Customer Rating: 
Summary: Wild Rovers
Comment: I was the location manager on this project. The big ranch house is the same one used in McLintock. Located about 80 miles from Tucson in the San Rafael Valley, the owner at the time was a very nervous lady called Mrs. Sharp. I remember the first time I took Blake Edwards and his entourage there (which included his wife, Julie Andrews)to see if it could work for the film and get permission from Mrs. Sharp. She and I had been good friends for awhile since I had used her place before in films. During the meeting, she ask me to go to the kitchen with her. We sat at her table and had coffee, while all these important people sat patiently in her living room. She finally said, "I don't like these people". I almost panicked. Then I got an idea. I took her to the door and asked her peek through the little window and said, "Do you realize that's Mary Poppin's sitting there?" Of course, that changed her mind and they talked a long time and became fast friends. A great western movie that I hope someday is put on DVD.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Wild Rovers
Comment: Big fan of William Holden so it had me at hello. The music is wonderful. I have seen this movie many times and never tire of it. Best movie I ever saw Ryan O'Neal in.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Don't Shoot the Piano Player
Comment: I watched "The Wild Rovers" last night mainly because I have always enjoyed the acting of William Holden (as well as Karl Malden who also plays a major role in the movie). Holden has such a quick, yet (by American standards) articulate delivery that he sounds like an effusive Bob Hope in a dramatic role. He has made every movie I've seen him in better because of his presence in the cast. Sometimes, however, the structure of the movie fails to support the quality of the cast. For me, the problems with "The Wild Rovers" is not Holden or any of the actors; it's Blake Edwards.
What "The Wild Rovers" lacks is a coherant story. There is a scene about two thirds into the movie when there is a gun battle. Holden enters the fray late only knowing one person in the fight. He sees the bartender with a gun in his hand and promptly shoots him dead. Why he did so is never really explored or explained (although other characters in the movie commented on the pointlessness of the act). For all we know, the bartender hadn't taken sides and was seemingly trying to restore the peace. The scene is instructive of the movie because there are many other people and events in the movie that go unexplained. The background of the two main characters goes largely unexplained. Well, so what? Except that there is a scene in which Holden marvels at how two such different people became friends. Outside of the age difference, we pretty much have to guess for ourselves as to what else is different about them. There's a conflict between sheepmen and cattlemen which is rather historic during a period of Western history. However, we could use at least a weak explanation as to why that is an issue istead of just accepting the hatred we find. The relationships between father and sons are ripe for exploration but we only see the results. On and on we get scenes and situations that look good on film but don't seem to relate to everything else we're watching. Maybe the answer was on the cutting room floor. After all, I understand that Edwards had to cut about 20 minutes off the original film. However, blaming the film editor is like shooting the bartender.
Customer Rating:
Summary: One of the best westerns ever
Comment: MY RATING- 7.6I've just watched this one last night, and it's quite an impresssive western from Blake Edwards, the king of Pink Phanter.
Spite the vulgar screenplay, the characters view is fascinating, specially William Holden, without his usual and cynical presence. We really care for that middle aged cowboy and his tender friendship with the young man Ryan O'Neal. Together, they pass throw challenges after robbing a bank, including a scene with a dog, and most important the slowmotion use in the horse scene.
The curious thing is that we see two different points of view: from the main characters and from the law men chasing them leaded by Karl Malden. In fact, Malden with his wife seems to be a person a bit far away from the story of the mov.
The mov also stars younger Tom Skeritt and Joe Don Baker, Moses Gunn and a yelling Rachel Roberts.
Pretty good western, and I'm not a western fan.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A Real Western
Comment: Much like "Unforgiven" , this western falls more in the reality of the wild west than the "typical western". The characters; such as Karl Malden as the hard rancher patriarch, William Holden's happy go lucky cowboy, Tom Skerrit and Joe Don Baker as the two sons who live in their father's (Maldin) shadow are real character's that develop and grow. This movie stays away from thin stale western stereotypes. Very humorous bantering between Holden and O'neal adds a nice touch to the movie, but the humor is never used to soften the violence or emotional impact of the movie. There are no "good guys" and "bad guys" either. Much like the real world everyone in this picture has an angle on the truth and whats right. The director leaves it to the viewer to decide whats right instead of spoon feeding it to you with "black-hat/white-hat" simplicity. Wonderful movie particularly for the western fan.
