim Brown, in his film debut, is a bit stiff, but otherwise acquits himself quite well. Anthony Franciosa, playing a Mexican outlaw paroled to accompany them on the mission, doesn't quite pull the characterization off, but handles the action scenes very well. Director Gordon Douglas, an old pro at this kind of picture, keeps things going at breakneck speed, with exciting action scenes and good byplay between the characters. This is one of the best-made action westerns of the '60s, with good plot twists, and is consistently interesting all the way through. Highly recommended for western fans.

The film is not bad, has a decent cast and a reasonable story but is a bit slow at times. The film looks like a remake of a 1960 John Wayne/Stewart Whitman (in both movies) action western entitled "The Comancheros" The plot in both movies is is very very similar.

I would recommend that if you can you watch them both to see which one you prefer.

A preposterous plot but authentic sets and costumes, and fine outdoor cinematography; some absurd overacting but a musical theme that is remembered forty years on; these are the attributes we have come to associate with the Italian Western. All are present here.

This was one of composer Jerry Goldsmith's first movie scores, so I have read here, and if that's so he set a high standard for himself: an affecting, bittersweet melody in a leisurely tempo that evokes a horse's walking pace and the bleak beauty of eastern Utah. That's appropriate since the characters spend a lot time in the saddle. The director was smart to bring the musical theme in just seconds after the picture starts.

Tony Franciosa's Mexican outlaw slips frequently into parody, but he is an artist with a knife. New Yorker Edmond O'Brien is hardly believable as an unreconstructed Southern aristocrat. Jim Brown does well enough with limited dialog or character development, but his presence requires a suspension of disbelief. Not that there weren't a lot of African-American soldiers in the US Army in the West after the Civil War, but they were in their own regiments. The Army was strictly segregated, and would remain so for eighty years to come.

Richard Boone, an actor with a natural style if ever there was one, shines best here. Boone never looked young even when he was. The mileage on his face perfectly fits his character of a man who has known war and personal tragedy, and seeks solace in hate and the bottle.

Having initially earned his spurs as Palladin in 'Have Gun, Will Travel', Fox had sufficient confidence in the star quality of Richard Boone to showcase his talents in CinemaScope on the big screen in this adaptation of his own novel by Clair Huffaker set in the aftermath of the Civil War in which he plays a scruffy old renegade who polishes his talent for rubbing his subordinates the wrong way and demonstrates a healthy disrespect for authority when he tells ambitious junior officer Stuart Whitman "you're stupid enough to become a general!"

For most of the film's duration Tony Franciosa gives the film's most eccentric performance as a sombrero-wearing Mexican flashing his teeth in a Zapata moustache; but even he is surpassed when Edmond O'Brien finally appears as a crazy old general presiding over his own personal Heart of Darkness - with a Confederate flag still proudly hanging over his mantelpiece - who serious believes that the South lost the war because they were "insufficiency ruthless".

A tough western about stolen rifles and an undercover group sent into Mexico by the US Army to try to stop their sale to Apaches who would use them to kill whites. There is plenty of action along the way although most of it is there as filler. However, there are a few moments on the journey, a ferry ride across the Rio Grande into Mexico for instance, that explode off of the screen. In addition, if you want your Richard Boone quotient for the day, this film will definitely fill it. His part as a hardened Civil War vet who hates Apaches is memorable. Unfortunately, it's kind of trapped within the at times dubious confines of this movie. But, when the group actually gets to the guns, an elaborate plot unfolds with the great Edmond O'Brien as a Confederate general who leads a band of rebels and refuses to give up the fight and has the idea to let the Apaches (the ones that Boone hates with a vengeance) have the stolen guns so that they can kill whatever Yankees they might find. The driving force in all of this is hatred and vengeance, making this film pretty heavy going.

See it – This unheralded western classic is filled to the brim with rousing action. It has probably gone under the radar because it lacks a big name actor. But Richard Boone, Jim Brown, and Stuart Whitman are great in this old-fashioned, cowboys-on-a-mission movie in the same vein as "The Professionals." The mission in this one is to prevent Confederate desperadoes from selling repeating rifles to the Apaches. It's a little weird to see classic film villain Richard Boone as a good guy, but he carries the movie pretty well. The musical score is really good, and most of the movie has that "chase western" feel to it. But when things slow down at the end, you will only have enough time to take a deep breath before one of the best movie endings in the western genre.

Rio Conchos has some decent action scenes at the end of the movie but it is too little and too late.

The film is too formulaic, too old fashioned and dull.

Set after the civil war. 2000 rifles are stolen and sold to the Apache Indians.

James Lassiter (Richard Boone) whose family were killed by Indians and in turn he hates Indians is forced to team up with a small unit to find the rifles. Along the way they come across a bitter Confederate colonel who is scheming to start a war with the Apaches and who is selling the rifles to them.

This is a film that was left behind when the western genre was shaken up by the likes of Sergio Leone soon after.