Yaqui Joe has robbed a bank in the U.S. and fled to Mexico. But his motive was pure: He wanted money for 100 repeating rifles to help arm the Yaquis in their fight for survival against federal authorities south of the border.

Jim Brown is the black lawman named Lyedecker who follows him across the border, captures him quickly and is detemined to take him back to the states to stand trial, regardless of rifles, Yaquis or anything else.

But then they meet Sarita (Raquel Welch), who’s determined to continue the revolt against federal troops even after they’ve hung her father and has a small army to back her up. She’s also determined to deliver those rifles to Gen. Romero. And while she doesn’t trust Yaqui Joe, she realizes she needs his help.

Before too long, the lawman from the U.S. finds himself serving as a general of sorts and planning strategy to help theYaqui defeat the better armed troops backed by the Mexican government.

Burt Reynolds as Yaqui Joe in 100 Rifles (1969)

Jim Brown as Lyedecker in 100 Rifles (1969)

Review:

Everyone’s chasing someone or something in this entertaining, action-packed Western that features a well done climatic attack via hijacked train among its half dozen or so larger battle scenes.

Lyedecker is chasing Yaqui Joe. The federal government is chasing the Yaqui band under Sarita. Everyone’s chasing the guns, depending on who has them at the moment.

Our sympathies, of course, are supposed to lie with the Yaqui, who are being brutally murdered by Gen. Verdugo and his men, with the help of a U.S. railroad company, no less.

In addition to all the action, we get Raquel as her sexiest. She flashes her cleavage to escape the Mexicans at one point, then showers in skimpy clothing under a water tank to help lure them into a trap in another scene.

She also becomes the lover of Lyedecker at a time when interracial romance wasn’t exactly the norm on film.

Raquel Welch as Sarita, ready to celebrate a victory with Lyedecker in 100 Rifles (1969)

Michael Forrest as Humara, Sarita’s scout, in 100 Rifles (1969)

Directed by:
Tom Gries

Cast:
Jim Brown … Lyedecker
Raquel Welch … Sarita
Burt Reynolds … Yaqui Joe
Fernando Lamas … Gen. Verdugo
Dan O’Herlihy .. Steven Grimes
Michael Forest … Humara
Aldo Sambrell … Sgt. Paletes
Soledad Miranda … Yaqui Joe’s girl
Alberto Dalbes … Padre Francisco
Charly Bravo … Lopez
Jose Manuel Martin … Sarita’s father

Runtime: 109 min.

Music: Jerry Goldsmith

Fernando Lamas as Verdugo in 100 Rifles (1969)

Eric Braeden as Von Klemme, German advisor to the Mexican Army in 100 Rifles (1969)

Memorable lines:

Yaqui Joe: “How come they done give you a badge in the first place?”
Lyedecker: “Well, I guess I took a job nobody wanted. And even at that it took me a whole year to get it.”

Lyedecker: “We’re gonna get out of this.”
Yaqui Joe: “How?”
Lyedecker: “There’s nothing to it. A big giant hand is going to reach down and pick us up and take us away and put us down somewhere right in the middle of a whole bunch of women and whiskey.”
Yacqui Joe: “That ain’t funny. That ain’t funny at all.”

Dan O’Herlihy as Grimes, the railroad representative in 100 Rifles (1969)

Burt Reynolds as Yaqui Joe and Jim Brown as Lyedecker in 100 Rifles (1969)

Lyedecker: “Tell them to go away. Tell them I ain’t no general. Not for no bare ass Indians. Not for nobody.”
Yaqui Joe: “You tell ’em. Looks like you’re back in the cavalry business, Mi generale.”

Yaqui Joe: “I wonder if he died readyfor it.”

Jim Brown as Lyedecker in 100 Rifles (1969)

Burt Reynolds as Yaqui Joe in 100 Rifles (1969)

Sarita: “Why are you a policeman?”
Lyedecker: “It’s a job. Everybody’s has to do something. What the job is ain’t important. It’s how you do it.”
Sarita: “Are you good at what you do?”

Sarita to Lyedecker: “For all the bad things I’ve said to you, I give you this.”
She kisses him.