Product Details

• Actors: Burt Lancaster, Susan Clark, Frank Silvera, Jon Cypher, Richard Jordan
• Directors: Edwin Sherin
• Writers: Roland Kibbee, David Rayfiel, Elmore Leonard
• Producers: Burt Lancaster, Ira Steiner, Roland Kibbee, Sam Manners
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
• VHS Release Date: September 1, 1998
• Run Time: 90 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6302760151
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #241,011 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

There's nothing like the laconic, confident ease of Burt Lancaster in his gray years, even in the unlikely role of an easy-going Mexican. Bob Valdez is a deputy sheriff in an American frontier town bubbling over in racism. Scapegoated by the community for the death of an innocent victim of a trigger- happy posse and crucified, literally, by the sadistic gunrunner (Jon Cypher) responsible for the tragedy, the quiet lawman takes up arms in a bloody campaign that begins with the mantra: "Tell him Valdez is coming."

Adapted from an Elmore Leonard novel, the script is hardly subtle or original and it never makes the gaping chasm between the search for justice and the bloody reign of terror work in any dramatic terms. It's a rather amorphous morality tale without a solid grounding, but it's dutifully violent, charged with righteous anger, and makes good use of the stark landscape (it was shot in Spain, giving it even more of the flavor of a spaghetti Western). It's a bit embarrassing how Hollywood puts the spotlight on racism by casting a white actor to play the wronged minority, but Lancaster creates a wonderful character in Valdez. With gentle eyes and a tired smile behind a face covered in brown Hollywood makeup, he brings sure-footed authority and calm ruthlessness to a mission of justice by a man wronged one too many times. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

97 of 100 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Edited film, January 5, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Valdez is Coming (DVD)

I saw this film when it was originally released in the early '70s. I bought this DVD because I liked the movie and the book so much. I was very disappointed when I viewed this DVD and
found that it had scenes cut out from the original. One missing scene shows Valdez in his room with his girlfriend preparing his
guns and his shells. He asks her for beef tallow to hold the shot pellets together when the shells are fired. This whole 5 minute scene is missing. There are scenes where Valdez is lying in the dirt of an arid region from his pursuers, rises as they
pass and shoots them. These scenes are also gone. I wrote to the
distributors of this film and complained to them about the heavily cut DVD. They did nothing. Not even a reply. The acting is great in this film. The story is well scripted and follows the book by Elmore Leonard very closely. Too bad they chopped it up. When you purchase this DVD, you are buying a heavily cut up film.

57 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Missing minutes, June 26, 2003

By 

MarxBrother3 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Valdez is Coming (DVD)

This really was a good film when it first came out. It
could also have been a good film as a DVD release. But
it falls short. The reason is that this edition is missing
approximately 20 minutes from the theatrical release. If
you watch the credits, you will see the names of stars who
do not appear in this film. Also, part of the reasoning
behind Valdez leaving his days behind as a peaceful man,
and returning to his glory days as a sharpshooter and scout
are largely lost in the missing minutes. It is a jumpy film
that seems uneven due to the missing minutes. There is no
reason why the film should hsve been cut, but it was. And
as a result is a butchered film. I would not waste money on
it again.

37 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars MGM blew it, March 19, 2006

By 

Robert McCoy (California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Valdez is Coming (DVD)

I think the publication of this VERSION of "Valdez Is Coming" is a travesty.
The version published by MGM is NOT the original version. It is MISSING over 20 minutes of the original film. AND nowhere can I find a caveat advising potential purchasers of this film concerning this abominable editing.
I have previously stated this opinion on the phone. WHY does AMAZON continue to PEDDLE a bastarized version?
Repeat, repeat and re-peat. Isn't there a law against this sort of insidious editing of the work of a performer- Burt Lancaster, in this case?
BAD BAD BAD
DON'T SPEND YOUR MONEY IF YOU WANT THE REAL THING