If you look back at 1969, the movie business was screaming. Change was everywhere. Old Hollywood was dying, and the "New Hollywood" era—defined by grit, sex, and subversion—was taking over. Enter 100 Rifles. At first glance, it looks like a standard "Zapata Western," those sweaty, dusty films set during the Mexican Revolution. But the cast of 100 Rifles did something that almost no other film at the time dared to do. It put a Black man, a white woman, and a Latino superstar in a blender of political unrest and sexual tension that made censors sweat.
It’s easy to dismiss it now as just another action flick you’d find on a late-night cable channel. Don’t do that.
The film stars Jim Brown, Raquel Welch, and Burt Reynolds. That trio alone is a fascinating snapshot of 1969. You had Brown, the NFL legend turned action hero; Welch, the reigning global sex symbol; and Reynolds, who was still trying to find the "mustache and charm" persona that would eventually make him the biggest star in the world.
The Jim Brown Factor: More Than an Athlete
Jim Brown plays Lyedecker, a lawman. He isn't a sidekick. He isn't the "token." He is the lead.
When we talk about the cast of 100 Rifles, we have to start with Brown’s presence. This was only a few years after he’d stunned the world by retiring from football at the peak of his career to pursue acting. In 100 Rifles, he brings a physicality that feels dangerous. He isn't playing a refined hero. He’s blunt. He’s massive.
The real controversy, of course, was the interracial romance between Brown and Raquel Welch’s character, Sarita. Today, we don't blink. In 1969? It was a tectonic shift. While Guess Who's Coming to Dinner had handled interracial themes with a polite, dinner-table gentleness a couple of years earlier, 100 Rifles threw it into a steamy shower scene. It was raw. It was provocative. It was one of the first times a major Hollywood production featured a "hot" interracial relationship without making the entire plot a "social lesson." They were just two people in a war who happened to want each other.
Raquel Welch and the Burden of the Icon
Raquel Welch was tired of being a statue. By 1969, she was famous for One Million Years B.C., where she basically wore a fur bikini and said nothing.
In the cast of 100 Rifles, she’s trying to fight that image. She plays Sarita, a revolutionary. Does the camera still objectify her? Absolutely. Director Tom Gries knew what sold tickets. But Welch brings a surprising amount of steel to the role. There’s a scene involving a shower and a locomotive—yeah, it’s famous for the wrong reasons—but if you watch her performance, she’s playing the character as a grieving, vengeful woman, not just a pin-up.
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She and Brown reportedly didn't get along on set. Rumors of their friction were tabloid fodder for months. Some say it was personality clashes; others say it was Brown’s aggressive flirting. Whatever the truth, that tension actually translates well on screen. You can feel the prickliness between them. It works.
Burt Reynolds Before He Was "Burt"
Then there’s Burt.
In the cast of 100 Rifles, Burt Reynolds plays Yaqui Joe, a half-Indian bank robber who uses the stolen money to buy—you guessed it—100 rifles for his people. This was before the Smokey and the Bandit era. He’s wearing dark makeup to look "ethnic," which is a glaring, uncomfortable reminder of how Hollywood handled casting back then.
Honestly, it's weird to watch now.
Reynolds hadn't quite figured out his "thing" yet. He’s playing it relatively straight, though you can see flashes of that trademark smirk. He was actually the third choice for the role. But his chemistry with Brown is the backbone of the movie. They function as a "buddy cop" duo before that was even a solidified genre. They argue, they fight, they eventually respect each other. It’s a blueprint for every action movie we saw in the 80s.
The Supporting Players You Might Recognize
While the big three get the posters, the rest of the cast of 100 Rifles is filled with incredible character actors:
- Fernando Lamas: He plays the villain, General Verdugo. Lamas was a veteran of the "Latin Lover" roles in the 40s and 50s, but here he’s a cold-blooded military man. He’s great at being hateable.
- Dan O'Herlihy: A brilliant Irish actor who plays the railroad representative. He brings a touch of "civilized" evil to the dusty landscape.
- Eric Braeden: Listed in the credits as Hans Gudegast. You might know him as Victor Newman from The Young and the Restless. Here, he’s a German military advisor. It’s a trip to see him this young.
Why the Production Was a Mess
The movie was filmed in Spain, specifically Almería. This was the "Hollywood of the Desert."
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It was a grueling shoot. The heat was oppressive. The budget was ballooning. And then you had the egos. You have Jim Brown, who is used to being the alpha in every room. You have Raquel Welch, who is the most photographed woman in the world and knows her worth. And you have Burt Reynolds, who is hungry for stardom.
The director, Tom Gries, had just come off the success of Will Penny, which is a very quiet, sensitive Western. 100 Rifles was the opposite. It was loud, violent, and messy. Gries struggled to keep his leads from killing each other, but somehow, that chaotic energy made it onto the celluloid.
The Legacy of the 100 Rifles Cast
Why does this specific cast matter decades later?
It's about the breaking of the "Production Code" spirit. Even though the Code was technically dead by '69, the lingering "rules" about what audiences would accept were still being tested. The cast of 100 Rifles proved that an interracial pairing could lead a box office hit. It proved that an athlete could be a legitimate leading man.
Critics at the time weren't kind. They called it "standard" or "trashy." They missed the point.
The movie is a bridge. It bridges the gap between the classic, moralistic Westerns of John Wayne and the ultra-violent, cynical Westerns of Sam Peckinpah (who released The Wild Bunch the same year).
What You Should Look For Next Time You Watch
If you’re going to revisit the film, don’t just watch the explosions. Watch the power dynamics.
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- The Wardrobe: Look at how Welch’s outfits change. She starts as a peasant and ends as a soldier.
- The Stunt Work: Jim Brown did a lot of his own stuff. His sheer athleticism is terrifying when he’s barreling toward a stuntman.
- The Dialogue: Listen to the way Brown and Reynolds talk to each other. It’s surprisingly modern. It’s less "Howdy, partner" and more "I’m going to kill you if you don't shut up."
Practical Takeaways for Film Buffs
If you’re a fan of 60s cinema or just curious about how we got to modern action movies, 100 Rifles is a mandatory watch.
Where to find it: It pops up frequently on streaming services like Tubi or Amazon Prime. It’s also available on Blu-ray through labels like Kino Lorber, which usually includes some great commentary tracks about the behind-the-scenes drama.
Pairing it: If you want a double feature, watch this alongside The Dirty Dozen. It’s Jim Brown’s other big 60s hit and shows his range (or lack thereof, depending on who you ask).
The Verdict: The cast of 100 Rifles wasn't just a group of actors; they were a social experiment in a cowboy hat. It’s not a perfect movie, but it’s a significant one. It pushed boundaries that paved the way for the diverse casting we see in blockbusters today.
Next time you see a major action movie with a diverse lead cast, remember that Jim Brown and Raquel Welch were doing it in the dirt of Spain back in 1969, while the rest of the world was still figuring out if they were allowed to sit at the same lunch counter.
Actionable Insight: To truly appreciate the historical weight of the cast of 100 Rifles, research the "Greenlee County" filming locations in Spain. Many of the sets used for this film were also used in Sergio Leone’s "Dollars Trilogy," providing a visual roadmap of how the Western evolved from stylized art to gritty, social commentary.