Main Cast: Yul Brynner, Robert Mitchum, Maria Grazia Buccella, Charles Bronson, Jill Ireland, Robert Viharo
Release Year: 1968
Country: US
Run Time: 125 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Yul Brynner stars as the legendary Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa in this 1968 epic that was originally written by Sam Peckinpah, who hoped to direct it. But studio bosses instead hired Buzz Kulik and cut the script. Villa is commanded by General Huerta (Herbert Lom) and assisted by the sadistic Fierro (Charles Bronson). Captain Francisco Ramirez (Frank Wolff) is a counter-revolutionary leader for whom an American pilot, Lee Arnold (Robert Mitchum), is smuggling guns from Texas. While Arnold is in a small village waiting for his place to be fixed, he sees Ramirez's troops attack the village and get routed by Villa. The rebels arrest Arnold for gun-running and sentence him to face a firing squad. He works a deal to save his skin by agreeing to fly missions for the revolutionaries. While Villa's men attack a train, Arnold bombs government troops with grenades. Arnold's aerial support saves Villa when he is sent on a doomed mission by Huerta, who is vying with Villa for power. Arnold escapes to Texas and Villa is arrested for disobeying Huerta's orders. Villa eventually escapes, finds Arnold in Texas, and convinces him to fight again for the revolution, which is now targeting Huerta, who has assassinated the Mexican president and taken power. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
Frank Wolff - Ramirez; Herbert Lom - Huerta; Alexander Knox - Madero; Diana Lorys - Emilita; Fernando Rey - Fuentes; Andres Monreal - Herrera; Robert Carricart - Don Luis Gonzalez; Jose Maria Prada - Major; John Ireland - Dave, Man in Barber Shop; Julio Pena - General; Antonio Padilla Ruiz - Juan Gonzalez; Robert Towne
Credit
José Alguero - Art Director, Eric Seelig - Costume Designer, Tony Fuentes - First Assistant Director, Buzz Kulik - Director, David Bretherton - Editor, Maurice Jarre - Composer (Music Score), Maurice Jarre - Musical Direction/Supervision, Richard Mills - Makeup, Edward S. Haworth - Production Designer, Jack Hildyard - Cinematographer, Ted Richmond - Producer, Roman Calatayud - Set Designer, Milt Rice - Special Effects, Roy Charman - Sound/Sound Designer, Sam Peckinpah - Screenwriter, Robert Towne - Screenwriter, William Douglas Lansford - Book Author
Mitchum's character may have derived his first name from actor Lee Tracy, who had been cast in the primary supporting role for Viva Villa in 1934 but lost the role and derailed his career for decades by drunkenly urinating off a balcony into a crowd of Mexicans below.
In the original posters for the film, Brynner's name is billed first but Mitchum's image is somewhat larger.
