Shalako (1968)

An entertaining and routine Western with some pretty good action moments, but the acting is quite flat, if not uninspired. Recognize that from Western Ramrod (1947).

Miss Bardot certainly has more to do than her beauty rival Raquel Welch in Bandolero! in the same year. BB, an animal activist in private life but here in the role of a hunter; work and private life must, of course, be kept separate...
Senta Berger was first choice; I wouldn't have minded if that had happened too, BB doesn't add anything special except that she was one of the top 3 hotties back then, along with Raquel Welch and Claudia Cardinale (all 3 of whom also starred in a Western in the same year).
There is a lot of criticism of Sean Connery. I think it's not that bad, but he does come across as quite uninspired. Certainly no rain bringer aka shalako.
Henry Fonda was the first choice; I am curious how he would have filled the role. But anyway, Fonda was already 'paired' with Claudia Cardinale (Once Upon A Time In The West!).
In hindsight, substitute Honor Blackman has the most interesting role.

The setting is very austere, Budd Boetticher style, so to speak: from A to B through the open countryside, but here in Spain.
The story of Louis L'Amour is quite unique and bears some resemblance to Hombre (1967), in which Paul Newman also has to survive in hostile nature with strangers with whom he actually has no connection.

The ending comes somewhat abruptly: the aggressive son (Chato) of the Apache chief suddenly wants a hand-to-hand fight with Shalako Cabrin after chases and various firefights and suddenly leaves his allies alone.
But the biggest mystery remains how Bosky Fulton could survive without a horse and provisions and find Shalako's group, who chose a special escape route after all. A gaping hole in the plot.

The DVD transfer (R-2NL) was disappointing. Picture quality slightly above VHS level.
An IMDb *6.5/10.

Translated from Dutch · View original

Sean Connery wanted something other than Bond. He had already made great things alongside that, such as Marnie (with Hitchcock) or the severely underrated The Hill. With his love for Westerns, he starred in Shalako in 1968. Bond was already a thing of the past for him by then (at least until Diamonds Are Forever); Lazenby would take over in 1969 with On Her Majesty's Secret Service. So there was plenty of time for something different. James Bond stuntman Bob Simmons followed him, as did cinematographer Ted Moore, who worked on the Bond films (though not on OHMSS). Moreover, Goldfinger Bond girl Honor Blackman also starred in the film. And who could turn down a film with Brigitte Bardot back then?

Shalako is more of an interesting western with such a cast than a good western. The film lacks the right tone, and Connery is actually better with dialogue, even if only with short one-liners. The film does indeed blossom briefly when it features scenes with Brigitte Bardot. The filmmakers relied too heavily on the fame of Connery and Bardot on their poster (to which the largest share of the budget also went). The rest looks rather meager and pales in comparison to the many other westerns. Moreover, this type of western would have worked better in the 1950s. It is not Connery's fault; after all, they successfully made a series of westerns centered on James Stewart with their own style, which were quite good. But it lacks creativity in terms of script and dialogue, and the setting is very dry.

So, a film for the Western enthusiast, and nice to have seen it as a fan of Connery. But it is very understandable that this has fallen somewhat into oblivion.

Translated from Dutch · View original

BB #40

Pussy Galore.

I’m just going to assume that everyone who accidentally and without prior information ends up in this film wonders, just like me, the first thing they do: 'Who is that other blonde again, where do I know her from?' Well, from there, then. She is, or perhaps more correctly, *was* Honor Blackman, who passed away on April 5, 2020, at the age of 94.

Despite being based on, rewritten, and adapted from a book by Louis L'Amour, the film's story is hardly interesting. The concept of the wealthy bounty hunters in Indian territory could surely have been told in a much more exciting way, if only they had simply looked a bit more to the traditions of the Western—a razor-sharp divide between good and evil, and a moralistic message, for example. But no.

Nor is Connery particularly convincing as the hero Shalako – but we should be grateful to him for choosing this role over Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, as that gave George Lazenby his chance. Still, a fine piece of film history, and the best Bond film ever.

BB actually has only a small role, but she is fun with her wacky accent. One of the few things about the film that actually works. She was also asked to be in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, by the way. Would she have played the role of Tracy better than Diana Rigg? I doubt it, but on the other hand, she deserved a better film than this monstrosity.

Translated from Dutch · View original