The Wonderful Country (1959)

An American (Robert Mitchum) living in 1880s Mexico is essentially a man without a country. Considered a gringo by the Mexicans yet an outcast because of a long ago killing in his own country. When he is injured running guns in a small Texas town, as he recuperates he finds himself attracted to the idea of returning permanently to the U.S. But another killing puts him back in the position he was before. Based on the novel by Tom Lea and directed by Robert Parrish (CASINO ROYALE). This was a film Mitchum very much wanted to do, he's even the executive producer. One can see what attracted him to the part and it's a solid adult western with little gunplay and action sequences. Even the film's heroine (Julie London), while an adulterous wife with a promiscuous past isn't treated as a tramp and no big deal is made of the black "buffalo" soldiers who fight the warring Apaches. His slippery Mexican accent aside, Mitchum gives a tenacious performance and under director Parrish's guidance, the film accomplishes its limited goals. The handsome location photography (shot in Durango, Mexico) is credited to Floyd Crosby and Alex Phillips and Alex North provides the effective underscore. With Gary Merrill, Pedro Armendariz, Jack Oakie, Charles McGraw, Albert Dekker, Anthony Caruso and baseball great Leroy "Satchel" Paige as the head of the buffalo soldiers.