Pretty Good

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Aaron Spelling made a bunch of made for television films and they mostly fell into categories like romance, suspense and horror. So imagine my surprise when I found that he also produced a western-- and it stars an actor you wouldn't suspect would be in a western, Sammy Davis Jr.!When the film begins, Sam and Dora Paxton (Ernest Borgnine and Julie Adams) arrive at their ranch to find their son dying and daughter abducted. When Sam contacts a famous lawman and tracker, instead of this old friend arriving to help he sends his deputy...Ezekiel Smith (Davis). What follows are the sort of racial tension you have seen in films of the era. Sam is, like most folks of his day, a racist and slowly he and Ezekiel work through this as they set out on their cross-country adventure.This is a film that offers few real surprises and ends about where you'd expect. This doesn't mean it's a bad film. It's well intentioned and entertaining but not a whole lot more.

the original plan for this movie coming to fruition? John Wayne and Sammy Davis, Jr., directed by Burt Kennedy? It fairly screams "hit!" Alas, we get an Aaron Spelling production with Ernest Borgnine sleep-walking through his performance (and what was with that silly way he kept firing his pistol?) and Sammy Davis, Jr., restraining his entertainer voice while looking embarrassed.Or was that me being embarrassed for them.The Trackers is so cheap and disposable as a standard search plot that the tension, created when white rancher Borgnine has to accept black cop Davis for his sidekick, is the only thing worth the 75 minutes of air time. Throw in a weird pack of evil-doers in Mexico who are holding Ernie's daughter (a non-actress named Connie Kreski who was a Playboy Playmate in 1969; yes, dammit, I looked her up, and I read the article!), led by an urbane Englishman, and I simply gave up.William Katt gets wasted in the first five minutes of the flick. Julie Adams gets wasted--in a different way--with a thankless role of Borgnine's missus. What's weird is that she's the only believable character in this silly blob of cinematic dryer lint. Oh, well. It was free.

Big name stars with excellent acting in this movie all add to the enjoyment of the search. Fast moving action and a couple of scenes with the heroes getting the upper hand make the movie go by too quickly. Ernie Borgnine and Sammy Davis, Jr. make a great team. Sammy's character's laid-back personality is an exciting contrast to some of the other characters' impatience and prejudice which make you keep on watching. I watched this movie twice tonight to make sure I didn't miss anything - I give it a 10 as I feel each character gave so much strength to the overall picture. Jim Davis and Julie Adams are very talented, seasoned actors and Bucklind Noah Beery was a surprise to me as I never knew Noah Berry, Jr. had a son. Buck has been in other roles I have found by searching the Internet and if he is half as good an actor as his famous father and grandfather he is worth watching.

A mysterious band of killers raids isolated homesteads. In their latest crime, they raid Sam Paxton's place, kill Sam's son, and kidnap his daughter, Becky. Sam is desperate to get the killers and recover his daughter. The efforts of a posse prove ineffectual, but Sam is determined to continue on. He sends for an old Army buddy who is a well known tracker. Unable to come, his friend sends another tracker, Ezekial Smith. Sam, a Confederate veteran, is extremelydispleased when it turns out Ezekial is black. However, the posse is making no progress so Sam reluctantly accepts this help. Ultimately, the pair gradually gain each other's respect as they pursue Becky's trail into Mexico.Though it has some occasional comedic elements, this is a serious westernfeaturing a very credible performance by Sammy Davis, Jr. The supporting cast is composed largely of veteran actors with a wealth of experience in the western genre. The result is an effective and entertaining western. This is particularly remarkable given the type of material many viewers associate with producerAaron Spelling. The issue of racism isn't sugarcoated. None of the possemembers ever really accept Ezekial Smith and even Sam is very slow to give up a lifetime of bigotry. Recommended.