Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Lee Marvin | ... | Harry Spikes | |
Gary Grimes | ... | Will | |
Ron Howard | ... | Les | |
Charles Martin Smith | ... | Tod (as Charlie Martin Smith) | |
Arthur Hunnicutt | ... | Kid White | |
Noah Beery Jr. | ... | Basset (as Noah Beery) | |
Marc Smith | ... | Abel Young | |
Don Fellows | ... | Cowboy | |
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Elliott Sullivan | ... | Billy |
Robert Beatty | ... | Sheriff (credit only) | |
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Ralph Brown | ... | Posse Leader |
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Bill Curran | ... | Gillis |
Ricardo Palacios | ... | Doctor | |
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David Thomson | ... | Sheriff of Carrizo Springs |
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Bert Conway | ... | Bank Teller |
In the Old West, impressionable teenagers Will, Les and Tod find an injured bank-robber who asks for their help. At first, the boys are scared and reluctant to help. They're afraid of getting into trouble with the law and their parents. Moved by the wounded man's pleas, they finally agree to hide the robber in Will's barn and clean his wounds. Over the next few days, they bring food, drink and clean clothes to the outlaw whose name is Harry Spikes. When the sheriff and his posse come by and ask questions, Will hides the fact the robber is concealed in his family's barn. After he sufficiently recovers, Harry Spikes thanks the boys for their help and vows to help them in return if they ever need his aid. He takes Will's horse and leaves the county, heading for the Mexican border. Later, Will's parents discover their son's little mischievous secret and administer Will a severe beating to teach him to never lie. Fed up with his father's frequent physical punishments, Will runs away from ... Written by nufs68
After escape home , three young man friends (Gary Grimes , Charles Martin Smith , Ron Howard) form a strong alliance , a dynamic trio combining raw untamed youth . Later on , they meet an old man named Spikes (Lee Marvin) with the experience only a master gunfighter can offer . As three boys wanted to be like their hero and they got their wish . They create his own band and carry out a great number of bank robberies and murders and soon they were worth a fortune . They are become as outlaws with a price on their heads . But they are trapped in Mexico , and while awaiting a trial they are released on bail by the bandit Spikes . The three young men accompanied by the veteran crook on the raid bank again , in which two of them are severely wounded . Then , the lawmen form a posse and engage to hunt down the gang.
This exciting film packs Western action , rider-pursuits , thrills, emotion , shootouts and results to be quite entertaining . Besides , it contains good feeling , such as friendship , faithfulness and companionship although it was betrayed by one of them at the end . The young players who wear extremely low holsters are phenomenal , they will have too much successes in their future , especially Ron Howard (American Graffiti) with a successful career as a nice director (Beautiful mind , Cinderella man , Da Vinci Code) , Charles Martin Smith as a prestigious secondary (Starman, Untouchables) , and Gary Grimes (Summer of 42, Class of 44) as a Western starring in similar role as a naive cowboy (Cahill US Marshal , CulpepperCattle) , though he is nowadays retreated . And , of course , the great Lee Marvin , he gives a terrific acting as a tough gunslinger . Furthermore , there also appears two notorious secondary actors from numerous Westerns : Noah Beery Jr and Arthur Hunnicut . Robert Beatty , despite being credited as The Sheriff , is nowhere to be seen . And some Spanish secondary actors , usual in Pasta/Chorizo Western , such as : Ricardo Palacios , Adolfo Thous and Rafael Albaicín . The film was shot in Tabernas , Almeria (Spain) , a location where was filmed hundreds of Spaghetti/Paella Westerns during the 60s and 70s . The motion picture was well directed by Richard Fleischer . The movie will appeal to Lee Marvin fans and twilight Western enthusiasts.