William Shatner plays two roles: cowboy Johnny Moon and his ruthless Indian twin brother, Notah. Notah likes peyote and gets the crazy idea that he's the Comanche messiah sent to lead the Comanche nation against the white man but more specifically the dusty desert town of Rio Hondo. Moon, estranged from his brother, decides to stop Notah either by words or by bullets.
Acting
Shatner's dual performance: whispery cowboy vs. screaming peyote shaman
Production
Spanish desert standing in for Texas with absolutely zero shame
Costume
Notah's 'Native American' wardrobe from a costume shop clearance bin
Director
José Briz Méndez
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Shot in Spain on leftover sets from other spaghetti westerns, featuring a mostly Spanish crew who reportedly had no idea what to make of Shatner's acting choices.
The film's 'Comanche' representation is pure 1968 Hollywood nonsense; actual Comanche historians have likely never watched this, and we should respect their wisdom.
US
