Catlow

Another recent watch off my DVR was the late western Catlow.

Richard Crenna plays Cowan, a marshal who served in the Civil War, but is now out west chasing Catlow (Yul Brynner). They had served together in the war, but after the war Catlow turned to a life of crime and is now rustling cattle. However, before Cowan can arrest Catlow, two groups show up. One are the Apache, who hit Cowan in the leg with an arrow; the other is led by Miller (Leonard Nimoy). Miller is a hired gunman, this time having been hired by the man whose cattle Catlow has been stealing. Miller's arrival also means that Catlow is going to be brought back to justice, although he shows his friendship to Cowan by helping remove the arrow from Cowan.

Catlow isn't about to be brought to justice, of course, and on the coach back to federal justice, he has it ambushed so that he and his men get away. He then heads for Mexico, where he's heard about a shipment of gold that had belonged to the Confederacy, but which the US wants back. That, and Catlow's girlfriend Rosita (Daliah Lavi) is down there waiting for him. Unsurprisingly, Cowan and Miller follow Catlow to Mexico, and Catlow and Miller get involved in a fight.

Eventually, Catlow leads his band of outlaws across the desert, having to deal with a lack of water, Cowan still following him despite not having jurisdiction, the Mexican military, and the Indians. There might also be traitors in his midst....

Catlow was one of those westerns that wasn't quite my cup of tea, although will probably appeal more to those who are bigger fans of the genre. I found it a bit muddled and meandering, with the characters needing a little more fleshing out. That, and the direction being uninspired, looking like any other western from the late 1960s or early 1970s.

Catlow is available on DVD as part of a three-movie set of adaptations of Louis L'Amour westerns, so you can watch and judge for yourself.