Richard Boone was always more effective, in my opinion, when he played his part with an edge as he does in "Rio Conchos". The opening scene set two years after the Civil War, has James Lassiter (Boone) slaughtering an Apache burial party. It seems that Lassiter's family had been murdered by the Apache Bloodshirt (Rodolfo Acosta) and he has taken it upon himself to "even the score".

Lassiter is arrested in the burned out shell of his home by Union Captain Haver (Stuart Whitman) and his Sergeant Ben Franklin (Jim Brown in his first film) and taken to their headquarters. Col. Wagner (Warner Anderson) jails Lassiter when he refuses to tell where he obtained his new repeating rifle. Lassiter lands in jail with convicted murderer Rodriguez (Tony Franciosa).

Lassiter relents and identifies Rebel Southern Colonel Pardee (Edmond O'Brien) who is holed up in Mexico, as the source of his rifle. A shipment of the new repeating rifles had been stolen by Pardee's men earlier. Pardee plans to arm the Apache with the guns to attack the soldiers.

Lassiter negotiates the release of the snake in the grass Rodriguez who along with Cpt. Haven and Sgt. Franklin set out with a load of gunpowder to lure Pardee out of hiding. On the trail the group is attacked by Mexican bandits led by an unrecognizable Vito Scotti as their leader. After disposing of the bandits they capture a young Apache girl (Wende Wagner) who is forced to accompany them.

By staging a gunfight in a saloon, the wagon carrying the gun powder sneaks across the Rio Conchos on a ferry. Following Rodriguez' defection, the group is contacted by Pardee's men. They go to Pardee's camp and find him in the middle of a half built house with a small army of southerners and Apaches. When Bloodshirt comes to buy the rifles, Lassiter loses it and attacks him. Pardee allows Bloodshirt to have Lassiter, Haven and Franklin dragged by horses and left tied to the horses in a corral. But help comes from an unexpected source, the men are released. The scenario at Pardee's camp is similar to one in the 1961 John Wayne film "The Comancheros" which also featured Whitman. For ex-footballer Brown, this was the first of many action films in which he starred. As pointed out earlier, Boone steals the picture with his gruff hate filled performance. It was one of the few times that he got to play the lead.

The film is not bad, has a decent cast and a reasonable story but is a bit slow at times. The film looks like a remake of a 1960 John Wayne/Stewart Whitman (in both movies) action western entitled "The Comancheros" The plot in both movies is is very very similar.

I would recommend that if you can you watch them both to see which one you prefer.

A Big Production Design Highlights this Mid-Sixties Western. The Cinematography, Score, and overall Look of the Movie is Stunning when Viewed Today in HD. The Colors Vibrate, the Landscape is Picture Post Card Beautiful, and the Sets in the Third-Act conclusion are nothing less than Surreal.

The Cast, is Headlined by a Grizzly, Disheveled, Drunk, and Angry Richard Boone, straight from his Popular and long running "Have Gun, Will Travel" TV Show, with support from Tony Franciosa, Stuart Whitman, and Debuting Football Star Jim Brown.

All do Adequate Work with Boone Chewing the Scenery often as He Overshadows Everyone. That is until the Climax when He Spars with Edmond O'Brien for Over Acting Honors. It is that aforementioned Third Act that is the Film's Highlight and is worth the price of admission.

Although there are a few Action Scenes that lead up to the Violent and Explosive Conclusion that keep things Humming. It has its share of leftover Hollywood Stereotypes, but also shows Signs of the Transitional Western with some Brutality and a Touch of Sensitivity.

Overall, it is riding the Gap between the Old and the New western (post Boetticher/Mann and pre Leone/Peckinpah) and is helped by the Stalwart Professionalism.