El Condor ** (1970, Jim Brown, Lee Van Cleef, Patrick O’Neal) – Classic Movie Review 7635

Director John Guillermin’s rough and tough 1970 spaghetti Western El Condor stars Lee Van Cleef and Jim Brown, who play adventurers Jaroo and Luke planning to raid a heavily armed Mexican fortress, commanded by Chavez (Patrick O’Neal), and steal its rumoured treasure of Emperor Maximilian’s gold reserves, with the help of a band of Apaches (including Iron Eyes Cody as Santana).

Shot by British director Guillermin in 35mm Technicolor in Spain at Texas Hollywood-Fort Bravo, Almería, Andalucía, it is a grand production and has some good scenes to boast, and includes the construction of a spectacular, huge adobe fortress set, which was re-used in films like March or Die (1977) and Conan the Barbarian (1982). However, it is more often listless and unexciting, though the images and the performers are eye-catching, with Van Cleef and Brown working at near their best form.

And the Western vistas, filmed by cinematographer Henri Pèrsin in Desierto de Tabernas, Almería, look great in Technicolor.

Also in the cast are Marianna Hill as Claudine, Elisha Cook Jr as Old Convict, Imogen Hassall as Dolores, Gustavo Rojo as Colonel Anguinaldo, Julio Peña as General Hernandez, Angel del Pozo and Florencio Amarillo.

El Condor was one of the first movies rated R for violence, strong language and nudity.

It was released on a full-screen VHS in 1994 and a widescreen DVD by Warner Archive Collection in 2009.

El Condor is directed by John Guillermin, runs 102 minutes, is made by Carthay Continental and released by National General Pictures, is written by Larry Cohen (screenplay) and Steven W Carabatsos (screenplay and story), is shot by Henri Pèrsin, is produced by André De Toth, is scored by Maurice Jarre and production designed by Julio Molina.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7635

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