Content: The little town of Desert Springs could be a quiet one, if the crafty businessman Brady Paul Muller) wasn’t there. With the help of his right hand Lucky (Pasquale Basile) and a band of handpicked thugs he cuts off his business rivals from the supply of wares, which he buys completely for himself by imposing some pressure on the providers. Because this goes on without violence and legal – well, mas ò menos – Brady isn’t harmed by law and is able to dictate the prizes. Furthermore nearly the whole local riffraff is in Brady’s gang and under control, so that the crime rate of Desert Spring is sensationally low.
Then we see a stranger, ragged and busted, entering Desert Spring on his mule. Ray (“George Martin”), how he calls himself, is an expert in arms, who however isn’t armed for himself neither can he even shoot. Rapidly he’s in conflict with the Bradys because of the exorbitant prices and signs as a ware driver at the O’Connor family, who run a little store. Especially Sheila O’Connor (Gia Sandri) is determined to anger Brady and happy about the new federate. As the first shipments reach their destiny unchallenged and economic life starts again, Brady says goodbye to his dogma of nonviolence: He wants to dispose of Ray with all means.
| The Gunslinger says: The second direction of Guido Zurli has an US-american style, concerning the setting, in which the different parties are clearly separated and characters are appropriately allocated. Nevertheless the flick contains a good portion of SW, like in the nice starting scene: A stranger (Claudio Ruffini?) complains about the horrible beer prices in the saloon. Director Lucky offers him politely a nonviolent solution of the problem and sends him to the sheriff. The stranger has hardly left the establishment, as the Bradys shoot him in the back. During the undertaker, who already waits in the background, comes to stat his work, the camera pans over the sign “Welcome to Desert Spring” and the front credits start.
Despite the fact, that this is an Italian-Spanish coproduction, the shooting was at the gates of Rome, what unfortunately is visible in a few parts. But on the other hand one has to consider, that the ambitious camerawork by the proved team Villa/Massaccesi gives the flick mostly a good look. Besides that, we get some nice shots especially in the brawls. Franco Villa isn’t credited for the camera, but in fact he did it: The Spaniard Monreal was only listed because of production-related reasons, but never was seen on the set. As “atmospheric” consultant Demofilo Fidani was on the payroll too.
The flick has a plot, which differs from the usual dollar-/revenge-stories of the genre and which makes him outstanding. We have many scenes, you might call comedic, like the hearing at the billiard table or the boozy judge Lennox (José Bodalo), who recites Latin and Greek classics. But all this is put into perspective in the context, so that laughing is superfluous: It’s mostly a matter of humiliation and degradation.
Concerning the actors the film is above average. José Bodalo is absolutely great as fallen, tragic-comic judge, who once was knocked off the track by judicial error; Gordon Mitchell absolves a nice short appearance as a gunslinger with crippled hands, and “George Martin” is good as punchy and ably arms tinkerer. In the background we remark a stock of solid actors from Osiride Pevarello to Ignazio Spalla.
Even if the score isn’t really breathtaking, it’s nice to hear thanks to its excessive adoption of trumpet ;-).
And: Guido Zurli claims to have introduced the gatling gun in the SW.
| Rating: $$$+
| Bodycount: ca. 21
| Explicit Brutalities: - A guest doesn’t wanna pay the extreme high beer price in the saloon. Finally he’s killed because of one dollar
- Ray has problems with the prices too and gets a heavy rubdown by Brady’s men
- Judge Lennox gets some heavy blows, because he doesn’t judge agreeable to Brady
- The old O’Connor has to take the blame for Ray’s escape outta jail
| Luv': Nada: 0/10
| Gore: 1/10
| Specials: - Ray can’t handle arms, but is a skilled tinkerer. So he makes a spezial gun, handicapped accessible, for Sheppherd’s (Gordon Mitchell) crippled hand.
- Pestled pills of potassium chlorate plus sugar serves as effective explosive
- A mini-gatling finally decides the match ;-)
| Trailer: by SWDBTrailer
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| OT:
Thompson 1880
Jahr: I/SP 1966
R: Guido Zurli
B: Jesus Balacazar, Lorenzo Gicca Palli („Enzo Gicca“)
K: Victor Monreal (Franco Villa, only credited as 2nd-Unit-Director
M: Marcello Gigante
D: Francisco Martinez Celeiro („George Martin“), Gia Sandri, Pasquale Basile („Pat Basil“), José Bódalo
 | Claudio Ruffini ows one dollar and buys the farm
|  | Turns swords into plowshares if the price is right: Paul Muller
|  | For one whisky José Bodalo recites latin and greek classics
|  | At least the hairy chest is intact: "George Martin"
|  | Gia Sandri is spoiling on a fight
|  | "George Martin" has a heart for the handicapped, ...
|  | ... Gordon Mitchell obviously enjoys
|  | Pasquale Basile defends his exclusive beer prices
|  | | Unfortunately in the 19th. century the weaponry is further developed than dental technology: Osiride Pevarello |
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