White Comanche (1968)

Best movie of this year hands down!

A different way of telling a story

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

Released in 1968, "White Comanche" is a Spanish Western (no Spaghetti) starring William Shatner in a dual role as twin half-breed brothers, one who assimilates with the European settlers while the other stirs up Comanche hostilities. The former, Johnny Moon, holds up in a town waiting for a showdown with the latter, Notah. While there, he befriends (sort of) the sheriff played by Joseph Cotton and romances a saloon girl (Rosanna Yanni). Besides the menace of Notah, the three are caught between the factions of a range war. Like Clint Eastwood with the so-called Man with No Name trilogy (1964-66) and Burt Reynolds with "Navajo Joe" (1966), Shatner decided to roll the dice with a Euro Western during his break from Star Trek. Unfortunately, whereas those movies enlisted the talents of the brilliant Ennio Morricone for their exceptional scores, "White Comanche" got stuck with a palpably bad score by Jean Ledrut (although there are a couple decent parts). Seriously, the crappy semi-jazz score sounds lifted from a vinyl album of failed nightclub music; it doesn't match the action, especially in the suspense-violence scenes, e.g., when Notah pursues the white woman and roughs her up in the opening act.Another negative, like most Euro Westerns, is that the movie has a decidedly comic book tone that could never be mistaken for real life. It's only a rung above the tone of the 3rd Season Star Trek episode "The Paradise Syndrome" where Capt. Kirk acquires amnesia and becomes the Indian-like Kirok. Speaking of Star Trek, "White Comanche" is reminiscent of the 1st Season episode "Enemy Within" where Kirk is split into to two selves – a spiritual Kirk and a dark Kirk. That's what you have with "White Comanche" where the story focuses on the "good" counterpart, Johnny Moon. If you can look beyond the horrible score, comic book tone and Star Trek-isms, "White Comanche" has good characters, an engaging story and loads of Western action. I particularly enjoyed the interesting relationship that develops between Moon and Sheriff Logan. The relationship between Moon and Kelly (Yanni) is good too. If "White Comanche" had a decent score I would raise my rating. The movie runs 93 minutes and was shot in Colmenar Viejo, Manzanares el Real & Estudios Roma, Madrid, Spain. GRADE: B-

During the 1960s, when Euro westerns were the rage, Spanish filmmakers often had great success making westerns during co- productions with Italy. However, when the Spaniards made westerns on their own, the results were usually dismal, "White Comanche" being no exception. While it's not the worst western I've seen, it's a flat and decidedly unentertaining experience for the most part. Oh, there is a little camp value seeing Shatner in the title role, whooping it up and overacting. However, despite what the title may suggest, the movie isn't really about the white Comanche character. In fact, after first showing up in a couple of brief scenes in the movie's first few minutes, the character doesn't appear again until almost an hour has passed! The movie is more about the white Comanache's twin brother instead. The movie could still have worked, but for the most part it's very boring, slow-moving, flatly directed (even the background scenery is bland), and burdened with an absolutely terrible musical score. Even more forgiving fans of Euro westerns will find this movie a chore to sit through.

Really , really bad , but really , really funny !! No-talent is a bad boy who has led his people off the reservation and is raining havoc down on the good white folks . While raping and pillaging his brother Johnny (very little talent) is trying his best to do the right thing , as they are twins everyone mistakes Johnny for No-tah and he gets in trouble because of it . Only the way of Ess tow tow n ya can rectify matters , Yes the way of man and horse . Shatner is truly terrible as an Indian and not much better as a cowboy , but very funny for sure . His gun handling really stinks as does his native American accent , all making for a comical attempt at a western . Joe Cotton tries his best but there's no hope for this one , but it is funny , because its not meant to be .

Hilariously bad western with Shatner playing the dual "good twin/bad twin" roles. This was made in Spain during his Star Trek years (hey, it seemed to have worked for Eastwood before him!). The incomprehensible back story winds up with a gun battle between fractious factions in the town of Rio Hondo (does anyone know what they're fighting about?). It also supports some other characters running around trying to hang innocent people. But the main clash is between the two twins which proceeds to a mano-a-mano finale in which Shatner gets to bare both his chests. I personally found his characteristic staccato delivery perfect for the Comanche twin Notah (speaking sterotypically of course). And for Star Trek fans - only one of him gets the girl! The film also suffers from a jazz influenced musical score, but, hey, that's the least of its problems.