The Movie:

Sam Wanamaker's 1971 western comedy, based on the novel by Louis L'Amour, may not rank up there with the greatest films the genre has to offer, but as far as mindless entertainment goes, it's certainly a fun time killer.

The film follows a man named Catlow (Yul Brynner), an outlaw who is on the run from a Marshal named Ben Cowan (Richard Crenna). While Catlow decides to give up cattle rustling and tries to find a stash of confederate gold, Cowan tries to bring him in, the latest chapter in a cat and mouse game that's gone on for years and turned the two opposites into unusual friends. This friendship comes in handy when a cold blooded killer named Miller (played by a bearded Leonard Nimoy) sets his sights on Catlow as Cowan winds up serving as a guardian angel of sorts for him. Throw in a twist or two involving Catlow's girlfriend, Rosita (Daliah Lavi), an encounter with some Apache Indians and with the Mexican army and you've more or less got your story right there.

Shot in the deserts of Almeria, like to many of the Spaghetti Westerns that were popular in the years before this film was made and which this film tends to poke fun at, Catlow is played more for laughs than for any sort of serious intent. Brynner seems to be having a good time shouldering the film and he brings his rather regal screen presence to the film with nice effect. He hams it up just a little bit here and there and shows a knack for comedy. Richard Crenna, best known for his 'no nonsense' portrayal of Colonel Trautman in First Blood, plays off of Brynner's character nicely and the two have a very good report together in this picture. The most interesting performance, however, comes from Leonard Nimoy. While it's strange to see Spock in a western movie, he actually fits in very well here and uses that cool and calculated sense of menace he has to really make Miller an interesting and impressive character. While Brynner and Crenna play their characters quite playfully, Nimoy is stone faced and calculating throughout, providing an interesting contrast. Unfortunately his character is underused in the later half of the film.

As far as the action scenes are concerned, Catlow features a few decent ones. The shoot out sequences are tense and exciting and quite well filmed and edited. The altercations with the Apache and Mexican factions are also quite well shot and the film does a good job of maximizing the arid and dry heat of the dusty, deserted locations. The editing and camera work combine with the locations to make for some fairly tense moments, all leading up to a fairly predictable but no less appropriate conclusion to the story.

Wanamaker keeps the movie clicking along at a decent pace and while the direction isn't particularly remarkable, it's efficient and professional. It isn't a deep film, nor is it any sort of forgotten classic but it's definitely a fun picture with a strong cast and a decent enough storyline, making it worth a watch particularly if you're a fan of any of the three leading men who head up the cast.

The Video:

Warner Brothers has given Catlow a decent 1.85.1 anamorphic widescreen transfer that presents this nicely shot film in what appears to be its original aspect ratio as the compositions all look dead on. Color reproduction is solid, you'll get a nice sense of dusty desert and sweaty leather from the film, while skin tones look lifelike and natural without ever appearing too pink. Detail levels are good though some shots are a little on the soft side. A coat of fine grain covers the picture pretty much for the duration but it's never overpowering, while mild print damage shows up only occasionally in the form of the odd speck here and there. There aren't any problems with mpeg compression artifacts or edge enhancement to report and while this isn't reference quality, it's definitely a very good effort on the part of the studio.

The Audio:

The English language Dolby Digital Mono soundtrack shows its age in that the range is obviously limited and the score sounds just a little bit flat but aside from that, it's problem free. There aren't any issues with hiss or distortion worth noting nor are there any funny fluctuations in the levels to complain about. Dialogue is easy to understand and generally things sound fine.

The Extras:

Aside from a static menu and a chapter selection option, the only extra on this DVD release is the film's enjoyable theatrical trailer.

Overall:

Despite the lack of extras, Catlow is still worth it for western fans. The story is fun and the performances are strong across the board with Brynner really turning in a fun turn in the lead role. The audio and video are decent enough and the movie holds up well. Recommended.

Ian lives in NYC with his wife where he writes for DVD Talk, runs Rock! Shock! Pop!. He likes NYC a lot, even if it is expensive and loud.