Bandit! (1956)

I watched this movie for two reasons--Robert Mitchum and Zachary Scott. Now for anyone who loves classic Hollywood films, there's really no reason to explain in depth my reason to watch a Mitchum film--after all, he's Robert freakin' Mitchum--a wonderful actor who made everything (even crap) quite watchable. As for Zachary Scott, while he's far from a household name, I loved how slimy he could be--and when I read he was playing a guy who's selling guns to get rich during the Mexican Civil War of the 1910s, it sounded like a role PERFECTLY suited for him. Sadly, however, both actors were pretty limp here--particularly Scott. And, on top of that, the writing really was pretty sad.The film starts with Scott making a deal with the Federales (troops of the Mexican government). His wife (Ursula Thiess) obviously doesn't like him very much and seems to be biding her time with him. Robert Mitchum, another American, wanders in--apparently to scout out the situation. Soon, he leaves and walks right into a nearby battle between the Federales and the Revolutionaries. Now this part of the movie is really, really dumb. Seeing Mitchum casually strolling about the town with thousands of whizzing bullets flying about was really silly. How could he avoid the bullets?! I guess Mitchum must have been wearing bullet-repellent underwear. In a fit of boredom (or perhaps it was because the bullets broke his bottle of booze), Mitchum decides to stop merely watching the fighting from his balcony and tosses out a few grenades--endearing him to the Revolutionary leader (Gilbert Roland).A bit later, Mitchum and Roland hit on a scheme to kidnap Scott and his sultry little Wiener Schnitzel (Thiess). At this point, you'd think the film was going to improve following the dopey scene where Mitchum is taking a stroll through a war zone, but it actually will eventually lead to the film completely falling apart for me. Mitchum is supposed to be a self-centered mercenary....yet he throws it all away to spare Scott's wife from being killed. This made no sense at all, nor did Roland's decision NOT to shoot Mitchum in the face for doing this (in direct opposition to his orders). And the last portion of the film was pretty much all action and by then I was ready for the next film! By the way, while Miss Thiess is NOT a household name and only made a few American films, this German actress caught Robert Taylor's eye and they married--and remained married until his death in the late 1960s.

...and nobody seems to care too much.The political background is completely absent and boils down to the "regular army" against the "rebels.Like in the good old Maximilian von Hasburg/Juarez days.Plus ça Change..Enter Kennedy and his wife:he wants to sell ammunition to the Army ;his wife is some kind of bait;her husband" pawns" her when necessary .Enter Wilson:he sides with the rebels and of course he falls in love with... It's Mitchum's character ...nuff said Robert Mitchum does not seem to care a little bit about what happens in Mexico.His face remains impassive.As he tells Escobar "I have fun and I make money".A minor Fleischer,moderately entertaining.

The Mitchum Adventurer combines awareness and intelligence with a drawling, almost sleepy relaxation... Possibly the essential Mitchum is to be found in this standard action movie - Mitchum stands fearlessly on the balcony of 'Villa Hidalgo' hotel, with a glass of scotch in his hand, to observe the local war, and lob a few hand grenades at the side which is going to pay him less for his services as a gun-runner...Mitchum is clearly an adventurer by nature who prefers to make love than war... He does not set out with the intention of fighting in the Mexican civil war... but gets caught up in the struggle of Gilbert Roland and his rebels against the repressive Federales...Lisa Kennedy, the Thiess character, encounters him soon... and gradually comes to love his nonchalant... laid-back stance... (As usual, Mitchum radiates dignity, intelligence and quiet strength... ) There is an endless battle... followed by a bout of drink... followed by an assault on an ammunition train... followed by a chase across a swamp... followed by a confrontation between rebels and federal troops... and with hundreds of extras running through dust and dodging explosions while nothing much is actually happening...Gilbert Roland fares better at suggesting the turbulent emotions roiling beneath masculine bravado... His Escobar has a positive flaw: he's desperate for bullets and explosives...Robert Mitchum was far from being the man in the street, this movement towards increasing involvement made him the representative of the audience in a way that figures of more obviously heroic stature - Peck or Wayne or Gary Cooper - cannot be. His screen persona differed from theirs in its apparent accessibility, without losing the essentially heroic dimension of capacity for action, an ability to deal with situations as they arise...

This is a fun Robert Mitchum movie, with a little taste of the "Magnificent Seven". Mitchum plays an American adventurer who runs afoul of American gunrunner Zacary Scott. While attempting to steal the shipment of guns from Scott he becomes involved with Scotts wife as well as the noble cause of the revolution. He ultimately sees that the rebels get the guns. This movie is very enjoyable, with the always good performance of Gilbert Roland (as the rebel general) and several other recognizible Hispanic actors such as Rudy Hoyos. I haven't seen this movie shown on TV even on cable for years. I would definitely like to see it released on VHS. The movie has some pretty good action scenes so if you get a chance to see it, DO!