Vera Cruz |  | Director: Robert Aldrich
Actors: Gary Cooper, Burt Lancaster, Denise Darcel, Cesar Romero, Sara Montiel
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Category: DVD
Buy New: $24.29
as of 11/24/2009 19:43 CST details
New (6) Used (8) from $17.49
Seller: classicflix
Rating:  35 reviews
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Languages: English (Original Language), French (Original Language), Spanish (Original Language), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Dubbed)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Region: 1
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 94 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: MGMDM110365D
ISBN: 0792849280
UPC: 027616859075
EAN: 9780792849285
Theatrical Release Date: December 25, 1954
Release Date: March 20, 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Amazon.com
"You're the first friend I ever had," grins flamboyant mercenary Burt Lancaster to lean, laconic Gary Cooper with a smile that suggests that he may be the last. They're a pair of Americans abroad looking to cash in on the Mexican revolution by selling their services to the highest bidder in this energetically cynical south-of-the-border Western. They meet cute, conning, robbing, and out-witting one another in a bit of one-upmanship that bonds the men in mutual admiration, and then team up to escort a royal convoy through revolutionary country. When they discover its secret stash of gold bullion, they revert to their old way, selling out anyone it takes to get the treasure for themselves, even each other. Played out as a seat-of-the-pants con game of shifting alliances and double crosses, this is a cheerfully ruthless tale that served as a veritable blueprint for the Italian spaghetti Westerns of the 1960s. Director Robert Aldrich has a real flair for turning rogues and opportunists into deviously riveting characters, and went on to work the same sort of magic on Kiss Me Deadly and The Dirty Dozen. The cast of character actors features Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, and Jack Elam in the gang, George Macready as Emperor Maximilian, and Henry Brandon as the martinet German captain Danette. --Sean Axmaker
Product Description
Studio: Tcfhe/mgm Release Date: 05/20/2008 Run time: 94 minutes Rating: Nr
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 35
 Pretty Good for a Saturday Afternoon August 5, 2009
Chris Gibbs (Fanwood, NJ USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
"Vera Cruz," produced by Hecht-Lancaster and directed by Robert Aldrich, makes a fun movie for a Saturday afternoon. Over-bright colors (especially Lancaster's teeth!) and stiff acting (except for Burt, who's over the top) give it an unreal quality. (Only Caesar Romero seems to be having fun.) But the film has other interesting aspects. It is an early example of the fascination of some gringos with Mexico's revolutions. ("The Magnificent Seven" and "The Professionals" and "The Wild Bunch" are the most obvious.) The original story, by Borden Chase, deals with the Juaristas and is the basis of a pretty good novel by Chase, "Viva Gringo," updated to the 1917 revolution. The climax, with the Yanquis turning the machine gun on the bad guys, shows up in "Wild Bunch," but also an identical aftermath scene with the peasant women coming out to identify and mourn their men. You can see early Jack Elam and Charles Bronson and Ernest Borgnine, and there's even a shot of Cooper knocking Borgnine through the door of the saloon and into the dusty street. (Spencer Tracey repeats in "Bad Day at Black Rock" the next year.) So, not the greatest Western ever made; Cooper will do better and so will Lancaster, and their supporting gunslingers also go on to solid careers. But pretty good for a rainy Saturday afternoon.
 Vera Cruz March 11, 2009
Old Movie Buff (Arizona)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
A great movie/western. Gary Cooper is great as always but I have to say this movie had to have been written for Burt Lancaster. It's the first time I can say he fit his part to a tee and did a really good job at acting. They made a great pairing of the two for this movie. A total enjoyment and a "must add" to your movie collection.
Childhood Revisited October 30, 2008
JohnG (Ontario, Canada)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
From virtually the opening scene, this celluloid comic book will take you right back to Saturday afternoons with the smell of popcorn, flying paper cups, noisy things rolling down the aisles and the kid behind with his feet at the back of your head. This is NOT a "mature" western. The quick-draw, eagle-eyed feats of shooting have to be seen to be believed (if you're 10 years old), the story line, dialogue, and multi-colored ranks of Mexican federales who serve as targets, all provide an aura around this movie that's guaranteed to take you back to the wide-eyed kid who could barely reach the lady in the booth with his quarter.
While I'm searching for more mature westerns these days, I enjoyed this one for its nostalgic value alone. That, and that toothy Lancaster grin that needs its own listing in the credits of this movie.
JUST LIKE BEES TO HONEY, BEN, BEES TO HONEY July 31, 2008
Kay's Husband (Virginia, U.S.A.)
What can one add to 31 other reviews that dissect and analyse this film? Nothing new I'm certain.
Just let me add that I first saw this movie shortly after its release at a drive in theatre at age 12. The movie always stuck with me and when the DVD was released bought a copy of the Western Legend version.
As I remembered the movie as very good I was not disappointed, the interaction between Coop and Lancaster is superb and the script does allow them to play it in a friendly, layed back manner that gives entertainment and at times humor to the viewer. The only small problem I had then (1955) was with Denise Darcel, true she was an actress placed in several roles at the time, but I could never really understand her English all that well. But in this film, with a French background of Maximillian's Mexico, she doesn't come off too bad. And as far as scruples go, Ace Hanna would have been equally proud of her and Lancaster in the roles they played.
If you want a light hearted, good old fashioned western as they used to make them before Hollywood went bust, check this gem out. Sure you will not come away disappointed.
Semper Fi.
 Vera Cruz July 4, 2008
Harry Brewer (S'port, La.)
A great western starring the great Gary Cooper & the versatile Burt Lancaster that takes place during the revolution of 1866. The film also has Denise Darcel as the female lead & Cesar Romero as a wealthy Marquis on the side of Maximilian. Robert Aldrich was the director & this is one of his better efforts.
Benjamin Trane (Gary Cooper) & Joe Erin (Burt Lancaster) are two mercenaries on the way to Mexico to participate in the revolution albeit for different reasons but mostly for profit. Trane is the more altruistic while Erin is outright mercanary. The two team up to fight for the highest bidder, this is after Erin has stolen Trane's horse. Trane & Erin agree to escort Countess Marie Duvarre (Denise Darcel). What Trane & Erin don't realize is the Countess has a large gold shipment she is trying to get to Maximilian's army at Vera Cruz. She makes an offer to split it with them but they, instead, steal it for themselves. In the end Trane & Erin have an eventual showdown gunfight.
Vera Cruz is a very enjoyable movie that has two dynamic male leads, one at the end of his career, the other entering his prime. It's fun to see Lancaster play the heavy but he's so likable one almost hates to see his demise. The film also has Ernest Borgnine & Charles Buchinsky (Bronson). The only special feature is the movie trailer; this edition is widescreen.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 35
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