TEXICAN, THE (director: Lesley Selander; screenwriters: José Antonio De La Loma/John C. Champion; cinematographer: Francisco Marin; editor: Teresa Alcocer; music: Nico Fidenco; cast: Audie Murphy (Jess Carlin), Antonio Molino Rojo (Harv), Broderick Crawford (Luke Starr), Diana Lorys (Kit O’Neal), Luz Marquez (Sandy Adams), Antonio Casas (Frank Brady), Gérard Tichy (Thompson), Víctor Vilanova (Roy Carlin), Aldo Sambrell (Gil), Georges Rigaud (Mitch), Helga Genth (Maria Banta); Runtime: 91; Columbia; 1966-US/Sp.)
“A clichéd shootout oater.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

A clichéd shootout oater, made in Spain with a European crew. It pits ex-lawman Jess Carlin (Audie Murphy) against a cruel town mogul, Luke Starr (Broderick Crawford). Jess is a wanted felon in the States but crosses the Rio Grande from Mexico and heads to Rimrock when he learns that his crusading newspaper brother Roy (Vilanova) was killed. He has no proof that Luke Starr did it, but aims to get that proof.

Audie is approached by two bounty hunters when he crosses the border, and in a fast-draw battle he kills one and wounds his former friend Mitch. He then crosses the open mesas and is fired upon by Starr’s henchmen. In his escape Audie rides to the ranch of Sandy Adams (Luz Marquez). She was set to marry Audie’s brother, and offers him any help he might need.

In Rimrock Audie meets the attractive Kit O’Neal (Diana Lorys), whose deceased husband was a partner and bookkeeper to saloon owner Starr. It’s love at first sight, which galls the smitten Starr. When Audie’s not romancing Kit, he’s tracking down the killers. He finds out his brother who was never armed, was supposedly killed in a shootout with someone who was a friend of his at a remote relay station. Audie also finds out that his brother wrote some things in his paper about corruption that Starr didn’t like.

After playing cat-and-mouse games with the ruthless Starr, Audie uncovers a concho shell from Starr’s gunbelt near his brother’s body. He then goes into town and has your routine shootout with the baddies, killing number one gunman Gil first. Audie then avenges the death of his brother by killing Starr in his saloon.

Having accomplished everything, you would think Audie could now smile and grab the luscious dish Kit who wants to be his girl and live happily ever after. But Audie just flees the scene alone without explaining why.

It was lazily directed. But I like Audie, and I’m just a sucka for gunslinger westerns.

REVIEWED ON 3/15/2002 GRADE: C

Dennis Schwartz: “Ozus’ World Movie Reviews”

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