Four Rode Out

I kind of liked this slow-moving western, filmed in Spain's Almeria region. Technically this is a spaghetti western, a USA-Spain co-production, although only the location and one of the stars have any sort of Euro-Western pedigree. The music, by Janice Ian, is about as far from Ennio Morricone as you can get, although some of the banjo plunking is appropriate. Pernell Roberts is very good as the Marshal, after fugitive Julian Mateos (THE HELLBENDERS, RETURN OF THE SEVEN) who robbed a bank during which a teller was killed. Along for the ride are slimy Pinkerton man Brown played by Leslie Nielsen in a rare villainous role, and lovely Sue Lyon as Mateos' fiancé, who wants to see him brought in alive. They ride and ride, then ride some more, and finally pause for a brief action scene, then ride back the way they came, but now they're low on water. It takes patience to watch, but the actors keep our interest, and I was pleased by the ending. As half of a dollar DVD I felt my fifty cents was pretty well spent. Two puzzles though, all the listings for this flick say 1971 but the titles at the end claim 1968. I tend to believe the titles. Also, the version I saw bleeped the word whore when it was spoken, several times in the first few minutes. I wonder why?

U.S. marshal Pernell Roberts is reluctantly joined by Pinkerton employee Leslie Nielsen in the search for a bank robber and possible murderer who has escaped to the Mexican desert; Sue Lyon, as the woman in love with the bandito, doesn't want him killed and makes the hunting party a trio. Low-budget Spanish production with American leads is technically inept--and far too low-keyed and solemn to make an impression--though it does have appropriately moody music from Janis Ian and interesting performances. Hirsute lawman Roberts manages to put some thought into his portrayal, while Nielsen (looking like Darrin McGavin) adds a little wily flavor. Lyon (still retaining the piercing bedroom eyes from her nymphet youth) struggles with an ill-conceived part, one which requires her to change from her cowgirl duds into a wedding dress in the sweltering heat. Director John Peyser probably intended this to be a psychological western, but he doesn't have the material nor the budget to expand on his deadly-serious ideas. The character conflicts which arise are clichéd, while the mercilessly elongated finale is ridiculously 'arty'. *1/2 from ****

Unusual American-made, filmed-in-Spain melodrama that for intents and purposes can be considered a "Spaghetti Western", bearing many notes common to that genre.

Pernell Roberts is a Marshal hunting a wanted Mexican man. Leslie Nielsen is a bounty hunter of sorts after the same man. Sue Lyon is the wanted man's white girlfriend. These three disparate characters head out to the desert where the wanted man is hiding. After his capture, the four must make their way back to town, all the while battling the elements and each other.

The setup of the film reminded me of JAWS, with an initial setup followed by a long, protracted, isolated showdown. Not much happens after the first 20 or so minutes (the fugitive is captured rather quickly), so the drama of the pic comes out of the various tensions and shifting allegiances between the four people.

Pernell is solid as an honest-to-a-fault lawman. Despite a lack of charm, he is a good foundation to lay the picture on. Julian Mateos has the least to do here, but brings a Tomas Milian-style empathy to his bandit. I wish we had heard more from his character, rather than him being somewhat of a device to move the story along. As Myra the girlfriend, Sue Lyon is appropriately lovestruck, defiant, and impetuous, leaning toward shrill overacting at times.

By far the standout among the cast is the handsome, devilish Leslie Nielsen, whose Mr. Brown turns more and more creepy and craven as the story moves along. Early on, he is merely a callous and smug bounty killer; later in the show we are given reason to question his true allegiance.

I might have found a way to trim 10 minutes of desert walking out of this; at times the film does drag its feet. However, these instances are contrasted by sequences of intense drama as the cast fight over water, hidden weapons, saddlebags of cash, etc.

Not a hidden gem by any stretch but a solid C+, with special mention again of Nielsen's fine performance.

Also of note is the title music performed in 1970s folksinger fashion by Janis Ian. A very unusual choice, adds to the unique character of the film.

6/10 stars

Interesting film with a strong cast. Pernell Roberts is outstanding and should have had more starring roles. It is slow paced but keeps the viewer's interest. Only a weak script keeps this from being more memorable. Following the success of the spaghetti westerns some American companies took advantage of the Spanish locations and used mostly American casts. "Four Rode Out" has the look of a spaghetti western while avoiding the badly dubbed dialog that hurt the genre. The primary print currently circulating appears to be from a television movie package so some words get bleeped out here and there. Fortunately it is not a choppy as many were.

Four Rode Out is a European western to be sure not made in Italy so it does not rate being called a spaghetti western. It was made on the plains of Spain in the dry season as you'll see by the landscape. The same plains where the armies of Napoleon and Wellington rode back and forth upon.

For a Spanish made production, three Americans were brought over to star in this essentially four person soap opera, Pernell Roberts late of Bonanza who plays a US Marshal on the trail of bandit Julian Mateos who has just robbed a bank where a guard was killed. Mateos not wanting to leave without a little nookie from girl friend Sue Lyon also accidentally kills her father in self defense when the old man caught Sue and Julian in the act. The third American is Leslie Nielsen, a really grungy character who is a Pinkerton man interested in recovering the money and the bounty on Mateos' head. He declares himself as accompanying Roberts on the hunt and Lyons follows them both to make sure her man is taken while he still has a pulse.

Acting honors such as they are belong to Nielsen who turns out to be a far more loathsome character than even the viewer thinks when first meeting him. There's not much traditional western action after Mateos is taken alive no thanks to Nielsen. But on the way back the flaws come out in all the characters.

Four Rode Out might have been better in American hands with folks who know what the western genre is all about. As it is it becomes more of a soap opera than a horse opera, not a recipe for western fans to like.