Death on High Mountain / La morte sull’alta collina (Fernando Cerchio / Alfredo Medori, 1969)

(ENNIOO) #1

http://www.spaghetti-western.net/index.php/Morte_sull%27alta_collina,_La

[font=arial]
Film opens with a stagecoach robbery by some bandits. Not long before another robbery takes place in town, but this one does not work out as planned. This is due to Peter Lee Lawrence being at the right place at the right time, and is helped out by a stranger. Lawrence is captured by the bandits and sent to jail before the real truth of the story comes out.

Reminds me of an earlier made Spaghetti western alot of the times in style. Action scenes are well handled, and we have a very long saloon fight scene. Due to the charms of Lawrence and his banter with the stranger film comes across as not 100% serious alot of the time. Score is mainly recycled music from Sugar Colt and A Bullet For The General by Luis E Bacalov. Not wanting to sound to much like a former forum member I am sure many Lawrence fans will have some fun with this one.[/font]

(korano) #2

Is this one with supposed Circus gimmicks? Trying to clear up a Weisser-ism if possible. ;D

(ENNIOO) #3

Cannot think of any Korano.

(autephex) #4

Have been viewing mostly higher tier spaghettis lately so I think I may make this my next spaghetti viewing. Did not realize it starred Peter Lee Lawrence

Has Medori done other westerns? I don’t recognize the name

(chuck connors brother) #5

I thought this started out well I felt good about it… but by the end it was torture, one of the most boring SWs i’d ever seen.

(autephex) #6

Looked on the DB and only other titles I could find were:
La Sceriffa / The sheriff was a lady
Year: 1959 ! wow 1959…

and Screenplay for Fidani’s Giù la testa… hombre

(Chris_Casey) #7

I guess I should give this one a viewing. I have had a DVD-R of it for roughly four years now and have never even put it in the player!
I had heard that it was incredibly boring; so, that is likely why I haven’t gotten 'round to it…in spite of my always whining about not having any “fresh” Spaghetti Westerns to watch! ;D

(Stanton) #8

La sceriffa was directed by Roberto Bianchi Montero

Hmm, the Bruckner book gives Fernando Cerchio as director, which is maybe wrong.

He also doesn’t mention Medori for the Fid film. In fact there is no Medori at all in this book.

(autephex) #9

Suppose the DB needs updating then

La Sceriffa is listed as
Director: Alfredo Medori

Also checked the IMDB for Death On High Mountain, and it lists Fernando Cerchio as director.

(Stanton) #10

But I have another German book which also opts for Medori. As does the Anica.it site. The other book also has the Fid co-writing credit.
That’s ???

La sceriffa is surely wrong and I’ll change it immediately.

(Phil H) #11

Giusti lists Cerchio as director according to the Spanish version and Medori according to the Italian version. :-\

He goes into something of a discussion on the topic but my Italian is not up to making any reliable sense of it. Maybe Scherps can help with a translation?

@Scherps It’s on page 315.

(ENNIOO) #12

Just checked the version I viewed which is a Spanish T.V print audiodubbed into english and the director is Cerchio mentioned on the credits.

(Silver) #13

No it isn’t. Had a look in the book and for once Weisser actually gives a fairly accurate description… :o

(Bill san Antonio) #14

For some reason I always thought that the Death on High Mountain was alternative title for Death at Owell Rock. Finally I realized it’s not the case and I got the film too. Unfortunately it’s not that good film, like Ennioo says it feels more like early sw from 65-66 than '69. Mexican bandits were really annoying as well as the most of the recycled “funny music”.

(korano) #15

Agreed. Pretty unmemorable.

(The Stranger) #16

Entertaining SW, which varies between serious and light-hearted scenes.
Peter Lee Lawrence plays his typical role, without big surprises. I liked more Luis Dávila as a mysterious stranger.

An interesting and fun idea is to explain the robbery in drawings (in comic form).

b811.jpg799x337 50.2 KB

Not a great film, but it knows how to please. :wink:

b1610.jpg800x338 52.9 KB

(p.pereira) #17

Nice screenshots. Looks enough entertaining to me. :wink:

(Phil H) #18

I seem to be one of the few who really like this one.
Davila and Lawrence both fit their parts well and the Mexican bandit has some genuinely funny lines I thought without stepping over the edge into silliness. Keeping a balance between seriousness and comedy is a difficult trick but I think this one does it pretty well. The borrowed score from Sugar Colt doesn’t always fit but on the whole works out OK. My only real beef would be concerning the unnecessary and over long bar room brawl. Apart from that an enjoyable, if largely predictable ride.

(Stanton) #19

[quote=“Phil H, post:11, topic:2093”]Giusti lists Cerchio as director according to the Spanish version and Medori according to the Italian version. :-\

He goes into something of a discussion on the topic but my Italian is not up to making any reliable sense of it. Maybe Scherps can help with a translation?

@Scherps It’s on page 315.[/quote]

Scherp, could you maybe try to throw some light on the director question?

(JonathanCorbett) #20

According to Marco Giusti in all probability the real director is Fernando Cerchio.