Watched for the xxxxxxxx time "Rio Conchos" and I noticed again a strange scene with an interesting character , the confederate captain (they say "major" on wikipédia :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_Conchos_(film) but include two different characters...) who meets Richard Boone in the cantina - House Peters Jr. - when they reach the palace of the Colonel, he's introduced in the salon, and say something like that : "Sir, I've got to tell you something..." the Colonel dismisses him and we will then never know what he was about to say...(?)
Great classic Western anyway.
Someone is dealing rifles to the Apaches. White renegades are involved. And it's the job of Capt. Haven (Stuart Whitman) and Sgt. Franklyn (Jim Brown) to stop
onceuponatimeinawestern.com
When Capt. Johnson (Peters) acting for the crazy Col. Pardee arrives at the cantina looking for Rodriquez (Tony Fransciosa) he finds he's dead, as Lassiter (Boone) had just shot him. Lassiter had just let Rodriquez in on the fact he was working for the US Army to unravel Pardee's conspiracy, and wanted R. to aid him. Rodriguez responded by attempting to kill him so he could carry through a deal with Pardee ... but Lassiter got the drop on him.
Immediately afterward, Capt. Johnson (Peters) and some of his men arrive as Lassiter emerges from the room. The cantina owner (Phil Carey) introduces Lassiter to Johnson... noting that Lassiter was Col. Pardee's "friend" but Johnson was his "new man" (viz. Johnson, since the close of the war, had evidently replaced Lassiter as Pardee's right hand man). Johnson knows of Lassiter.
Lassiter states that he had been
partners with Rodriguez... that having killed him over a personal disagreement... he says that HE SPOKE for him now relative to selling stolen guns to Pardee's conspiracy. Johnson is suspicious... knowing that Lassiter had left Pardee's service, disagreeing with the postwar conspiracy...
Johnson is obviously suspicious about the circumstances of Rodriguez's death, and also perhaps also concerned that his position as Pardee's new right hand man was at stake should Lassiter join the colonel's conspiracy...
When both are next in the office with Col. Pardee (O'Brien), he appears to think Johnson's suspicions are merely of the self-serving kind, and waves him away, as he wants Lassiter to join him....
So, yes, Johnson's uniform jacket has the insignia of a Confederate Army captain...
But upon presenting with Lassiter (whom he disarmed) to Col. Pardee, Johnson is referred to by Pardee as "Major" Johnson, and Lassiter, his wartime major as "James!" So in Pardee's new force, Johnson's a major... having evidently taken the place of Major Lassiter who left Pardee at the close of the war... When the undercover Lassiter claims he finally wants to join Pardee's new army, Pardee refers to him as "Major" before the close of the scene...
Though, of course, shortly after, Lassiter gets into some hot water...
Bringing the