Spoilers included.
"Alvarez Kelly" takes place mostly in Virginia (so it isn't technically a western, is it?) during the Civil War. Kelly, played by William Holden, is some kind of cow expert who is enlisted by the Union army to handle their cattle. He is soon kidnapped by a band of Confederates. The rebels are led by a one-eyed man (Widmark) who is supposed to be a Southern gentleman but sounds a lot like the cartoon version of a Chicago gangster.
This is a forgettable movie, but Widmark's accent is so hilarious that the film is almost worth watching. My favorite part was when the rebels kidnap Kelly. Kelly has some money in his pocket, and Widmark's character wants it. He points his revolver at Kelly and says "HAND OVER DA MONEY!". Sometimes Widmark actually tries to sound Southern. He'll have it right in one scene, but in the next scene he'll be back in Chicago gangster mode.
After kidnapping Kelly, the rebs take him to Richmond where he is enlisted by the Confederates to help steal the same cattle he used to be handling. Kelly refuses at first because he only wants to help the side that will pay him the most. Kelly changes his mind when the eyepatch guy shoots one of his fingers off. By the end of the movie, Kelly has a conscience. He sympathizes with the rebels and is willing to fight for something besides money.
I have to say that I was deeply offended by this movie. I really can't stand Civil War flicks that show the Confederates as noble and heroic while showing the Northerners as dastardly and snobbish in the manner that "Alvarez Kelly" does. Most Civil War movies seem to portray the North and the South as either equally good or equally bad, but there are also many pro-Confederate movies out there. For once, I would like to see a movie that shows the Northerners as the good guys.
Politics aside, this is a dull and dreary western that should be skipped by anyone who values their time. There are a few redeeming values, including some truly lovely actresses (Janice Rule and Victoria Shaw) but they don't have nearly enough screen time - Did the script writer really think that the audience would be more interested in a bunch of cows than these two women? If you like William Holden you should see some of the other movies he's been in, because he has been in some good ones. "Alvarez Kelly" isn't one of them, though. There are so many great westerns, it baffles me that anyone would waste their time watching junk like this.
"Alvarez Kelly" takes place mostly in Virginia (so it isn't technically a western, is it?) during the Civil War. Kelly, played by William Holden, is some kind of cow expert who is enlisted by the Union army to handle their cattle. He is soon kidnapped by a band of Confederates. The rebels are led by a one-eyed man (Widmark) who is supposed to be a Southern gentleman but sounds a lot like the cartoon version of a Chicago gangster.
This is a forgettable movie, but Widmark's accent is so hilarious that the film is almost worth watching. My favorite part was when the rebels kidnap Kelly. Kelly has some money in his pocket, and Widmark's character wants it. He points his revolver at Kelly and says "HAND OVER DA MONEY!". Sometimes Widmark actually tries to sound Southern. He'll have it right in one scene, but in the next scene he'll be back in Chicago gangster mode.
After kidnapping Kelly, the rebs take him to Richmond where he is enlisted by the Confederates to help steal the same cattle he used to be handling. Kelly refuses at first because he only wants to help the side that will pay him the most. Kelly changes his mind when the eyepatch guy shoots one of his fingers off. By the end of the movie, Kelly has a conscience. He sympathizes with the rebels and is willing to fight for something besides money.
I have to say that I was deeply offended by this movie. I really can't stand Civil War flicks that show the Confederates as noble and heroic while showing the Northerners as dastardly and snobbish in the manner that "Alvarez Kelly" does. Most Civil War movies seem to portray the North and the South as either equally good or equally bad, but there are also many pro-Confederate movies out there. For once, I would like to see a movie that shows the Northerners as the good guys.
Politics aside, this is a dull and dreary western that should be skipped by anyone who values their time. There are a few redeeming values, including some truly lovely actresses (Janice Rule and Victoria Shaw) but they don't have nearly enough screen time - Did the script writer really think that the audience would be more interested in a bunch of cows than these two women? If you like William Holden you should see some of the other movies he's been in, because he has been in some good ones. "Alvarez Kelly" isn't one of them, though. There are so many great westerns, it baffles me that anyone would waste their time watching junk like this.