The Comancheros

John Wayne only “acted” in two films in his career: Red River and The Searchers. In his hundred-plus other onscreen appearances he was simply playing the “role” of John Wayne as he saw fit. It was only when threatened or challenged that Wayne really brought something new to the table. The Comancheros (1961) finds him at his most comfortable as a Texas Ranger escorting a suave criminal (Stuart Whitman) for extradition. However, the journey tosses both men into the same boat against a massing army of Comanche Indians supported by a gang of opportunistic white men looking to make a buck. Infiltrating the compound, Wayne and Whitman join forces to beat back the drunken, savage red-skinned horde! Yep, it’s that kind of Western. It’s just as unfair to criticize The Comancheros for its depiction of Native Americans as it would be to judge the USSR based on watching Red Dawn. It’s a movie of its time, and a damn entertaining one, bolstered by a rousing score from Elmer Bernstein and great supporting players like Lee Marvin. Original director Michael Curtiz (Casablanca) fell ill during production and Wayne (who’d directed The Alamo one year prior) took over the reigns, coaching himself to a very personable performance; fair but tough, smiling more often than scowling. This is Wayne proving exactly why he was the biggest star in the world working in a genre that demanded your charisma be a big as the landscape behind you. He’s not flexing any acting muscles, but he’s in fine shape none-the-less. Fox’s Blu-ray treatment is a pleasant surprise. Not many studios are putting together such impressive special edition packaging for catalog films these days. A two-part documentary on the Duke’s time spent at Fox is the key extra, along with a commentary that includes co-stars Stuart Whitman and Patrick Wayne.