Cannon for Cordoba
Encyclopedia
Cannon for Cordoba was a western film that was released in 1970. Filmed in Spain, the large part of the movie takes place in Mexico in 1912. Directed by Paul Wendkos
, it stars George Peppard
, Pete Duel
, Giovanna Ralli
, and Raf Vallone
, and features a musical score by Elmer Bernstein
.
(John Russell
) in charge of seeing that the cannons will never be used against the American people. Pershing turns to Captain Rod Douglas (George Peppard
), instructing him gather a group of men to take part in the dangerous mission into the heart of the Cordoba's territory.
The first man to sign up for the job is Jackson Harkness (Don Gordon), a soldier who has worked with Douglas before. At the beginning of the film, Harkness has to stand by and watch as his brother is tortured and killed by Cordoba. Douglas ordered him not to step in because they were undercover as sympathizers in the enemy camp and could not afford to make their true intentions known. As a result, Harkness vows vengeance on the captain and will not leave his side until the opportunity presents itself.
The next two men that Douglas chooses for the operation are Andy Rice (Pete Duel
) and Peter (Nico Minardos
), who have just broken out of the army jail when Douglas arrives with the orders for their release. The captain now has all of the men that he feels are necessary for getting the job done. However, a Mexican lieutenant, Antonio Gutierrez(Gabriele Tinti), who holds a personal grudge against Cordoba, approaches him and demands to be part of the operation. He tells Douglas that he knows a woman, Leonora Cristobal(Giovanna Ralli
) who, for her own reasons, wishes to see Cordoba dead. If the captain includes him in the mission, she will help them by working her way into Cordoba’s confidence and getting him alone so that he will be vulnerable when they make their move.
Antonio and Leonora arrive at Cordoba’s camp first. Leonora, who learns that the Mexican government wants to capture Cordoba alive, betrays Antonio and informs the bandit leader of his intentions, hoping that he will reward her for what she has done by allowing her to get closer to him, giving her the opportunity to kill him herself.
When Douglas, Andy, Peter, and Harkness arrive at the camp, posing as sympathizers, they hear of what Leonora has done and decide that they have to act quickly. Douglas starts a fight with one of the Mexican men, so as to be put in jail, where he can help Antonio to escape. That night, Andy, disguised as a Mexican guards, breaks both of the men out of jail so that the operation can proceed. Douglas goes to Cordoba’s room, where he finds him alone with Leonora. She betrayed Antonio but she still did the job she was supposed to do. Meanwhile, Jackson and Peter have turned the cannons on the camp and begin to fire, while Andy and Antonio shoot flares into the buildings. Chaos ensues and the group of men, along with Leonora and their prisoner, Cordoba, attempt to ride out of the camp. Peter, Antonio, and Andy are killed in the process, and Cordoba is wounded.
The next morning, miles away from the camp, the diminished group stops to rest. When Douglas goes off by himself, Harkness sees his opportunity to avenge his brother. He follows the captain, demands that he turn around, and draws his gun. As Douglas walks unflinchingly toward him, however, he is unable to shoot and, instead, punches him. All now forgiven, the two men walk back to where Leonora waits. Cordoba has died from the wound he received the previous night. They are not able to bring him back alive, as the government had wanted, but the cannons were destroyed and their mission is complete.
This film is also seen as a counter revolutionary film that served the Nixon administration war on anti-Vietnam war demonstrators and young radical groups in the US.
Paul Wendkos
Paul Wendkos was an American television and film director....
, it stars George Peppard
George Peppard
George Peppard, Jr. was an American film and television actor.Peppard secured a major role when he starred alongside Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's , portrayed a character based on Howard Hughes in The Carpetbaggers , and played the title role of the millionaire sleuth Thomas Banacek in...
, Pete Duel
Pete Duel
Pete Duel was an American actor, best known for his role in the television series Alias Smith and Jones.-Early life:Peter Ellstrom Deuel was born in Rochester, New York, and grew up in nearby Penfield....
, Giovanna Ralli
Giovanna Ralli
Giovanna Ralli is an Italian actress. She was born in Rome, 2 January 1935.Ralli won a Nastro d'Argento for her supporting role in C'eravamo tanto amati.- Filmography :* I bambini ci guardano by Vittorio De Sica...
, and Raf Vallone
Raf Vallone
Raffaele "Raf" Vallone was an Italian footballer, actor and an international film star.Born in Tropea, Calabria, the son of a lawyer, Vallone attended Liceo classico Cavour in Turin, and studied Law and Philosophy at the University of Turin and entered his father's law firm...
, and features a musical score by Elmer Bernstein
Elmer Bernstein
Elmer Bernstein was an American composer and conductor best known for his many film scores. In a career which spanned fifty years, he composed music for hundreds of film and television productions...
.
Plot
It is 1912 and groups of Mexican revolutionaries have been attacking towns on both sides of the Mexican-American border. The most powerful of these groups is led by a former Mexican army general, Héctor Cordoba. When a surprise attack results in six cannons falling into the hands of Cordoba and his men, the United States government puts General John J. "Blackjack" PershingJohn J. Pershing
John Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing, GCB , was a general officer in the United States Army who led the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I...
(John Russell
John Russell (actor)
John Lawrence Russell was an American actor, and World War II veteran, most noted for playing Marshal Dan Troop in the successful ABC western television series Lawman from 1958 to 1962....
) in charge of seeing that the cannons will never be used against the American people. Pershing turns to Captain Rod Douglas (George Peppard
George Peppard
George Peppard, Jr. was an American film and television actor.Peppard secured a major role when he starred alongside Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's , portrayed a character based on Howard Hughes in The Carpetbaggers , and played the title role of the millionaire sleuth Thomas Banacek in...
), instructing him gather a group of men to take part in the dangerous mission into the heart of the Cordoba's territory.
The first man to sign up for the job is Jackson Harkness (Don Gordon), a soldier who has worked with Douglas before. At the beginning of the film, Harkness has to stand by and watch as his brother is tortured and killed by Cordoba. Douglas ordered him not to step in because they were undercover as sympathizers in the enemy camp and could not afford to make their true intentions known. As a result, Harkness vows vengeance on the captain and will not leave his side until the opportunity presents itself.
The next two men that Douglas chooses for the operation are Andy Rice (Pete Duel
Pete Duel
Pete Duel was an American actor, best known for his role in the television series Alias Smith and Jones.-Early life:Peter Ellstrom Deuel was born in Rochester, New York, and grew up in nearby Penfield....
) and Peter (Nico Minardos
Nico Minardos
Nico Minardos , was a Greek-American actor.-Life and works:...
), who have just broken out of the army jail when Douglas arrives with the orders for their release. The captain now has all of the men that he feels are necessary for getting the job done. However, a Mexican lieutenant, Antonio Gutierrez(Gabriele Tinti), who holds a personal grudge against Cordoba, approaches him and demands to be part of the operation. He tells Douglas that he knows a woman, Leonora Cristobal(Giovanna Ralli
Giovanna Ralli
Giovanna Ralli is an Italian actress. She was born in Rome, 2 January 1935.Ralli won a Nastro d'Argento for her supporting role in C'eravamo tanto amati.- Filmography :* I bambini ci guardano by Vittorio De Sica...
) who, for her own reasons, wishes to see Cordoba dead. If the captain includes him in the mission, she will help them by working her way into Cordoba’s confidence and getting him alone so that he will be vulnerable when they make their move.
Antonio and Leonora arrive at Cordoba’s camp first. Leonora, who learns that the Mexican government wants to capture Cordoba alive, betrays Antonio and informs the bandit leader of his intentions, hoping that he will reward her for what she has done by allowing her to get closer to him, giving her the opportunity to kill him herself.
When Douglas, Andy, Peter, and Harkness arrive at the camp, posing as sympathizers, they hear of what Leonora has done and decide that they have to act quickly. Douglas starts a fight with one of the Mexican men, so as to be put in jail, where he can help Antonio to escape. That night, Andy, disguised as a Mexican guards, breaks both of the men out of jail so that the operation can proceed. Douglas goes to Cordoba’s room, where he finds him alone with Leonora. She betrayed Antonio but she still did the job she was supposed to do. Meanwhile, Jackson and Peter have turned the cannons on the camp and begin to fire, while Andy and Antonio shoot flares into the buildings. Chaos ensues and the group of men, along with Leonora and their prisoner, Cordoba, attempt to ride out of the camp. Peter, Antonio, and Andy are killed in the process, and Cordoba is wounded.
The next morning, miles away from the camp, the diminished group stops to rest. When Douglas goes off by himself, Harkness sees his opportunity to avenge his brother. He follows the captain, demands that he turn around, and draws his gun. As Douglas walks unflinchingly toward him, however, he is unable to shoot and, instead, punches him. All now forgiven, the two men walk back to where Leonora waits. Cordoba has died from the wound he received the previous night. They are not able to bring him back alive, as the government had wanted, but the cannons were destroyed and their mission is complete.
This film is also seen as a counter revolutionary film that served the Nixon administration war on anti-Vietnam war demonstrators and young radical groups in the US.
Cast
- George PeppardGeorge PeppardGeorge Peppard, Jr. was an American film and television actor.Peppard secured a major role when he starred alongside Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's , portrayed a character based on Howard Hughes in The Carpetbaggers , and played the title role of the millionaire sleuth Thomas Banacek in...
....Captain Rod Douglas - Pete DuelPete DuelPete Duel was an American actor, best known for his role in the television series Alias Smith and Jones.-Early life:Peter Ellstrom Deuel was born in Rochester, New York, and grew up in nearby Penfield....
....Andy Rice - Giovanna RalliGiovanna RalliGiovanna Ralli is an Italian actress. She was born in Rome, 2 January 1935.Ralli won a Nastro d'Argento for her supporting role in C'eravamo tanto amati.- Filmography :* I bambini ci guardano by Vittorio De Sica...
....Leonora Cristobal - Don Gordon....Jackson Harkness
- Raf ValloneRaf ValloneRaffaele "Raf" Vallone was an Italian footballer, actor and an international film star.Born in Tropea, Calabria, the son of a lawyer, Vallone attended Liceo classico Cavour in Turin, and studied Law and Philosophy at the University of Turin and entered his father's law firm...
....General Héctor Cordoba - Nico MinardosNico MinardosNico Minardos , was a Greek-American actor.-Life and works:...
....Peter - Gabriele Tinti....Lieutenant Antonio Gutierrez
- John LarchJohn LarchJohn Larch was an American film and television actor.After his lead role in the radio serial Captain Starr of Space , John Larch entered films in 1954. He usually appeared in westerns and action films, including Miracle of the White Stallions as General George S. Patton Jr...
....Warner - Francine York....Sophia
- John RussellJohn Russell (actor)John Lawrence Russell was an American actor, and World War II veteran, most noted for playing Marshal Dan Troop in the successful ABC western television series Lawman from 1958 to 1962....
....John J. "Blackjack" Pershing - Lionel MurtonLionel MurtonWilliam Lionel Murton was a British-Canadian character actor. He most often played Americans/Canadians in numerous films and television series, from the late 1940s...
....Colonel Hammond - Hans MeyerHans MeyerHans Meyer may refer to:*Hans Meyer , a South African actor, see Red Sonja *Hans Meyer , German geologist*Hans Meyer , German football manager and former player...
....Svedborg - Richard Pendrey....Adam, Jackson's brother