Barquero (1970)

Jake Remy leads a gang of outlaw cutthroats making their escape toward Mexico from a successful robbery. Barring their way is a river--crossable only by means of a ferry barge. The barge ... See full summary »

Director:

Gordon Douglas

Writers:

George Schenck, William Marks

Stars:

Lee Van Cleef, Warren Oates, Forrest Tucker

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Lee Van Cleef	...	Travis
Warren Oates	...	Remy
Forrest Tucker	...	Mountain Phil
Kerwin Mathews	...	Marquette
Mariette Hartley	...	Anna
Marie Gomez	...	Nola
Armando Silvestre	...	Sawyer
John Davis Chandler	...	Fair
Craig Littler	...	Pitney
Ed Bakey	...	Happy
Richard Lapp	...	Poe
Harry Lauter	...	Steele
Brad Weston	...	Driver
Thad Williams	...	Gibson
Armand Alzamora	...	Lopez

Storyline

Jake Remy leads a gang of outlaw cutthroats making their escape toward Mexico from a successful robbery. Barring their way is a river--crossable only by means of a ferry barge. The barge operator, Travis, refuses to be bullied into providing transport for the gang and escapes across river with most of the local populace--leaving Remy and his gang behind, desperately seeking a way across. A river-wide stand-off begins between the gang and the townspeople, both groups of which have left people on the wrong side of the river.

---

Plot Keywords:

river | ferry | gang of outlaws | revolver | small western town | 

---

Taglines:

It starts with a slaughter. Then the real action begins. Barquero. He had his own life-style. And his own death-style.

---

Genres:

Western

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some violence

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 July 1970 (France)

Also Known As:

Haydut avcisi

Filming Locations:

Brush Hollow Reservoir, Colorado, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Aubrey Schenck Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Robert Sparr was originally set to direct, but he was killed in a plane crash while scouting locations in Colorado. Gordon Douglas was hired to replace him.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Boy: Hey mister.
Travis: What?
Boy: You're strong, ain't 'cha?
Travis: Yeah. Suppose so.
Boy: How long did it take ya?
Travis: To do what?
Boy: To build the boat. This man said that you built the boat. How long did it take?
Travis: Quite a while.
Boy: That sure is a great gun there.
[...]

---

Connections

Featured in Warren Oates: Across the Border (1993)

User Reviews

Unusual, involving western drama

Finely crafted production by Aubrey Schenck, with most of its action confined to a spot on the Rio Grande where a bunch of "squatters" have set up a primitive frontier town and a man (the "barquero", Van Cleef) has built a barge connected by rope to cross the river. When a bandit leader (Oates) and his group plunder and burn a nearby town, killing everyone, they make fast tracks to the barge, only to find the town evacuated and the barge on the other side of the river, with Cleef and his woodsman friend (Tucker) reluctantly defending the mostly nebbish townspeople. The script's sardonic tone is probably indebted to contemporary Italian oaters, but its ferocious drive and its focus on a personal confrontation between to determined, opposed strangers is very effective. Cleef is good at showing that he has no real concern for the villagers, but is absolutely set on not letting Oates' bandits burn his barge. Oates is a bit over the top (method acting is the worst type to go over the top with), especially in the poorly-conceived scene where he shoots the river. Solid action film with a significant difference going for it.