Charro! (1969)

User Rating:

5.3/10   

Director:

Charles Marquis Warren

Writers:

Charles Marquis Warren (screenplay)
Frederick Louis Fox (story)

Release Date:

13 March 1969 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Tagline:

On his neck he wore the brand of a killer. On his hip he wore vengeance.

Plot:

Jess Wade is innocently accused of having stolen a cannon from the Mexican revolutionary forces. He tries to find the real culprits...

Plot Keywords:

Cannon | Small Town Sheriff | Independent Film

Cast

Elvis Presley	...	Jess Wade
Ina Balin	...	Tracey Winters
Victor French	...	Vince Hackett
Barbara Werle	...	Mrs. Sara Ramsey
Solomon Sturges	...	Billy Roy Hackett
Lynn Kellogg	...	Marcie (saloon girl)
Paul Brinegar	...	Opie Keetch (barber)
Harry Landers	...	Heff (Hackett gang)
Tony Young	...	Mexican Lt. Rivera
James Almanzar	...	Sheriff Dan Ramsey
Charles H. Gray	...	Mody (Hackett gang)
John Pickard	...	Jerome Selby (general store)
Garry Walberg	...	Martn Tilford (hotel owner)
Duane Grey	...	Gabe (Hackett gang)
Rodd Redwing	...	Lige (Hackett gang)

Also Known As:

Come Sundown, Come Hell (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

West Germany:18 | France:U | UK:U (video rating) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:G (original rating) | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Apache Junction, Arizona, USA

Company:

National General Pictures

Trivia:

There's a nude scene, where Ina Balin leaves the bath-tub, as Elvis's character appears in her room. This scene is rarely seen, and is generally not in the edits of the film that have been televised or on video/DVD.

Quotes:

Vince Hackett: You won't be needing my tender care anymore You're free to go, Jess. Anywhere where the Mexican law or Mexican federales can't find you. Or any place north where the American law or the American cavalry can't run you down. You're a famous man, Jess. Don't ever forget it.
Jess Wade: I won't.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Elvis in the Movies (1990)

Soundtrack:

Charro!

my favorite Presley pic

I don't know what makes me enjoy this movie more, being an Elvis fan or being a fan of western movies (my favorite is El Dorado).

This movie shows some pretty good acting, an impressive soundtrack, beautiful cinematography, some wild action and an Elvis, that is pretty rough and tough. Warren hadn't made a movie for ten years before "Charro" and I think he shouldn't have been producer, writer AND director. He did his weakest job as the writer, his directing is a lot better, but I wonder what Peckinpah might have done out of this story. In fact the two-former-friends-now-enemies plot is typical for Peckinpah. The story reflects a lot of Elvis' own career, most obvious: the bad guy in "Charro" USES the Elvis character to make money, which is exactly what Elvis' real life manager did, too, in fact that guy (who called himself Colonel, although he wasn't) was highly unscrupulous and Elvis too weak (sorry fellow fans but let's face the truth!) to have his own way. This often underrated movie is highly recommendable to anyone who likes western movies. Let me add that this movie is NOT a musical; in one scene Elvis is opening a door to look into a saloon where a band is playing, in one of his awful musical comedies, the man would jump onto the stage and perform some tune, but here he turns around and closes the door.