Grade: C-
Synopsis: A fugitive gambler (Stuart Whitman) helps a Texas Ranger (John Wayne) uncover a group of white renegades running guns and liquor to the Comanche.
The Comancheros is an entertaining enough film that, unfortunately, marked the end of director Michael Curtiz’s career.
John Wayne is as agreeable as ever in a role that gives him little to do except be John Wayne. Opposite him, Stuart Whitman is passable but pales next to Wayne’s considerable presence.
The script by frequent Wayne collaborator James Edward Grant takes a surprisingly long time to actually get Wayne onto the screen, which makes for a slow beginning, but once the ball gets rolling the 107-minute running time goes by fast enough.
The Comancheros does commit one unforgivable sin, however: the criminal under use of Lee Marvin. Marvin, the only member of the cast able to hold his own opposite Wayne, is regulated to little more than an extended cameo, which is a shame. Beefing up Marvin’s role would have gone a long way toward making the film more memorable.
Bottom Line: An entertaining enough Wayne vehicle, provided that’s all you’re looking for, but the criminal under use of Lee Marvin will leave you wondering what could have been.
