This film was Dean's followup to "Airport". It's not a great film, but it is a decent Western, and better than I remembered it being...perhaps because I sometimes confuse it with another of Dean's films from that era -- "Texas Across The River".
Perhaps it's my age that has led to a great appreciation of this film. When it came out I was a 22 year old fan of Dean's. Now, seeing it again, I'm a 63 year old fan of Dean's. And Dean is...well, cool in this movie. But the appreciation comes with the story -- the realization as one gets older that if he never has done "something big" (fortunately I have), then there may be that desire to do "something big" before one dies. And Dean plays it pretty well here. He's the right age and has the right attitude. And, before I forget to mention it, does most of his own horse riding in it (Dean actually owned show horses and was quite good). That's not to say that Dean's character is totally likable -- after all, he is kidnapping a woman to trade her for a Gatling gun! Although, they keep it in bounds by Dean's realization that what he's doing is bothering his conscience.
I've never been much of a fan of Brain Keith, but he does fine as the army colonel who wants to know what Dean is going to do that is "something big", only to find out that part of it is kidnapping his (Keith's) wife! Honor Blackman played her part as Brian Keith's wife quite well here...she gave it he gravitas needed. Ben Johnson was fun as the Army scout. Albert Salmi appropriately disgusting as a dirty character desperately in need of a woman. Joyce Van Patten good as a man-hungry woman. Denver Pyle is a totally meaningless role; why did he even take it? And Harry Carey Jr as a peg-legged cowboy was entertaining.
Very watchable and a bit tongue in cheek.
Perhaps it's my age that has led to a great appreciation of this film. When it came out I was a 22 year old fan of Dean's. Now, seeing it again, I'm a 63 year old fan of Dean's. And Dean is...well, cool in this movie. But the appreciation comes with the story -- the realization as one gets older that if he never has done "something big" (fortunately I have), then there may be that desire to do "something big" before one dies. And Dean plays it pretty well here. He's the right age and has the right attitude. And, before I forget to mention it, does most of his own horse riding in it (Dean actually owned show horses and was quite good). That's not to say that Dean's character is totally likable -- after all, he is kidnapping a woman to trade her for a Gatling gun! Although, they keep it in bounds by Dean's realization that what he's doing is bothering his conscience.
I've never been much of a fan of Brain Keith, but he does fine as the army colonel who wants to know what Dean is going to do that is "something big", only to find out that part of it is kidnapping his (Keith's) wife! Honor Blackman played her part as Brian Keith's wife quite well here...she gave it he gravitas needed. Ben Johnson was fun as the Army scout. Albert Salmi appropriately disgusting as a dirty character desperately in need of a woman. Joyce Van Patten good as a man-hungry woman. Denver Pyle is a totally meaningless role; why did he even take it? And Harry Carey Jr as a peg-legged cowboy was entertaining.
Very watchable and a bit tongue in cheek.