Summaries

In the late 1800s, an army captain tries to tame the open plains of Argentina, which are dominated by Indians and bandits. To help do this, the captain brings in a party of women to keep his soldiers happy.

In charge of a small frontier garrison outpost in turn-of-the-century Argentina dominated by dangerous Indians and marauding gangs of bandits, Captain Martín finds himself with his back to the wall. On the one hand, the local Indian tribes are on the warpath; on the other hand, his mortal enemy, Padrón, is enticing Martín's men with the only thing they are lacking and missing the most: the company of women. To turn the tables on Padrón, Captain Martín makes a morale-boosting decision and enlists the help of a handful of prostitutes to hang out with the soldiers. Now the men must escort the ladies back to the fort, confronting the Indians and Padrón's men. Can they survive the savage Pampas?—Nick Riganas

Details

Keywords
  • spaghetti western
  • remake by original director
  • stakeout
  • 1800s
  • argentina
Genres
  • Adventure
  • Drama
  • Western
Release date Jul 6, 1965
Motion Picture Rating (MPA) Not Rated
Countries of origin United States Argentina Spain
Language English Spanish
Filming locations Samuel Bronston Studios, Madrid, Spain
Production companies Producciones Jaime Prades D.A.S.A. Bronston International S.A.

Box office

Tech specs

Runtime 1h 52m
Sound mix Dolby Surround 7.1 Stereo 70 mm 6-Track
Aspect ratio

Synopsis

The movie starts out with deserter gaucho soldiers bringing women and treasures to a rebel named Padron who lives with a Native American Indian tribe. A loyal pair of soldiers confront Padron but he convinces them to desert also by offering them the women of their choice. One of the soldiers chooses a girl that a Native American wants, so the soldier and the Indian fight over her.

Later, Captain Martin and some of his troops track down Padron and his brother out on the plains. He shoots Padron's horse out from under him. However, his brother attacks the captain who he drags behind his horse until the rebel is finally shot and killed. The hatred that Captain Martin feels for the Padrons is massive.

Captain Martin and his soldiers return to the fort with rebel Padron. He ties the prisoner spread-eagle on the ground with wet leather straps that will tighten and kill him as the sun dries them out. Inside the fort, the Captain learns that he is assigned a new second in command, Lt. Del Rio. Del Rio has just graduated top of his class of cadets at new military academy. Martin also unhappily learns that he has to transport a group of "professional" women to the fort to keep the men happy and to prevent them deserting.

Outside, Padron talks with one of the soldiers who asks him about his hoard of women. The soldier decides to desert and helps Padron escape. Once free of the fort, Padron goes back and buries his brother who was killed by Captain Martin.

The Captain and a group of soldiers find the trail of escaped Padron as they set out to go to the train station to pick up the women. On the way there, Martin visits the grave of Teresa Padron in a nearby village.

At the train station, the troops load up the women into two stagecoaches. One of the women is a political prisoner; the sister of an escaped revolutionary. She is forced into prostitution by the government because she will not tell them where her brother is. Also at the train station, the soldiers acquire an Anarchist, revolutionary, journalist prisoner named Carreras that is to be taken along to the fort.

Carreras goes along in the stagecoach with the women and talks with them during the journey. Captain Martin has forbid any of the other soldiers to talk or go near the women during the trip.

During the first night the group camp outside. Captain Martin has the women stay on one side and the men on the other. However during the night, one of the soldiers goes off with one of the women. Another soldier confronts them and there is a fight that is broken up before anyone is killed.

The next day the soldiers notice and chase two Native American scouts who have spotted them. The Indians escape and return to camp to tell Padron about the women traveling with the soldiers. The group then has to stop because one of the women is pregnant and very sick. During the break, Carreras tells the political prisoner girl that her brother is dead.

On the second night the soldiers and women stay at a wagon rest stop. Everyone has a big party and start to get intimate with each other. Lt. Del Rio falls for the political prisoner woman and the captain goes after the Native American girl who works at the rest stop. In fact, when it is time to leave the next morning, Captain Martin trades the Indian girl for the annoying woman that was supposed to back with them to the fort.

During this final day there is Native American attack that leaves the pregnant woman and the army tracker dead. Both are buried at the village graveyard. While in the village, the soldier tells the captain that they refuse to take the women back to the fort. They have all paired up and don't want to share their women with anyone else.

The soldiers stay in the village while Captain Martin and Carreras go by themselves back to the fort. However before they can get there they are attacked by Padron and his Native Americans. Padron shoots Carreras and ties the captain up in the sun spread-eagle and beats him up. Then the rebels and Native Americans go back to attack the village and get the women for themselves.

Wounded Carreras struggles to crawl towards the captain to help him but dies just before reaching him. However, the Native American girl shows up just in time and saves the captain. Back at the fort, Captain Martin gathers the few remaining men there and return to village where the Native Americans have caused much destruction. The soldiers and the women are hiding in the church waiting for the final Indian attack.

During the night Captain Martin sneaks into town and kills the Native American chief. The next morning the tribe sees the Chief's head on a pole. Without their leader, the Indians leave. Without the Indians, the rebels have no army. Captain Martin declares amnesty for any deserters. However, Padron attacks and fights Captain Martin to the death. They both die.

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