Valdez Is Coming [Blu-ray]

Overview

Adapted from an Elmore Leonard novel, Valdez is Coming stars Burt Lancaster in the title role. A scrupulously honest Mexican-American marshal, Bob Valdez is double-crossed and humiliated by wealthy, unscrupulous rancher Jon Cypher. Since Cypher has the law on his side, Valdez is obliged to mete out his own justice. He kidnaps Cypher's mistress Susan Clark to force the rancher's hand. At first, Cypher is able to rally a group of tough hombres against Valdez, but one by one they side with the marshal. Director Edwin Sherin, who'd helmed the Broadway production of The Great White Hope, makes several rather anachronistic points regarding the film's racial issues; on the other hand, Valdez is Coming is one of the most-authentic looking westerns ever made-right down to the deglamorization of Susan Clark, who in a 1950s film might have looked as though she'd just visited a frontier branch of Max Factor.

Product Details

Release Date:	12/19/2017
UPC:	0738329224868
Original Release:	1971
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	Kl Studio Classics
Region Code:	A
Language:	English
Time:	1:30:00
Sales rank:	5,904

Special Features

Audio Commentary by Film Historian Jim Hemphill; Original Theatrical Trailer

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Burt Lancaster	Bob Valdez
Susan Clark	Gay Erin
Jon Cypher	Frank Tanner
Barton Heyman	El Segundo
Richard Jordan	R.L. Davis
Frank Silvera	Diego
Hector Elizondo	Mexican Rider
Phil Brown	Malson,Beaudry
Juanita Penaloza	Apache Woman
Lex Monson	Rincon
Roberta Haynes	Polly
Marta Tuck	Rosa
Jose Garcia	Carlos,Gang Member
James Lemp	Bony Man
Sylvia Poggioli	Segundo's Girl
Werner Hasselman	Sheriff
Concha Hombria	Inez
Per Barclay	Bartender
Vic Albert	Rancher
Allen Russell	Rancher
Michael Hinn	Merchant
Rudy Ugland	Tracker
Joaquin Parra	Tracker
Candida Losada	Tracker
Santiago Santos	Rider
Losardo Iglesias	Rider
Juan Fernandez	Mexican Buyer
Tony Epper	Bodyguard
Mario Barros	Gang Member
Raul Castro	Gang Member
Nick Cravat	Gang Member
Jeff Kibbee	Gang Member,Gang Member
Ian MacLean	Gang Member
Tom McFadden	Gang Member
Jose Morales	Gang Member
Mario Sanz	Gang Member
Lee Thaxton	Gang Member,Gang Member
Julian Vidrie	Gang Member,Gang Member
María Montez	Anita
Werner Hasselmann	Actor
Werner Hassleman	Sheriff
José Garcia	Carlos
Charles Gross	Composer

Technical Credits

Roland Kibbee

David Rayfiel

Bud Alper	Sound Effects,Sound/Sound Designer
Chuck Gaspar	Special Effects
Roland Kibbee	Executive Producer,Special Effects,Screenwriter
Edwin Sherin	Director,Executive Producer,Director
Ira Steiner	Producer
Allan Wyatt	Stunts,Stunts
David Rayfiel	Screenwriter
Charles Gaspar	Special Effects
Sam Manners	Producer

Editorial Reviews

Labelled by many as a "revenge Western," Valdez is Coming is actually something a little different. It's true that Burt Lancaster's character doggedly pursues Jon Cypher's villain in order to extract payment, but Lancaster is really seeking justice, not revenge. Were it the former, he would singlemindedly and cold-bloodedly dispose of anything that stands in his way; here, he fights when it is demanded but he also tries to avoid this, and the payment he seeks is not the man's life but the fulfillment of a commitment. It's this difference that sets Valdez slightly above many other blood-soaked Westerns of the time and that gives the film a special flavor. Valdez is also extremely fortunate to have Lancaster on hand. The star brings with him an incredible persona, a dynamic personality that screams both integrity and danger; Lancaster is an honorable man but one that will be nobody's fool, and these qualities shine through in his portrayal. He's also a deft actor, capable of finding some interesting nuances in the character that add layers to the film. But not all of the elements in the film are on the star's level. The script, while it benefits from the integrity of the lead character, makes use of too many Western clichés and the contemporary racial concerns don't quite fit; they feel forced on in some places. More damagingly, Edwin Sherin's direction is flaccid. He composes some beautiful pictures and is clearly concerned with the performances of his cast, but his pacing is poor and the film isn't cinematic enough. Overall, the pros outweigh the cons in Valdez, but the cons do keep it from being an outstanding film.