Wild Women (1970)

Hugh O’Brian plays Killian, a scout summoned by the army for a special assignment.

War is brewing with Mexico over the Texas territory, and the army wants to scout a new supply route to Valero.

They also want to reinforce the U.S. garrison at Camp Grande with five new cannon, hidden in the bottom of the wagons that will make the trip.

And in order to disguise the caravan as settlers making the journey west, they’ve offered pardons to five female inmates willing to take on the trip.

The quintet includes spoiled southern belle Nancy Belacourt (Sherry Jackson), seasoned saloon girl Maude Webber (Marilyn Maxwell), an Indian squaw named Mit-O-Ne (Cynthia Hull), former road agent Lottie Clampett (Marie Windsor) and Jean Marshek (Anne Francis).

Jean’s an old acquaintance of Killian’s. They were romantically involved until Killian decided to skip town and Jean decided to beat him to the punch by swiping $80 from him and doing the same.

Capt. Charring (Richard Kelton) will lead the trip through Texas and each woman will be paired with an Army engineer.

The hazards they’ll face include Apaches and the Mexican army.

Hugh O’Brian as Killian in Wild Women (1970)

Anne Francis as Jean Marshek in Wild Women (1970)

Review:

A pleasant enough made-for-TV movie with a nice touch of comedy here and there as these not-so-wild women grow inevitably closer to their male companions.

Of course, this being a made-for-TV film, there’s some silliness too. Like when the women use up precious water brewing up some homemade alcohol.

Pretty Mit-O-Ne guides the party to a secret watering hole used only by Apaches warriors on the eve of a battle.

Of course, those Apache warriors show up, leading to one of those cliched hand-to-hand showdowns between Killian and a warrior named Cadete.

As for the females in the cast, Marie Windsor was approaching 50 at the time the film was made but plays a woman who can drive a team and shoot as well as any soldier.

Anne Francis had been appearing in films for 20 years and would do so on a pretty regular basis for nearly 20 more.

Sherry Jackson was a former child star. And Maxilyn Maxwell died of a heart attack at age 51, two years after this film was released.

Cynthia Hull as Mit-O-Ne in Wild Women (1970)

Richard Kelton as Capt. Charring in Wild Women (1970)

Directed by:
Don Taylor

Cast:
Hugh O’Brian … Killian
Anne Francis … Jean Marshek
Marilyn Maxwell .. Maude Webber
Marie Windsor … Lottie Clampett
Sherry Jackson … Nancy Belacourt
Robert F. Simon … Col. Donahue
Richard Kelton … Capt. Charring
Cynthia Hull … Mit-O-Ne
Pepe Callahan … Lt. Santos
Ed Call … Sgt. Frame
John A. Neris … Sgt. Elmer Cass
Troy Melton … Cpl. Isham
Joseph Kaufmann … Pvt. Bishop
Chuck Hicks … Cpl. Hearn
Jim Boles … Warden
Michael Keep … Cadete

Runtime: 74 min.

Marie Windsor as Lottie Clampett in Wild Women (1970)

Marilyn Maxwell as Maude Webber in Wild Women (1970)

Memorable lines:

Lottie: “You don’t look much like a soldier to me.”
Elmer: “I’m an engineer.”
Lottie: “Now, don’t get riled, Elmer. It’s just that you don’t look like you could lick a small dog, let alone a passel of Mexicans or Apaches.”

Lottie, as she tries her hand at homemade liquor: “My pappy always said if it burns, it should be fit to drink.”

Sherry Jackson as Nancy Belacourt in Wild Women (1970)

Pepe Callahan as Lt. Santos in Wild Women (1970)

Captain, as Killian prepares for hand-to-hand combat with Cadete: “What happens if you lose?”
Killian: “I intend to. We’re not fighting to the death. And we’re fighting for his honor, not mine.”

Maude: “How many of us has ever had a man willing to risk his life for us before? Now, if them poor boys was to die before we could thank them, why that would be a sin. Wouldn’t it?”
Lottie: “Oh, Maudie girl, you’re a genius!”
Maude: “Just a seasoned campaigner, that’s all.”

Lt. Santos: “Get your people out here, senor, or you’re one dead man.”

Robert F. Simon as Col. Donahue in Wild Women (1970)

Hugh O’Brian as Killian in Wild Women (1970)