Bandido (1956 film)

Bandido

Directed by Richard Fleischer
Produced by Robert L. Jacks
John E. Burch
Written by Earl Felton
Starring Robert Mitchum
Ursula Thiess
Gilbert Roland
Zachary Scott
Music by Max Steiner
Cinematography Ernest Laszlo
Edited by Robert Golden
Distributed by United Artists
Release dates
 1956
Running time
 92 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Box office $1.65 million (US)[1]

Bandido is a 1956 Western movie starring Robert Mitchum. The supporting cast includes Ursula Thiess, Gilbert Roland, and Zachary Scott. The film, set in the Mexican Revolution and filmed on location around Acapulco, was written by Earl Felton and directed by Richard Fleischer. Robert Mitchum also co-produced the film through his DRM Productions company.[2]

Plot

In the 1916 Mexican Revolution, American mercenary Wilson (Robert Mitchum) checks into a hotel in Northern Mexico during a battle. Equipped with a suitcase full of Mk 2 grenades; he throws a few "samples" at the Federal troops in the square, turning the tide of the battle. Revolutionary Col. Escobar (Gilbert Roland) and his men praise Wilson's efforts, calling him "El Alacran" (the scorpion) for the sting of his grenades. Col. Escobar is still a bit wary about why an American would want to help them. Wilson informs Escobar of a plot by an American gun runner, Kennedy (Zachary Scott) to sell a large shipment arms and explosives to Federal forces—but he's not sure where they are.

Encouraged by Wilson to capture Kennedy, they attack his train and stop it. Kennedy lies; saying the arms are at his fishing lodge. Wilson make time with Kennedy's flirtatious wife, Lisa (Ursula Thiess). After the capture of Kennedy, Wilson takes his leave of Escobar. He goes to the fishing lodge to find nothing but Lisa, whom he saves from Escobar's firing squad and encourages to flee north to the U.S.

Angered by what he perceived as treachery, Gen. Escobar imprisons Wilson in with Kennedy, who is now held in an old mission awaiting the firing squad. Wilson, inexplicably, still has two hand grenades, which he uses to blow their way out of the mission. With Escobar chasing them through the jungle and over a waterfall, they both escape, but Kennedy is shot and later dies.

Taking the secret of the arm's location the dying Kennedy has given him, Wilson, and Escobar, ride to the coast and Kennedy's fishing villa. The arms were to be delivered by barge in a day or two. They then encounter federal troops who are going to ambush Escobar's rebel force which is approaching by the beach. Wilson then offers Escobar a "compromise"; no more "deals" by getting a M1917 Browning machine gun out of the arms barge and offering to blow up the explosives barge to save his troops. Raking the troops to force them back, the explosives barge is now cut free of its moorings to drift towards the troops on shore. A few rounds into this barge by Wilson and the Federals are blown up.

After his men then load up with the arms, Escobar releases Wilson, saying; "Adios, El Alacran!" Wilson heads North to rejoin Lisa.

Cast

Production

This film was shot on location in Mexico at Cuernavaca, Tepetlán, Palo Balero in Xochitepec, Yautepec de Zaragoza, Acapulco, Iguala and the Hotel Hacienda in Cocoyoc, Morelos.[3]

References

  1. ↑ 'The Top Box-Office Hits of 1956', Variety Weekly, January 2, 1957
  2. ↑ http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/17031/Bandido/notes.html
  3. ↑ http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/17031/Bandido/notes.html

External links