D, S: Enzo Girolami („Enzo G. Castellari”); S: Tito Carpi, Giovanni Simonelli; C: Giovanni Bergamini; M: Francesco de Masi; with: Jorge Hill (“George Hilton”), Gilbert Roland, Edd Byrnes, Stefania Careddu („Kareen O’Hara“) 

Mexican Bandido Monetero (Gilbert Roland) and his gang raid a heavily guarded gold transport and capture 300.000 golddollars. But Payondo (Ignazio Spalla), right hand of Monetero, and a bunch of accomplices steel the gold and hide it in an abandonned hacienda. After Payondo has killed his confidants, he is shoot himself by a soldier (Marco Mariani), as he wants to cross the mexican border. Before he dies, he hands Monetero, who is chasing him, a hint to the hideout: an old silver emblem. Monetero is captured by the US Army and sentenced to death. But shortly upon Django (Jorge Hill) enters the scene, a bountyhunter, who is keened for the bounty on Monetero’s head since quite a longtime. The only reason, he didn’t kill Monetero before, is, that Django operates for a rising bounty, if he lets Monetero commit some further crimes. Django liberates Monetero against half of the expected booty. Third party in the ratrace for the gold is Clayton (Edd Byrnes), a shady bank-employee, who only pretends being an honest man. In changing alliances the three search for the dollars. Furthermore Django is engaged – ready money only - by Barkman, a detective, working for the insurance: Django should deliver some evidences, that Clayton is the real manipulator of the gold robbery.

The Gunslinger says:

This second western by Castellari starts promising: Before the front-credits Django kills three bandits, ressembling Lee Van Cleef, Franco Nero and Clint Eastwood by face and clothes. Hill is introduced as a cynical bountyhunter, who collects the dead bodies of the killed only, if the expected fee is high enough. And the idea of letting the bounty for Monetero rise, before bringing in the bloody harvest, is really original. So far so good. But those, who expected a quitting from usual SW-standards after the opening sequence, get disappointed. After its good starting, the film sadly enters an inclined plane and ends as a kind of SW-puppet-theatre. But a solid di-Masi-score and the good camera-work save the standard.

Rating: $$$

Bodycount: ca. 10 Gringos, ca. 25 Mexicanos

Explicit Brutalities:

- The Captain (Ivano Staccioli) bashs Monetero with a quirt, to get a hint on the hidden gold 

Luv’:

Monetero’s girlfriend Marisol (Stefania Carreddu) loves only gold: As Monetero seems to be as poor as a church mouse, she immediately leaves him and takes the detective with pleasure: 0/10

Specials:

- Django sets fire with the litte help of a glowing cigar and a blowgun

- Clayton effuses a glass of wine on the table in a saloon to use the puddle as a mirror