Released in 1968, "White Comanche" is a Spanish Western (no Spaghetti) starring William Shatner in a dual role as twin half-breed brothers, one who assimilates with the European settlers while the other stirs up Comanche hostilities. The former, Johnny Moon, holds up in a town waiting for a showdown with the latter, Notah. While there, he befriends (sort of) the sheriff played by Joseph Cotton and romances a saloon girl (Rosanna Yanni). Besides the menace of Notah, the three are caught between the factions of a range war.
Like Clint Eastwood with the so-called Man with No Name trilogy (1964-66) and Burt Reynolds with "Navajo Joe" (1966), Shatner decided to roll the dice with a Euro Western during his break from Star Trek. Unfortunately, whereas those movies enlisted the talents of the brilliant Ennio Morricone for their exceptional scores, "White Comanche" got stuck with a palpably bad score by Jean Ledrut (although there are a couple decent parts). Seriously, the crappy semi-jazz score sounds lifted from a vinyl album of failed nightclub music; it doesn't match the action, especially in the suspense-violence scenes, e.g., when Notah pursues the white woman and roughs her up in the opening act.
Another negative, like most Euro Westerns, is that the movie has a decidedly comic book tone that could never be mistaken for real life. It's only a rung above the tone of the 3rd Season Star Trek episode "The Paradise Syndrome" where Capt. Kirk acquires amnesia and becomes the Indian-like Kirok. Speaking of Star Trek, "White Comanche" is reminiscent of the 1st Season episode "Enemy Within" where Kirk is split into to two selves – a spiritual Kirk and a dark Kirk. That's what you have with "White Comanche" where the story focuses on the "good" counterpart, Johnny Moon.
If you can look beyond the horrible score, comic book tone and Star Trek-isms, "White Comanche" has good characters, an engaging story and loads of Western action. I particularly enjoyed the interesting relationship that develops between Moon and Sheriff Logan. The relationship between Moon and Kelly (Yanni) is good too. If "White Comanche" had a decent score I would raise my rating.
The movie runs 93 minutes and was shot in Colmenar Viejo, Manzanares el Real & Estudios Roma, Madrid, Spain.
GRADE: B-
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