The Treasure of Pancho Villa (1955)

Rory Calhoun (Tom Bryan), Shelley Winters (Ruth Harris), Gilbert Roland (Juan Castro), Joseph Calleia (Pablo Morales), Fanny Schiller (Laria Morales), Carlos Mosquiz (commandant), Tony Carvajal (Farolito), Pasquel Pena (Ricardo). Director: GEORGE SHERMAN. Screenplay: Niven Busch. Story: J. Robert Bren, Gladys Atwater. Photographed in Eastman Color by William Snyder. Prints in Color by Technicolor and Superscope. Film editor: Harry Marker. Music: Leith Stevens. Art director: Jack Okey. Hair styles: Ruby Felkner. Special effects: Jack Lannon. Unit manager: John E. Burch. Production supervisor: Cliff Broughton. Assistant director: Lew Borzage, Sound recording: Jose Carles, Terry Kellum. RCA Sound System. Producer: Edmund Grainger. An Edmund Grainger Production.Copyright 1955 by Edmund Grainger Productions. Released through RKO- Radio Pictures, Inc. New York opening at the Palace: 24 November 1955. U.S. release: 19 October 1955. U.K. release: 30 January 1956. Australian release: 11 October 1956 (sic). Sydney opening at the Palace (ran a pre-determined two weeks). 8,582 feet. 95 minutes. SYNOPSIS: Yankee mercenary aids Villa's guerrillas in Mexico in 1915.COMMENT: A thinly disguised adaptation of For Whom the Bell Tolls (with elements from The Treasure of the Sierra Madre thrown in), even down to the cutting of the heroine's hair. Unfortunately, the snidely smiling Rory Calhoun is no Gary Cooper, and the passably attractive Shelley Winters (hampered by the fervor of her amateurish dialogue) even less an Ingrid Bergman. Gilbert Roland tries hard as a sort of composite moralistic revolutionary, but only Joseph Calleia in the Akim Tamiroff role (Pablo in both films) and his feisty wife, Fanny Schiller (played by Katina Paxinou in Sam Wood's 1943 version), really excel. True, the action scenes are put across with a modicum of panache, but the film often grinds to a shuddering halt for some lengthy dialogue exchanges. Most of these could be heavily scissored to advantage. On the other hand, the rugged Mexican locations are vividly realized and William Snyder's sharply detailed Superscope photography never fails to fascinate.

The Treasure of Pancho Villa is directed by George Sherman and adapted to screenplay by Niven Busch from a story written by J. Robert Bren and Gladys Atwater. It stars Rory Calhoun, Gilbert Roland and Shelley Winters. Music is by Leith Stevens and cinematography by William Snyder.It's 1915, Mexico, and two adventurers are in the throes of revolutionary greed, loyalties and plain stubbornness...It's all rather dull, really, a film not without a good action quotient, yet it drags itself through the slumber with weak characterisations. Winters is shoehorned into the pic as a sort of love interest, but ultimately her character achieves nothing more than under developed dressage, while Calhoun and Roland are saddled with some dire passages of chatter that come off as weak willed time filler. There's some sturdy machismo on show, especially when Calhoun lets fly with his Lewis Machine Gun, the location photography at Morelos (Technicolor/SuperScope) engages the eyes, and the last hurrah battle excites, but this is one that quickly fades from memory, sadly. By this point even the buzzards have had enough... 5/10

So here it is a film set around the time of the revolution of Pancho Villa yet features a Coca-cola advertising board!! Once you get past that this is not a bad movie at all. A movie of a simple premise where a train is robbed of its haul of gold by a band of guerrillas to support the revolutionary Pancho Villa and the trials and trails of greed an honour that the money breeds between men. At the centre of the story are two men. The American mercenary Tom Bryan who is essentially torn between his greed and doing the right thing, and his counter part Mexican revolutionary Juan Castro who has no deigns on the gold and will give everything for Villa's revolution. The story goes through many twists and turns with the standard female love interest (Shelly Winters) capturing the affections of both men. It is refreshing to see a film from this era not afraid to show Americans in a less than glorious light and a lead character with a great deal of moral ambiguousness whilst it is the Mexican who has the hero traits. Whilst not particularly well acted there are no poor performances and if you are a fan of the western then this film is worth checking out. Would I watch it again? Perhaps but only if I was bored and had nothing else to amuse me.

One of the best ending's ever - I am waiting for some body to remake this just for the ending - I saw this when I was very little - and never forgot it. Sure it's corny - but done right - its magnificent!Shelly WInters still looked young and attractive - Rory Calhoun was the oiliest man alive, but the concept was great.An American mercenary with a machine gun, men with pistols and horses, and of course gold!And the ending - with the stacks of gold and the two men against the calvary - well young men play at such things. if it was remade I can see any number of actors as the lead - Russell Crowe or George Clooney come to mine, and of course Antonio Bandaras as the co-star. I highly recommend this movie.