White Comanche (1968)

Twin brothers, half white and half Comanche, take different paths that overlap with Johnny Moon getting blamed for Notah's violent acts until the final confrontation in Rio Hondo.

Director:

José Briz Méndez (as Gilbert Lee Kay)

Writers:

Robert I. Holt, Frank Gruber

Stars:

Joseph Cotten, William Shatner, Rosanna Yanni

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Joseph Cotten	...	Sheriff Logan
William Shatner	...	Johnny Moon / Notah
Rosanna Yanni	...	Kelly (as Rossana Yani)
Perla Cristal	...	White Fawn
Mariano Vidal Molina	...	Gen. Garcia (as Vidal Molina)
Luis Prendes	...	Grimes
Barta Barri	...	Mayor Bolker (as Bart Barry)
Vicente Roca	...	Ellis (as Vincent Rocca)
Luis Rivera	...	Kah To
Javier Maiza	...	Coor (as Xavier Maza)
Víctor Israel	...	Carter
Fernando Lewis	...	Quincy (as Ferdinand Lewis)
Héctor Quiroga	...	The Parson (as Hector Quiroga)
Gene Reyes	...	Comanche
Gian Castelli	...	The Boy (as Ian Castelli)

Storyline

William Shatner plays two roles: cowboy Johnny Moon and his ruthless Indian twin brother, Notah. Notah likes peyote and gets the crazy idea that he's the Comanche messiah sent to lead the Comanche nation against the white man but more specifically the dusty desert town of Rio Hondo. Moon, estranged from his brother, decides to stop Notah either by words or by bullets.

---

Plot Keywords:

whiskey | poker game | cowboy in tight pants | cowboy horse relationship | man chases a woman | 

---

Genres:

Western

---

Details

Country:

Spain

Language:

Spanish

Release Date:

23 December 1968 (Spain)

Also Known As:

Rio Hondo

Filming Locations:

Colmenar Viejo, Madrid, Spain

Company Credits

Production Co:

Producciones Cinematográficas A.B.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor) (uncredited)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Normally hairy-chested William Shatner was forced to subject himself to a complete body waxing before appearing buffed and shirtless before the camera.

---

Goofs

The White Fawn and Kah To fight takes place in a sandy dry area. When Johnny Moon finds them the ground cover is green and there is a stream running through where they are laying.

---

Quotes

Johnny Moon: Why don't you get the good citizens of this town to help you out?
Sheriff Logan: When trouble breaks out, they're kind of hard to find.

---

Connections

Edited into Spaghetti Western Trailer Show (2007)

User Reviews

WHITE COMANCHE (Jose' Briz Mendez, 1968) **

Being a Spanish rather than Italian production, I don't think this rates as an official Spaghetti Western – yet, it's been included with a clutch of such efforts in a budget-release Box Set (which I've rented and am currently going through); the treatment itself, in fact, isn't even really evocative of that distinctly baroque style!

The film-makers managed to acquire two American stars for this one: veteran Joseph Cotten and William Shatner (a fashionable commodity at the time thanks to the STAR TREK phenomenon on TV); they actually complement each other quite well, the reliable Cotten being a laid-back yet plain-speaking marshal and Shatner brooding albeit given occasionally to his trademark histrionics – especially since he plays twins, i.e. cowboy hero and the troublesome half-breed of the title!

The narrative also incorporates a subplot involving rival factions fighting for control of the town of Rio Hondo; female interest is provided by lovely blonde Rosanna Yanni (co-star of the two "Red Lips" films by Jess Franco made the previous year), who's assaulted by one Shatner and loved by the other. Eventually, the two siblings face-off in a duel on horseback – which both undertake bare-chested and wearing a bandana (presumably, to confuse the audience as to the identity of the victor)! At the end of the day, the film proves a tolerable diversion if nothing more – unless one counts Shatner's almost campy intensity (particularly in his caricatured Indian portrayal) as an added source of gratification! I should also mention here that the terribly inappropriate jazzy score is a pain to listen to and, besides, the pan-and-scan version I watched had an irritating tendency to jump-cutting within the same shot in search of the current speaker's face!!