Burt Lancaster ceded top billing to Gary Cooper for this engaging Western but easily blows the elder actor off the screen – he has the better part, as the double-crossing, humourous, ruthless outlaw, but his performance is much better too. Cooper is dull and stolid as a dull, stolid former Confederate officer just trying to raise enough money to get his plantation going again (gee what a nice guy, wanting to get the slaves back to work).
I'm really getting to loathe Gary Coooper - I'm always hearing about how he does this subtle acting when no one's looking but I can't see it. Maybe I have to see him on the big screen.
Still, he does have charisma and this is a fun movie. There are some terrific visual scenes of the dynamic duo being surrounded by masses of Mexicans including on top of a building (slow pan in a circle). Later on they’re surrounded by a gang (another pan).
The film is full of double crosses and reversals - rescued women rob their rescuers, damsels in distress are decoys for gold, even the noble revolutionaries are prone to blackmail. Superb support cast including Charles Bronson, Ernest Borgnine and Cesar Romero; underdeveloped female roles.
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