Poncho Villa (1972)

[Scott]

PONCHO VILLA (1972) - Telly Savalas stars as Poncho Villa in this poor Spain/UK/USA co-production of this Mexican Revolutionary. The film also stars Clint Walker and Chuck Conners.  Was looking for a new Spaghetti Western and found this title at Suncoast. It's not a total lost as you get a great train wreck and Telly Savalas singing during the closing credits of the movie. Chuck Conners plays a almost comical crazy U.S. military officer. The film is probably worth no more than $3 dollars. The movie would have been better if it had been a bit more gritty in cinemagraphic style. William Beery plays a much better Poncho Villa in VIVA VILLA (1934).  



For now I'm be on the look out for two Telly Savalas films called A TOWN CALLED HELL (1971) and LAND RAIDERS (1969) of which I have yet to view.

Here is a list of all the Telly Savalas films that I've seen besides the KOJAK television series:

Cannonball Run II (1984)
Border Cop (1979)
Horror Express (1973)
A Reason to Live, A Reason to Die (1972)
Pancho Villa (1972)
Kelly's Heros (1970)
MacKenna's Gold (1969)
The Scalphunters (1968)
The Dirty Dozen (1967)
Beau Geste (1966)
Battle of the Bulge (1965)
The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)
Birdman of Alcatraz (1962)

That's 13 Telly Savalas films and if I can find the two mentioned above that will be 15 Savalas films.

[Ozzymandias]

I've got that on the same DVD as Navajo Joe. Haven't watched it yet.

[trekgeezer]

Telly also has a pretty big part in The Battle of the Bulge (1965) and he played Blofeld in the Bond movie On Her Majesty's Secret Service with George Lazenby as James Bond.  I only mention the movies I've actually seen him in, he's been it lots of stuff.

I remember seeing him perfoming the song "If" on some variety show back in the 70's when Kojak was still on. Telly is about in the same league as William Shatner as far as perfoming music.  "If" was a song done by the group Bread.

[odinn7]

The Dirty Dozen and Kelly's Heroes were his best works. I love those films.

[Shadowphile]

Telly Savalas  originally shaved his head to play Pontius Pilate in 'The Greatest Story Ever Told' and decided he like the look.  Personally, I've never seen him in a role where he had hair.

FYI his version of "If" was #1 in Europe for 10 weeks in 1975.  Scary, isn't it?



Post Edited (11-18-05 13:12)

[Scott]

If you ever get a chance I recommend BEAU GESTE, BORDER COP, and THE SCALPHUNTERS. All good films.

[Flangepart]

odinn7 wrote:

> The Dirty Dozen and Kelly's Heroes were his best works. I love
> those films.
>

Agreed. Put a sub machine gun in his hands, he feels right at home.

[Shadowphile]

Not only does he feel right at home, he looks like a Grade A Number 1 Badass.

Don't mess with Telly when he's got an smg AND a sucker craving....

[Neville]

Poncho Villa? Is that the real title? Should be "Pancho Villa" instead. Haven't seen the film, tohugh, and I don't plan to do it soon, I like Telly Savalas, but not enough to review his entire career. Glad to see "McKenna's gold" in your list, tohugh, that one must be one of the strangest westerns ever made.