gkhege Burt Lancaster is terrific in this well directed movie.Even with his pale blue eyes, he comes across as a believable character of the results a mixed relationship. Even though the storyline is typical of the era, wrong being righted against over powering odds, Lancaster pulls it off in believable fashion. The movie gets better and better as I age into an old man. With all the computer generated garbage being put in theaters today, it's good to be able to turn on the western channel and see some real acting again.

Scott LeBrun Screen legend Burt Lancaster plays Bob Valdez, an ageing Mexican-American lawman who is called upon to assist in the apprehension of a supposed murderer. The resulting confrontation was instigated by thoroughly nasty land baron Frank Tanner (Jon Cypher), who turns out to be a very bad guy indeed. The murder suspect ends up dead, and Valdez believes that his Indian wife should be compensated. So he goes to Tanner to appeal to him to pony up half of the needed dough ($100) but Tanner and his men laugh at Valdez and humiliate him instead, tying him to a cross. After Valdez is freed, he's ripe for revenge, abducting Tanners' woman Gay Erin (Susan Clark) as he gets ready for a final showdown.While this entertaining Western does ultimately turn rather conventional, it's still an interesting and thoughtful look at bigotry in the Old West. Based on the novel by Elmore Leonard, and scripted by Roland Kibbee and David Rayfiel, it combines some complex character relationships and details with a tried and true revenge story. Lancaster hand picked Edwin Sherin to direct the feature, based on Sherins' success guiding "The Great White Hope" on Broadway, and Sherin proves up to the task of working in this genre. He gets solid performances out of a well chosen cast, and gives certain scenes just the right amount of tension. Lancaster is quietly authoritative and appealing as Valdez, and Cypher is just right as his snake-mean adversary. The latter gets an "introducing" credit here, as do the late, great actors Richard Jordan, as the cowardly R.L. Davis, and Barton Heyman, as Tanners' main henchman El Segundo. There's also a brief scene for the always excellent Hector Elizondo. Filmed on location in Spain, this features the expected dazzling scenery as well as a stirring - and sparingly used - music score by Charles Gross. But what folks may not expect is that ending. Sherin, Lancaster, and company definitely deserve some credit for doing such a thing.If you're a Western fan, and always like discovering overlooked pictures, give this one a shot.Seven out of 10.

zardoz-13 Burt Lancaster plays an old Mexican/American stagecoach shotgun rider who finds himself forced to kill an African American during a stand-off with him while a lot of other people are watching. Indeed, the African-American had been trapped in a small cabin at the foot of a rise, and several rifleman had kept him pinned down in the structure. Afterward, Bob Valdez (Burt Lancaster of "Lawman") goes around trying to take up a collection for the African-American's widow. The chief culprit, a wealthy land owner named Frank Tanner (Jon Cypher) refuses to ante up a cent. Moreover, he runs Valdez off after his gunmen tackled the older man, disarm him, and strap a cross to his back and send him wandering in the desert. Frank Tanner is the perfect villain, and Jon Cypher resembles those old villain with his turfy eyebrows and mustache. He isn't a nice villain. After he survives a jaunt through the desert, the old Valdez digs into his trunk and dresses up like the sage cavalry scout that he once was and comes to collect. The big difference is that he abducts Tanner's trophy woman (Susan Clark of "Porky's") as a bargaining chip, and Tanner sends his best gunmen against him to no avail. Elmore Leonard's crackerjack western novel "Valdez Is Coming" served as the inspiration for this lively western lensed on location in scenic Spain with Lancaster in top agile form for a 58-year old guy. The conclusion amounts to something of a letdown, but everything up till then is pretty good. "Valdez" was actor Jon Cyper"s big-screen debut. Similarly, in their respective big-screen debuts, Hector Elizondo is good as Tanner's second-in-command, and Richard Jordan of "Raise the Titanic" has a supporting role. Mind you, this is also very formulaic, but some of the action is unforgettable, particularly when the villains make fun of Bob Valdez and tie a cross to his back and force him to walk through the desert at high noon. The dialogue is cool and captures that nonchalance that is so characteristically Elmore Leonard. If you are a Burt Lancaster fan, this is one of his last kick ass westerns.

Claudio Carvalho While traveling protecting a stagecoach back to his town, the middle-aged Mexican-American Constable Bob Valdez (Burt Lancaster) witnesses a group of locals shooting on a cabin where a black man is trapped with his Indian pregnant wife, accused by the powerful Frank Tanner (Jon Cypher) of being the killer of the local Jim Erin. Valdez decides to talk to the man, and when he opens the door, the henchman R.L. Davis (Richard Jordan) shoots; the man believes it is a setup and shoots on Valdez, forcing the peace officer to kill him. Sooner they find that the victim was innocent and Valdez asks for one hundred dollars to Tanner to give to the widow. However, he is humiliated and nailed to a cross by Tanner's henchmen and sent back to the desert. He is miraculous saved by his Mexican friend Luis Diego (Frank Silvera) but recovers his health. Valdez retrieves his outfits and weapons from the time he was a professional shooter killing Apaches for the U.S. Cavalry and rides to Tanner's land. He hits one of his henchmen (Hector Elizondo) and sends him back to Tanner's farm with the advice that "Valdez is coming"."Valdez Is Coming" is an overrated western, with a good story of guilt and revenge, supported by magnificent performances. Unfortunately the last fifteen minutes and the open conclusion are absolutely disappointing, specially considering that R.L. Davis and El Segundo have burnt Luis Diego's house and hands and abused of his daughter. The make-up of American actors with blue eyes to become a cliché of Mexican people is quite ridiculous. The disrespect with the Catholic religion is quite out of the context of the plot. My vote is six.Title (Brazil): "O Retorno de Valdez" ("The Return of Valdez")