It's a given that many Westerns made from the Thirties through the Fifties had nothing to do with their titles, but by the Sixties or thereabouts this minor issue was pretty much rectified. Except in the case of this film. "Wild Rovers" is about the last thing I'd use to describe this picture of two cowboy ranch hands that decide to take a short cut regarding their big plan of buying a ranch in Mexico. There's really nothing wild here in the way of action sequences, no galloping posses or drawn out shoot 'em up scenes. There's a segment that sets up the finale when Frank Post (Ryan O'Neal) gets plugged in a saloon shoot out, but even that's marred by the can of red paint that's used to simulate the blood on his shirt. In short, Frank and Ross Bodine (William Holden) are the most casual pair of bank robbers you'll ever run across in any genre, to the point where they actually pay off the bank manager for his trouble.
The problem's not with the cast, though I'll qualify that somewhat. As the aging cowpuncher, Holden's character exhibits a laid back wisdom that comes with his years, and in any other vehicle might have been the kind of mentor a younger would-be bank robbing partner could learn from. But with that partner being Ryan O'Neal, this thing just doesn't work. He just looks out of his element here, having already been typecast to my thinking by roles like Oliver in the prior years' "Love Story". I'll support my argument with that scene where he rolls around in the snow while Bodine breaks the wild stallion.
The rest of the supporting players, though competent, are given roles that are underdeveloped and fail to grow over the course of the story. For example, young Johnny (Tom Skerritt) seems to be the favored son of Walt Buckman (Karl Malden) opposite brother Paul (Joe Don Baker), but their relationship is never given any further explanation. You never really have a clear understanding of Johnny's resolve to bring in Ross and Frank, or his brother's willingness to let the matter go. Victor French as sheriff Bill Jackson was an interesting choice; I don't think I've seen him in a Western before and his sense of duty was admirable in between his drinking and whoring with the gals at Maybell's place.
If you want to put this into perspective, think of Newman and Redford in their hit film made two years earlier. Lots of humor, great action sequences, a lively hit song as part of the soundtrack, and a chemistry between the principals that made the story a classic buddy flick and a great Western. When you consider all that, I think you'd have to come to the conclusion that Ross and Frank are no Butch and Sundance.
The problem's not with the cast, though I'll qualify that somewhat. As the aging cowpuncher, Holden's character exhibits a laid back wisdom that comes with his years, and in any other vehicle might have been the kind of mentor a younger would-be bank robbing partner could learn from. But with that partner being Ryan O'Neal, this thing just doesn't work. He just looks out of his element here, having already been typecast to my thinking by roles like Oliver in the prior years' "Love Story". I'll support my argument with that scene where he rolls around in the snow while Bodine breaks the wild stallion.
The rest of the supporting players, though competent, are given roles that are underdeveloped and fail to grow over the course of the story. For example, young Johnny (Tom Skerritt) seems to be the favored son of Walt Buckman (Karl Malden) opposite brother Paul (Joe Don Baker), but their relationship is never given any further explanation. You never really have a clear understanding of Johnny's resolve to bring in Ross and Frank, or his brother's willingness to let the matter go. Victor French as sheriff Bill Jackson was an interesting choice; I don't think I've seen him in a Western before and his sense of duty was admirable in between his drinking and whoring with the gals at Maybell's place.
If you want to put this into perspective, think of Newman and Redford in their hit film made two years earlier. Lots of humor, great action sequences, a lively hit song as part of the soundtrack, and a chemistry between the principals that made the story a classic buddy flick and a great Western. When you consider all that, I think you'd have to come to the conclusion that Ross and Frank are no Butch and Sundance.