Jake Remy (Warren Oates) and his band of mercenaries shoot their way through a tiny border town, planning to escape with their plunder across the river into Mexico. They dispatch a few men to neutralize the local ferryman, Travis (Lee Van Cleef), but he and flinty mountain man Phil foil the scheme. By the time Jake reaches the river, Travis has already taken everyone from the town to the Mexican side. He refuses passage to the mercenaries, and a lengthy standoff ensues.

Part of the Western Movie Club series, with a special introduction and after-movie discussion with Boulder film critic Michael Casey.

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One of the best of a number of American Westerns that tried to mimic the Spaghetti films that were so popular at the time.

Van Cleef is at his best when he’s a deadly serious tough guy, and that’s his mood here. The comic relief is left to fellow frontiersman Mountain Phil. Forrest Tucker plays that role, taking particular delight in tormenting Fair, one of Remy’s men who’s been captured. At one point, he eats ants.

But the cast is filled with unique characters. Remy is a half-mad, dope-smoking outlaw leader who shoots his own reflection at one point. One of his men is constantly staring at a painting of two naked women. On the other side of the river, you have Travis’ woman, the oh-so-curvy but cigar smoking Nola (Marie Gomez).