On 5 Feb 1968, DV announced that Vince Edwards had been cast in the leading role in The Marauders for producer Irving Allen and director Henry Levin, who previously collaborated on Genghis Khan (1965), Murderers’ Row (1966, see entry), and The Ambushers (1967, see entry). Later that month, the 28 Feb 1968 edition reported that Walter Brough was traveling to the location site in Madrid, Spain, to complete the screenplay, based on a story that reviews credited to Genghis Khan writer Clarke Reynolds.
       Principal photography began 1 Apr 1968, as stated in a DV production chart published four days later. The 8 May 1968 Var reported that filmmakers were halfway through the seven to eight-week schedule, and a 29 May 1968 DV item suggested that Edwards and co-star George Maharis had recently completed their roles. That same day, Var announced Columbia Pictures’ decision to change the title to The Desperados for distribution.
       A 7 Oct 1968 LAT feature on Spanish actress Teresa Gimpera referred to her inclusion in the cast, but this could not be corroborated by other contemporary sources.
       The following spring, the 25 Mar 1969 DV reported that the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) had assigned the film an “M” rating, as “Suggested for Mature Audiences.”
       Additional sources claimed that The Desperados debuted in Houston, TX, on 30 Apr 1969, and later opened as the second feature in a double bill with Columbia’s The Mad Room (see entry) beginning 4 Jun 1969 in Los Angeles, CA, and the following day in New York City. Several months later, the 26 Nov 1969 Var indicated that the showcase engagement had expanded to thirty-one theaters, although the film remained part of a double bill. More Less