Vera Cruz (film)

Vera Cruz is a 1954 American Western theatrical film starring Gary Cooper and Burt Lancaster, and featuring Denise Darcel, Sara Montiel, Cesar Romero, Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson and Jack Elam. The movie was directed by Robert Aldrich from a story by Borden Chase. The pictures amoral characters and cynical attitude toward violence including a scene where Lancasters character threatens to murder child hostages were considered shocking at the time and influenced future Westerns such as The Magnificent Seven, The Professionals, Sam Peckinpahs The Wild Bunch, and the films of Sergio Leone, which often featured supporting cast members from Vera Cruz in similar roles.

Also involved in the mix is General Ramrez Morris Ankrum an heroic Juarista leader. He and the other Juarista leaders soon suspect that there is more to the expedition than the countess and ambush the column several times. Eventually, the rest of Erins group also learn that something suspicious is going on and they demand to be let in on the secret. The different groups, including Juarista secret agent Nina Sara Montiel, conspire to steal the gold for their own purposes. Alliances are formed, quickly dissolved and others are formed. A ruse is successful in getting the gold to Veracruz where the Juarista troops attack the French in a bloody battle over the ownership of the gold. Erin attempts to steal the gold for himself by getting the countess to reveal the location of the ship she had hired to transport the gold. However, Trane arrives in time to stop him. In the end, Trane and Erin face off in a showdown that concludes with Erins death. Trane leaves the gold and walks through the dead bodies from the battle while the wives and mothers of the Juarista troops are searching for their loved ones.The film earned an estimatedmillion at the North American box office during its first run andmillion over all. ........

Source: Wikipedia