Ride, Vaquero! is directed by John Farrow and written by Frank Fenton. It stars Robert Taylor, Ava Gardner, Howard Keel, Anthony Quinn, Kurt Kasznar and Ted de Corsa. Music is by Bronislau Kaper and cinematography by Robert Surtees. Out of MGM and filmed in Ansco Color at Kanab in Utah (though story is set in Texas), Ride, Vaquero! is collectively unusual, bold and frustrating. Plot revolves around outlaws lead by bandido Esqueda (Quinn) refusing to let settlers and civilisation come to the Brownsville territory. So far so formulaic, then, but Esqueda's right hand man is Rio (Taylor), who was raised by Esqueda's mother and therefore they be adopted brothers. When King Cameron (Keel) and his wife Cordelia (Gardner) refuse to be shunted out of Brownsville, with King trying to rally the townsfolk against Esqueda, Rio starts to feel sympathy for the Cameron's. What unfolds is a sort of Freudian Greek Tragedy, a love quadrilateral as Esqueda and Rio love each other in that manly brotherly way, Cordelia begins to love Rio, love which he is keen to reciprocate, while King will always love Cordelia no mater what. Action is competently put together by Farrow as it all builds to a big finale, which doesn't disappoint on narrative terms, and the airy location photography (this is one of the better Ansco Color productions I have seen) is delightful. While naturally there will be sacrifices and psychologically tinged twists along the way to keep the faithful interested. Quinn is wonderfully ebullient, enjoying himself with a licence to chow down on the script with relish. Taylor is subdued, sleep walking through the film under direction to be a man of quiet menace and emotional confliction. Keel looks like he is desperate to sing a song, or just be some place else, while Gardner is required to just look pretty and pretty wistful from time to time. Kasznar as Father Antonio comes out in credit, but when the screenplay has him refusing stolen money to help the church - only to then have him 15 minutes later shooting away with rifle to kill his fellow man - the inconsistency in the production is further compounded. Keel hated the boredom of the shoot, stuck out in the wilderness with nothing to do for months he said, and Gardner hated Farrow, citing him as a sleazy bully to women and horses! These complaints do show, the film feels like it's treading water, where if you take out Quinn you are left with what comes across as a bunch of actors working for food. Characterisations are not well drawn enough to make the promise of the mind matters work, and supporting players like Jack Elam wander in and out of the picture without due care and attention. There's good intentions in the screenplay, where for 1953 this could have been ahead of its time and setting the bar for Freudian flavoured Westerns. While it's on it engages for sure, but once finished there's the distinct feeling that it was never all that it could have been. A shame really. 6/10

This is an interesting film because it is not listed in the 2007 Leonard Maltin Guide. Omissions are common in the book (particularly foreign and early films), but films by major American stars are practically never omitted--and this film starred Ava Gardner, Robert Taylor and Anthony Quinn as well as Howard Keel. Maybe it was not listed because the film was so bland. It's not a very good film but not bad either--sort of like dry toast and oh, so forgettable.Quinn and Taylor are thugs who lead a group of bandits who terrorize ranchers. They are very good at it and the only one who seems willing to oppose them is brave Howard Keel and his wife, Ava Gardner. However, Keel seems a bit crazy, as he doesn't seem to have a prayer. Then, oddly, he captures Taylor and instead of killing him makes him promise to be his partner and special friend(?). Now considering how evil Quinn is supposed to be, he leaves Keel and Taylor alone and spends most of the rest of the film pouting and moping! Although the film provided a different interpretation of why Quinn behaved that way, it really seemed like there was a gay subtext to the film. In other words, when Taylor left Quinn, Quinn felt jilted. Actually, pursuing this aspect of the film would have made the movie much more interesting and memorable--too bad they didn't.As for the acting, the one who probably came off best was Keel. Gardner just seemed like another lady, Quinn was fine until he became pouty and wimpy and Robert Taylor seemed half asleep during most of the film--putting zero energy into his role. I really wonder if he was either sick or hated the film so much that he just didn't try. And, despite an occasionally interesting script, I really think the latter might be why Taylor's performance was so listless.

Some things make this film worth watching:(1)Taylor,as a grim,sarcastic,icy,enigmatic,nifty,insolent gunman;for fans of Taylor and/or Quinn,"Ride ..." offers plenty of copious enjoyment,the two have serious,large roles;(2)Quinn,doing a picturesque role,as the gusty Esqueda;he rides the high horse;Gian Maria Volontè will succeed in doing this kind of roles;(3)the unconventional story;there are no duels in the street,and no overlong fights;there is no sentimentality;the real subject is the love between the two men,"Rio" and Esqueda;a convenient explanation is given for the Philistine viewers and the censorship--the two men's love is a brotherly one,they were raised by the same woman;The main interests of this movie are its outstanding cast (Taylor,Quinn) and the original story,that turns out to be almost shocking and subversive.Don't look for duels,horse-rides,the usual ingredients.Mrs. Gardner is surprisingly stiff as a respectable lady.A Hispanic bandit,Esqueda,terrorizes a region and prevents a farmer (Cameron) to settle.When "Cameron" brings at their new home his newly-arrived wife (Mrs. Gardner),they find the house burnt down.The Marshall can do nothing to help him.He must confront Esqueda on his own."Cameron" rebuilds his home."Rio",Esqueda's lieutenant,leads an attack on "Cameron"'s farm.The latter resists,with only two persons on his side (his wife,and a Friar,played rather well by Kurt Kasznar),and defeats his attackers."Cameron" makes "Rio" prisoner,and then hires him.Quinn will make everything to win Taylor back.Taylor and Quinn give psychological interest to this plot.I happen to be eager of every Taylor and/or Quinn role;"Ride,Vaquero" was a thrilling feast for me.I find Quinn's burlesque acting delicious.The bandits' riot,when they take over Brownsville,has some comic moments.Taylor is a knockout as "Rio".

Robert Taylor thought this movie to be one of his worst! But years later it has come into favor, not only for the unique story line, but because of his performance of the outlaw Rio. He is so unhappy, so silent, so restrained, that when we see him falling in love with Ava Gardner, we almost can not believe it. Anthony Quinn gives a wonderful performance as the head of the gang, he is dirty, drunken, and vicious, the complete opposite of Rio. Esqueda (Quinn) wants to run off all the ranchers, because they bring with them law, and civilization. His time has come, and he knows it. When Howard Keel (Cameron) brings Ava (Dehlia)to his ranch to start a cattle kingdom, she becomes restless and lonely because at every turn, Esqueda burns and ravishes their home. Quinn sees the changes in Rio when he spots him longing, from a distance, after Dehlia. When Taylor is caught after a raid by Keel, he offers him a job, at which point he leaves Quinn, because he wants to be close to Ava. His character is very conflicted by loyalty to Quinn, and his love for Gardner. He knows that they will meet and one will kill the other. He stays anyway, and in the pursuit of horses, saves Keel's life, for which Keel feels vindicated, because he always felt that Rio had some good in him, not knowing that \ he is in love with his wife. He leaves the ranch for a business trip, and when Ava asks Rio to take her to Quinn, so she can plead with him for her new life, he takes her there. When she threatens Quinn, she only stops when he tells her if she kills him she will also be killing Rio, because the gang will take his life. When they return to the ranch, she confronts Rio about the real reason he is there, and in the encounter he asks her why she saved his life. She is so needy, and lonely that she tries to seduce Taylor, and kisses him with such a hunger, that you can feels her needs thru the screen. He rejects her, slapping her, and leaving the home, knowing that he loves her, but that he is no good for her, and that Keel is the right man for her. Esqueda goes on the rampage, and they have a final showdown, where they are both killed. It is quite sad to see Ava, so conflicted, so unsure, seeing Rio dead, and knowing that he did it for her. She asks Keel for forgiveness, and he tells her that he can forgive anything that she can forget. A very interesting portrayal by all. A truly overlooked western, years ahead of its time in the films that would follow. Films that came out of the new Hollywood, method actors, method films. This could really be called a "method western."