Review of Ride, Vaquero!

Set in the area around Brownsville ,Texas in the immediate post Civil War era this is a splendid if slightly over heated picture.The area is dominated by Mexican bandido Esqueda ,well played by Anthony Quinn, who with the aid of his Anglo sidekick Rio(a taciturn but effective Robert Taylor)seeks to ensure settlers do not occupy the region as he views them as a threat to the way of life he has established.Trouble arrives in the form of Howard Keel who ,with wife Ava Gardner by his side is set on resisting all attempts to drive him out of the territory.Rio is won over to the cause ,somewhat more due to the beauteous Gardner than to any principled reasons.The scene is set for the final confrontation between Rio and Esqueda in the town saloon

There are hints of a repressed sexual attraction for Taylor by Quinn in the script anticipating the theme of his role in Warlock( probably still the most grievously neglected Western classic) and the Taylor character displaying a penchent for an early version of gay chic in the clothing department underscores this The Quinn character is not a one dimensional villain-there is a reason for his stance and he displays a marked religious bent

Good support from the great Jack Elam and Kurt Kaznar as the priest who takes a stand against Quinn.Gardner while beautiful was no great shakes as an actress and this together with an over stolid turn from Keel are the only real problems with the movie