HANNIE CAULDER (1971) - Great Western starring Raquel Welch, Robert Culp, Ernest Borgnine, Christopher Lee, Jack Elam, and Strother Martin. This film had a great look and music. Shot in Spain and produced by a company from England. Making this a Euro-Western I suppose. Seriously would consider putting this one in my top 20 Westerns favorites.
A group of three brothers (played by Borgnine, Elam, Martin) rob a bank and then find a home to hide out in. They kill the owner of the home and rape the wife (Welch). A bounty hunter comes along and helps train her to be a gunfighter at the home of gunsmith Christopher Lee. Then Welch and the Bounty hunter look for the outlaw gang. Great stuff here as the gun battles from the beginning bank robbery, the shoot out with the Mexican bandits, and the final show downs with the gang. Some good lines and atmosphere involving all the stars of this film.
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Raquel Welch's unique look come from the fact that her father was from Bolivia. Check it out you won't be dissappointed.
I've been glad to see AMC reviving this favorite from my childhood. Our local CBS station used to air this at least once a month on the Saturday late movie. Culp did a decent turn as a movie tough guy. Welch looked good as always.
One question though about the gunfighter dressed in black who first appears to get his revolver repaired by Christopher Lee's gunsmith character. The movie hints at some past history between him and Luther, and later he turns up lurking in the background and finally to see that the climatic gunfight is fair. Was there a subplot that got cut or was left hanging, was he supposed to be the Grim Reaper (this doesn't seem like the kind of movie to dabble in even cut rate metaphors), or am I just focusing on weakness in the writing of an overall simple fun popcorn western adventure?
Yea, that dude in black was an odd part of the film. Then she rides off with him in the end. AMC played it on Saturday morning and I was able to tape it. I didn't really like Culp in this role, but somehow it worked out ok. Christopher Lee was neat and looked cool using a rifle. I liked his character.