''Caboblanco'' is a 1980 American

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by

J. Lee Thompson John Lee Thompson (1 August 1914 – 30 August 2002) was a British film director, active in London and Hollywood, best known for award-winning films such as ''Woman in a Dressing Gown'', ''Ice Cold in Alex'' and '' The Guns of Navarone'' along w ...

, starring Charles Bronson,

Dominique Sanda Dominique Marie-Françoise Renée Varaigne (born 11 March 1951), professionally known as Dominique Sanda, is a French actress and former fashion model. Life and career Sanda was born in Paris, to Lucienne (née Pichon) and Gérard Varaigne. She ...

and

Jason Robards Jason Nelson Robards Jr. (July 26, 1922 – December 26, 2000) was an American actor. Known as an interpreter of the works of playwright Eugene O'Neill, Robards received two Academy Awards, a Tony Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and the Cannes ...

. The film has often been described as a remake of '' Casablanca''. The movie marks the third collaboration between Bronson and director J. Lee Thompson (following 1976's '' St. Ives'' and 1977's ''

The White Buffalo ''The White Buffalo'' is a 1977 fantasy Western film directed by J. Lee Thompson and starring Charles Bronson, Kim Novak, Jack Warden, Slim Pickens and Will Sampson. Plot Wild Bill Hickok is haunted by his dreams of a giant white buffal ...

'').

Plot

Giff Hoyt (Bronson), a cafe owner in

Cabo Blanco, Peru Cabo Blanco is a fishing village in northwestern Peru, 3 km northwest from El Alto, Talara, Piura. It was famous in the past among big-game fishermen and today is a noted surf break. The village takes its name from the light coloured nearby m ...

after World War II is caught between refuge-seeking Nazis and their enemies. After the murder of a sea explorer is passed off as accidental death by the corrupt local police, Giff becomes suspicious. The police chief (Rey) also intimidates a new arrival Marie (Sanda), and Giff intervenes to help her. Giff suspects Beckdorff (Robards), a Nazi refugee living in the area. Beckdorff, it emerges, is seeking to uncover sunken treasure.

Cast

Production

Bronson said, "I was drawn to it because it didn't have too much violence in it. The script read and smelled like the kind of thing I enjoyed as a kid, something far away from the mines." According to co-producer Lance Hool, there was a two-hour version of the film released in 1979 to Italy, France, Sweden, Portugal, Greece, Argentina, and Venezuela that contained additional chase and action scenes. After being turned down for distribution by all the major studios, director Thompson then supervised cuts for a 96- and 87-minute version.

Clifton James George Clifton James (May 29, 1920 – April 15, 2017) was an American actor known for roles as a prison floorwalker in ''Cool Hand Luke'' (1967), Sheriff J.W. Pepper alongside Roger Moore in the James Bond films '' Live and Let Die'' (19 ...

' role as an American tourist was completely excised, although his name still appears on the credits.

Reception

Critical response

The film was poorly received by critics, described as an "appalling rehash" of ''Casablanca'' and as "indescribably inept" by Time Out.

Halliwell's Film Guide Robert James Leslie Halliwell (23 February 1929 – 21 January 1989) was a British film critic, encyclopaedist and television rights buyer for ITV, the British commercial network, and Channel 4. He is best known for his reference guides, '' Fil ...

described it as a "witless spoof of ''Casablanca'' which seems to have been cobbled together from a half-finished negative." Jerry Vermilye states that the movie's producers advised the trade press that it was not a remake of ''Casablanca'', arguing that the similarities were very limited.

References

External links

* * {{J. Lee Thompson 1980 films 1980s adventure drama films American adventure drama films 1980s English-language films Films directed by J. Lee Thompson Films scored by Jerry Goldsmith Films set in Peru Films set in 1948 1980 drama films 1980s American films