Happy ho-ho.... Susan and I have been spending the past week trying to kill a nasty cold, and so with whatever waking hours we have together, we've managed to share quality time by sniffling and coughing through a handful of westerns. (The past couple of days we've seen The Quick and the Dead (the Sam Elliott one, not the Sharon Stone comic book), The Proud and the Damned and Jeremiah Johnson.
El Condor was one of the rare westerns that Lee Van Cleef made in America during the 1970's, and while I nonetheless prefer The Magnificent Seven Ride! out of that slim crop, this underrated comedy-western is still enjoyable and somewhat rousing. This is also Van Cleef's favourite of his own roles, as the drunken cowboy Jaroo, who teams with ex-prisoner Jim Brown (their first of three films together) on a quest for the legendary stash of gold held at the El Condor fort, run by the sadistic General Chavez (Patrick O'Neal). Mariana Hill also stars as Chavez's woman, who at first is a caged bird who sings, feeling safe and secure under his however insular world. But one look at Jim Brown, and she begins to have other ideas. A lot of horny teenagers who saw this in 1970 fondly recall the scene where Ms. Hill goes full frontal, as a way to distract the soldiers long enough for the outlaws to break into the fort. Jaroo also has 84 Apaches (led by Iron Eyes Cody!) along to help loot the fortress.
While sometimes overacted, Van Cleef's glassy-eyed, fleabitten Jaroo steals the film. This and The Stranger and the Gunfighter show that this movie bad guy could also play comedy. This is also an early credit for Larry Cohen, who co-wrote the film with Stephen Carabatsos. The action and comedy are ably directed by John Guillermin (soon to graduate to bigger budgeted fare of The Towering Inferno and the infamous remake of King Kong (1976)), and Maurice Jarre offers a memorable score. Also, Elisha Cook has a great cameo in the opening, as a prisoner who tells the inmates all about the El Condor gold. Even in this small role, he's the typical little guy who talks big, yet can't act upon what he preaches.
El Condor is no classic, but is very entertaining drive-in fare that is deserving of a DVD release. Once again, Warners is slow behind the eight ball to put out their back catalog.
No comments:
Post a Comment