Rio Conchos (1964)

Two Army officers, an alcoholic ex-Confederate soldier and a womanizing Mexican travel to Mexico on a secret mission to prevent a megalomaniacal ex-Confederate colonel from selling a cache ... See full summary »

Director:

Gordon Douglas

Writers:

Joseph Landon (screenplay), Clair Huffaker (screenplay),

Stars:

Richard Boone, Stuart Whitman, Anthony Franciosa

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Richard Boone	...	Maj. James 'Jim' Lassiter
Stuart Whitman	...	Capt. Haven
Anthony Franciosa	...	Juan Luis Rodriguez / Juan Luis Martinez (as Tony Franciosa)
Wende Wagner	...	Sally (Apache girl)
Warner Anderson	...	Col. Wagner
Jim Brown	...	Sgt. Franklyn
Rodolfo Acosta	...	Bloodshirt (Apache chief)
Barry Kelley	...	Croupier at Presidio
Vito Scotti	...	Bandit chief
House Peters Jr.	...	Pardee Officer
Kevin Hagen	...	Maj. Johnson / Blondebeard
Edmond O'Brien	...	Col. Theron 'Gray Fox' Pardee

Storyline

Two Army officers, an alcoholic ex-Confederate soldier and a womanizing Mexican travel to Mexico on a secret mission to prevent a megalomaniacal ex-Confederate colonel from selling a cache of stolen rifles to a band of murderous Apaches.

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Plot Keywords:

mexican | apache | rifle | mission | bar shootout | 

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Taglines:

Four men stalking the Apache nation...on a mission that could drench the whole Southwest in blood and flames!

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Romance | War | Western

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 November 1964 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

Río Conchos

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Ranch, Malibu Creek State Park - 1925 Las Virgenes Road, Calabasas, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Film debut of Jim Brown. He gave up his football career, at its peak, to try acting.

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Quotes

Col. Wagner: You can give me your word that you'll get them there?
Maj. James 'Jim' Lassiter: My word?
Col. Wagner: That's right.
Maj. James 'Jim' Lassiter: [laughing] Well colonel, for whatever it's worth, you can have it!

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Connections

Featured in Jim Brown: All American (2002)

User Reviews

Macho Muchachos hunt for stolen guns.

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.