Valdez Is Coming *** (1971, Burt Lancaster, Susan Clark, Frank Silvera, Jon Cypher, Richard Jordan) – Classic Movie Review 7517

The impressive 1971 Spanish-shot spaghetti Western film Valdez Is Coming stars Burt Lancaster in a character role as Bob Valdez, a Mexican-American sheriff who confronts a cattleman. 

Director Edwin Sherin’s impressive 1971 Spanish-shot spaghetti Western film Valdez Is Coming stars a heavily made-up, tubby-looking Burt Lancaster in a character role as Bob Valdez, an aging town constable who confronts a cattleman.

That man is powerful rancher Frank Tanner (Jon Cypher), who tricked Valdez into killing an innocent African-American man. Valdez demands that Tanner pay the Indian widow $100. Tanner is furious, and Valdez is almost killed by Tanner’s henchmen, but he is freed, recovers and fights back. He wounds one of the henchmen (Héctor Elizondo) and sends him back to Tanner with the message ‘Valdez is coming’.

Lancaster’s subtle acting makes the most of the story from Elmore Leonard’s intelligent 1970 novel, with a strong, solid screenplay by co-producer Roland Kibbee and David Rayfiel, while Broadway director Sherin, in his movie début, keeps the film taut and tense, and encourages nimble performances from the cast.

Alas, after all the hard, careful work, it was not a hit, though.

Valdez Is Coming was made in Almeria, southern Spain, on the sets of the Sergio Leone Dollars trilogy, and also in the studio at Estudios Roma, Madrid, as well as with some location filming in Mexico.

Also in the cast are Susan Clark, Frank Silvera, Jon Cypher, Richard Jordan, Barton Heyman, Hector Elizondo, Phil Brown, Ralph Brown, Werner Hasselmann, Lex Monson, Sylvia Poggioli and Roberta Haynes.

Lancaster got Roland Kibbee to rewrite the title role for him, leaving little behind of Rayfiel’s original screenplay.

Edwin Sherin died on 4 May 2017, aged 87. HIs only other cinema film is My Old Man’s Place with William Devane and Michael Moriarty, also released in 1971. He is director and executive producer of the NBC TV series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1991–2005). He married actress Jane Alexander in 1975, and they enjoyed a long professional and personal relationship, directing her on stage in many plays.

The Dollars trilogy: A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

Valdez Is Coming runs 90 minutes, is released by United Artists, is written by Roland Kibbee and David Rayfiel, based on Elmore Leonard’s novel, is shot by Gábor Pogány, is produced by Ira Steiner, and is scored by Charles Gross.

It was released on 9 April 1971 in the US.

Originally Sydney Pollack was to have directed, with Lancaster as Frank Tanner with Marlon Brando as Valdez but Lancaster joined the 1970 movie Airport.

American actor and singer Jon Cypher (born January 13, 1932) is best known as playing Chief of Police Fletcher Daniels in Hill Street Blues.

The cast are Burt Lancaster as Constable Bob Valdez, Susan Clark as Gay Erin, Jon Cypher as Frank Tanner, Frank Silvera as Diego, Héctor Elizondo as Mexican Rider, Phil Brown as Malson, Richard Jordan as R.L. Davis, Barton Heyman as El Segundo, Ralph Brown as Beaudry, Werner Hasselmann as Sheriff, Lex Monson as Rincon, Sylvia Poggioli as Segundo’s Girl, José García García as Carlos, María Montez as Anita, Juanita Penaloza as Indian Woman, and Roberta Haynes.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7517

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