Take a Hard Ride

• Directed by Antonio Margheriti as Anthony Dawson
• October 29, 1975

A cowboy and a dishonest gambler try to transport a large sum of money across hundreds of miles to deliver it to the widow of the cowboy’s boss.

I am game for any Western-especially an older one. Take a Hard Ride was a complete unknown to me until not that long ago but given the cast I just had to take a look because it had some real talent. Lee Van Cleef. Jim Brown. Fred Williamson. Jim Kelly. It is a group that strikes me as a bit eclectic but one that could work in a Western. Jim Kelly was the one in the group I had seen the least of but Van Cleef was a great bad guy with Brown and Williamson being stars of the blaxploitation genre promised great characters.

There are elements of social consciousness that touch on concerns of the mid 70s (and today as well) but in an Old Weste setting. The plot is simple: two men, ranch hand Pike (Jim Brown) and cheating gambler Tyree (Fred Williamson), are taking $86,000 to the US/Mexico border while being hunted by various greedy people pushed into action by bounty hunter Kiefer (Lee Van Cleef) who is just after Pike over an unspecified crime.

Pike and tyree are not two pals on an adventure. Tyree makes it quite clear that once the pair makes it to the border he plans on shooting Pike and taking the money. And Pike is under no illusions that once they get there he will be safe. So with that there’s always an air of danger between the two. 

Jim Brown as Pike is stoic and cool. He’s a man with a mysterious past that they never really explain. He has turned his life around after committing some serious crime and is attempting to honor the last wishes of his deceased employer. Fred Williamson as Tyree is charming as the cheating gambler. He’s always looking for an easy payday and uses snakes apparently to cause enough confusion so he can switch cards. It is not an unknown tactic yet he still finds opponents They are tough men and sure of themselves. They have doubts but are not hindered by them.

Lee Van Cleef is the main threat and as was often the case intimidating and menacing without doing much at all while in a scene. A tough presence is a largely lost art in film. Kiefer may be a bit racist but he is more focused on doing his job no matter the cost than on the color of his quarry’s skin. He is in steady pursuit of Pike baiting various victims along the way with a promise of the money Pike has. No matter how many men he throws at Pike and Tyree they are able to handle them all.

I found the addition of Jim Kelly as the mute Indian scout Kashtok interesting. As a performer he was a part of such classics as Enter the Dragon, Black Belt Jones, and Three the Hard Way which also paired him with Brown and Williamson. In this film he adds martial arts skills which were certainly popular to place in film at this time but unusual to see in a Western. Kung Fu aside, how many Westerns featured a guy leaping through the air to kick a man in the face?

There are a lot of elements thrown into this. You have a former Confederate who runs a secret group that apparently Kiefer is connected to, but not really and then he’s gone. The prostitute Catherine (Catherine Spaak) comes in and goes out mostly to drop off the character of Kashtok. A boy they meet named Chico (Robin Baker Levitt) talks about wanting a gun to kill the man that killed his father but that goes nowhere. There is just too much here and not enough time to use at all. The real meat of the story is between Pike and Tyree and their relationship. There was not nearly enough time spent on that as they added in pieces.

There are themes of honor by keeping to your word over taking the easy way out in Take a Hard Ride. Pike could easily abscond with the money, and no one would ever be able to find him most likely. But he gave his word and intends to start that community where everybody can get along which sounds an awful lot like a commune but anyway…

The music is absolutely fantastic in this. Jerry Goldsmith outdid himself here. The soundtrack by itself is well worth listening to. There are a few notes I found reminiscent of anything from the mid-70s but overall great film music.

While not a classic, Take a Hard Ride is an entertaining Western. The acting is good, and the film is exciting despite having a bit too much in it. If you can find it, it is worth a watch for fans of Westerns.