A stranger being chased by bandits dies in an accident, but not before he has had a chance to hide a treasure map the bandits wanted. A boy witnesses where it was hidden, retrieves it and passes it on to the local preacher. The preacher recognizes that much of the treasure was likely that from a local mission. He sets out to get it before the bandits find it. Starring Gilbert Roland, Richard Harrison, Ennio Girolami. The original title in Italian, Anche nel west c'era una volta Dio, translates literally as: God Was in the West, Too, at One Time (1968) A fairly good spaghetti western about a treasure map and those who seek the treasure. Like a lot of spaghetti westerns, this one did not make it to American theaters.
A white trapper steals a white mustang called "Eagle Wing" from a Kiowa Indian, who pursues him to get his horse back. Starring Martin Sheen, Sam Waterston, Harvey Keitel. A British-made western with an interesting story and a good cast. Maybe it's a fish and chips western. This movie came out the same year as Apocalypse Now, in which Sheen also starred.
Django and Santana are bounty hunters taking out bandits in a small Western town. An evil landowner smuggling illegal immigrants and the men that work for him have mighty fine prices on their heads. So it only makes sense that Django and Santana would come-a-callin' before long. Starring Anthony Steffen, William Berger, and Nicoletta Machiavelli. Sort of the beginning, or middle, or the end of the Django/Sartana movies—although here he is Santana. Great guitar. There’s Django to the left of me, Sartana to the right, and here I am stuck in the middle with you.
A party of five men discover gold in a small Apache camp. They murder everyone there except for one young woman, who they keep alive hoping she'll lead them to more gold. Only Pitcalin among the five men shows kindness to the prisoner. An Apache brave who was away from the camp discovers the massacre and buries the dead. Then he tracks the murderers and brings slow but steady vengeance upon them. Starring Jody McCrea, Marie Gahva, and Dan Kemp. It’s always bad to mess with Apache gold.
A masked hero called "The Eagle" with his mask, black cape, white horse, and whip, leads California ranchers in a struggle against Russian Cossacks who are plotting to take over California and turn it into a Russian colony. Starring Robert Livingston, Kay Hughes, and Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams. The hero here, The Eagle, is a cross between Zorro and Indiana Jones. Keeping Russians out of California was his mission.
In 1870 Texas, a gang of gun smugglers supplies arms, ammunition and whiskey to Indians. Undercover government agent Martin Benson helps the army eliminate such smugglers. However, the army still needs to know the identity of the man in charge of the gang and the location of their latest hideout. Martin Benson wants to retire but the army asks him to find the head of the smugglers. The army arguments that Benson is the best agent for the job even if another undercover agent, Tony Guy, has already penetrated the smugglers' outfit. A huge payment in gold coins is also offered to Benson as an enticement. Benson agrees to this last assignment and heads out of the army fort. On the trail, many gunrunners and bandits try to ambush him and have him killed. In the nearest town, at the Benson farm, a group of smugglers raid and ransack the farm and kill Martin Benson's parents. They also rape his sister, Jenny. Now Benson must hunt down the vicious outlaw gang, who killed his parents, brother and sisters. Starring Guy Madison, Lucienne Bridou, and Rik Battaglia. Guy Madison, famous as the star of the television series Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok (1951) fathered actor Robert Madison with an Italian actress in 1967 during the making of this film, 3 years after his 2nd marriage had ended.
In Kentucky just after the Civil War, the Hayden-Colby feud leads to Jed Colby being sent to prison for 15 years for murder. The Haydens head for Nevada and when Colby gets out of prison he heads there also seeking revenge. The head of the Hayden family tries to avoid more killing but the inevitable showdown has to occur, complicated by Lynn Hayden and Ellen Colby's plans to marry. Starring Randolph Scott, Esther Ralston, and Jack La Rue. Randolph Scott was always tall in the saddle.
Having witnessed the brutal murder of his father, the horrific sexual assault of his mother, and the abduction of his innocent young sister by McClain's ruthless gang of cut-throats, Tom, the lucky fifteen-year-old survivor, swears revenge. Hell-bent on making them pay in blood, Tom embarks on a life-or-death quest to avenge his family, relentlessly pursuing the leader and his jackals in the unforgiving desert. As Tom crosses paths with Isaac, a compassionate prospector who has reasons to see McClain and his bandits suffer, he sets in motion his deadly campaign, methodically picking the perpetrators off with his ingenious traps. Is one ever too young for vengeance? Starring Lee Van Cleef, Jim Brown, Leif Garret and John Marley. One of Jim Brown’s last movies.
Philipp Wermeer has been framed for the murder of a powerful figure known as The Patriarch. Wermeer escapes, but the three Saxon brothers, sons of The Patriarch, have arranged for a large bounty on Wermeer's head. Clayton is a grizzled ex-sheriff stripped of his office in Jefferson after refusing to acknowledge Wermeer's guilt. During a series of fire-fights, Clayton contrives to help Wermeer escape from attacks of bounty-hunters. Together, the two make their way to Jefferson, where they can confront the three powerful Saxon brothers, and reveal the surprising truth about who killed The Patriarch. Starring Lee Van Cleef, Alberto Dentice, and Jess Hahn. We all remember the big shoot out at the end of THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY.
Two adventurers save the life of a man who has a tattooed treasure map on his back. The second needed map is on the back of a sheriff. The hunt begins. Starring Anthony Steffen, Frank Wolff, Eduardo Fajardo. An early spaghetti western. What was his name? This movie does not have Ringo Starr in it.
Once again billed as Montgomery Wood, Giuliano Gemma plays a civil war soldier who returns to his family land to find his family decimated, his property taken over by a family of Mexican bandits and his fiancee about to marry the Mexican gangster behind all this. Bent on revenge, he goes undercover disguised as a Mexican and discovers he has a daughter! A returning Union Officer discovers that his home has been overrun by Mexican bandits, and infiltrates the gang to restore order and determine if his wife has been faithful to him. Starring Giuliano Gemma, Fernando Sancho, and Lorella De Luca. This movie does not have Ringo Starr in it.
A story about two gunfighters, Duke and Steve. Steve is in love with Duke's daughter but Duke disapproves of the match, envisioning a life of hardship and danger for the girl if she marries Steve. Starring Stephen Forsyth, Conrado San Martín, and Franco Ressel. One of those Spaghetti Westerns that we probably missed. Well, not is the time to see it. Buy a Colt if a want, they are still for sale.
A sinister town boss called Pat Barnes has exploited almost everyone in the town. If they don't succumb to his demands they normally end up dead. Barnes is finally brought down by Shanghai Joe and a smooth-talking snake-oil salesman. Starring Klaus Kinski, Cheen Lie, and Tommy Polgár. Kung Fu comes to the West, spaghetti style! For some reason, Klaus Kinski is in a number of spaghetti westerns. Look out Jackie Chan!
Renowned gunman Richard Martin is traveling on a train, held up by Billy Kane, a former student of Martin's. Kane spares Martin, but only after shooting his hands. Years later, Martin meets an escaped convict, wrongly convicted for the train robbery. Martin trains his new student and both men seek out Billy Kane. Starring Enrico Maria Salerno, Terry Jenkins, and María Martín. Revenge is sweet, especially in a spaghetti western.
Also known as One Silver Dollar. Giuliano Gemma plays a confederate soldier who returns from the war to fight one at home. Unbeknownst to him, his brother has become the infamous gunfighter "Black Jack" to defeat the local bullies. Gemma agrees to ambush and kill Black Jack, only to discover too late who the outlaw really is. With vengeance in his heart he turns on his employers, who then shoot him. Things get worse, or bad, or ugly, from there. Black Jack was one of the Grey Riders, I think. Starring Giuliano Gemma, Evelyn Stewart, Pierre Cressoy. Go ahead, microwave some spaghetti.
A Chinese immigrant named Chin How lands in a small Texas town inhabited by hard-nosed cowboys who don't take kindly to outsiders. The town folk soon realize that Chin is no ordinary drifter and he quickly gains a reputation for his unbeatable fighting skills. When word of Chin's skills spread to Stanley Spencer, the owner of the states largest cattle ranch, Chin lands a job working for Spencer as a fellow cowboy. Friend soon becomes foe when Chin realizes he is working for a cattle smuggler bent on brutalizing Mexican farmers and anyone else who stands in his way. Starring Chen Lee, Klaus Kinski, and Carla Romanelli. Kung Fu comes to the West, spaghetti style! For some reason, Klaus Kinski is in a number of spaghetti westerns.
Ended in prison for killing three men in self-defense while playing hopscotch, Ringo is freed to infiltrate the bandits led by Sancho who, after a bank robbery, barricaded themselves on Major Clyde's farm. Ringo, called Angel Face, asks for thirty percent of the loot for his business, then, when he arrives at the farm, he reveals everything in Sancho obtaining forty percent of the loot to bring him and his cronies to safety. Starring Giuliano Gemma, Fernando Sancho, and Lorella De Luca. I think that Ringo and Django were cousins, sort of.
A story of a range-war in the Texas Panhandle in which the 'bad' brother villain fights for what is right… and commits murder in its name, and the 'good' brother hero sanctions wholesale cattle rusting and, reluctantly in the end, comes to the realization that maybe he isn't doing the right thing. Starring Robert Preston, Robert Sterling, and Chill Wills. Yes, that is Robert Preston from The Music Man and 76 Trombones Led the Big Parade. He is pretty fast with a six-gun.
Miraculously still alive after his hanging, gunfighter James Devlin defends a young widow's ranch from a vicious land grabber. Starring Steve Forrest, Dean Jagger, Will Geer and Sharon Acker. A pretty good TV movie western that was filmed at the Old Tucson studios in Arizona. I guess you could call it a Fajita Western.
Walter Brennan is back as the clever and funny over the hill Texas Ranger Nash Crawford in this TV movie sequel to The Over the Hill Gang. This time the gang must face corruption in their own hometown. The gang put their heads together to clean up their town, take back the rule of law, and rehabilitate the town lush (played by Fred Astaire) along with way. Starring Walter Brennan, Fred Astaire, Edgar Buchanan, Andy Devine, and Chill Wills. It’s great to see Fred Astaire and all these old coots in this comedy western.
