Chato's Land (1972)

In 1870s New Mexico, a half-breed kills a bigoted sheriff in self-defense but the posse that eventually hunts him finds itself in dangerous territory.

Director:

Michael Winner

Writer:

Gerald Wilson

Stars:

Charles Bronson, Jack Palance, James Whitmore

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Charles Bronson	...	Pardon Chato
Jack Palance	...	Capt. Quincey Whitmore
James Whitmore	...	Joshua Everette
Simon Oakland	...	Jubal Hooker
Ralph Waite	...	Elias Hooker
Richard Jordan	...	Earl Hooker
Victor French	...	Martin Hall
Sonia Rangan	...	Chato's Woman
William Watson	...	Harvey Lansing
Roddy McMillan	...	Gavin Malechie
Paul Young	...	Brady Logan
Raul Castro	...	Mexican Scout
Lee Patterson	...	George Dunn
Roland Brand
Peter Dyneley	...	Ezra Meade

Storyline

After Pardon Chato, a mestizo, kills a US marshal in self-defense, a posse pursues him, but as the white volunteers advance deep in Indian territory they become more prey than hunters, leading to internal strife.

---

Plot Keywords:

arizona | arizona territory | apache territory | cochise | yaqui | 

---

Taglines:

The scream of his victims is the only sound he makes.

---

Genres:

Western

---

Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

UK Spain USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

June 1972 (UK)

Also Known As:

Chato

Filming Locations:

Balsicas de Alfaro, Rioja, Almería, Andalucía, Spain

Company Credits

Production Co:

Scimitar Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is the first film out of six that Charles Bronson and Michael Winner made together.

---

Goofs

Although the rifles used were correct for the time period,several scenes show the actors shooting a single shot percussion rifle without cocking it,also firing several shots without reloading.

---

Quotes

Joshua Everette: All we got here is a handful of nothing... dirt and dry mouths.

---

Connections

Referenced in The Embalmer (1996)

User Reviews

Conventional Western vengeance with the great Charles Bronson

A laconic Apache is pursued by a posse to solve a sheriff's death , dead in self-defense showdown by Chato (Charles Bronson) . Stalking the misfit group who are allegedly to be chasing him , after they attack his woman and family . A veteran confederate officer (Jack Palance) leads the posse (Victor French , James Withmore , Lee Patterson) along with three brutal brothers (Richard Jordan , Simon Oakland , Ralph Waite). Chino struggles to maintain his livelihood and later on , he seeks revenge .

This offbeat Western film displays excessive violence , noisy action and orgies of destruction of life and property . It's full of fury , sound , sadism and gratuitous violence . Characters are beaten, killed and raped . Pretty good Charles Bronson in his ordinary tough role , this film is one of Charles Bronson's 70s westerns ; his westerns made during the 1970s include Red sun (1971), Chato the Apache (1972), From noon till three (1976), Nevada Express (1975) and The White Buffalo (1977) . For Charles Bronson fans , it's full of what made his movies so popular . Although isn't among Bronson's stronger , this is one of his more viscerally effective movies . Striking and atmospheric musical score by Jerry Fielding , Sam Peckinpah's usual . Colorful cinematography by Robert Paynter reflecting splendidly the barren outdoors from Almeria (Spain) , as usual . The motion picture was well directed by Michael Winner . This is the first film out of six that Charles Bronson and Michael Winner made together . Winner had important commercial successes in the mid-70 with his fetish actor , Charles Bronson , achieving various box-office hits, such as ¨Deathwish I and II, furthermore, ¨The mechanics¨ and ¨The stone killer¨.