Standard revenge oater with a double-crossed Rio (Marlon Brando) hunting down his betrayer Dad Longworth (Karl Malden), who has now gone straight and is the sheriff of Monterey. The story is formulaic but the script and acting are fine and there are some good action scenes and nice desert and coastal scenery. Pretty much all of the male leads in the film are miserable b**tards (although not surprisingly Brando's character 'repents'). Longworth is a liar who abandoned his best friend to the pursuing Rurales after knocking over a Mexican bank, and even the usually affable character actors Ben Johnson and Slim Pickens play mean-spirited low-lifes. On the distaff side, Pina Pellicer is excellent as Longworth's stepdaughter who falls for Rio (this was the first time I saw this lovely Mexican actress and I was saddened when I read of her early death). The film has a harsh edge and is one of the earlier 'hard' Westerns that would eventually lead to brutal films such as 'The Wild Bunch' (1969) and 'Ulzana's Raid' (1972) as well as the flood of European 'anti-hero' Westerns that followed Sergio Leone's ground breaking 'Fistful of Dollars' (1964). "0ne-Eyed Jacks' was directed by Brando (who replaced Kubrick) and there are numerous anecdotes concerning cost overruns and the eccentric actor's behaviour on the set.
Review of One-Eyed Jacks
