Pancho Villa 1972

The only man to invade the USA!

4.9 / 10   18 vote(s)
PG
Western

In 1916, during the Mexican Revolution, General Pancho Villa manages to escape from the clutches of General Goyo, his greatest enemy, only to face an even greater problem when he meets McDermott, a mysterious adventurer who promises to get him weapons and ammunition for his troops.

Release Date 1972-10-31
Runtime 1h 32m
Directors Alejandro Ulloa, Eugenio Martín, Martín Sacristán, José María Ochoa, Gil Carretero
Producer Bernard Gordon
Writers Julian Zimet, Eugenio Martín

Paella and Custard!

Pancho Villa is directed by Eugenio Martín and he co-writes the screenplay with Julian Zimet. It stars Telly Savalas, Clint Walker, Chuck Connors and Anne Francis. Music is by Antón García Abril and cinematography by Alejandro Ulloa.

Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa sets about raiding a US Army weapons depot in Columbus, New Mexico.

Well what does one make of this oddity? Pitched somewhere between surreal action and farce comedy, this is a hard film to recommend to even the hardiest fans of the cast members. Beginning with the miscasting of the lead players, pic rumbles on in a stop start fashion that sees director Martín follow a period of dialogue exchanges - in less than convincing fashion - with a burst of action that's mostly tidy when it involves locomotives!

You will not be receiving a history lesson here, or a cinematic art form one either, but a modicum of entertainment value can be garnered if you go in expecting an uneven duffer starring actors you like - or conversely you be flushed with some alcoholic amber nectar! 4/10

John Chard