The 1968 European Western Shalako may have lost money during its original American theatrical release, but it has gone on to become a cult classic…and an important example of the genre. The film, now available in a new DVD and Blu-ray edition from KL Studio Classics, is based on the novel by Louis L’Amour. A fast-paced frontier actioner, the movie stars Sean Connery as the titular hero, a wandering gunfighter who rescues beautiful French countess Irina Lazaar (Brigitte Bardot) from Apache warriors. Soon, Shalako finds himself leading Lazaar’s party of travelling European aristocrats through dangerous Apache territory. Stephen Boyd, Woody Strode, and Connery’s Goldfinger co-star, Honor Blackman, also star.
Embedded at the top of this article is a vintage interview in which Connery discusses the making of the film, his working relationship with Bardot, how he prefers filming on location over shooting in a studio, and other interesting topics. It shows a legend in the prime of his career, and presents a look at the difficult work that goes on to create enduring motion picture memories.
