Review of The Singer Not the Song (1961) by Stuart K — 23 Apr 2012

This has to be the weirdest film to have come from the Rank Organisation at that time, produced and directed by Roy Ward Baker (A Night to Remember (1958) and Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde (1971)), adapted from a 1953 novel by Audrey Erskine Lindop, this is a British take on a Western, set in Mexico, but filmed in Spain.

It begins when Irish priest Father Michael Keogh (John Mills) comes to a small Mexican town to take over from Father Gomez (Leslie French), this is post-revolution Mexico, and the country is still in a delicate state.

But, the town is being terrorised by a mysterious bandit in black known as Anacleto Comachi (Dirk Bogarde), while Father Michael wants to help restore the confidence of the town and have them stand up to Comanchi, he retaliates by going on a killing spree of people in town, by murdering them in alphabetical order.

But, when Comanchi beings a relationship with heiress Locha de Cortinez (Mylène Demongeot), daughter of wealthy landowner Pedro de Continez (Roger Delgado), Father Michael is forced to take action, whether he likes it or not.

You have to admire Baker for having the balls to make a film like this then, but it is jarring as most of the characters have English accents, but the Spanish locations, including Torremolinos, Málaga and Alora, come out well on film.

But, it is bemusing to watch...