Yaqui Joe describes himself as the son of a Yaqui Indian mother and a father from Alabama. Reynolds plays him for most of the film as the good ol' boy he would perfect in such films as Gator, White Lightning and Smokey and the Bandit. This is classic Burt, with the infectious laugh and the self-effacing humor. 100 Rifles may be considered significant in providing the origin of one of Reynolds' more enduring relationships, with stunt man Hal Needham, who eventually directed Reynolds almost ten years later in some of their best (Hooper and worst Cannonball Run II) films as a team.

Yaqui Joe is wanted for robbing a bank in Arizona. The money was used to buy the 100 rifles on behalf of rebelling Yaqui Indians. Joe is being chased in Mexico by a part-time sheriff named Lyedecker, played by Jim Brown. The Indians are being oppressed by an evil Mexican general portrayed by Fernando Lamas. The audience is set up to hate Lamas and his army because in the first scene of 100 Rifles, they hang Raquel Welch's father. In case anyone misses the point on how evil Lamas is, his German military advisor suggests genocide for dealing with the Indians, giving the audience a proto-Nazi to hiss at as well. Lamas steals the cache of rifles. Reynolds, Brown and Welch steal them back. There is also some back and forth business with railroad magnate Dan O'Herlihy who is willing to do business with almost everyone.

Considering some of the talent involved, it's a wonder that 100 Rifles wasn't a better movie. Having no familiarity with the source novel by Robert MacLeod, I can only observe that the character of Yaqui Joe and the concern about Indians rights thematically fits with the other works of co-screenwriter Clair Huffaker. Co-writer and director, Tom Gries had previously made that critically acclaimed, but little seen Will Penny the previous year. Huffaker also wrote Rio Conchos, the film that served as Jim Brown's film debut. It should be noted that the DVD release is a PG version of a film originally rated R. As I haven't seen the film in over thirty years, I can not say exactly what all the alterations are, although there is some obvious doodling with inaudible or muffled dialogue. One can see Reynolds lips move while uttering a bon mot after a priest is killed. 100 Rifles will never be considered a classic, but Fox's tampering of the film is questionable, disallowing this curio to speak for itself.