Bandido/United Artists. Director Richard Fleischer; Producer Robert L. Jacks; Screenplay Earl Felton; Camera Ernest Laszlo; Editor Robert Golden; Music Max Steiner; Art Director Jack Martin Smith
Robert Mitchum
Ursula Thiess
Gilbert Roland
Zachary Scott
Rodolfo Acosta
Henry Brandon
Gun-running in Mexico back in 1916 sets up a round of adventurous action. Robert Mitchum is a likeable, not always understandable, sort of hero-heavy who likes war because it gives him a chance to make some money gun-running, besides finding amusement in his profession.
While the yarn is a dime thriller, it is also presented with some above-average touches here and there, plus some frank birds-and-bees byplay between Mitchum and the heroine (Ursula Thiess) that adds spice to the action. Film has its slow spots, mostly due to occasionally draggy direction by Richard Fleischer and a need of tighter editing.
In addition to Mitchum, the male end of the cast draws notable help from the presence of Gilbert Roland, leader of the rebels for whom the gun-runner is trying to obtain arms by hijacking a shipment being brought in by Zachary Scott for the Regulares.
Below-the-border locationing gives the picture strikingly beautiful scenes.
(Color) Widescreen. Extract of a review from 1956. Running time: 91 MIN.
Contact Variety Staff at
news@variety.com