Customer Reviews

Pancho Villa

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Read any online movie review and chances are you will find at least one writer who carps endlessly about the various historical inaccuracies of such and such film. As though that is the end all and be all criteria for a good period film. Well, I imagine such a person would have a field day with this version of Pancho Villa starring Telly Savalas. The only problem is no one would care. Simply put, Pancho Villa is a jokey and light-hearted action film. At least it tries to be. In actuality, it's slow-paced and only mildly diverting. As portrayed by Telly Savalas, Villa is a boorish, self-centered bandit recently deprived of his hair while held captive by nemesis General Goyo(Antonio Casas). Clint Walker plays his American friend Scotty, who goes to Columbus, New Mexico to buy arms for Villa. Double crossed by the dealer, Scotty barely survives an ambush and makes it back to Villa to report the bad news. Ever the glory seeker, Villa comes up with the brilliant idea to cross the border into Columbus to get revenge, except do it under the guise of a military invasion. From there, all sorts of hijinks and gunplay ensues, including a game of chicken between two trains manned by Villa and Chuck Connors as a wild-eyed, spit-and-polish, calvary colonel. Plenty of noise, but curiously little energy. Savalas and Connors duel with each other in the scenery chewing department, hamming up their respective roles as if it were their last. 'Ol Telly even gets to sing the closing song over the credits! And director Eugenio Martin would redeem himself for this film and the excreable Bad Man's River with Horror Express. Some kudos go the DVD by MasterTone, which has a fairly clean looking print and letterboxed it to boot. Certainly as good as I've ever seen this movie.

Telly Savalas and Clint Walker are together again, in this fanciful version of Pancho Villa. Mr. Walker gives a very verbose, and masculine performance.

Telly Savalas rarely has his own starring role movies, but when he does, look out. Pancho Villa scores on all levels. It is an excellent western, action/adventure film, and an excellent character study of Villa. Savalas along with a talented cast was unfortunately overlooked at the Academy Awards. He definitely should have one for this magnificent portrayal of one of the most notorious bandits in history.

The GENEON DVD is the one you want...a beautiful widescreen print of an often put-down Spaghetti Western. Along with CAPTAIN APACHE, A TOWN CALLED HELL [...],BAD MAN'S RIVER & SAMURAI (THE WHITE,THE YELLOW & THE BLACK)this is one of the most shunned of the genre.Am I the only person who likes these movies??? Each one is a STRANGE/UNIQUE look at American/standard Westerns, deserving of critical attention...Yeah,OK...It's not Sergio Leone, and it's not even Giuseppe Colizzi or Sergio Corbucci...but this is a well-directed (Eugenio Martin of BAD MAN'S RIVER),well-produced non-historical account of Villa's slam-bang Spaghetti Western raid on Columbus,N.M...Relax & enjoy...the camera work is great, the acting top-notch(Chuck Conners is a standout!!!)and the overall production values are better than most...so buy this at such a bargain price, buy a six-pack of your favorite Mexican beer, open the taco chips & join Pancho's bandidos/soldiers in their quest for Spaghetti Western political un-correctness...VAMOS A MATAR COMPANEROS!!!!!

I wasn't expecting a comedy when I first saw this movie so I couldn't believe how wild and weird this movie turned out to be. Once it was over, and I accpeted it for what it is, I watched again and loved it. It's fun and funny and the finale is fantastic. Just don't expect it to be realistic.

Savalas, Walker, and Connors are excellent in this very goofy and often extremely laugh inducing comedy about Pancho Villa's invasion of the United States. This is one of the most insane films I have ever seen! Enjoy the cast and the wacky stuff, but don't even try to take this movie serious. It's truly a camp classic! Telly is phenomenal!

Pancho Villa (1878-1923) is probably the most popular Mexican personality who has been immortalized in film. He was a bandit turned revolutionary who became a Governor (Chihuahua) and a major player in the Mexican revolution. Wallace Beery won an Oscar playing him in 1934 ("Viva Villa") and other actors to play him include Leo Carrillo ("Pancho Villa Returns"), Alan Reed ("Viva Zapata"), Yul Brenner ("Villa Rides"), Pedro Armendariz Jr. ("Old Gringo"), and Antonio Banderas ("Starring Pancho Villa"). Pedro Armendariz Sr. played him 3 times (1950, 1957, and 1960) in Mexican films.

The film focuses on Villa's attack on the U.S. in 1916.

Telly Savalas (1922-94) plays Villa. He's best known as Kojak for which he won an Oscar and a Golden Globe in 1974, but he also made 50+ films including acclaimed performances in "Birdman of Alcatraz" (1962), "Battle of the Bulge" (1965), and "The Scalphunters" (1968). But most of us will remember him best for his role as the psychotic Maggot in "The Dirty Dozen" (1967).

Clint Walker (1927) plays Villa's sidekick and also appeared with Salavas in "The Dirty Dozen" (1967). The 6'6" Walker is best known for his TV series "Cheyenne" (1955-63)

Chuck Conners (1921-92) plays a U.S. Army Colonel. The 6' 5 ½" Conners is best known for his TV series "Rifleman" (1958-62).
Writer and director Eugenio Martin (1925) made 30 films, most of them Spanish.

The top grossing films in 1972 included the terrific western "Jeremiah Johnson" along with "The Godfather", "The Poseidon Adventure", "Cabaret", "Deliverance", and "The Getaway". The big Oscar winners were "The Godfather" (Picture, Actor) and "Cabaret" (Director, Actress, Supporting Actor). Other memorable films from that year included "The Candidate", "Last Tango in Paris", "The Ruling Class", "Way of the Dragon", and "Pink Flamingoes". Westerns from 1972 include "The Cowboys", "High Plains Drifter", "Dirty Little Billy", "Ulzana's Raid", "Junior Bonner", "Bad Company", "Joe Kidd", "Buck and the Preacher", and "The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean".

This Spanish production was basically made to take advantage of the notoriety of the TV actors who star in the film. Its major purpose was to make some money. It's not completely without merit - you get to see Telly Savalas get his head shaved in the first scene.

If you're interested in Pancho Villa, Beery's 1934 film will be of interest as well as "Viva "Zapata" which deals with him peripherally. To my knowledge no one has ever really captured this very interesting and unique individual.

BTW - If you think that Savalas makes a poor Mexican, here are some equally ludicrous examples of non-Mexicans who took on a role as a Mexican - Burt Lancaster in "Valdez is coming" (1971), Paul Newman in "Hombre" (1967), Wallace Beery in "Viva Villa" (1934), Marlon Brando in "Viva Zapata (1952), Eli Wallach in the Spaghetti westerns, Rod Steiger in "A Fistful of Dynamite" (1971), Yul Brenner in "Villa Rides" (1968), and Charlton Heston in "Touch of Evil" (1956).

A fun western not to be taken seriously. Clint Walker is superb as the tough sidekick and Telly Savales shows he can actually sing when he does a song at the end credits. Walker is a great singer but that talent is not used in this picture. The dvd is excellent quality and Chuck Conners is over the top with his portrayal of an obsessed army officer. Panco Villa as played by Savales comes across as kojak pretending to be villa. Ann Francis has a bit part as Walker's wife but it's a wasted role. Walker doesn't even get to kiss her. Nonetheless it's an entertaining movie and I got a big kick out of it.

The poorly written,weak story line, and lack of direction left me with a strong feeling that I truly wasted my time watching this movie. Good actors with poor acting didn't help either. I think that the director must have been out of town that week.

In no way resembles the life of Pancho Villa