Favorite Westerns: The Good, the Bad & the Bootlegs

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A BULLET FOR SANDOVAL 1969 aka QUEI DISPERATI CHE PUZZANO DI SUDORE E DI MORTE aka THE DESPERADOES

George Hilton (John Warner), Ernest Borgnine (Don Pedro Sandoval), Leo Anchoriz (Friar Converso)

Directed by Julio Buchs

John Warner, a Confederate soldier, learns that his girlfriend is soon to have his baby. He deserts his regiment the night before a great battle to be by her side. He is then captured and about to be executed when he escapes with the help of two friends. Upon his arrival at Sandoval's home, he learns that she has died giving birth. Her father, Don Pedro Sandoval, blames Warner for her death. He forces him to take the child, sick from an outbreak of Cholera, to leave and never return. The child soon dies. Warner swears revenge on Sandoval and forms a gang of vicious thugs and deserters. The group rampage across the land until the fateful meeting with Sandoval. During a violent battle, the military corners Warner and his gang in a coliseum for a final, grim showdown.

Hilton, who seemed to be more at home in overly silly comedy westerns such as ANY GUN CAN PLAY (1967), MAN CALLED INVINCIBLE (1973) or playing less than serious roles in MASSACRE TIME (1966) and RED BLOOD, YELLOW GOLD (1968) occasionally dabbled in serious roles like THE MOMENT TO KILL (1968) and THE RUTHLESS FOUR (1968). But here, he evocatively portrays a destroyed and broken man who has nothing left but hate. The scenes leading up to the moment Warner joins "the Dark Side", you get the impression he has tried very hard to do the right thing but people around him refuse to allow it. Most notably Sandoval who holds nothing but contempt for Warner.

But when Warner tries to get the occupants of a small town to give him some milk for his sick child which they quickly refuse when they learn the baby is sick from the Cholera outbreak, Warner goes over the deep end. This point is fully realized as Warner buries the dead infant leaving his humanity behind and "living" only for revenge not just against Sandoval, but against mankind. If the Army had only granted him the chance to see his girlfriend a final time, if the town had only helped him save his infant and if only Sandoval had accepted him then maybe things would not have ended up the way they did.

Hilton is excellent in this role and perfectly captures the melancholy and dread you would expect for a man who has totally lost his sanity. Even though by this point, he is clearly not a hero nor an anti-hero but you still feel sympathy for him regardless even in the face of the cruel events he participates in.

Much has been made of Warner's and Sandoval's final confrontation. Reviewers say you are denied the "Bullet for Sandoval" of the title since the two fight inside a holding pen of a rampaging bull. Sandoval is mortally gored by the animal and Warner just watches as the bull mutilates him. First, the films original title is not A BULLET FOR SANDOVAL, second, by allowing Sandoval to be mauled by the bull, the hate within Warner is visualized further. Instead of putting a bullet into Sandoval, relieving him of a more violent, less dignified death, Warner decides to watch his hated enemy succumb to the powerful weight and fury of the wild bull.

Borgnine is also very good as the somewhat unhinged Don Pedro Sandoval. He has nothing but hate for Warner which is incited further with the death of his daughter. Even though I felt he was totally wrong for the part as he doesn't sound anything at all like a Spaniard, he was probably chosen for his marketability anyway. Regardless, he does a fine job making you despise him. Sandoval and Warner share a lot in common in the film as both lose everything over something so minuscule. All because Sandoval refused to accept him as a husband for his daughter, many lives were either destroyed or lost throughout the films running time. In fact, the remainder of the cast is made of similarly lost souls such as cutthroats, deserters and a fallen priest who all join Warner's band of killers.

The ending is handled quite well as the military finally catch up with Warner and his band cornering them inside a coliseum. The group are surrounded in the center with the soldiers lined all around in the seats of the arena. Realizing there is no escape, the gangsters go out guns blazing ending the film on something of a downer.

Director Buch's perfectly captures an atmosphere of dank hopelessness and dread not only by filling his movie with sadistic, heartless characters, but also the presence of Cholera which assists in the frightened nature of some of the individuals in the movie giving weight to their actions. In fact, the film begins unlike a typical western appearing at first glance like a horror film as we see a field littered with corpses and a man cutting a ring from a dead man's fingers. Buch's film seems to revolve mostly around the nature of hate and in that he succeeds as everybody seems to hate somebody in the movie. It's not a perfect film by any means and the final third of the film never quite matches the downbeat theatrics of the opening 30 to 40 minutes which isn't to say the latter portions are any less good, only the action scenes take over peppered with the earlier, more despicable nuances.

Supposedly, it was rumored that Fulci co-directed this film with Buch's but that has been found to be just that, a rumor. The US DVD is quite nice quality-wise, only it's missing something like 10 minutes. Mostly dialog, the cut scenes are present on a Spanish VHS. The additional footage could only enhance this already unappreciated and highly recommended gem.

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DJANGO, THE LAST KILLER 1967 aka L' ULTIMO KILLER aka THE LAST KILLER

George Eastman (Ramon/Chico), Anthony Ghidra (Django), Daniele Vargas (Barrett), Gianni Medici (Bart)

Directed by Guiseppe Vari; Score by Roberto Pregadio

Barrett and Bart both scheme to push all the ranchers off their lands to take control and utilize the property for their own means. However, Barrett prefers to take his time using patience to accomplish his goals while his partner, Bart, prefers to use force. When Ramon's family is killed, he swears revenge. He meets up with Django who teaches him how to use a gun. Meanwhile, Barrett has paid Django to assassinate someone for him. During the finale, Ramon attacks Barrett's place getting his revenge but leaves as a broken man.

A fairly mundane and meandering spaghetti western which opens rather lazily. It improves a bit as the film goes on but not by much. It's a shame as the storyline has the potential to be made into a good movie. The pedestrian direction from Vari keeps the film from being anything more than average. The villain, Bart, is suitably mean and easily the best character of the film but he exits early. The final showdown isn't much to talk about either.

Eastman is okay as the Mexican avenger although at times I wondered if he was in fact the main character. He is, but he does so little with the role never doing anything to bring the film above average status. It is cool nonetheless to see the GRIM REAPER appear in any genre film but he is definitely not into the role as much as he was in CHUCK MOOL (1968).

The actor playing Django, Anthony Ghidra is not memorable at all and seems uncomfortable holding a gun. He apparently wasn't given any time to practice fancy tricks with his pistol as he twirls the gun slowly everytime he shoots or the camera zooms in on him as he is about to do it. It's actually a bit funny. Throughout the film, Django tries to bring out the animal in Ramon/Chico by angering him in any way possible whether it be by insulting him or his woman. By doing this, he tries to force the dormant feelings of retribution within him to make him a killer. This part is handled well.

Vari also directed SHOOT THE LIVING & PRAY FOR THE DEAD (1971), a showcase for Klaus Kinski but that film is mostly a suspense western that reminded me a bit of THE THING (1982). No real action till the end, though but Kinski gets some good scenes. Vari also directed ROME AGAINST ROME (1964;aka WAR OF THE ZOMBIES) a peplum I badly want to see.

Arguably the best aspect of DJANGO, THE LAST KILLER is the marvelous score by Roberto Pregadio. I have a suite of it on a compilation disc and it's great to have the film it was made for. If the score wasn't as good as it is, the film wouldn't even be average. Pregadio seems to be an unsung master at SW scores. He delivered what is to me the finest SW soundtrack with THE FORGOTTEN PISTOLERO (1969).

Again, I wanted to like this movie a lot but it just seemed so uninvolved and slow. Maybe a later viewing will change my opinion a bit but the lackadaisical approach to the material caused me to lose interest. It's not a bad film, just average.

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MANNAJA, A MAN CALLED BLADE 1977

Maurizio Merli, Phillipe Leroy, John Steiner, Donal O'brien

A bounty hunter arrives in the mud caked town of Suttonville and offers his services to rich businessman McGowan who runs the silver mine. After several uneasy encounters with McGowan and his brutal henchman, Voller, it is discovered that Blade has a hidden vendetta to settle with the town dictator and his cohorts.

MANNAJA from 1977 is serviceable but is let down by an ending that feels a bit rushed. CALIFORNIA, starring Guiliano Gemma from the same year has the same gloomy doom laden atmosphere and sense of dread but is a much better picture. MANNAJA is good also but mostly because of its evil and despicable villain. There are also some decent characterizations along the way and a couple of good action scenes but it just doesn't seem like enough. The ending was the biggest letdown for me as I was expecting more. Still, for the price, it's worth picking up for the gothic horror style setting which recalls such films as GREAT SILENCE (1968), DJANGO (1966) and the horror pictures of Mario Bava. Several scenes of violence and gore grab your attention and Maurizio Merli who was famous for his Italian crime films, makes a good western anti-hero in his one stab at the genre.

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MASSACRE TIME 1966 aka TEMPO DI MASSACRO

Franco Nero (Tom Corbett), Nino Castelnuovo (Jason), George Hilton (Jeff)

Nero is Tom Corbett. He returns home after receiving a distressing letter regarding his father. When he arrives he finds everyone acting very oddly. His father's home and assets have been taken over by a Mr. Scott and his psychopathic son Jason (Castelnuovo). Tom also has a brother, Jeff (Hilton) who is also a drunk. Together the two brothers restore there name and get revenge for their family against Scott and his sadistic son.

I was surprised not only by how enjoyable it was but the level of violence for a western film from 1966. Lucio Fulci really shows early signs of where he would be heading in later years. Fernando di Leo also wrote this one. An interesting plot with only a few minor quibbles that DO NOT hinder ones enjoyment of the film. First, something that's not so bad as opposed to unexpected, George Hilton steals the movie out from under Franco Nero who doesn't really show signs of life until towards the end.

Hilton was so much fun to watch that it could've been just him in the film and the movie would still be good. Nero seems to be playing two parts here. In several scenes Nero wears an outfit VERY similar to his look in DJANGO and appears to play the character that way. However, when he is wearing the standard cowboy garb he plays the character differently. Perhaps it was just me but it seemed a bit odd and I believe this film was released in Germany as a DJANGO sequel too.

Lastly, the action sequences (not the gun battles) are undercranked WAAAYYYY too much making the scenes look like they'd be right at home in a 1920s silent picture. Still, these scenes as well as the gun battles are very creative and a breath of fresh air compared with the usual players standing on opposite sides running and shooting at each other. Some of them looking suspiciously like they were choreographed by a Hong Kong action crew.

The villain is unusually sadistic also and the characters have a penchant for unloading there guns into one person with some of them still staggering around after taking a few slugs adding to the over the top atmosphere of the proceedings. Definitely worth checking out. The region one disc picture quality isn't the best and the Italian DVD isn't much better but there is an interview with George Hilton sans any subs I'm afraid. The Italian DVD is still the way to go.

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FAST HAND IS STILL MY NAME 1972 aka MI CHIAMAVANO REQUIESCAT... MA AVEVANO SBAGLIATO 1972

Alan Steel (Sergio Ciani), William Berger

A sadistic Confederate goes on a rampage after his brother was killed by a Union soldier.

Directed by Mario Bianchi as Frank Bronston on the dupe I have. I assumed the film was a comedy in the TRINITY style because of the title but was shocked to find there was nothing funny about it at all. A very serious movie with the by now worn out Civil War revenge scenario. Here, Berger plays Muchedo, a sadistic Confederate soldier on a rampage after his brother is killed by the Union. Steel is Jeff Madison, a Captain for a Union regiment whose men are tortured and killed. Madison is also tortured and left for dead. He manages to escape and goes after Muchedo and his gang.

The violence level is quite high in this and Berger plays a more nasty villain than usual. He enjoys making sure his victims are dead. There's also a right cruel torture scene about 40 minutes in where a guy is beaten, his crotch manhandled, burned with a hot poker several times and then shot repeatedly after a sheet is placed over his face.The score is, IMO, a bit out of place and doesn't fit the film at all including some jazz styled cues. There's also a prolonged sex scene which is something rare for these movies.

Steel is okay as the Union hero. He follows in the footsteps of Steve Reeves who also did a Spaghetti Western, A LONG RIDE FROM HELL (1968) which is better than this film. A number of the peplum stars dabbled in Euro westerns usually for just one movie. Kirk Morris (Adriano Bellini), the only other Italian star aside from Steel (Sergio Ciani) to appear in fusto movies also did a western, the musical, RITA OF THE WEST (1967). Dan Vadis was probably the most successful of the muscleman actors to make the transition to westerns unless you count Gemma although he never played a lead in any peplum films I'm aware of not to mention he was much smaller than his co-stars.

While it's not a bad film, it's not overly memorable either. The ending is funny though as it seems Berger's pistol has an unlimited supply of bullets. He fires off some 20 shots before Steel finally comes out to meet him in the street for the final duel.

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THE STRANGER & THE GUNFIGHTER 1974 aka BLOOD MONEY

Lee Van Cleef, Lo Lieh

Shaw Brothers and Carlo Ponti teamed up for this lively and fun spaghetti eastern starring Lee Van Cleef and Shaw leading man Lo Lieh about a treasure whose whereabouts are tattooed on a number of Lady-of-the-evening’s behinds.

The story, while not wholly original, offers some humorous interplay between the two leads. A villainous preacher and his giant Indian henchman is also after the gold as well as a bandit gang. All the usual clichés are trotted out for this film which never takes itself seriously.

Lo uses his own voice and speaks good English and gets some funny lines. The Shaw’s instill some much needed production value to the proceedings that was lacking in the spaghetti westerns at the time. With all these ingredients and its light hearted tone, there are still some letdowns.

The first few fight scenes are very lackadaisical and are not up to par with the Shaw actioners released at the time. Towards the end the fights get much better, though. The final moments with Van Cleef (who already has Asian features) dressed in Chinese regalia and being carried around in a sedan are a hoot.

This version of S&TG is the French disc and it appears to be uncut as some of the violence I don't remember seeing on the Columbia VHS. Although I have heard there is a scene that is missing from all prints. A fight in a distillery. Whether this scene was ever considered to be included in the final version is unknown. If that is the case, than the French disc is complete. The picture quality is immaculate. The widescreen presentation brings out a better appreciation for this one which completely dwarfs the similar but rather lackluster FIGHTING FISTS OF SHANGHAI JOE (1974).

Excellent production values from the HK locations as several of those massive sets and the bridge were utilized or redressed in many of the Shaw's biggest martial chivalry and kung fu epics around this time. Lee Van Cleef was obviously enjoying himself on this one and his rapport with Shaw star Lo Lieh is quite fun to watch. However, it was odd to see future Shaw exploitation starlet Chen Ping in a (small)role completely clothed.

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A REASON TO LIVE, A REASON TO DIE 1972- aka UNA RAGIONE PER VIVERE E UNA PER MORIRE aka MASSACRE AT FORT HOLMAN

James Coburn, Telly Savalas, Bud Spencer

Directed by Tonino Valerii

James Coburn plays a disgraced Colonel who recruits some criminals minutes from the Hangman's noose to infiltrate an impenetrable fortress run by a Confederate madman played by Telly Savalas.

*REVIEW FOR BAD BOOTLEG VERSION*

Fitfully boring Tonino Valerii western that obviously had a sizable budget. Although it’s shot well, the film is not as good as it sounds. Literally nothing happens until the final 20 minutes which is where the bulk of the budget appears to have been spent showcasing the spectacular destruction of the fortress. Savalas is wasted in his role as the bad guy. You never see him until the film is nearly over and he never does anything to make you really despise him.

A final revelation from Coburn reveals Savalas’s villainous past. Bud Spencer seems lost without Terence Hill at his side. A preponderance of dirty language is used throughout. An unseen prologue is added to this version which does nothing to improve things only ruining the ending for the viewer as it gives away who survives. Anyway, the finale nearly makes it all worthwhile. Not a bad film in the slightest just a missed opportunity. A memorable and bombastic score by Morricone.

*SECOND REVIEW FOR NEW WILD EAST RELEASE*

The recent WE DVD which I'm sure is simply the recent Italian DVD synced with an English track, doesn't improve the film at all. An added prologue hinders the film even further as it begins with the Fort destroyed and reveals to the audience who exactly will make it out alive. It's an okay movie, just not much happens during its 2 hour running time until the final 20 minutes. No Savalas until then either and he does nothing for the length of his brief screen time. The subplot involving Coburn and Savalas would have been great and the final bit between the two had more punch had this angle been explored a bit more. Still a missed opportunity.

Released to American theaters in a compromised release removing the dirty language as MASSACRE AT FORT HOLMAN.

The two times I've watched it, I can't stop laughing when I hear the fat guy at the end utter, immediately after manning a gatling gun tells Bud Spencer to "go f*ck yourself!"

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RUN, MAN, RUN 1968- aka CORRI, UOMO, CORRI

Tomas Milian, Donald O'brien, Chelo Alonso, Linda Veras, John Ireland

Directed by Sergio Sollima

Cuchillo (Milian's character from THE BIG GUNDOWN), is in search of a hidden cache of gold. Numerous interested parties are also in pursuit of the gold's location as well as to get their hands on Cuchillo himself.

Very funny and fun western from Sergio Sollima. A sequel to his own BIG GUNDOWN continuing the adventures of Cuchillo (Milian) as he becomes involved in the whereabouts of some hidden gold that is coveted by everyone from Bandit gangs to retired lawmen to Salvation Army workers. Again, Milian excels in his role of the dirty, elusive, bad mannered and crafty knife thrower. With his slight build, Milian is never imposing in any of his movies but his personality and charisma dominate pretty much any movie he is cast in.

This highly enjoyable oater is enhanced by a dynamite performance from DR. BUTCHER himself, Donald O’Brien who seldom got meaty roles such as this. O'brien also gets decent roles in EMMANUELLE & THE LAST CANNIBALS, 2020 TEXAS GLADIATORS and THE NEW GLADIATORS from Fulci. As Cassidy, a retired lawman, he provides an imposing presence, a perfect foil to Cuchillo's peon character. One gets the impression the two share an uneasy alliance but they ultimately come together during the finale which, like the films title, seems to continue after the credits are over.

John Ireland has what amounts to a cameo as a bandit leader. The music by Morricone is very spirited and playful. Peplum actress Alonso plays the feisty female who wants, in a rather forceful way, to be Cuchillo's wife. She could chase me anytime. Frequent Euro actress Linda Veras is another strong female character who vies for Cuchillo's affections but for different reasons and both inevitably indulge in a female scrap fest late in the film.

At nearly two hours, the film bogs down a bit towards the end, but a minor quibble nonetheless. It’s a shame Sollima only directed three spaghetti westerns. This one being the least political, it is definitely the most fun.

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MAN, PRIDE & VENGEANCE 1968- aka L' UOMO, L'ORGOGLIO, LA VENDETTA

Franco Nero, Tina Aumont, Klaus Kinski

Directed by Luigi Bazonni

Nero is the doomed and naive soldier, Jose who falls madly in love with a vagabond gypsy woman, Carmen (Aumont). Through a series of events, Jose gets involved in thievery, murder and eventually madness as this schizophrenic female strips him of his dignity and his inevitable downfall by films end.

Never seen a Luigi Bazonni film before and after this one I'd like to see more. Beautifully shot film which obviously had a sizable budget compared to many other Italian westerns. If it didn't, Bazonni and his cinematographer made it look like it did. I really enjoyed this movie possibly because I connected so much with Nero's character having dealt with a woman very much identical to the one in this movie. As much as I tend to dislike Nero's fight scenes and some of his performances, this is the best movie I've seen him in. No dragging coffins, no half breed Indian avengers, just a complete and tragic performance of a man who does things above and beyond rational thinking for the futile affections of an emotionally cold, callous and empty souled woman. Franco Nero also dubs his own voice.

Can't say enough good about this one. To reveal too much about the plot would spoil the many twists in this dramatic and very depressing movie. Although the first 40 minutes bear no resemblance to a spaghetti western and the remainder of the picture never quite makes it onto DJANGO territory(although there are a couple of shoot outs and a spectacular explosion and stagecoach robbery)the dramatics of the story drive the film to its shocking ending.

Kinski has a supporting role as a prison escapee with ties to Carmen. His performance is not as OTT as others films featuring him and it is just as well because the film is not about Kinski. However, he adds some added villainy to the film.

The soundtrack is unique as it's not the typical spaghetti style score and is a bit bombastic. Kinski has a supporting role here as well. If you're looking for mindless gun battles and no story whatsoever you should steer clear of this one. Highly recommended for those seeking something different for a change in their pasta oaters.

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SHANGO- 1970

Anthony Steffen, Eduardo Fajardo

Directed by Eduardo Mulargia

A Confederate Major is after a cache of Union gold to get the war started back again. Only a prisoner of war, Shango (Steffen) knows where it is located. A Mexican bandit gang is also after the money and the Major and the Bandit leader form an uneasy alliance to get the loot. Shango turns up missing and the villains take over a small Mexican village until they hand over Shango.

I had heard that this was a good movie but after watching it, IMO, that is not the case. There seems to be a problem in the dubbing or the script changed midway through. Initially, the Major was using Shango to get the money. Then later, he wants him dead and the money is never mentioned again nor is it ever found.

Also, Steffen, in this film, has got to be one of the weakest heroes ever in the genre. He spends the bulk of the film either being captured or escaping only to be caught again moments later. When he does get into the action, it consists of him unloading a gun (which seems to hold hundreds of bullets at a time) into the bad guys. This grows tiresome after the first few times as it loses its dramatic effect. And even then, these scenes are shot very lazily. You see Steffen fire rapidly then cut to about six or more guys spinning, twirling then hitting the ground. There's even one scene where Steffen fires straight ahead only to have a handful of guys fall from trees!

Fajardo is about as evil as can be but he cannot carry the film when the scenes where he guns down women, children and old folks are photographed to the point where they have no impact.

After buying the vastly superior W DJANGO! and seeing Mulargia's name, I got worried. I had confused his name with giallo ace Emilio Muraglia. Apparently, W DJANGO! (a very fun movie and Steffen's best performance I've seen) was a fluke because this film is as bad as BROTHER OUTLAW. But then, I've only seen 3 of his films now.

The print here from the Franco Cleef disc is apparently from a German DVD (as the title is in German) that didn't have an English track. The picture quality is very good and the sound is fine but probably utilized from a VHS tape. Still, it's nice to be able to see an obscure title in such nice quality even if the film isn't that great. Completists will definitely want to check it out.

Steffen also co-wrote the script with director Eduardo Mulargia who also directed the terrible BROTHER OUTLAW with Tony Kendall.

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CJAMANGO 1967

Ivan Rassimov/Sean Todd (Cjamango), Mickey Hargitay (Clinton), Helene Chanel (Pearl), Livio Lorenzon (Don Pablo), Piero Lulli (The Tiger), Giusva Fioranti (Manuel)

A mysterious gunman, Cjamango, wins a great deal of gold in a poker game against a Mexican bandit. As soon as he prepares to make off with his winnings, a gang of killers led by Don Pedro and the Tiger enters the saloon and massacres everyone inside. Left for dead, Cjamango takes off to reclaim his stolen cache of gold. Some time later, the gold ends up stolen again and the gang who took it has split into two factions with much animosity between them. Cjamango arrives in town heating up the rivalry between the two gangs. He ultimately takes care of a scorned and abandoned little boy who is cruelly used by one of the gangs to get rid of the townsfolk enabling them to take over the peoples lands. Around the same time of Cjamango's arrival in the small Mexican hamlet, a well dressed stranger named Clinton shows up; his intentions not revealed till the final closing moments. A final stand off between Don Pedro, the Tiger and Cjamango ensues with the enigmatic Clinton watching from the sidelines.

Another riff on the FISTFUL OF DOLLARS (1964) storyline and also throws elements of FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE (1965) into the mix creating a very pedestrian effort by Edoardo Mulargia. Mulargia is hit and miss making some fun entertainment such as W DJANGO!(1972) and then some incomprehensible mess like BROTHER OUTLAW (1971). CJAMANGO (1967) falls somewhere in between. Kudos to the makers for injecting something new into familiar territory. However, the film seems to suffer from a rushed schedule or just plain sloppiness as some scenes seem incomplete or ripe with continuity problems. Cjamango has seemingly stolen his gold away from the gang at the beginning but no passage of time is alluded to nor how he was able to do such a thing. Also, the little boy Manuel is burned badly on his body to fool the scared townsfolk into thinking he has the plague. His mother, Pearl, pays two individuals to dump him off at a convent but instead, the two literally toss him from their wagon outside of town but in the next scene, Manuel is back in town again.

The movie features some poignant moments such as the terrible treatment afforded the little boy Manuel who is befriended by Cjamango not long after he arrives in the village. Rassimov's character is afforded some depth not generally found in the many anti-heroes dominating the spaghetti western landscape and this non comic book approach is a welcome change of pace even if the story is recycled from the Leone movies. Rassimov comes off much better here than he did in the mostly dull IF YOU WANT TO LIVE...SHOOT! (1968) and in addition to the added pathos, there's a great scene near the end where the bad guys are going to blow up Manuel if he doesn't reveal where the gold is stashed. Helpless, Cjamango must decide either the boy or the money.

Mickey Hargitay is on hand but has very little to do and mostly observes from the sidelines. You would totally forget he was in the movie if not for the infrequent shots of him milling around occasionally asking questions or briefly aiding Cjamango in a bar. His intentions are revealed at the end and it, too, isn't quite what you would think.

The stunning Helene Chanel plays Pearl, the hot property that has seemingly caused the ripple in the gangs members. She isn't totally a righteous person herself but has a change of heart by the end. It's hinted at during a conversation that Pearl is Manuel's mother but the boy never refers to her as such and it's not mentioned again throughout the film unless I missed something. Chanel is quite stacked and featured in numerous sword and sandal movies such as MACISTE IN THE COURT OF THE GREAT KHAN (1961), MACISTE IN HELL (1962; aka THE WITCH'S CURSE), the awful SAMSON & HIS MIGHTY CHALLENGE (1964) and the hybrid THE CONQUEROR OF ATLANTIS (1965).

The score in CJAMANGO (1967) by Felic di Stefano is excellent and beautifully rendered and is easily the best attribute of this film. The music alone is worth watching the film again it's just a shame the film itself doesn't match up. One of the best pieces occurs near the beginning when the townsfolk are abandoning the village and Manuel desperately wants someone to take him with them but he's shoved around and discarded because the people are convinced he has the plague. Manuel only has one real friend here and that's Cjamango and this one thread is what holds the movie together bolstered by Stefano's lovely score.

The WE dvd appears to be sourced from a German DVD as the title is in German with the remainder of the credits in Italian. The English dubbed sound is very clear and audible. I have a dupe from VHS but haven't checked to see if the running time matches the relatively short 82 minutes of this DVD. There's a lot worse SW's out there but this is a decent enough oater with some novel ideas including an unusual hero and the pleasing score, but not enough to make it rise above being simply average.

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KILLER KID 1967 aka CAPTAIN MORRISON

Anthony Steffen (Killer Kid/Capt. Morrison), Giovanni Cianfriglia (as Ken Wood; Ramirez), Fernando Sancho (Vilar), Liz Barrett (Mercedes Hernandez)

Directed by Leopoldo Savona; Production Manager: Sergio Garrone

The ruthless and cruel Captain Ramirez hunts down and kills revolutionaries in his search for The Saint, the righteous leader of the Mexican insurrection against the Federales. Adding complications to Ramirez's pursuit, a group of American gunmen secretly steal weapons from US encampments to be sold to the freedom fighters. Enter Killer Kid, the most dangerous gunfighter in the west, bides his time in a military jail. He manages to escape and soon ingratiates himself in the company of the elusive Saint ultimately joining them in their fight against Ramirez. However, one of the Saints men, Vilar, doesn't trust the American whose motives and actions are relatively unclear till the finale.

"This film is dedicated to the Mexican people who in humble valor allowed for the birth of a modern, independent, democratic republic". So begins this 1967 Italian western. KILLER KID was one of a handful of political westerns that saw release during the heyday of the Euro oater which, despite many entries being highly derivative or low rent affairs, successfully altered the way westerns were perceived around the world. With such a bold and patriotic statement to begin the film, Savona's movie never quite reaches classic status settling instead for a typical western affair albeit with a convoluted plot akin to those seen in a SARTANA movie.

However, a handful of scenes are deftly managed by the director such as a great scene involving the Kid and his love interest, Mercedes, the niece of the Saint. The Kid gives a grand speech about his change of heart in regards to the peasants who fight for a righteous and just cause. This scene is accompanied by a very nice romantic musical piece by composer Berto Pisano. Their are a few other nicely orchestrated sequences that manage to elevate the film above the average spaghetti sagebrush saga, but never quite proves itself worthy of the company of such noted classics as Damiani's A BULLET FOR THE GENERAL (1967) and Corbucci's THE MERCENARY (1968). A fair number of characters and minor sub-plots litter the hot and arid landscape depicted in KILLER KID (1967). The title character, for example, is as complicated as the plot itself.

Anthony Steffen essays another one of his archetypal western hero roles which only required him to remain silent much of the time with an occasional sly grimace to carry his performance. He's best when playing characters such as these and unlike American performer Richard Harrison, Steffen could successfully pull off a wooden performance turning it to his advantage. Having starred in some 27 westerns, Steffen also displayed some flair in the quirky and fun A MAN CALLED APOCALYPSE JOE (1971) which, like KILLER KID (1967), was also directed by Savona. This is definitely one of Steffen's better movies of the near dozen I've seen. Like his other colleagues who enjoyed domestic popularity, Steffen crossed over into other genres for films such as THE NIGHT EVELYN CAME OUT OF THE GRAVE (1971) and THE KILLERS ARE OUR GUESTS (1974). He will most probably always be remembered for his prolific career in Euro westerns.

Former sword & sandal actor and stunt man Giovanni Cianfriglia has a larger than usual role here as the main antagonist--Captain Ramirez. Cianfriglia is a strong presence during the first 30 minutes or so but then disappears midway through showing up for the bombastic finale. He also got to play the main villain in HERCULES THE AVENGER (1965) in which he dueled with British born Reg Park. He did get to partake as the lead hero in the Italian superhero /spy action films SUPERARGO AGAINST DIABOLIKUS (1966) and SUPERARGO AND THE FACELESS GIANTS (1968). Cianfriglia was gifted with a great look but although his career spanned 40+ years covering every genre, he never made it as a leading man regardless of being one of the most recognizable faces of Italian genre cinema.

Fernando Sancho needs no introduction to spaghetti western fans and his role here as Vilar is one of the best he was ever given. An unusual turn in that he plays a good guy and a somewhat complicated good guy at that. In addition, he gets quite a bit of screen time and dialog almost taking the film away from Steffen with his lively and spirited portrayal of the anxious and hot-tempered Vilar. His characters name is very similar to the word 'vulgar' and it suits him perfectly.

The film itself seems to have had a decent budget at least bigger than a lot of these movies. Savona and his cinematographer do a fine job capturing some great scope shots in addition to some well handled character interplay and several nicely choreographed action scenes. Although there are a couple of sloppy bits here and there such as one of the soldiers leaping from the blast from an explosion just before the detonation takes place. Also, it appears the hideout for Sartana's gang (no relation to the series character but also played by Gianni Garko as a villain here) seen in BLOOD AT SUNDOWN (1967) is used here for one scene after the insurgents have fled their initial sanctuary. That film, incidentally, also starred Anthony Steffen and may have been shooting at the same time as KILLER KID (1967).

This restored version from Koch Media is comparable to any of the recent Italian westerns released from MGM. It's a beautifully restored print and easily one of the best foreign DVD releases for Italian westerns. The main extra is home movie footage of Steffen entitled "A conversation with Anthony Steffen" in which he discusses his career with family and friends. There is also the catchy Italian trailer and a photo gallery. The film itself is 2:35:1 anamorphic widescreen with Italian and German audio options as well as English and German subtitles.

KILLER KID (1967) is a slightly above average film with a number of elements to set it apart from the run-of-the-mill entries of the genre including more intricate characters than generally afforded these movies and one of Steffen's better films of his career.

[Guest Markgway]

THE STRANGER & THE GUNFIGHTER 1974 aka BLOOD MONEY......This version of S&TG is the French disc and it appears to be uncut as some of the violence I don't remember seeing on the Columbia VHS. Although I have heard there is a scene that is missing from all prints. A fight in a distillery. Whether this scene was ever considered to be included in the final version is unknown. If that is the case, than the French disc is complete.

I've seen a version that has the distillery fight intigrated. It was many years ago but I'm certain it was uncut.

I think the bulk of the footage was taken from the standard 100m print (96m @ PAL) you refer to but the added scene was taken from an alternate inferior quality source. I can't remember the ratio. Might have been original scope but I really don't know.

The thing that alerted me to the extra scene in which Lo Lieh fights a bunch of guys in a distillery was the degredation of source. I'd never seen another version and if it hadn't been for that jump in quality I'd be none the wiser.

Pretty sure I traded that copy so someone here probably has it. The run time was over 100m (the uncut Italian version is reportedly about 105m so it's probably about that length).

I think the PG-rated American prints (as Stranger and the Gunfighter) were even shorter than the "international cut". But as I've only seen the "uncut" version I can't be sure.

Sorry for the ramble... but my memory is sometimes pretty dodgy... lol

[venoms5]

I recall only hearing of one other person who had seen the sequence so it's nice to hear somebody else has as well. I just wonder if the bit was ever intended for the final film or not.

I recall (on the dvd I think; would have to check) ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST having a fist fight between Bronson and some thugs that isn't in any release version but b/W stills survive of the scene and explains the bruises he sports during the course of the film.

[Delirious]

Venom5: ever think about creating a highly recommended list?

I am getting into Spaghetti Western gradually at the moment. So far I only have a handful of Sergio Corbucci and Franco Nero collaborations; if you could make such list then it would be a big help for me.

Thank you.

[Guest Markgway]

I recall only hearing of one other person who had seen the sequence so it's nice to hear somebody else has as well. I just wonder if the bit was ever intended for the final film or not.

I believe the scene was in some European versions of the film. Probably the Italian and Spanish dir's cut releases which ran around 105m. The international/US versions run roughly 5m shorter at about 100m (and the fight lasts as long as that at least). T'was probably taken from a European tape and inserted into an English language print making it "uncut". I had no idea it was so rare when I traded it. lol

[venoms5]

I had no idea it was so rare when I traded it. lol

Unless you're an extreme fan of the film, I wouldn't worry too much about it. The film works fine without it. About the only problem I have with it is that the fights are rather lackluster till about the mid point. The earlier bouts seemed more like rehearsal footage. Some people seem to prefer FIGHTING FISTS OF SHANGHAI JOE to S&TG I would assume because of the gore factor. That was $30.00 I regretted spending on that dvd. Awful movie, IMO.

[Guest Markgway]

Is this the dude who plays Lo Lieh's Uncle?

http://hkmdb.com/db/people/view.mhtml?id=2765&display_set=eng

Also is Lionel Stander in the film?

[venoms5]

Is this the dude who plays Lo Lieh's Uncle?

http://hkmdb.com/db/people/view.mhtml?id=2765&display_set=eng

Also is Lionel Stander in the film?

Yes, that's the guy involved with the tattoo's on the women's backsides.

I don't recall Stander being in this movie. I have it nearby, would you like me to check?

[kungpowmaster]

I love spaghetti westerns.

My faves are:

The Great Silence.

Companeros.

Run Man Run.

The Eastwood Trilogy.

Bullet for Sandoval.

Ace High.

Sabata Trilogy.

Oh, just all of them. Texas Adios, Django....

I also have some maybe not so official and PD releases,

the Diamond 5 DVD set, it has a lot of good ones, and some decent pictures.

I did get My Name Is Nobody on a PD set before it got changed.

Most recently I bought the Videoasia Spaghetti Western Bible Vol 1, 10 Movie set.

So far I watched Trinity's Revenge, which is great, and not a comedy, and They Call Me Bulldozer, which is good and funny, but not a western.

Comments?

Chosen One

[venoms5]

Venom5: ever think about creating a highly recommended list?

I am getting into Spaghetti Western gradually at the moment. So far I only have a handful of Sergio Corbucci and Franco Nero collaborations; if you could make such list then it would be a big help for me.

Thank you.

Well let's see....if I were going to make a list for simply HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Italian westerns the list below would be what I would say belong to that group. Mind you this is strictly my opinion only and some of these may not be favorites of mine, but they are very well made. This is also barring any of the Leone pictures...

A PISTOL FOR RINGO (1965)

RETURN OF RINGO (1965)

A BULLET FOR THE GENERAL (1966)

FACE TO FACE (1967; finally just acquired a much better copy of this one)

THE BIG GUNDOWN (1966)

RUN, MAN, RUN (1968)

THE MERCENARY (1968)

DJANGO (1966)

AND GOD SAID TO CAIN (1969)-the only good guy turn from Kinski I can think of.

FORT YUMA GOLD (1966)

ARIZONA COLT (1966)

THE GREAT SILENCE (1968)

DEATH RIDES A HORSE (1968)

THE HILLS RUN RED (1966)

NAVAJO JOE (1966)

THE FORGOTTEN PISTOLERO (1970)

KEOMA (1976)

CALIFORNIA (1977)

W DJANGO (1971)

THE HELLBENDERS (1967)

DAY OF ANGER (1967)

SABATA (1969)

A CLOUD OF DUST...A CRY OF DEATH...SARTANA IS COMING! (1971)

THE LONG DAYS OF VENGEANCE (1966)

SEVEN GUNS FOR THE MACGREGORS (1965)

THEY CALL ME TRINITY (1970)

TRINITY IS STILL MY NAME (1971)

MY NAME IS NOBODY (1973)

These below offer some very nice action and some could probably be in the list above, but these certainly offer good entertainment value...

JOHNNY ORO (1966)

THE TRAMPLERS (1966)

THE SPECIALIST (1969)- probably the strangest western movie Corbucci did. One of them at least.

APOCALYPSE JOE (1970; aka A MAN CALLED JOE CLIFFORD)

PAYMENT IN BLOOD (1967; 7 WINCHESTERS FOR A MASSACRE)

KILL THEM ALL & COME BACK ALONE (1968)

A BULLET FOR SANDOVAL (1969)

MAN, PRIDE & VENGEANCE (1968)- this isn't really a SW, but it has Nero and Kinski in it. It takes place during the western times but it's a western version of 'Carmen'. Very good tragedy movie and I would place it above, but since it isn't really a bonafide SW...

[Guest Markgway]

Yes, that's the guy involved with the tattoo's on the women's backsides.

Cheers. He's billed on film under the anglicized name Al Tung but I wasn't 100% if it was the same guy. As I said it's been years since I saw it.

I don't recall Stander being in this movie. I have it nearby, would you like me to check?

Ach, no need. I'm sure you would remember if he was. He's pretty distinctive. I just saw his name listed on some website as a cast member - I figured it was inaccurate but thought I'd ask the expert.

[venoms5]

I love spaghetti westerns.

My faves are:

The Great Silence.

Companeros.

Run Man Run.

The Eastwood Trilogy.

Bullet for Sandoval.

Ace High.

Sabata Trilogy.

Oh, just all of them. Texas Adios, Django....

I also have some maybe not so official and PD releases,

the Diamond 5 DVD set, it has a lot of good ones, and some decent pictures.

I did get My Name Is Nobody on a PD set before it got changed.

Most recently I bought the Videoasia Spaghetti Western Bible Vol 1, 10 Movie set.

So far I watched Trinity's Revenge, which is great, and not a comedy, and They Call Me Bulldozer, which is good and funny, but not a western.

Comments?

Chosen One

I have a couple hundred that are unwatched. Looking at one now entitled GATLING GUN aka MACHINE GUN KILLERS starring Robert Wood and John Ireland. Another North vs. South type movie about the birth of the gatling gun.

I saw that Video Asia set in the Best Buy. The very nice packaging fooled me till I looked at the company logo on the back. That was enough to put it back on the shelf. I think I have one or two of those movies from that set. Out of the 600+ SW's, I would say close to 100 of them are classic or very good. Another 100 good to average and the rest mediocre to below average.

[venoms5]

Ach, no need. I'm sure you would remember if he was. He's pretty distinctive. I just saw his name listed on some website as a cast member - I figured it was inaccurate but thought I'd ask the expert.

haha. I wouldn't say I was an expert. There's lots of people that have seen more of these than me. I probably have all of them that's been released to tape in other countries but I've yet to get around watching them all.

I think that guy Al Tung is also in a couple other SW's, too. One of the Sartana movies.

[jiujitsu77]

al tung was in have a good funeral, friend....aka stranger's gold