Valdez Is Coming (1971) review

Businessman Frank Tanner (Jon Cypher) cons town constable Bob Valdez (Burt Lancaster) into shooting an African-American gentleman falsely accused of murder so Valdez asks Tanner to give the man's widow a hundred dollars as compensation which Tanner not only refuses to do, but he ridicules and tortures Valdez as a result.  It's not just a challenge to accept the iconic Lancaster as being of Mexican decent (his accent fluctuates constantly), but the movie (based on the novel by Elmore Leonard) is a relatively routine revenge story (without Leonard's trademark smart dialogue): Valdez is literally crucified, recuperates, takes Tanner's love interest Gay Erin (Susan Clark) as a hostage and then brings out the heavy weaponry to systematically mow down all the hired guns out to get him.  Sherin had success directing and producing theatrical productions and TV shows, but his approach to this Western is unfortunately very pedestrian.