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» » El Diablo (1990)

Short summary

When the notorious outlaw El Diablo kidnaps a schoolgirl, her teacher, an Easterner named Billy Ray, decides to rescue her. Incompetent to track her alone, Billy Ray enlists the aid of an unscrupulous gunman.

El Diablo's guns remain cocked while still in the history holsters. A seasoned gun fighter would never do that.

John Carpenter was the films executive producer.

User reviews


  • comment
    • Author: Aedem
    Anthony Edwards plays Billy Ray Smith, a school teacher who sees a young, female student of his kidnapped by a ruthless Mexican known only as "El Diablo" played by Robert Beltran. Billy Ray sets out after this known killer not knowing how to shoot a gun, ride a horse or just about anything other cowboys could do. He is seeking the help of "Kid Durango" who he's read about and thinks is the fastest gun in the west. Along his journey, he meets and teams up with Thomas Van Leek, played by Louis Gossett, Jr. Van Leek is a no-nonsense gunslinger who shoots opponents in the back because "their back is to me." A few more mercenaries join the duo including "Preacher" played excellently by John Glover. When they find Kid Durango. played by Joe Pantoliano, Billy Ray discovers that his western hero is just a convincing novelist. This film was apparently made for TV and should have been seen by many more people. It's a hoot and lots of fun to watch.
  • comment
    • Author: Andromakus
    Wonderfully fun film that sometimes takes itself seriously, but mostly just has a lot of fun with the genre. Anthony Edwards is very well cast in his part, and Gossett is just fabulous as the "rode hard" old gunslinger who tries to turn Edwards into a western hero...sort of. Gossett's glorious line about why he shot someone in the back is no doubt destined to become a classic -- "Cuz that's the side he was pointing toward me." Whether you like westerns or not, this is definitely worth watching. And probably more than once.
  • comment
    • Author: Skunk Black
    Before degenerating into an endless series of heavy handed political screeds, HBO Pictures delivered many great made-for-TV movies including a half dozen or so respectable westerns.

    El Diablo is a fun comedy that simultaneously celebrates and debunks the mythology of the old west. The plot involves Anthony Edwards (in his Revenge Of The Nerds persona) as a meek, bumbling schoolteacher from the east who idolizes the cowpokes and gunmen of the pulp magazines he uses to teach his pupils.

    When a pretty teenage student is kidnapped by the infamous bandit El Diablo (Robert Beltran who's terrific), he sets out single handedly to rescue her, gathering together a colorful group of "badmen" each with his own agenda.

    Edwards and Louis Gossett Jr. head a great supporting cast with standout performances by John Glover and Joe Pantoliano as Kid "Durango". In fact, there's no slackers here!

    Though no Magnificent Seven, El Diablo is worth watching and worthwhile for fans.
  • comment
    • Author: Faezahn
    Because that's the way he was facing. I loved this western, it was one of the best I've ever seen. Gossett played a practical gunslinger who shot a man in the back if he had to in order to win and stay alive, not because he was a gutless wonder. He took a school teacher with 2 left hands under his wing after the man's fiancee is captured by a notorious murdering bank robber, El Diablo. Watching the instructor learn the ways of the west while becoming a tougher man was both amusing and exciting. Thumbs up.
  • comment
    • Author: X-MEN
    A very appealing comedy western. Anthony Edwards is very good as a tenderfoot schoolteacher from Boston who attempts to rescue one of his students (who is captured by the infamous El Diablo) without really knowing anything about the West or what his quest is going to entail. Luckily he meets up with a down-to-earth gunman who can help him along the way. Lou Gosset is excellent as the laidback, do whatever it takes gunfighter. When asked by Edwards why he shot a bad guy in the back he replies "Why, his back was to me." They meet up with a few other colorful characters and proceed to attempt the rescue. Good humor, good acting and colorful characterizations abound in this above average made for TV oater.
  • comment
    • Author: Tojahn
    Colorful characters, played by colorful actors almost push "El Diablo" beyond average, but not quite. There are several laugh out loud situations, but not enough to cover 108 minutes of this uneasy mixture of comedy and western. Lou Gossett and Anthony Edwards carry the film, with nice support from John Glover, Joe Pantoliano, and Robert Beltran. Unfortunately the straightforward fish out of water story is too simple and seems stretched to the max. There are a couple of instant classic lines however, my favorite being "You look a man straight in the back and then shoot him". I'm sure no horses were harmed during this movie either. LOL - MERK
  • comment
    • Author: Delirium
    John Carpenter who wrote and executive produced this film had often said that he was a big fan of westerns. He must have jumped at the opportunity to make this film and another western the following year, titled Blood River. True to form this is a Western in the truest sense with some fine adjustments.
  • comment
    • Author: Wenyost
    It seems that HBO reinvents itself every so often. I remember my dad defending it back when we first got it, saying that, "no it was not porn." Today HBO is serious political dramas and about a decade ago it was stunning original series.

    Back in the late 80s and early 90s it was the comedy king. Stand up, Comic Relief, Mr. Show, and original movies that were simply hysterical.

    El Diablo was made at the height of HBO's comedy agenda and it shows. The film is comedy played straight. One of the funniest Westerns that was ever released and one of the first and few released in the all to short Western Revival
  • Cast overview, first billed only:
    Anthony Edwards Anthony Edwards - Billy Ray Smith
    Louis Gossett Jr. Louis Gossett Jr. - Van Leek
    John Glover John Glover - The Preacher
    Joe Pantoliano Joe Pantoliano - Kid Durango
    Robert Beltran Robert Beltran - El Diablo
    M.C. Gainey M.C. Gainey - Bebe
    Miguel Sandoval Miguel Sandoval - Zamudio
    Sarah Trigger Sarah Trigger - Nettie Tuleen
    Branscombe Richmond Branscombe Richmond - Dancing Bear
    Jim Beaver Jim Beaver - Spivey Irick
    Geno Silva Geno Silva - Chak Mol
    David Dunard David Dunard - Pitchfork Napier
    Don Collier Don Collier - Jake
    Luis Contreras Luis Contreras - Pestoso
    Jesse Doran Jesse Doran - El Triste
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