Following the Civil War by a couple of years, five men embark on a quest to locate a lost supply of Federal rifles. Their search takes them to a bizarre pre-Civil War style house situated in the desert near the Rio Conchos River in Mexico, and they encounter a private militia composed of former Rebels and Apaches along the way. The group includes an ex-Confederate major struggling with alcohol and prejudice against Native Americans (Richard Boone), a courageous and capable Army captain (Stuart Whitman), a Buffalo Soldier sergeant (Jim Brown), a friendly Mexican outlaw (Tony Franciosa), and eventually, an Apache woman (Wende Wagner). Overseeing the private army is a disturbed, resentful ex-Rebel general (Edmond O'Brien). This 1964 Western shares noticeable aspects with John Wayne’s “The Comancheros” (1961), which also featured Whitman. I feel "Rio Conchos" is roughly equivalent to that film, though I slightly prefer “The Comancheros.” This movie marked Jim Brown's first appearance on screen, as he left his football career at its height to pursue acting; he would revisit Westerns later with a film like “100 Rifles.” While it doesn’t reach the heights of some other great 60’s Westerns—like "One-Eyed Jacks," "Ride the High Country," "Hombre," "Nevada Smith," "Bandolero!” and “True Grit”—“Rio Conchos” is a violent, lively, and visually striking film. It's close in quality to films like “Duel at Diablo,” “El Dorado” and “Shalako.” I’d place it on the same level as “The Sons of Katie Elder,” “The War Wagon” and “The Undefeated.” The movie has a running time of 1 hour, 47 minutes and was filmed in Arizona and Utah. The score, composed by Jerry Goldsmith, is effective and stands up well over time. GRADE: B

Source on TMDB