The Rank Organisation presents a thought-provoking film , a Roy Baker production , as one of Britain's most solid stylists and released by Rank film distributors limited . It concerns on Father Michael Keogh (John Mills , his third of several works with Baker) , a priest who has been given welcome by Father Gomez (Leslie French), whom he then replaces to a Mexican village after the Revolution . The village is submitted by Anacleto Comachi (Dirk Bogarde) dressed in dark and usually on horse , with its cowardly residents hiding in the houses . Eventually, the priest assists them in regaining their confidence and defending themselves . Anacleto regularly attacks the village and steal all their supplies . Comachi is twenty nine years old and natural son and was born a countrywoman . Father Michael takes on Anacleto who murders people with alphabetic names , beginning D and going on E, F.. Meanwhile , the rich owner's daughter (Mylene Demengeot) falls in love with Comachi.
From the novel by Audrey Erskine written by Nigel Balchin , this British picture is an interesting drama that carries a genuine charge of intelligence with exciting battle of wits between an upright priest and a nasty outlaw . It deals with people living on the edges of themselves and their resourcefulness , a recurring issue in Roy Baker's work . The picture bears remarkable resemblance to ¨Guns of San Sebastian (1968)¨ by Henry Verneuil also with a priest-though false- played by Anthony Quinn who arrives in village being harassed by an evil enemy played by Charles Bronson . A Cinemascope picture in glimmer color processed by the Rank laboratories (Denham) limited, England and well photographed by Otto Heller B.S.C . Good Production Manager by Denis Holt with nice Production design by Vetchinsky made on location in Torremolinos , Malaga, Spain and at Pinewood Studios, London .
The motion picture is professionally directed in Western style by Roy Baker , though contains up and downs with an amazing final . Baker emerged in post-wars years as one of the best Brit filmmakers and ahead of his time in editing techniques , working even in Hollywood, right from his initial American film titled ¨Inferno¨ with Robert Ryan and as ¨Don't bother to knock¨ with Marilyn Monroe . His movies also achieved some of the most important popular successes of the English cinema in the 50s and 60s, including ¨Morning departure¨ ,¨The one that got away¨ and the better film about Titanic tragedy as ¨A night to remember ¨ and at TV as ¨Sherlock Holmes , The Champions , the Saint , and the Avengers¨ . On his return to the cinema in the 60s billed as Roy Ward baker , he no longer seemed the same filmmaker and indeed directed entirely different kind of subjects , mainly terror movies as ¨Quatermass and the pit¨, ¨Vampire lovers¨, ¨Asylum¨ ¨Legend of seven golden vampires among others¨ . Rating : acceptable and passable
From the novel by Audrey Erskine written by Nigel Balchin , this British picture is an interesting drama that carries a genuine charge of intelligence with exciting battle of wits between an upright priest and a nasty outlaw . It deals with people living on the edges of themselves and their resourcefulness , a recurring issue in Roy Baker's work . The picture bears remarkable resemblance to ¨Guns of San Sebastian (1968)¨ by Henry Verneuil also with a priest-though false- played by Anthony Quinn who arrives in village being harassed by an evil enemy played by Charles Bronson . A Cinemascope picture in glimmer color processed by the Rank laboratories (Denham) limited, England and well photographed by Otto Heller B.S.C . Good Production Manager by Denis Holt with nice Production design by Vetchinsky made on location in Torremolinos , Malaga, Spain and at Pinewood Studios, London .
The motion picture is professionally directed in Western style by Roy Baker , though contains up and downs with an amazing final . Baker emerged in post-wars years as one of the best Brit filmmakers and ahead of his time in editing techniques , working even in Hollywood, right from his initial American film titled ¨Inferno¨ with Robert Ryan and as ¨Don't bother to knock¨ with Marilyn Monroe . His movies also achieved some of the most important popular successes of the English cinema in the 50s and 60s, including ¨Morning departure¨ ,¨The one that got away¨ and the better film about Titanic tragedy as ¨A night to remember ¨ and at TV as ¨Sherlock Holmes , The Champions , the Saint , and the Avengers¨ . On his return to the cinema in the 60s billed as Roy Ward baker , he no longer seemed the same filmmaker and indeed directed entirely different kind of subjects , mainly terror movies as ¨Quatermass and the pit¨, ¨Vampire lovers¨, ¨Asylum¨ ¨Legend of seven golden vampires among others¨ . Rating : acceptable and passable