D:
Enzo G. Castellari („E.G. Rowland“); S: Tito Carpi, E.C.; C: Aldo Pinelli; M: Francesco De Masi, Audrey Nohra;
with: Edward Byrne Breitenberger („Edd Byrnes“); Guy Madison, Luisa Barrato („Louise Barrett“) Ennio
(“Enio”) Girolami
1867, the
Civil War is over, Ex-Colonel Thomas Blake (Guy Madison) and his mobsters continue their private war and maraud through Texas.
They search 200.000 bucks of the Confederate Army, once hidden elsewhere. Unfortunately the gangsters don’t know about the whereabout
of the money. But things are-a-changing as a gunslinger, called Stuart (“Edd Byrnes”), wants to join the gang:
Stuart knows, where the bucks are hidden. He gains confidence of the distrustful Colonel, until Blake finds out, that Stu
plays double-cross. The mobsters beat him up heavily, that he gobs the hiding-place of the money: an old indian grave-yard.
But there they are for the highjump.
I 1968
The Gunslinger says:
The
film starts really fast with the Blakes raiding some farmers, but rapidly looses its tempo. When the chase for the money starts
or Luisa Barrato in her absolutey unnecessary role as Manuela joins the party at latest, spectator gets bored more and more.
Whereas Guy Madison gives one more time a believable performance, “Edd Byrnes” is a total breakdown: too clean,
too boyishly for a hardboiled bountyhunter. Madison’s henchmen, i.e. Frederico Boido (psychedelic alias „Ryk
Boyd“), Enio Girolami and to start with Attilio Severini as lunatic Mesa Alvarez, are good bad guys. A big minus goes
to the miscarried atmosphere: I never visited the Rio Grande, folx, but I don’t believe, that nature is as greeeeen
and euopean looking as in that film. Good camerawork and a nice De-Masi-score.
Rating:
$$ - $$$
Bodycount:
ca. 70 Gringos, ca. 8 Mexicans, 1 Indian
Explicit Brutalities:
- Gangmember
Chamaco (Ennio Girolami) drowns a mexican soldier, another one is killed by Stuart with his spur
- The Blake
gang „questions” Stuart very hard about the whereabout of the money. After
the examination they flame the hut
- Stuart
lights Calhoun (Frederico Boido), one of Blake’s henchmen, with one shot, but immediatly bumps him off
Splatter: 1/10