While I will freely admit that this is a bad film, there were enough positive things about it that prevent it from getting a score of 1 or 2. An aging Joseph Cotten did a very credible performance as an aging sheriff. Although every bit of his 63 years, he gracefully and competently did his job in a film that wasn't worthy of his talents. Sadly, this isn't the last bad film Cotten did, as he later starred in LADY FRANKENSTEIN as well as AIRPORT '77. So, for Cotten's presence alone, you can't reasonably give the film a lower score than 3.
As for the rest of the film, it's all pretty silly. The first things you'll notice is that the movie looks as if it were filmed using a Super 8mm camera and the music is 100% wrong for a Western. When was the last time you heard jazz and electric guitars in a cowboy film?! And the credits looked like they were created by a high school audio-visual club! Just how cheap and crappy can you get?!
However bad all this is, that's exactly what I was hoping! After all, the film starred the king of subtlety, the great (at least in his mind) William Shatner. Having just wrapped up production of "Star Trek", Shatner apparently could have used some money and took part in this low-budget film--and in the process made it look even more low-brow and cheesy!! The plot certainly didn't help (with Shatner playing two silly roles, not just one) but who would have possibly thought of casting him a two half-American Indian brothers!?!?! Seeing this "White Comanche" riding about with his pasty white skin and war paint was a hoot. You ask yourself such questions as "why does he have short hair and look like Captain Kirk when the rest of his Indian brothers all sport shaggy black wigs?" as well as "why is he dressed nothing like an Indian?" and "what were they smoking!?!?!". And, in typical Shatner style, he delivers his lines staccato-style and is about as convincing as a man raised by Indians as Rip Taylor might have been in this role! It's so bad, it's good!
Now in the other role, Shatner was actually pretty tolerable. Sure, he looked nothing like a typical man of the old West, but at least he was somewhat believable and delivered many of his lines like he wasn't drugged. Additionally, the over-emoting which is quite typical of Shatner is actually mostly absent--and his role is relatively subdued. Had Shatner just played this one role, the film would have been a lot better--but also a lot less funny. It might have also helped his career, though I truly doubt that people of the time remembered this role nearly as much as the Comanche one!!
The story is about two identical twins whose mother was White and father was an Indian. While they were both raised by the tribe, neither looks or sounds the least bit Native-American. One chose to live among the Whites as an adult and the other became the leader of a renegade group of Indians. Well, believe it or not, the nice Shatner is tired of everyone thinking he is the "White Comanche" and challenges his evil counter-part to a final showdown in four days in the town of Rio Burrito or whatever it was called (it might have been Rio Hondo, but I WON'T watch the movie again to find out for certain). Once he arrives in the city, nice Shatner turns out to be a killing machine and a bit of a social worker--helping right wrongs and convincing everyone that he is one swell guy. And, in a silly finale, both Shatners prove they couldn't hit the broad side of a barn as they shoot at each other at literal point-blank range and miss repeatedly. In the end, the expected occurs and the credits roll.
I strongly recommend this film for anyone wanting a good laugh, though the film still isn't as silly and stupid as another Shatner opus, IMPULSE. I suggest strongly you find this other film because unlike WHITE COMANCHE, Shatner is not the least bit restrained and over-emotes worse than he ever did on "Star Trek" (is this even possible?!).
In recent years, Mr. Shatner has finally found his niche. Parodying himself with Priceline and his role on "Boston Legal" have proved that although cheesy, Shatner is not above exploiting his cheese-factor because he seems to be willing to make fun of himself...provided a camera is running and someone is willing to watch!
As for the rest of the film, it's all pretty silly. The first things you'll notice is that the movie looks as if it were filmed using a Super 8mm camera and the music is 100% wrong for a Western. When was the last time you heard jazz and electric guitars in a cowboy film?! And the credits looked like they were created by a high school audio-visual club! Just how cheap and crappy can you get?!
However bad all this is, that's exactly what I was hoping! After all, the film starred the king of subtlety, the great (at least in his mind) William Shatner. Having just wrapped up production of "Star Trek", Shatner apparently could have used some money and took part in this low-budget film--and in the process made it look even more low-brow and cheesy!! The plot certainly didn't help (with Shatner playing two silly roles, not just one) but who would have possibly thought of casting him a two half-American Indian brothers!?!?! Seeing this "White Comanche" riding about with his pasty white skin and war paint was a hoot. You ask yourself such questions as "why does he have short hair and look like Captain Kirk when the rest of his Indian brothers all sport shaggy black wigs?" as well as "why is he dressed nothing like an Indian?" and "what were they smoking!?!?!". And, in typical Shatner style, he delivers his lines staccato-style and is about as convincing as a man raised by Indians as Rip Taylor might have been in this role! It's so bad, it's good!
Now in the other role, Shatner was actually pretty tolerable. Sure, he looked nothing like a typical man of the old West, but at least he was somewhat believable and delivered many of his lines like he wasn't drugged. Additionally, the over-emoting which is quite typical of Shatner is actually mostly absent--and his role is relatively subdued. Had Shatner just played this one role, the film would have been a lot better--but also a lot less funny. It might have also helped his career, though I truly doubt that people of the time remembered this role nearly as much as the Comanche one!!
The story is about two identical twins whose mother was White and father was an Indian. While they were both raised by the tribe, neither looks or sounds the least bit Native-American. One chose to live among the Whites as an adult and the other became the leader of a renegade group of Indians. Well, believe it or not, the nice Shatner is tired of everyone thinking he is the "White Comanche" and challenges his evil counter-part to a final showdown in four days in the town of Rio Burrito or whatever it was called (it might have been Rio Hondo, but I WON'T watch the movie again to find out for certain). Once he arrives in the city, nice Shatner turns out to be a killing machine and a bit of a social worker--helping right wrongs and convincing everyone that he is one swell guy. And, in a silly finale, both Shatners prove they couldn't hit the broad side of a barn as they shoot at each other at literal point-blank range and miss repeatedly. In the end, the expected occurs and the credits roll.
I strongly recommend this film for anyone wanting a good laugh, though the film still isn't as silly and stupid as another Shatner opus, IMPULSE. I suggest strongly you find this other film because unlike WHITE COMANCHE, Shatner is not the least bit restrained and over-emotes worse than he ever did on "Star Trek" (is this even possible?!).
In recent years, Mr. Shatner has finally found his niche. Parodying himself with Priceline and his role on "Boston Legal" have proved that although cheesy, Shatner is not above exploiting his cheese-factor because he seems to be willing to make fun of himself...provided a camera is running and someone is willing to watch!