Catlow

Based on a Louis L'Amour novel, the 1971 Western comedy Catlow stars Yul Brynner in the title role as a maverick outlaw who is being chased by two equally determined men: his old friend, Marshal Ben Cowan (Richard Crenna) and a vicious, vengeful killer named Miller (Leonard Nimoy). Catlow's hot tempered Mexican girlfriend Rosita (Daliah Lavi) and a trusted henchman (Jeff Corey) eventually also turn on the outlaw…just to make things a little tougher. Broadly speaking, Catlow is standard Western stuff, crammed with spectacular scenery, cattle drives, gold trains, rampaging Indians, bruising brawls, and blazing gunfights. But Brynner seems a little uncomfortable, as if not sure whether he's supposed to be playing Catlow straight or for laughs, although some of his confusion was most likely due to a muddled script and Sam Wanamaker's uneven direction. A mildly entertaining Western, this is optional. (E. Hulse)