Elfego Baca: The Nine Lives of Elfego Baca on AllMovie

Elfego Baca was another of several miniseries developed by producer Walt Disney in hopes of matching the earlier success of the Davy Crockett programs. Originally telecast on the Walt Disney Presents anthology, this newest effort was launched with the first of its ten episodes, "The Nine Lives of Elfego Baca." Based on the memoirs of the real-life Baca, the miniseries stars Robert Loggia as the title character, a former gunslinger who becomes a lawyer in 1880s New Mexico. Arriving in the town of Frisco, Elfego Baca subdues a drunken rowdy, much to the delight of the townsfolk and the embarrassment of the cowardly sheriff. Deputized by the local justice of the peace, Elfego learns that he has been marked for death by the drunk's scurrilous friends. The bad guys try to kill Baca with guns and gunpowder, but he proves to have more lives than a cat. Based on a true incident, "The Nine Lives of Elfego Baca" was later edited together with the second episode in the miniseries, "Four Down and Five Lives to Go" and released overseas as a theatrical feature.