Spaghetti/Paella co-production dealing with a story full of ambition , violence , with good dramatic pace and slick direction . This exciting western packs action , shootouts , drama , high body-count , twists , turns , and it is fast moving and quite entertaining . This is a Western Tale About Sidewangers and Bangbusters , set in the wild frontier of Texas and Mexico . Concerning a bank robbery : four little boxes heavy with gold bars , valued at US$ 200,000, were stolen from El Paso bank by an Indian , the American Native named Copper Face (José Torres) accompanied by his wife (Monica Randal) . As Copper Face says he knows where it is hidden , then a couple of Texan drifters , and the Mexican Carranza (Fernando Sancho) along with his band (Raf Baldassarre , Rafael Albaicin , Frank Braña) are set to take it . Johnny (Mark Damon) , a young cards player , wants the treasure , the problem is one man can't get enough out and back , as he needs a partner . As the prankster, gold-obsessed gunslinger joins forces The Owl (John Ireland) , a veteran tired cow-boy and trickster who helps him in the risked adventures and both of whom cross Carranza's path to encounter the valuable gold .
Entertaining Spaghetti Western with shootouts , action , violence ,amusement, crosses and double-crosses . The film contains action-Western , gun-play , fist-play and is pretty bemusing . Amusing Chorizo-Spaghetti Western mostly produced by Produzioni Europee Associate (PEA) and Spanish important participation by Copercines , Estela Films ; it follows the Sergio Leone wake , including close-up , zooms , choreographic duels and no being proceeded in American style . It's a thrilling western with spectacular outdoors and breathtaking confrontation between protagonists Mark Damon , John Ireland against heartless Fernando Sancho and his hoodlums as Raf Baldasarre . Acceptable action sequences with rousing crossfire and spectacularly bloody shootouts including an enjoyable music from Luis Bacalov and Marcello Giombini who compose a vibrant soundtrack in Spaghetti style , as well as atmospheric and evocative cinematography by Alejandro Ulloa . Although by many to be director Umbert Lenzi's finest western film , this is a tale of betrayals , greed and murder , as two roguish partners fall out over the gold they have clawed out of the inhospitable and bandit-ridden deserts and mountains . This is an Italian-Spanish co-production with shootouts , thrills , action , fights , go riding , explosion and anything else . Being filmed in Spanish places located on outskirts Madrid , Colmenar Viejo , La Pedriza , and Poblado Hoyo De Manzanares replacing Almeria . It drags at times , balancing ups and downs ; turning out to be entertaining enough . Charismatic performance for the whole casting . Being well played by played Mark Damon and John Ireland as a pair of Texan adventurers . They form a fun and intimate couple , both of them wish the gold cache that will change hands often , and friendships will not last long . Mark Harmon is fine as a gunfighter who will stop at nothing to get the robbed gold , as he goes for ambition but things result out to be more complicated than he originally thought . Damon ravages the screen , he jumps , bounds and leaps , hits and runs , besides receiving violent punches , kicks , and ultimately takes place a breathtaking showdown . The notorious American actor , Mark Damon was the rogue hero in many Spaghetti Westerns where he found his niche , here is good in his usual two-fisted but likeable role . The handsome Damon may be a name best remembered by some Spaghetti Western aficionados , but in his day , from the mid-'60s to the early '70s , Damon was one of the most popular actors of the genre -at the time cheap B movies , now revered cult classics . Unlike fellow Spaghetti star Clint Eastwood , however , Damon never became a top international box-office attraction . Damon starred as an extra for American films , and , subsequently , performing secondary roles and Roger Corman films . Mark , then emigrated to Italy and he once reportedly missed out on a role in a Franco Nero western because his height made Franco Nero look too short . As he performed several Pasta Westerns , such as "Un Treno Per Durango" , "Cry for Revenge" , ¨Requiescant¨, ¨Johnny Yuma¨ . Soon moved into other film genres playing good guys , bad guys , and good-bad guys and interpreting adventure movies as "Lions of St. Petersburg" , ¨Normand sword¨, and "Long Live Robin Hood" ; these parts often exploited his athletic physique by having him remove his shirt . Support cast is frankly decent . Of course, the always great Fernando Sancho playing his regular role as a boastful Mexican bandit . Fantastic but brief performance by the Spaghetti prolific Eduardo Fajardo in a nasty role, as usual , famous for ¨Django¨ he subsequently would play similar characters ; furthermore , the slimy , menacing outlaw played by Ralf Baldassarre , here in his habitual role as a henchman and in a cruelly baddie character . There appears familiar faces , the habitual secondaries in Spanish/Italian Western , such as : José Torres as Copper Face who is prime suspected to have stolen a large quantity of gold from El Paso bank , Monica Randal , Frank Braña , Rafael Albaicín , Emilio Rodríguez ,Ivan Scratuglia , Miguel del Castillo ,Luis Induni , Rufino Inglés , Luis Barboo , Tito Garcia , among others .
Nice cinematography by Alejandro Ulloa , although a perfect remastering being really necessary , including good sets by Perez Cubero and José Luis Galicia , filmed on locations from Manzanares , Madrid , La Pedriza, and Lazio, Italy . Composer Marcello Giombini composes a charming soundtrack , well conducted , this turns out to be one of the most memorable parts of the movie , as it's plenty of enjoyable sounds and haunting score background with catching leitmotif . The motion picture was well written and financed by Eduardo Manzanos Brochero who also produced him ¨Pistol for a hundred coffins¨ , Brochero ordered to built a Western town in Hoyo De Manzanares called 'Golden City' , it resulted to be the location in which was shot lots of Westerns produced and directed by Spanish and Italian and occasionally American people . This Western town called ¨Golden City¨ in Hoyo De Manzanares (Madrid) was made with sets by two great production designers , Cubero and Jose Luis Galicia , and it is today sadly disappeared . There was filmed several Westerns as ¨Fistful of dollars¨, ¨Welcome Padre Murray¨ , ¨Brandy¨ , ¨Dead man ride¨, various Zorros and this one . Eduardo Manzanos started producing ¨Il Coyote¨ and ¨The Jiusticia De Coyote¨ by Joaquin Romero Marchent . After that , he produced in his company Copercines ¨Vengeance of Zorro¨ and ¨L'Ombra Di Zorro¨ (1962).
This picture was professionally directed by Umberto Lenzi , though with no originality . Lenzi was a nice craftsman who directed another Western ¨Pistol for a Hundred Coffins¨ with Peter Lee Lawrence , John Ireland again and he made all kinds of genres , outstanding in adventures and Gialli . Making his directorial debut with Le avventure di Mary Read (1961). Other pirate/sword flicks followed, starting with Pirates of Malaysia (1964) , which was part of the height of the career of fictitious tales of historic legendary characters including Robin Hood, Catherine the Great, Zorro, Sandokan and Maciste. For the movie Kriminal (1966), Lenzi turned to the new wave of adult-oriented comic books (known as fumetti) for fresh inspiration and initiated a popular trend. After directing a war film and two "spaghetti westerns," Lenzi turned to the giallo genre with Orgasmo (1969) starring Carroll Baker and Lou Castel, which was the first of his thrillers and one of his personal favorites. Retitled Paranoia for its USA release, Orgasmo caused some confusion since Lenzi directed a movie with the same name, Paranoia, in 1970 also with Carroll Baker. During the 1970s, Lenzi directed a number of giallo thrillers among them : So sweet so perverse , Seven Blood-Stained Orchids , Spasmo , The eyeball and several others . Tutto per tutto or Guns of courage rating . 6/10 . Acceptable and passable Spaghetti Western.
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