Vera Cruz (1954)

Is this a toothpaste commercial?
Yes, those big pearly white choppers prominently displayed in Burt Lancaster's frequent sarcastic smiles tend to dominate most scenes in this fast moving complicated film. All the twists and turns in this story set in a Mexico in political turmoil provide an exciting and unpredictable drama, although you can almost bet the two stars will fight a duel in the finale. Cooper(Ben Trane) and Lancaster(Joe Erin) provide an interesting odd pair. Lancaster seems much younger than his 40 years, whereas Cooper looks his 52 years. Thus, their sudden relationship superficially resembles the young impulsive hero/oldtimer relationship common in westerns. But, actually, it couldn't be more different. Ben, as well as Joe, is still a remarkable shot. And Joe is no hero material, just a greedy swashbucking bully. In contrast, Ben is a former southern gentleman, dispossesed by the Civil War. The buddy/rival relationship between the two starts off rocky as Joe nearly shoots Ben when the latter pulls his gun to kill his injured horse. Joe sells Ben a stolen horse and the owner militia immediately show up to reclaim it. Ben's horse is eventually shot dead from under him and Ben plays dead as well. When Joe comes to strip Ben's body of valuables, Ben surprises him with a gun in the face. Ben rides off on Joe's horse. However, Joe is impressed with Ben's daring and shooting ability and rescues him from a bad scene with Joe's friends, who accuse Ben of Joe's murder... Later, Joe asks why Ben stepped in to save his skin during an ambush by rebel forces. Presumably Ben would have gotten all of their combined salary if Joe had died. Don't do any favors, take any chances, trust anybody, you don't have to, says Joe. In a nutshell, that tells us the basic difference between the two..
Like several others involved, Ben sometimes considers trying to make off with all the gold secretely stashed in the carriage he is involved in escorting to Vera Cruz. But,under the influence of the lovely Sarita Montiel and her rebel friends, he is finally persuaded that he is not that kind of thief and that the gold should go to the rebels, minus his exorbitant cut. In the finale, Ben is visibly upset that he couldn't tame Joe's greed, meanness and impulsiveness as unacceptable flaws that outweighed his exceptional bravado and skill as a gunslinger. He had to decide whether to shoot Joe while he had a rifle trained on him or whether to give Joe an even chance in a classic gun draw duel.

Lancaster chews chicken
In this movie, Burt Lancaster not only chews the scenery, he chews chicken.

In seemingly every other scene, Lancaster grabs a handful of chicken and tears off chunks with his lycanthropic teeth. Then he'll snatch up a goblet of wine and spill it on himself while downing the contents in a gulp or two. He's a lusty guy. He talks with his mouth full. He bares his teeth like a mad dog. He kills people with a grin on his face. He slaps women silly and then gives 'em a big sloppy kiss. There is a stylish humor about Lancaster's performance.

The movie is one of many "spectacles" produced in the 1950s to combat the growing menace of television. There were also biblical epics, Roman epics, pharaoh epics.

Featured in this movie
A typical stoic performance by Gary Cooper, a fortune in gold bullion concealed in a fancy red carriage, a saucy contessa who rides in the carriage, a battalion of mounted soldiers armed with lances and costumed like conquistadors with plumed helmets, hordes of Mexican peasants in shabby white costumes (a staple of any western set in Mexico, i.e, the Magnificent Seven), a spicy young Consuelo who functions as Cooper's love interest, spectacular gunplay, a band of henchmen (including Ernest Borgnine and Charles Bronson) who rape and kill for fun, shots of the great Aztec monuments.

What happens
The gold has to be transported through hostile precincts to the port of Veracruz. An escort, including Cooper, Lancaster, the henchmen, and the mounted lancers, is organized to assure delivery. They all want to get the gold. There are double-crosses, ambushes, and pitched battles. White-clad peasants are mowed down like cornstalks. The henchmen corner the fiery young Consuelo for a gang-bang. Borgnine's character suggests that she scream. "I like 'em when they scream." Cooper's character offers to buy Consuelo a thousand silk dresses with shoes and all the trimmings. Lancaster's character thinks Cooper's character is a sap because of his southern gentleman values. One of the main characters comes to a bad end. There is lusty chicken-eating along the way.

Lancaster chews chicken
In this movie, Burt Lancaster not only chews the scenery, he chews chicken.

In seemingly every other scene, Lancaster grabs a handful of chicken and tears off chunks with his lycanthropic teeth. Then he'll snatch up a goblet of wine and spill it on himself while downing the contents in a gulp or two. He's a lusty guy. He talks with his mouth full. He bares his teeth like a mad dog. He kills people with a grin on his face. He slaps women silly and then gives 'em a big sloppy kiss. There is a stylish humor about Lancaster's performance.

The movie is one of many "spectacles" produced in the 1950s to combat the growing menace of television. There were also biblical epics, Roman epics, pharaoh epics.

Featured in this movie
A typical stoic performance by Gary Cooper, a fortune in gold bullion concealed in a fancy red carriage, a saucy contessa who rides in the carriage, a battalion of mounted soldiers armed with lances and costumed like conquistadors with plumed helmets, hordes of Mexican peasants in shabby white costumes (a staple of any western set in Mexico, i.e, the Magnificent Seven), a spicy young Consuelo who functions as Cooper's love interest, spectacular gunplay, a band of henchmen (including Ernest Borgnine and Charles Bronson) who rape and kill for fun, shots of the great Aztec monuments.

What happens
The gold has to be transported through hostile precincts to the port of Veracruz. An escort, including Cooper, Lancaster, the henchmen, and the mounted lancers, is organized to assure delivery. They all want to get the gold. There are double-crosses, ambushes, and pitched battles. White-clad peasants are mowed down like cornstalks. The henchmen corner the fiery young Consuelo for a gang-bang. Borgnine's character suggests that she scream. "I like 'em when they scream." Cooper's character offers to buy Consuelo a thousand silk dresses with shoes and all the trimmings. Lancaster's character thinks Cooper's character is a sap because of his southern gentleman values. One of the main characters comes to a bad end. There is lusty chicken-eating along the way.