Pacionsbo Absolutely Fantastic

Griff Lees Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Tayyab Torres Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Portia Hilton Blistering performances.

bomboogie This movie is a comedy. Approaching it any other way will naturally be disappointing. What makes it funny mostly is that it is a satire, a satire on the negotiating process. Burt Lancaster plays the CO of a cavalry troop near Denver in 1867. Four or five different factions are trying to make claim to the prize shipment, some by hook, others by crook. He tries to mediate them into some form of agreement. I don't think anyone else reviewing it here has seen it in that light. If you have been following current events (any years) and have observed political negotiations and kept them in mind while watching this movie, you will see what I mean.

deacon_blues-3 A chaotic romp through the old west near the end of the 19th Century. The mining town of Denver faces the potentially worst winter on record without whiskey! So they pool their finances into one gigantic order of 40 wagons of whiskey from grouchy old "good republican" Frank Wallingham (Brian Keith). Wallingham worries about Indian attacks, so he insists on a US Cavalry escort from Fort Russell, commanded by Colonel Thaddeus Gearhart (Burt Lancaster). Fort Russell has just been invaded by a temperance movement led by Cora Tempelton Massingale (Lee Remick), who is determined to prevent the whiskey from reaching the poor misguided fools in Denver. Meanwhile, the reservation Indians headed by Chief Five Barrels (Robert Wilke) and Chief Walks-stooped-over (Martin Landau) intend to attack the wagon train and appropriate 20 wagons of whiskey for their own refreshment either by force or, failing that, by presenting their newly-awarded US citizenship papers and claiming that they will return to the reservation if they are given a gift of 20 wagons of whiskey. To complicate matters further, the Denver miners, warned in a vision by their whiskey- inspired prophet, Oracle Jones (Donald Pleasence) that their whiskey shipment is in grave peril, form a militia and march forth to meet the wagons and escort them back to Denver. Lee Remick is a vision of womanly beauty as always. Lancaster is his turbulent comical best. Pleasance as you've never seen him before as the thin, wiry, coon-skin mountaineer Oracle Jones. With an awesome musical score by Elmer Bernstein, this film is a real nostalgic treat!

treyd251 Schlock and drek amid some regional (but OK) locations. Reminds one of "Paint Your Wagon": What is the point of sitting thru this ham-handed baloney? It must be obvious that Burt and Ms. Remick have done much, much better elsewhere. The plot is ludicrous. A slice of the Old West that never happened, at least as told here. Yes, everyone involved put in a valiant effort but, again, what's the point? True, this is supposed to be a comedic take on the Western as morality play, but even a comedy Western requires a credible plot grounded with a dash of reality, which just doesn't exist here. Another '60s example of, What were they thinking? but for the dollar signs in their eyeballs. UA distributed many fine films from the Mirsh Corp.; sadly, this was not one of them.

Erik Sandvold If your a person who admires great Western movies, you'll have to see this great Western Comedy classic for yourself. A wonderful cast of actors and actresses and an excellent musical score make up the main ingredients for this 100 Proof Spoof!! Burt Lancaster, Lee Remick, Brian Keith, Donald Pleasence, John Anderson, Pamela Tiffin, Dub Taylor, Jim Hutton, Martin Landau, Robert J. Wilke, and John Dehner as the Narrator. I must also comment an the rare performance by Donald Pleasence as "Oracle Jones", this was a rather unusual but rather well played role by Pleasence, with his hilariously whiskey soaked visions and high spirits have all the makings of a great comic relief of sorts. Brian Keith also gave a great performance as "Frank Wallingham" with his serious approach as a "Taxpayer and Good Republican Scheeme", the freight owner and whiskey man is reluctantly overturned by many misfits and misfortunes later in the show by Women's Sufferage and the Sioux Indians, Keith is left "sinking" literally to only regain total drunkenness! Last but not least, a totally underrated credit goes to John Dehner, who does a superb role as the narrator in this comedical Western, an unmistakable voice with great quality and clarity. This Movie is well worth owning in your Westerns Collection.