Warner Bros. | 1971 | 101 mins. | Rated PG-13
Yul Brynner is best known for his portrayal of the King of Siam in the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical The King and I on both stage and screen. He played the role 4,626 times on stage over the span of his career. He appeared in the original production and subsequent touring productions, as well as a 1977 Broadway revival, and another Broadway revival in 1985. He also appeared in the film version for which he won an Academy Award as Best Actor. Brynner is one of only nine people who have won both a Tony Award and an Academy Award for the same role.
Over the course of his career, Brynner also appeared in several other films. Among the best known are Cecil B. Demille’s 1956 epic, The Ten Commandments in which he played Rameses II and his performance as Chris Adams in John Sturges’ 1960 film, The Magnificent Seven. Though largely forgotten, 1971’s Catlow is undoubtedly one of Brynner’s most light hearted films. Based on the 1969 novel by Louis L’Amour and directed by well known actor Sam Wanamaker, Catlow is a worthwhile investment for any fan of the western genre.
Brynner plays Jedidiah Catlow, an outlaw on the run from a Marshal named Ben Cowan (Richard Crenna). Catlow has given up cattle rustling in hopes of finding a stash of confederate gold and Cowan does his best to try and arrest him. This is the latest chapter in a cat-and-mouse game that has turned the two rivals into unique friends. In the middle of all this, a sadistic gun man named Orville Miller (played by a bearded Leonard Nimoy), announces he plans to hang Catlow. As a result, Cowan ends up playing the role of guardian angel to his nemesis. 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 got the heart of the story.
Film just after the mass popularity of spaghetti westerns like A Fistful of Dollars and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Catlow seems to be poking fun at the perceived seriousness of those films. Brynner seems to be having a great time with the whole thing and it’s nice to see him ham it up a bit (though he still manages to maintain much of his regal presence.) 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. Leonard Nimoy mentioned this film in both of his autobiographies because it gave him a chance to break away from his role as Spock on Star Trek. He mentioned that the time he made the film was one of the happiest of his life even though his part was rather brief. His performance here is interesting; he plays Miller as cold and calculating throughout, showing none of the humor both Brynner and Crenna impart to their characters.
Wannamaker does a serviceable job as director; the film moves along at a fairly brisk pace and the story never falters. While there isn’t a great deal of action, what there is, is used to great effect. The shootout sequences are tense and exciting, well filmed and edited. The altercations with the Apache and Mexican factions are also 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 none-the-less appropriate conclusion to the film.
Catlow is presented in a 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 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 artifacts or edge enhancement and while this isn’t reference quality, it’s definitely a very good effort on the part of Warner Bros.
The English language Dolby Digital Mono soundtrack shows its age in that the range is limited and the score sounds just a little bit flat. There aren’t any issues with hisses or other distortions. Dialogue is easy to understand.
The only extra on this DVD release is the film’s theatrical trailer.
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