D: Rudolf Zehetgruber; S: Mike Ashley, Werner Hauff; C: Marcello Gatti, Alvaro Lanzoni; M: Gerhard Froboess, Gregori Garcia, Francesco De Masi; with: Anne Baxter, Rosella Como, Maria Perschy, Perla Cristal, Maria Mahor

Indians raid a bunch of settlers on their way in the promised land: The red friends are quite pissed, because there is a load of weapons hidden in the stagecoaches, which is a breach of contracts. Only survivors are seven women, who wanna try to reach Fort Lafayette under the leadership of Mary-Ann (Anne Baxter), a former teacher. To achieve their goal they have some difficulties to master: Thes are caused by the rough wilderness and the fact, that their robes are not quite useful for a trekking tour like that. Furthermore the ladies are shadowed by some indians, who are anxious for some scalps, despite of the fact, that our heroines have reached the neutral zone, where no soldiers or warriors are allowed. Being at bay, the women are rescued by a plain-clothed patrol out of Fort Lafayette. As the indians find out, that their contrahents are army-men, they dig up the hachet and head for Fort Lafayette. But finally men regain their reason and things work out fine even for our decimated hen-party.

A/I/E 1966

The Gunslinger says:

Rudolf Zehetgruber’s solid and skillfully made film isn’t a „typical“ spaghetti-western concerning look and atmosphere, but one of the few western, in which women are leaders of the gang. Even if it looses tempo to the end because of its progressive garrulity, it can keep up tension for long periods. We see quite passable acting efforts, what makes the development of the characters plausible: Firstly there are the “big-city-ladies”: human, liberal and overextended by their situation; finally these have progressed to tough pioneer-women: conservative and ready to kill to save their lives, who are able to raid an indian village. On balance an entertaining „Non-Spaghetti-Western“, mas o menos, amigos.

Rating: $$$

Bodycount: > 50 Indians, ca. 35 Gringos

Explicit brutalities:

- The indians scalp Bridget (Christa Linder)

- The women catch two indians alive and kill them

- On the indian cemetary the tough ladies care for two additional inhabitants by using axes, rifle-butts and bludgets

Luv’:

A shy love starts lately   between resolutely Mary Ann and Gus (Gustavo Rojo), the scout of Fort Lafayette. Well, too shy and too late, if one asks me: 0/10

Splatter: 1/10