D: Ferdinando Baldi; S: F.B., Franco Rossetti; C: Enzo Barboni; M: Gianfranco Reverbi; with: Mario Girotti (“Terence Hill”), Horst Frank, Luigi Montefiori (“George Eastman”), Pinuccio Ardia

David Barry (Horst Frank), an upcoming politician, has only one hobby besides his ambitions to be a reeeal asshole: gold. For that reason he has engaged Lucas (Luigi Montefiori), a local mobster, and his gang of cutthroats, who regularly raid the gold transports out of the surrounding mines. To disguise their crimes, the rogues organise hanging-parties for innocent little scoundrels with the help of corrupt authorities. Things work out, until the desperados attack a transport, escorted by Django (Mario Girotti), an old mate of Barry, and kill his wife. Five years later Django, who has survived the raid, is the new regional justice of peace and hangman. With a special feature he cares, that the innocent delinquents survive their execution. But instead of supporting Django to realise his revenge against Lucas and Barry, new governor of the state, the ex-delinquents give him the cold shoulder. Unter leadership of smart Garcia Ibanez (José Torres) they commit the crime, that has brought them already on the gibbet: they rob a gold transport, which is “reserved” for Mr. Barry. Ibanez, who doesn`t wanna part, kills his companions. Lucas, who is under pressure of Barry, tortures Django to get the gold, but Django escapes. He re-organises the gold out of Ibanez’ greedy little fingers and gives Lucas and Barry that, what they deserve: a place at the graveyard.

I 1968

The Gunslinger says:

A passable contribution of Ferdinando Baldi to the genre, which in my opinion is atmospherically too inconsistent. So i.e. the hideout of the outlaws is in the middle of a lovely deciduous forest, whereas the rotten, muddy village, headquarter of the Lucas-gang, reminds me of Tombstone of the original “Django”. Furthermore Baldi doesn’t make the most out of the first public appearance of the “dead” men after their execution, as they visit the wrong witnesses, who brought them on the gibbet. That’s not as demonic as it could be: Why do they come in brought daylight and not by night? Hey, these people wanna scare someone!

Luigi Montefiori and Horst Frank are great rogues, whereas „Terence Hill“ is too much Franco-Nero-Lookalike. His manierisms like the repeated pulling of his hat in the face after my fancy are too artificial and showily. Baldi has adopted many further elements from “Django”: the gatling-gun in the coffin, the clothes of Django, who even wears this name in the italian version, the not so drastic maltreating of Django’s hands, the showdown on the cemetary or the Django’s murdered wife.

The Reverbi-score is great: trumpets, guitars and femal choirs. Obviously Gnarls Barkley thought the same and sampled the main theme for their hit “Crazy”.

Rating $$$

Bodycount: ca. 60 Gringos, 6 Mexikaner, 1 Frau

Explicit Brutalities:

- Lucas’ mobsters question Django the hard way for the lost booty of the robbed gold transport

Luv’:

God knows: Ibanez is an asshole, but he always returns to his wife Mercedes (Barbara Simon), who loves her fallen husband too: 3/10

Splatter: 2/10

Specials:

- Django saves the lives of his delinquents by using a special collar

- the last trump again is the notorious gatling-gun