Murphy: Apache Rifles, 40 Guns to Apache Pass and Gunfight at Comanche Creek
It wasn’t only Murphy of course, but most people know him. The type of cavalry movie I was thinking of, was a movie about a soldier redeeming himself by averting an Indian war. The hero was not a man like Shatterhand or Buffalo Bill, a known ‘friend of the Red Man’.
The Tramplers: It was announced on july 31 in the Daily American as "the first genuine large-scale American western to be made in Europe"
This is of course not true, it wasn’t a genuine american production, but it seems to indicate that at least any of the scenes were shot in that year. It seems to me a pre-Leone spaghetti, without much SW feeling. But maybe the works on it were postponed too, like in the case of Buffalo Bill. There were more productions delayed, I remember.
Things are getting more complicated by the minute. Giusti writes on page 295 of his book (in the review of Massacro al Grande Canyon) that The Tramplers (Gli Uomini dal Passo Pesante) is shot in the summer of ’63. He also says something important that I didn’t notice when I first read the chapter. This is the relevant part of the text:
“The film (Massacro al Grande Canyon) was shot on the premises of the Bruno Ceria Studios, not far away from Trieste, on sets of the Winnetou movies. James Mitchum is the oldest son of Robert Mitchum (…). Vasile sustains that he was cast by Albert Band, who also used him – presumably first, even if the movie was only released much later – in The Tramplers, that would be filmed in the new western town of the Elios studios, in the summer of ’63.”
I had not noticed these words between hyphens (they’re not between hyphens in the Itlian text) : presumably first, even if the movie was released much later. Apparently Giusti isn’t even sure which of the two movies was started first, Massacre or Tramplers. This opens completely new perspectives. It’s often said that Corbucci was sent to the set of Massacro to help Band out. For some reason Turo Vasile, one of the producers, thought Band wouldn’t be able to finish the movie. The reason for this, probably wasn’t incompetence, as I have always thought. Apparently Band was involved in the production of two different movies, that were made more or less at the same time, one in Trieste, the other in Rome. The presence of James Mitchum in both movies, also seems to suggest that they were made within a brief period of time, if not simultaneously. If he really was working on both movies, Band must have been terribly pressed for time, and maybe The Tramplers wasn’t completed in '63 for this reason. This could also be the reason for the insertion of stock material in the movie.
Murphy appeared in several westerns as a Cavalry soldier including “Column South”, “The Guns of Fort Petticoat”, “Apache Rifles” and “40 Guns to Apache Pass”.
Nero appeared as Frank Nero before he made Django and I have "Buffalo Bill: Hero of the Far West made in 1965.
Yes, I definitely think it was started in '63, released end '64
Murphy: Not too fond of him either, I think I saw most of his (cavalry) westerns (quite) a few years ago on BBC. They were shown - if I’m not mistaken - in the afternoon. I recorded them and watch them later.
It is an evident error of Mario Costa. He says in March '63 we were ready to film, but “thanks” to one of the producers we lost six precious months (not weeks ), in the meantime Sergio Leone had realized Per un pugno di dollari.
So it’s clear he was referring to 1964…
According to Marco Giusti’s Dictionary in Italy the film was released in July 1965.
[quote=“JonathanCorbett, post:49, topic:1544”]It is an evident error of Mario Costa. He says in March '63 we were ready to film, but “thanks” to one of the producers we lost six precious months (not weeks ), in the meantime Sergio Leone had realized Per un pugno di dollari.
So it’s clear he was referring to 1964…
According to Marco Giusti’s Dictionary in Italy the film was released in July 1965.[/quote]
You’re right, I misread mese (months) - (I’ll change that tomorrow)
So you’re idea is that the works for this movie started in March '64 ?
But if you think the film was released in Italy in '65 (which is of course possible), where does this 19.11.'64 date refer to?
[quote=“Phil H, post:52, topic:1544”]In a situation like this surely it makes sense to consult the most reliable expert on the genre.
Weisser says 1964. Case closed.[/quote]
On second thoughts, for the Italian release date the scales decidedly tip in favour of November '64: among other things in Buffalo Bill l’eroe del West Mario Brega is credited as Richard Stuyvesant, just like in Per un pugno di dollari.
Yes, noticed that too, Richard Stuyvesant
I just checked: Brega is called Stuyvesant in both the Italian and English credit sequences of Per un Pugno di Dollari
(Funny: I had never noticed this before)
I’ll add a note to the review that there’s still some debate going on about several dates
(This’ll give me some time to think about the changes I’ll have to make)
[quote=“scherpschutter, post:55, topic:1544”]I’ll add a note to the review that there’s still some debate going on about several dates
(This’ll give me some time to think about the changes I’ll have to make)[/quote]
Was going to say toss a coin, but this is the best option I think.
To explain things a little: It was ‘fatal’ in the sense that it - so I read somewhere - it virtually ended the acting career of muscle man and former ‘Tarzan’ Gordon Scott.
It was one of his last movies and he apparently thought he was no longer credible as a leading man in action movies. The days of the musle men were of course over, and I don’t think Scott felt very comfortable in western movies.
I might use “fateful” instead. I think it implies something with serious consequences without implying death.
Otherwise an interesting review. From the clips on youtube it looks quite “well made” on some ways, but doesn’t have the feeling of something that hangs together as a whole.
), in the meantime Sergio Leone had realized 
), in the meantime Sergio Leone had realized