El Condor (1971)

Jim Brown is Luke, an escaped convict; Lee Van Cleef is Jaroo, the down-on-his-luck prospector with whom he teams up.

Luke’s plan: Have Jaroo recruit his Apache friends to help take the fort at El Condor and the fortune in gold that’s inside.

But Luke soon discovers that Jaroo and the Apache braves led by Santana (Iron Eyes Cody) are unpredictable.

So when they get inpatient and attack a Mexican Army supply wagon, Luke decides to use the suitcase of clothes inside as a ruse to get into the fort.

They get into the fort — as prisoners — whereupon Luke discovers there’s also an unexpected prize inside, Gen. Chavez’s lovely lady, Claudine (Marianna Hill).

Chavez orders Luke and Jaroo tortured for their insolence. When they return to El Condor, it will be with a more thought-out, though no less devious plan of attack.

Review:

An uneven film that nonetheless provides enough twists to keep things interesting.

Brown turns in a solid performance here as the man on a mission, Patrick O’Neal is fine as the overconfident commander of El Condor who underestimates the threat Luke presents.

He certainly doesn’t expect Luke to present a threat to his relationship to lovely Claudine, but that’s what winds up happening. In one of the film’s more bewildering scenes, she puts on a show of nudity to help Luke, Jaroo and their Indians slip into the fort undetected.

Van Cleef, meanwhile, is asked to add a touch of comedy to the film. And asking that of Van Cleef — so good in no-nonsense tough-guy roles — was always a risky proposition.

Directed by:
John Guillermin

Cast:
Jim Brown … Luke
Lee Van Cleef … Jaroo
Patrick O’Neal … Gen. Chavez
Marianna Hill … Claudine
Iron Eyes Cody … Santana
Imogen Hassall … Dolores
Elisha Cook Jr. … Old Convict
Gustavo Rojo … Col. Anguinaldo
Florencio Amarilla … Aguila
Julio Pena … Gen. Hernandez
Angel del Pozo … Lieutenant
Patricio Santiago … Julio
John Clark … Captain of prison guard
Raul Mendoza Castro … Indian
Rafael Albaicin … Officer

Runtime: 102 min.

Memorable lines:

Jaroo, when the Mexicans he plans to rob show up with more men than expected: “Dirty, double-dealin’, stinkin’ bastards. Those sons of bitches!”

Jaroo, held at gunpoint by Luke: “You’re after the nugget, too?”
Luke: “You do think small.”

Gen. Chavez, after ordering that Luke and Jaroo be staked out in the sun: “When she (Claudine) sees you again, you’ll have a new expression on your face, a new tone in your voice. Blind men are so accommodating.”

Luke, when Jaroo balks because El Condor is too dangerous a prize: “You can get killed just as dead going after $100 as millions, huh?”

Gen. Chavez to Claudine: “You’re a sexy, knowing child bitch, and I love you.”

Jaroo to young boy in Mexican village: “You know, you and I got a lot in common … I’m a bastard, too. Ain’t it great. Most of the best people are.”

Trivia:

John Brown retired from the NFL after just nine seasons and ventured into films, first appearing in the 1966 Western “Rio Conchos.” At the time of his retirement, he was the NFL’s all time leading rusher.

Sixth-billed Imogen Hassall actually has a very small scene as a woman bedded by a Mexican officer … until Luke and Jaroo interrupt the fun. But she does get to demonstrate why she was sometimes referred to as the Countess of Cleavage. She died from an overdose nine years later at age 38.

Marianna Hill spent most of her acting career on TV, though she also had a role in the Clint Eastwood Western “High Plains Drifter.”

Lee Van Cleef as Jaroo, welcoming a new partner into the fold in El Condor (1970)

Marianna Hill as Claudine, preparing to use her body as a distraction in El Condor (1970)

Patrick O’Neal as Chavez, worried about the way his fort is under siege in El Condor (1970)

Jim Brown as Luke, preparing to do battle with the troops inside the fort in El Condor (1970)