Cannon for Cordoba Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Cannon for Cordoba Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 17, 2026

Paul Wendkos' "Cannon for Cordoba" (1970) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Imprint Films. The supplemental features on the release include new audio commentary by critic Toby Roan; new video essay by filmmaker and critic Erik Clapp; and vintage promotional materials for the film. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

A good fire can make even the most stubborn men talk

It was a few weeks after I acquired Code Red’s release of Nashville Girl in 2015 that I decided to collect as many of Gus Trikonis’ films as I could get. It did not matter if I could acquire them on Blu-ray or DVD. I looked at Trikonis’ body of work, and I could not figure out what type of films he was comfortable directing. In the early 1970s, Trikonis directed Supercock, The Swinging Barmaids, Nashville Girl, The Student Body, Moonshine County Express, and The Evil, and then moved to work on a wide range of TV projects. These films are so different in terms of style, tone, and attitude, and yet so nicely done, that to say I was intrigued would be a major understatement. During the 1970s, various independent American directors did what Trikonis did -- which of course is one of many reasons the decade remains the greatest for American cinema -- but I genuinely believe that too many important people did not realize how interesting an auteur he was. Why? Because regardless of the genre identity of his films, Trikonis was always shooting an Americana. (Yes, even Supercock, which was done in the Philippines, is an exotic piece of Americana. This is why it is the best companion piece to Monte Hellman’s cult classic Cockfighter). Even later, in the 1980s and 1990s, after he lost the freedom to be as creative as he was in the past while working on TV projects, Trikonis continued to produce content with the updated qualities of modern Americana. You don’t believe me? See Love on the Run or The Great Pretender.

Paul Wendkos began making films a lot earlier, but I think he was a similarly interesting auteur. He did all kinds of different films, plenty of which were made for TV as well. I have not seen all of them because he was far more prolific than Trikonis, but I have seen enough to conclude that he kept getting offers to direct because he did very well with a wide range of projects. They were just not the type of big projects that would force people whose opinions in the film industry mattered the most to declare that Wendkos was a top director who could work with the best of the best.

Too bad.

Wendkos directed Cannon for Cordoba in 1970, and as far as I am concerned, this film is a classic spaghetti western that belongs in the company of the very best of its kind. No, I would not place Cannon for Cordoba next to Once Upon a Time in the West, A Fistful of Dynamite, and The Great Silence. However, I think that it is every bit as impressive as Day of Anger and Cemetery Without Crosses, and unquestionably better than Tepepa. Strangely, it is the only spaghetti western Wendkos directed.

Now, here is something even stranger. Cannon for Cordoba unites several big stars at the peak of their careers -- George Peppard, Raf Vallone, Gabriele Tinti, and Giovanna Ralli. These four stars quite easily could have been directed by Gianfranco Parolini, Duccio Tessari, or Sergio Garrone in a big-budget European spaghetti western that would have done very well on both sides of the Atlantic. This is a very solid cast that practically guarantees a very solid film, which is exactly what Cannon for Cordoba turned out to be.

The events that are chronicled in Cannon for Cordoba take place sometime during the year 1912, on the border between Texas and Mexico, where General John J. (Blackjack) Pershing and his soldiers are clashing with General Hector Cordoba (Vallone) and his thugs. While pretending to be revolutionaries, Cordoba and his thugs have taken control of the area and made it impossible for people on both sides of the border to do business and live their lives as they should. When General Pershing’s initial efforts to restore order fail, Captain Rod Douglas (Peppard) and several misfits decide to destroy Cordoba from within by setting a trap that is more likely to fail than succeed. The key piece in this trap is a foreign beauty (Ralli) and a Mexican patriot (Tinti) with an axe to grind.

Wendkos directs with confidence and precision that are very, very impressive. However, the cast looks very comfortable, meaning that Wendkos probably allowed plenty of improvisation too. The entire film looks great, but the second half, where Douglas and his men reach Cordoba’s stronghold, is just glorious. Wendkos worked with cinematographer Antonio Macasoli, who lensed the very entertaining and equally good-looking caper Grand Slam.

Cannon for Cordoba Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Cannon for Cordoba arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Imprint Films.

The release is sourced from the same older master that Kino Lorber worked with to produce its now out-of-print release in 2017. While this master has several small but unmissable limitations, I like it quite a lot. It produces visuals with strong organic qualities, virtually all of which hold up very well on a large screen. Delineation, clarity, and depth are almost always very good as well. Ideally, grain exposure should be slightly more convincing, but there are no traces of any problematic digital corrections, including grain management. Color balance is very good. Saturation can be improved a bit, and some ranges of blues and reds/pinks can be rebalanced, but without trading the blues for turquoise or the greens and browns for some other foreign primaries. Image stability is very good, too. A few nicks and blemishes pop up here and there, but there are no large and distracting cuts, marks, warped or torn frames to report. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Cannon for Cordoba Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

I mentioned in our review of Kino Lorber's release of Cannon for Cordoba that MGM's lossless track can benefit from a nice remastering job. I still believe this to be the case. From time to time, some exchanges are not as easy to follow as they should be because clarity is somewhat uneven. However, there are no serious age-related anomalies. In fact, the upper register, where older tracks sometimes reveals weaknesses, is very solid.

Cannon for Cordoba Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critic Toby Roan, who specializes in classic and cult westerns. I always enjoy listening to Roan's commentaries, and his observations and comments here are again excellent. Roan shares plenty of factual information about the casting, production, and reception of Cannon for Cordoba, its similarities to The Magnificent Seven and The Dirty Dozen, and the period from which the film emerged. Also, Roan presents plenty of good information about the careers of director Paul Wendkos and the stars, and some of the bigger films they appeared in.

• Leftover Lasagna: The Many Layers of Cordoba - this exclusive new video essay was created by filmmaker and critic Erik Clapp. In English, not subtitled. (15 min).

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage trailer for Cannon for Cordoba. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• TV Promo - presented here is a vintage Australian TV spot for Cannon for Cordoba. In English, not subtitled. (1 min).

Cannon for Cordoba Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Cannon for Cordoba is the one and only spaghetti western Paul Wendkos directed, and I think it is as good as some of the classic spaghetti westerns that were shot on the other side of the Atlantic. George Peppard leads with such impressive authority and style in it, I wish he had been cast in more similar genre films with some of the big Italian directors who made them. Imprint Films' release is sourced from an older but solid organic master, supplied by MGM, and unlike Kino Lorber's out of print release, it has optional English subtitles. Also, it has a couple of exclusive new bonus features. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.