Kind of Like a Bond Film

I agree, this film is kind of a cool precurser to the modern action films.

This movie could be remade into a modern movie and it would work well.

This film was contemporary with the first Bond films. It's co-writer, with James Edward Grant ('Wayne's word wizard'), Clair Huffaker (a fellow) also wrote the novel and screenplay of 'Rio Conchos', 1964, Dir. Gordon Douglas.
This is a much darker reworking in a very, very similar story, also starring Stuart Whitman, plus Richard Boone and Edmond O'Brien (as the baddie). It's seeming lack of Hollywood polish adds to it's texture.

It is tempting to think it was influenced by 'spaghetti westerns' but the switch from Italian 'sword and sandal' movies was just taking place and, although 'A Fistfull of Dollars' was made the same year, they had not yet gained popular release in cinemas.

I Worship The Goddess Amber Tamblyn

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Now that you mention it, "The Comancheros" IS a lot like a Bond film with horses. Undercover agent. Colorful villians. Action climax. Good observation.

Agreed.

Except I cannot place the Duke in the role of Bond (although Roger Moore, in his later Bond flicks, was probably considerably older than Wayne was in this film). Put him in as M, with the Stuart Whitman character in the 007 role. The bad guy in the wheelchair makes a great Blofeld, and the big henchman is like Oddjob in "Goldfinger".

Ina Balin was certainly as luscious as any Bond girl that I can think of. She was kind of evil at first, being part of the criminal organization. But she was turned to good by the Whitman character, aka 007, and helped the forces of good defeat the forces of evil. So I would compare her in that sense to Pussy Galore from "Goldfinger", although she LOOKED more like Domino in "Thunderball".

Funny, I just watched it and thought the basic premise reminded me of a Lethal Weapon movie. Substitute LA street gangs for Indian tribes, and you've got the third film. Substitute drugs for guns, and you've got the first one. Always about "the threat behind the threat," the suppliers enabling the enemy rather than the enemy per se.

Now that I've read this, you're right that it does have more of the trappings of a Bond film, especially the connection through the woman and the wining and dining scene (plus the affably evil villain). Except they split Bond into two persons for this film - Regret being the ladies' man and gambler, Jake being the shooter and the loner who puts the job before the woman.


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