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The film talks about a rustler named Catlow (Yul Brynner) and his bandit underlings (Jeff Corey , Robert Logan , John Clark , Michael Delano) who are pursued by a sheriff (Richard Crenna) and a bounty hunter gunslinger (Leonard Nimoy ) with the aim to steal the Mexican gold formerly robbed to Confederacy during the American civil war (1861-1865) . As Catlow attempts to avoid interference as he journeys to pull off a $2-million gold robbery , but everyone wants him dead and buried . The Mexican cavalry wanted him murdered . The Apache nation wanted him massacred . Texas Rangers wanted him mangled and his only hope was a marshal who wanted him hanged . Meanwhile , he'll confront Apaches , Mexican Army and some cutthroats.

In the picture there's western action , shootouts , comedy , tongue-in-cheek and a little bit of moderated violence . The movie has the comic observations of the Western parody genre originated in the late decade 60s by Burt Kennedy and Andrew McLagen and with references to Spaghetti Western . Based on a Louis L'Amour's novel is basically a humorist Western . The motion picture was well filmed on location in Almeria (Spain) , where during the 6os and early the 7os were shot several Spaghetti/Paella Western . Thus , there appears usual Italian/Spanish Western secondary actors as Angel del Pozo , Julian Mateos , Jose Nieto, Rafael Albaicín , Tito Garcia , Dan Van Husen and Victor Israel , among others . Yul Brynner plays perfectly as outlaw Catlow , interpretation similar to ¨Indio Black¨ (by Frank Kramer) who'll play later . Richard Crenna as the friend and enemy sheriff is very fine . Leonard Nimoy as the tough and cruel gunfighter is splendid , this film gave him a chance to break away from his role as Spock on Star Trek, he mentioned that the time he made the film was one of the happiest of his life , even though his part was rather brief . Excellent and lively musical score by Roy Budd and colorful cinematography by magnificent cameraman Edward Scaife . The movie was regularly directed by Sam Wanamaker who replaced Peter R. Hunt . The film will appeal to humor-western enthusiasts and Yul Brynner fans . Rating : Mediocre but entertaining .

Catlow is directed by Sam Wanamaker and adapted to screenplay from the Louis L'Amour novel by Scott Finch and J.J. Griffith. It stars Yul Brynner, Richard Crenna, Leonard Nimoy and Daliah Lavi. Filmed in Metrocolor/Panavision, photography is by Ted Scaife and music by Roy Budd.

One time buddies in the Civil War, Catlow (Brynner) and Cowan (Crenna), are now on opposite sides of the law. Let the shenanigans begin!

Catlow is one of those Oaters that is - in spite of its ordinariness - so harmless to the point it's near impossible to dislike with genuine displeasure. Essentially it finds Brynner and Crenna as pals constantly playing cat and mouse with each other, all while they are entangled in danger (courtesy of Mexican soldiers, Indians and Nimoy's vengeful gunman) and affairs of the heart (Lavi and the beautiful Jo Ann Pflug).

It's all very formulaic, and directed as such, but there's still a lot going for it. Everybody seems to be having a good time of things, with some hamming it up on purpose - obviously with a tongue in cheek nod to Spaghetti Westerns - others relishing chances to exude ebullience (Lavi) and gruff meanness (Nimoy). There's some truly funny moments, with witty dialogue to match, and the action scenes are as solid as the rock formations that boom out of the Almeria locations.

Budd's musical score is a bit hit and miss, often sounding like it belongs in an episode of Alias Smith and Jones as opposed to a full feature length film, while there's a lack of an edge to make the finale be anything other than run of the mill. Tis fun though! Pic looks lovely, with TCM HD channel showing a print that extols the virtues of having a top cinematographer on lens duties. Harmless and enjoyable enough, even if ultimately it's forgettable once over. 6/10

In this European made western, Yul Brynner plays it considerably lighter than he did in The Magnificent Seven. Adapted from the Louis L'Amour novel, Catlow is a pretty amusing romp through the old west by Yul Brynner as an outlaw and Richard Crenna as Ben Cowan, the marshal sworn to bring him in, but alive. The two of them were in the Civil War together and that kind of bond doesn't sever easily.

But Catlow's got all kinds of people who want him bad, the Mexican Army, the Indians, and a mean hired killer in the person of Leonard Nimoy. He's also got a girlfriend in Daliah Lavi who definitely has an agenda involving Brynner that's all her own. As for Nimoy before he became the wise and logical Vulcan Mr. Spock, he played all kinds of nasty types on television and in film.

I'm surprised Richard Crenna didn't do more westerns in his career, probably had he come along earlier he might very well have. It's a career path he should have taken.

Brynner and Crenna have a nice easy chemistry between them, it's the main reason for checking out Catlow.

CATLOW is a very entertaining MGM western from 1971 and features Yul Brynner as the title character. Based on a Louis Lamour story, the script allows Brynner and costar Richard Crenna, who play outlaw and marshal respectively, a fair amount of witty banter and plenty of action sequences. Meanwhile, Leonard Nimoy, who wrote about how much he enjoyed making this movie in his autobiographies, is a most impressive heavy, seeking Catlow for his own reasons.

If one had not ever seen Brynner in a previous screen performance, and if one had never heard of Nimoy's television alter ego Spock, this would be the perfect film to get familiar with the actors' considerable talents. The vicious gunfighter he plays is a departure for Nimoy, who even has a rare nude scene to perform. Brynner, for his part, plays his anti-heroic figure with such relish that one can't help but be entertained by him.

What works best of all with CATLOW is the film's quick and even pace. There is seldom a slow moment. The action sequences build logically, then end quickly, usually giving way to the next sequence that is already building. Since much of the film has been shot on location, the authentic exteriors add yet another winning element to the picture's overall entertainment value.

Lovable rogue Yul Brynner is accused by an unscrupulous rancher of rustling cattle, for rounding up unbranded strays on government land. Pursuing him is his old pal Richard Crenna, who vows to take him alive and hired killer Leonard Nimoy, who would rather him dead. Before long they're all in Mexico, where Brynner plots to a fortune in gold from some upper-crust military elites.

The first half of this well-made, light-hearted western is incredibly fast-paced, with some very amusing interplay between Crenna and Brynner. The second half, where the action is moved south of the border, is a little more routine, though still worth seeing for the great performances by the leads. However, Nimoy disappears from the screen for a long time.

There's a certain level of crudeness to the proceedings though, with a few threats to shoot in either the genitals or the buttocks, a blow to Yul's testicles, and an almost full-frontal Nimoy, tussling with a (thankfully) fully-clothed Brynner!

This decent but little known comedy-western is all about acting! Especially Yul Brunner has the time of his life portraying a smooth cattle-thief who just promoted himself to gold-robber. His name is Catlow and he rides through the Texan desert with his gang of thugs, chased by Sheriff Richard Crenna (the two are buddies even though they ought to be enemies) and hired hit man Leonard Nimoy. Everybody – Catlow as well as his pursuers – encounters trouble on their ways, such as aggressive Indians, sneaky Mexican villains and deadly ladies… The script of this film (which I believe was filmed in Spain, like many contemporary westerns) isn't very special and lacks coherence. Sam Wanamaker's direction is very hammy and it looks like though the cast is pretty much doing what they feel like. Still, it often is enormous fun to see the comic interactions between Brunner and Crenna when they're trying to outsmart each other with lists and dialogues. Leonard Nimoy is terrific as well, but unfortunately he has little screen time. The beautiful camera-work and exhilarating Country & Western music make you regret that the story is so weak.

Jed Catlow (Yul Brynner) and his men lead a cattle herd. He's accused of cattle rustling by wealthy rancher Parkman who has hired ruthless Orville Miller (Leonard Nimoy) to be judge, jury, and executioner. Catlow's buddy Ben Cowan (Richard Crenna) is a Marshal duty-bound to bring him in. Catlow is planning on a gold heist with his two pursuers following behind.

This is a Hollywood western made in Spain. Brynner and Crenna is trying to make a buddy-enemy movie while Nimoy tries very hard to be a villain against his typecast. I don't see this as being bad but nothing is actually that good. Brynner has his normal accent. Crenna's lightness takes away some of the intensity. The premise is fine but nothing interesting is added. It's an old fashion western at a time when westerns should be striving to be different. They fight Indians and Mexicans. It all ends up feeling flat.

Based on a Louis L'Amour novel, Yul Brynner is Catlow, a playful outlaw on his way to Mexico to steal gold, but hot on his heels is hired killer Leonard Nimoy, who wants Catlow dead, and sheriff Richard Crenna, who wants Catlow brought in alive. It's a pretty awful film. Brynner being a goof, like he's Paul Newman in BUTCH CASSIDY & THE SUNDANCE KID, just doesn't work. CATLOW even has a romantic musical montage, which was the worst part of BUTCH CASSIDY, in its attempt to replicate the magic of that film. Watching Nimoy in a very un-Spock-like role is fun, and he's actually really good. That's probably the best part of the film, even if he has a pretty small part compared to Brynner and Crenna. The film also features a good score by Roy Budd, who did some cool jazzy scores, including GET CARTER and THE STONE KILLER, but his aping of Elmer Bernstein's MAGNIFICENT SEVEN score just hammers home how lacking this film is in its attempt to copy better studio westerns. It's an oddly old-fashioned western in a time when the genre was being reinvented in Italy with more violent and stylized spaghetti westerns such as THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY and THE GREAT SILENCE and by American revisionist westerns from a new generation of filmmakers, such as THE WILD BUNCH and MCCABE AND MRS. MILLER, which makes CATLOW feel out of place and from a completely different era. 20 years earlier, it might have been a fresh film, but in 1971, it's hackneyed and dull. Below is my review from the last time I watched this movie and I've apparently soured some on it since then.

Western with Yul Brynner and Leonard Nimoy in uncharacteristically animated roles Catlow (1971) *** Okay western comedy is kept afloat mostly by it's two leads, Yul Brynner and Richard Crenna. Brynner plays Callow, a fast talking cowboy conman, who steals cattle from a wealthy rancher. Civil War buddy and now sheriff, Crenna, goes after Brynner, as does a vicious killer hired by the aggrieved rancher. The film gets a lot of milage from Leonard Nimoy playing the hired gun. Seeing Mr. Spock in a villainous and highly animated role is a whole lot of fun, even if his part is a smaller one. And Nimoy isn't the only one playing against type. The usually stoic Brynner is equally amusing to watch all goofy and smiling (at one point he even gets to mug after getting kicked in the groin). On the downside, the comedy as scripted isn't all that funny, though the cast does the most with what they have. Despite that, the film is fast paced, never boring, and I consider myself entertained. Overall, this is far from a western classic, but it's a must-see for Brynner and Nimoy fans, and well worth checking out for western fans.

This is a rather little entertaining western to watch. It has all of the violence and shooting but still it's made in a sort of more light and fun way.

Never thought I would ever see Leonard Nimoy in a western. He made some appearance in western's but mostly in series and TV-movies. I think this is his biggest western's role out of his career. On top of that, he also plays the villain in this one and he does it extremely well. He truly had some real talent for playing the bad guy and I wouldn't had minded seeing him in more roles such as this one. Yul Brynner is also good as always. He really was in his element in westerns. In this movie he takes a more of a kind and humorous approach, which also works out really well for him.

The characters are good ones but the character treatment isn't among the greatest. Yul Brynner will disappear out of the movie for some time, then Richard Crenna and then Leonard Nimoy. He's supposed to be the main villain, but nevertheless he gets hardly featured in the second halve of the movie at all. Consistency is not a too common thing within this movie.

It's fine that the movie concentrates mainly on two characters, that are different and also on the other side of the law, but still great friends, although they are not afraid to punch, or shoot at each other either to get what they want. This sort of approach of an unlikely friendship isn't of course uncommon in a western.

The story is a fine one, that leaves plenty of room for action. There a lot of shootouts, also involving villainous Indians. It all makes sure that the movie at all time is a fast going, with plenty happening on the screen.

It's a real '70's western. '70's westerns are a total different thing from westerns from any other decade. It has that typical kind of '70's rawness all over it and in this case the movie also features some experimental techniques, such as some extremely fast editing in some scenes. Not sure if it truly helps or uplifts the movie but it still makes it a tiny bit more interesting to watch.

Really a movie I enjoyed watching, though it's obviously no genre classic. It's just too small and insignificant for that.

7/10

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I don't know if it was director Sam Wanamaker's decision or if it was Yul Brynner's himself but whoever decided that Brynner should play his character as a constantly grinning jokester made a big mistake. It's so far out of character for Brynner that it never rings true. It kills what could have been a solid western. The shame of it all is that the villainous Leonard Nimoy's excellent performance is wasted in a not-so-hot movie. On paper "Catlow" should have been really good. As it is, it makes for a barely okay rainy afternoon watch.

Light hearted and humorous. Old friends on opposite sides of the law. The friendship is obvious and presents humorous situations throughout the movie as they try to outwit each other. Leonard Nimoy is a cold hearted villain that hates Bijah Catlow and throughout the movie tries to kill him. The movie follows the Louis L'Amour story of the same name pretty closely. US Marshal Ben Cowan spends the movie trying to outwit and capture Catlow, but also tries to protect him from Nimoy. Catlow tries to locate lost Confederate gold and is a wild cowboy with a good heart. If you like Louis L'Amour westerns novels, and Yul Brynner westerns then you will enjoy this delightful movie.

I don't think their is a five minute sequence in the whole movie that makes any sense! There are bunch of segways, the story is just plain very difficult to follow. Yul Brynner has the most annoying girlfriend i ever seen in a movie. You wish she'd just die, so you don't have to hear her. Nimoy barely speaks. The movie just moves from 1 scene to the next with a story that next to impossible to follow, and frankly the movie is so bad why bother to make any sense of it. I love western's & this is perhaps the worst i ever seen. It's not funny, nor amusing, just annoying. The story follows no guide. Even after the end scene i still couldn't even figure out if they got the gold! It's just plain that bad!

Yes, you read that right - Nimoy does a nude scene! (Though it might be a body double.) If you can get past that, you find a really entertaining western. Yul Brynner is great - it's nice to see him have a role that gives him a chance to do some comedy. Kudos to the rest of the cast as well, though Nimoy is mostly wasted in a role that just has him pursuing Brynner (and not much else.) Fast-paced, plenty of smiles and laughs (though a number of serious scenes that work as well), and plenty of action - what more do you want?

Based on the 1963 novel by Louis L'Amour, this modern western stars Yul Brynner, Richard Crenna, and ... oddly enough, Leonard Nimoy (Spock, from Star Trek), who had been appearing in small TV roles since the 1950s. Brynner is Catlow, and in spite of being hunted down by Cowan (Richard Crenna), he not only helps Cowan when Cowan is in injured, but also plans on stealing two million dollars in Mexico. This one is more of a "bullet burner" than an "oat burner", as the ol westerns were called. Some beautiful scenery of Spain in here. It's listed as "Comedy,western" by imdb... and granted, there are some scenes with fun, upbeat music, as they are clocking the soldiers, one by one. For all the years Brynner had been in hollywood, he still has a pretty strong foreign accent. Also a knockdown, slap-stick fight with Christina. Christina was played by JoAnn Pflug, who was married to Mr. Game-Show, Chuck Woolery. I consider this one more of a western than a comedy. It's a typical western... L'Amour, who was actually born LaMoore, had written TONS of western stories, and many were made into films. Directed by Sam Wanamaker, who directed mostly TV shows, and had been acting since the 1960s. It's pretty okay, but it aren't no shakespeare.

"Catlow" is an odd western from 1971 which is overall disappointing and frustrating; it could have been much better with a tighter script and more coherent plot and direction. This film feels like a mish mash of styles and other westerns, never feeling like a coherent and linear whole film. There were times I was interested in the film and then there were times where I almost turned it off after yet another non-sequitur or naked man (of which there are two). At times the film felt like "100 Rifles" or "Stagecoach" then Jo Ann Pflug's character shows up as the Mexican senorita and the film feels like a legitimate romance film for a second, or like "Vera Cruz" or "The Leopard" and I become interested once again. But then it ends like "Red Sun" or "Treasure of the Sierra Madre" or something. As i said, just a bizarre mish mash of a film, part comedy, part serious, totally incoherent and frustrating given the good cast and settings. A 4/10 rating from me.

Down Mexico way, grinning good bad-guy Catlow (Yul Brynner) and his band of clichés execute a heist of two-million dollars while dealing with Indians, Federales, tenacious mercenary killer Miller (Leonard Nimoy) and equally tenacious lawman Marshal Ben Cowan (Richard Crenna). Although based on a novel by Louis L'Amour there's not much new in the story and the characters (other than Miller) are not very interesting. The various chases and shoot-outs are stereo-typical for the genre and the musical score sounds like a bad blend of Elmer Bernstein and 70s sitcom themes (plus some cheesy 'love music' to accompany a sappy slow-motion flower-framed romantic horseback tryst). Nimoy, like his character, is worth the couch-time, but as a 'jolly scoundrel', Breyner gets tedious fast, Crenna's lawman makes for a bland 'frenemy', and Daliah Lavi is screechingly awful as a 'fiery señoretta' in love-hate with the titular sardonic rogue. Despite lots of people getting shot, the film is lighthearted, almost tongue-in-cheek, but unfortunately most of the 'comic touches' fall flat (except the scene in which Catlow finally stops grinning and wisecracking after getting kneed in the 'nads). Forgettable to all by the most dedicated horse-opera fans (or Trekkies fascinated by the goofy fight scene between a beaming Brynner and a naked Nimoy).

Yul Brynner plays the cheerfully lawless rogue "Catlow", perpetually on the run from lawman and friend "Ben" (Richard Crenna) and malevolent bounty hunter "Miller" (Leonard Nemoy - in one of his early post-Star Trek roles). Great music, obviously 'influenced' by the soundtrack to "The Magnificent Seven", and an over-the-top plot involving stealing mexican gold stolen from the confederacy, Apaches, alternatively willing and vengeful women, banditos, and enough captures and escapes for several movies. Lightweight fun (in that lightheartedly violent way of late-1960's/early 1970's movies, in which any character whose name we didn't know was liable to receive instant death from the hero or villain -- a characteristic, of course, of many action movies to this day), with just enough actual danger (from the Apaches and Miller) to keep it interesting.