Westworld (1973)

Richard Benjamin is Peter Martin; James Brolin is John Blane, two men headed off on a vacation of a lifetime.

They’ve decided to visit Westworld — at a cost of $1,000 per day.

Along with Medieval World and Roman World, it’s one of three fantasy destinations populated by incredibly lifelike robots.

They include gunfighter robots that can get killed over and over again, and sex robots ready and willing to fulfill one’s fantasy.

A bite from a mechanical rattlesnake is the first sign of trouble, though the chief supervisor of the Delos resort (Alan Oppenheimer) has been worried about malfunctions for some time.

Soon, his worst fears are realized. The fantasy robots are out of control, and a dressed in black gunslinger (Yul Brynner) has a score to settle with Martin and Blane.

Review:

Fans of HBO’s “Westworld” series aren’t likely to be impressed with the special effects here, and the plot is far less complex.

But, remember, this film was released in 1973 and was actually one of the first to use digital computer images, especially during the scenes in which the gunfighter is tracking down Martin.

And some of the special effects as Martin tries to dispatch of the hard-to-“kill” gunslinger with acid and fire packed a wallop at the time. According to TCM, a makeup mixture that included ground Alka-Seltzer was used to make Brynner’s face fizz when he’s doused with acid.

The marked the feature film directing debut for Crichton, who would later re-use the idea of a destination vacation gone bad when he wrote “Jurassic Park.”

It marked one of the final films for Brynner, who appears in a brief sequence in the followup, 1976’s “Futureworld.”

Oh, and here’s a bit of trivia. Anne Randall has a small role here as a medieval “sex” robot who malfunctions; she refuses a guest’s advances. Western fans might recognize her from “A Time for Dying,” the last feature film directed by Budd Boetticher and the last to feature Audie Murphy. Randall was also Playboy’s Playmate of the Month in May 1967.

Directed by:
Michael Crichton

Cast:
Yul Brynner … The Gunslinger
Richard Benjamin … Peter Martin
James Brolin … John Blane
Norman Bartold … Medieval Kngiht
Alan Oppenheimer … Chief Supervisor
Victoria Shaw … Medieval Queen
Dick Van Patten … Banker
Linda Gaye Scott … Arlette
Steve Franken … Technician
Michael T. Mikler … Black Knight
Terry Wilson … Sheriff
Majel Barrett … Miss Carrie
Anne Randall … Daphne
Julie Marcus … Girl in dungeon
Sharyn Wynters … Apache girl

Runtime: 88 min.

Memorable lines:

Delos welcoming message: “We are sure you will enjoy your stay in Western World. While there, please do whatever you want. There are no rules and you should feel free to indulge your every whim. Don’t be afraid of hurting anything or yourself. Nothing can go wrong.”

Bartender in Westworld: “What’ll it be?”
John Blane: “Whiskey.”
Bartender: “What about you?”
Peter Martin: “Vodka martini on the rocks with a twist of lemon — very dry, please.”
John Blane: “Just give him whiskey. He’s new in town.”

Peter Martin, when he and John are invited to partake in Cindy and Arlette: “John, are those two girls machines?”
John, approaching Cindy with carnal intentions: “Now how can you say a thing like that?”

Peter Martin, to a technician: “There’s one chasing me now, a gunslinger.”
Technician: “Gunslinger? Must be a model 404, maybe a 406. If it’s a 406, he’s got all the sensory equipment.” Laughs. “It’s a beautiful machine.”
Martin: “He’s after me … What can I do?”
Technician: “There’s nothing you can do. If he’s after you, he’ll get you. You haven’t got a chance.”
Martin: “Yes, I do.”