Vera Cruz (film)

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For other uses, see Vera Cruz.

Vera Cruz

Directed by	Robert Aldrich
Produced by	James Hill
Written by	Roland Kibbee James R. Webb
Starring	Gary Cooper Burt Lancaster Denise Darcel Cesar Romero Sara Montiel George Macready Ernest Borgnine Morris Ankrum Henry Brandon Charles Bronson Jack Elam
Music by	Hugo Friedhofer
Cinematography	Ernest Laszlo
Distributed by	United Artists
Release date(s)	December 25, 1954
Running time	94 min.
Country	USA
Language	English Spanish
Budget	$3,000,000 (estimated)
IMDb profile

Vera Cruz is a 1954 film starring Gary Cooper, Burt Lancaster, Denise Darcel, and Cesar Romero. The Technicolor Western was directed by Robert Aldrich from a story by Borden Chase. Considered one of the most influential Western movies ever filmed, Vera Cruz takes place during the Franco-Mexican War and involves Ben Trane (Cooper), an ex-Confederate soldier who travels to Mexico seeking a job as a mercenary. He falls in with the gang of Joe Erin (Lancaster), a psychopathic gunslinger with a large gang of American criminals (including Ernest Borgnine, Jack Elam, Charles Bronson, and Archie Savage), and they are recruited by Emperor Maximilian (played by George Macready) to help escort Countess Duvarre (Denise Darcel) to Vera Cruz. It is later revealed that the shipment also includes a large cache of gold intended for the French army, and Ben, Joe, Marie, and Juarista agent Nina (Sara Montiel) conspire to steal it for their various causes. Also involved in the plot are Cesar Romero as the duplicitious French Marquis, Henry Brandon as his aide, and Morris Ankrum as an heroic Juarista leader.

The film's amoral characters, Mexican setting, and cynical attitude towards violence (including a scene where Lancaster's character threatens to murder child hostages) was considered shocking at the time, and influenced future Westerns such as The Magnificent Seven, The Wild Bunch, and the films of Sergio Leone.

[edit] Cast

Gary Cooper ... Ben Trane
Burt Lancaster ... Joe Erin
Denise Darcel ... Countess Marie Duvarre
Cesar Romero ... Marquis Henri de Labordere
Sara Montiel ... Nina (billed as Sarita Montiel)
George Macready ... Emperor Maximillian
Ernest Borgnine ... Donnegan
Morris Ankrum ... General Ramírez
Henry Brandon ... Capt. Danette
Charles Bronson ... Pittsburgh (as Charles Buchinsky)
Jack Lambert ... Charlie
Jack Elam ... Tex
James McCallion ... Little-Bit
James Seay ... Abilene
Archie Savage ... Ballard
Charles Horvath ... Reno
Juan García... Pedro