Travis Simpkins: Hannie Caulder (1971): Raquel Welch as a Female Gunfighter in the Old West

Saturday, June 25, 2016

Hannie Caulder (1971): Raquel Welch as a Female Gunfighter in the Old West

Directed by Burt Kennedy, Hannie Caulder (1971) was one of the first Westerns to feature a strong female lead in the title role. The film proved to be influential decades later, when Quentin Tarantino cited the film as a major influence on his box office hit Kill Bill. The story centers on a frontier wife, who is gang raped and left for dead by a trio of thieves after they impulsively murder her husband. Under the tutelage of a bounty hunter, she learns the basics of gunfighting and prepares to enact her revenge on the three men. Good cinematography and on-location sets give an interesting 19th Century Old West feel to the action and drama. Raquel Welch is beautiful, sexy and iconic as Hannie Caulder. Robert Culp delivers an amazing performance as the bounty hunter. The supporting cast is great as well, including Ernest Borgnine, Jack Elam, Strother Martin and Christopher Lee.