Travis Tritt is Benjamin Taber, a young man whose wedding day is ruined when bank robbers hit town.
They wind up losing much of the loot during a bullet-filled getaway. But they also ride off with Benjamin’s pretty new bride (Laura Herring as Maria).
The pursuing posse finds part of Maria’s wedding dress in a river and presume she is dead. They turn back, but Benjamin presses on.
In fact, he rides his horse to death and isn’t in very good shape himself when he’s found by bounty man Quentin Leech (Kenny Rogers).
Leech is intent on tracking down the Walker gang, less to rescue a damsel in distress than to collect the sure to be growing price on their heads.
Benjamin insists on riding along, and becomes more persistent when he learns that Maria might still be alive.
What neither know is that someone has put a price on Quentin Leech’s head as well.
Kenny Rogers as Quentin Leech, trying to learn the outlaws whereabouts in Rio Diablo (1993)
Travis Tritt as Benjamin Taber, after learning his wife is still alive and in the hands of outlaws in Rio Diablo (1993)
Review:
A decent TV Western featuring a trio of country music stars, including the top-bill Rogers, who already had four of the five “Gambler” films under his belt.
The female lead is Naomi Judd who plays a saloon girl who wishes she and bounty man Leech could put their pasts in the past and build a future together.
As an actress, she’s unconvincing. Laura Harring’s Maria, constantly in danger of being soiled by the Walker gang, adds much more to the film.
There are some Spaghetti touches too, especially courtesy of the Leech character, who lays out choices for his prey before gunning them down.
Stacy Keach adds grit to the film as the second bounty killer, but doesn’t show up until the final third of the film.
Naomi Judd as Flora Mae Pepper, thrilled to get another visit from Leech in Rio Diablo (1993)
Laura Harring as Maria, Benjamin’s kidnapped bride in Rio Diablo (1993)
Directed by:
Rod Hardy
Cast:
Kenny Rogers … Quentin Leech
Travis Tritt … Benjamin Taber
Naomi Judd … Flora Mae Pepper
Brion James … Jake Walker
Bruce Greenwood … Jervis Walker
Laura Harring … Maria Taber
Mike Hagerty … Dyke Holland
Luis Contreras … Pedro Almenzar
Casey Sander … Roscoe Binder
Stacy Keach … Kansas
Kelly Junkerman … Carson
Marc Alaimo … Jud Everly
Tommy Townsend … Sheriff Wells
Anrold Johnson … Abner
David S. Cass Sr. … Winslow
Runtime: 92 min.
Stacy Keach as Kansas, Leech’s rival bounty man in Rio Diablo (1993)
Bruce Greenwood as Jervis Walker and Brion James as Jake Walker, outlaw leaders in Rio Diablo (1993)
Memorable lines:
Quentin Leech, pondering the plight of outlaws: “Then again, a man with a bounty on him pretty much guarantees himself a Christian burial. No remains, no reward.”
Quentin Leech to Benjamin Taber: “Dumb as a headless chicken, too.”
Quentin Leech: “Revenge is a mighty cold supper, Benny. You’ll never get enough to satisfy that pain you’re feelin’.”
Benjamin Taber: “It’s not your pain.”
Quentin Leech, to one of the bank robbers: “You got two, maybe three choices. You can go for the iron on your hip, you can die with your fingers in your ears or you can tell me which way they went. Which one is it?”
Benjamin Taber: “Killin’ don’t mean spit to you, does it?”
Quentin Leech: “One thing you learn quick in this business, boy. There’s no such thing as an innocent man. Just some less guilty.”
Travis Tritt as Benjamin Taber and Laura Harring as Maria on their wedding day in Rio Diablo (1993)
Kenny Rogers as Quentin Leech with Travis Tritt as Benjamin Taber in Rio Diablo (1993)
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