NEVADA SMITH (1966)

[The Burgomaster]

This is a good western directed by the legendary Henry Hathaway, but it does have it's problems.

Steve McQueen stars as Max Sand (he doesn't use the name "Nevada Smith" until about the last 30 minutes of the movie), a half-breed Indian who seeks revenge after his parents are tortured and killed by a band of thieves.  The cast of bad guys is pretty good: Karl Malden, Martin Landau, and Arthur Kennedy.

Out on the lonesome trail, McQueen meets gun salesman Brian Keith who teaches him how to shoot (an important skill for a young man seeking revenge on 3 seasoned criminals!)

Here are some of the problems I have with this movie:

* It's hard to believe that blond-haired, blue eyed, Steve McQueen has any Native American blood in him.

* The movie is sort of disjointed and episodic . . . it almost could have been 3 separate movies, with McQueen hunting one of the bad guys in each movie.

* The running time is over 2 hours . . . just a tad too long and they could have cut it down without losing anything important.

Still, a pretty good western with a wonderful supporting cast (including Suzanne Pleshette, Raf Vallone, and Pat Hingle) that's worth watching if you haven't seen it.  But it will never be in my top 25 westerns.



Here are the opening credits:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKO2vjTkKtg

[trekgeezer]

I liked this one pretty good.  The one problem I always had with it is McQueen supposedly being a teenager when he was actually 36 years old.

Sorta like believing Robert Redford being 18 at the beginning of The Natural.

[lester1/2jr]

I think he posts here

[BoyScoutKevin]

I liked this one pretty good.  The one problem I always had with it is McQueen supposedly being a teenager when he was actually 36 years old.

Sorta like believing Robert Redford being 18 at the beginning of The Natural.

Or, like Steve McQueen playing a teenager in "The Blob."

I saw it on TV, and I liked it. Actually, I might like it more now, because one of the highlights for me, is the cast. And now days, when they list everyone plus their dog, in the cast credits, it is interesting to me, who goes uncredited in the film. Among these are Loni Anderson, Iron Eyes Cody, L. Q. Jones, and Strother Martin.

This film is actually suppose to be a prequel to "The Carpetbaggers." As it supposedly tells the early history of the Nevada Smith, who was played by Alan Ladd in "The Carpetbaggers."

[Jim H]

The title character is also obviously the name origin for Indiana Jones.

I pretty much agree with you Burgo.  Good film overall, but disjointed and too long.  I do like the fate of the final villain though.

[The Burgomaster]

And now days, when they list everyone plus their dog, in the cast credits, it is interesting to me, who goes uncredited in the film. Among these are Loni Anderson, Iron Eyes Cody, L. Q. Jones, and Strother Martin.

And Strother Martin's character in the movie is named "Strother"!