Catlow by Louis L'Amour

(pb; 1963)


From the back cover:

"Catlow heard the legend of the Mexican gold.  Catlow hijacked the mule train carrying it.  Catlow knew the U.S. Law and the entire Mexican Army was at his backside.  Catlow didn't give a damn.  He knew all the answers - except how to get through Seri Indian country rich and alive."



Review:

Lean, rough and exciting, Catlow is a burn-through read, with L'Amour's love of the action loaded Old West, briefly stated cowboy philosophy and worth-liking-or-loathing characters at the forefront.

L'Amour upped the pleasure ante by indirectly linking Catlow to some of his other works: his multibook series The Sacketts and another novel, The Daybreakers (one of Catlow's secondary characters, Rosita Calderon, is cousin to Daybreakers's Druscilla Alvarado).

Excellent, amiable genre novel, this, from one of my favorite Western authors - one worth owning.

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Released in stateside theaters on October 1, 1971, the film version was directed by Sam Wanaker, from a screenplay by Scott Finch and James Griffith (billed as J.J. Griffith).

Yul Brunner played Catlow.  Richard Crenna played Cowan.  Leonard Nimoy played Miller.  Daliah Lavi played Rosita.  Jo Ann Pflug played Christina.  Jeff Corey played Merridew. 

Michael Delano played Rio.  Julián Mateos played Recalde.  David Ladd played Caxton.  Robert Logan, billed as Bob Logan, played Oley.  John Clark played Keleher.