El Puro / La taglia è tua … l’uomo l’ammazzo io (Edoardo Mulargia, 1969)

Spaghetti Westerns 🎬
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Obviously I think Mulargia did some good SWs, especially El Puro of course - excerpt from my SW Top list :

8/10
16 El Puro/The Reward’s Yours… The Man’s Mine (Edoardo Mulargia) music Alessandro Alessandroni 1969

7/10
47 Don’t Wait Django… Shoot! (Edoardo Mulargia) music Felice Di Stefano 1967
48 Go With God, Gringo (Edoardo Mulargia) music Felice Di Stefano 1966

6/10
67 Cjamango (Edoardo Mulargia) music Felice Di Stefano 1967

I especially like Ivan Rassimov and Vincenzo Musolino in a couple of the last three. Felice Di Stefano was a good choice for the music, but the main theme in El Puro by Alessandroni is just excellent.
The last three are of course rather simple but entertaining SWs, with a comic book feeling in Don’t Wait Django… Shoot, but its mood and sometimes slow pace create a nice feeling IMO, emphasized by the music.

All four, except for Cjamango, have gradually grown for me. The first time I watched them none of them was rated higher than 6/10 by me.

524

For me there is more in it, much more.
Even with a normal ending and the most weird stuff toned down or cut out, it would be a pretty good western. There is a genuine feeling for western directing in it, which makes even the most conventional scene interesting. Being unusual is not the worst thing to make a film interesting, but is not enough to enjoy a film, to turn its ideas into something special. El puro works very well on many levels, is filled with excellent scenes.

525

Go with God Gringo has an excellent first hour, before some silly scenes destroys some of its power.
Another very atmospheric film despite a low budget.

Don’t Wait Django… Shoot! is also one above average.

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I don’t know if Robert Woods is still on Facebook, or if he answers personal messages these days … I haven’t been on FB for 7 years. But if he is, you could try asking him?

Robert Woods told me the story of how ‘El Puro’ came about when we met in Almeria 10 years ago. At that point he was planning an autobiography, and I was very pleased to spend quite a bit of time with him, hearing many stories of his adventures in the film business.

Much of what he relayed might not see the light of day in print, as it could be taken as libelous … but there were some really hilarious and eye opening stories about individuals from the era.

‘El Puro’ was just one of many productions that were discussed, and as far as Robert himself was concerned, Mulgaria was only present as the official director, union laws etc … and that he and Fiorini had no faith in him as a filmmaker and so they took over.

Woods described Fiorini as ‘a rambunctious fella’, which was a polite way of saying he didn’t like him or a few aspects of the film … including the infamous kiss … he also thought the drunk scenes went on far too long and were boring. Robert told me that he was never a drinker and those scenes were based on his memories of his own father (he was raised by foster parents) who apparently was a chronic alcoholic .

We didn’t get into specifics as to ‘who did what’ regarding directing the film … as that could have taken an entire evening. I must say that I was thrilled to spend time with Robert, and get to hear the raw uncensored story … He’s a thoughtful, intelligent and highly humorous man, with no allusions as to his place in cinema … the sad part was that he couldn’t get acting work when he returned to the USA in the mid 1970s, despite being a significant Star in Europe.

He mentioned that one of his few American gigs was an episode of ‘Kojak’, which he was invited to appear, was down to Telly Savalas, who he’d first met when he was on ‘Battle of the Bulge’ , and later in Italy, when Telly was working a lot in Europe.

Some of his current FB contacts here might know if he continued working on his autobiography ? … I would love to read it, especially if it’s a warts n’ all version.

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527

I agree with Robert ;-), who answered me and hinted a couple of years ago on FB (but I don’t exactly remember now on which site) that there might be an El Puro bluray on its way. That is my only “contact” with him, or with any prominent actor I guess :slight_smile:

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528

One can definitely discern elements of a solid western in it which is probably why the composition hangs together for the most part, the thing is the storyline is never really fleshed out to a satisfactory extent in that some of the characters turn out rather vague and underdeveloped; let’s face it, the story is not the primary reason why the flick is special to begin with. The tale itself is good, though it could be argued it is somewhat half-baked in its final form. So I don’t disagree actually, I just believe the storyline is a bit wonky in places.

I believe Mulargia might have participated in the production in the same way Klimovsky would subsequently partake in La sfida dei McKenna, which is to say he was probably responsible for the technical minutiae such overall framing and all the broad brush strokes without ever bothering to talk to the actors or to direct the scenes in a dramatic sense, leaving that part of the creative process to Fiorini and Woods. The script was probably gestated along the way too and Mulargia probably had little interest in that part of the equation either. The reason why I’m guessing that is because it still looks like a Mulargia movie. Furthermore, I find that its longueurs are strikingly reminiscent of the filler found in Brother Outlaw: though the latter film is conspicuously inferior, I find that its slower moments genuinely resemble some of that El Puro protractedness, just my two cents anyway.

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529

I really enjoyed Brother Outlaw personally.

530

Yeah, I don’t mind that one either, at least not as much as others.

531

You’ve reminded me of another ‘Woods’ anecdote, well, item of trivia … Robert mentioned that he became great friends with John Ireland, but that he really hated, ‘Challenge of the McKennas’ … and I can’t remember why specifically, maybe the Mexican suits ? :wink: … but anyway, he claimed that he owned the American copyright on the film, and said laughing, that he would do anything to prevent it being released in his lifetime.

PS: does Robert do a commentary track on the BD release of ‘EP’ ? … perhaps there’ll be some further info as to who done what, then again, maybe he has be quiet about it, a la Morricone writing music for certain films which are credited under his various aliases

:thinking:

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There’s a big 30 min Woods interview on the disc where he says some of the stories you mentioned here. Watched it a few days ago and he mentioned the not liking alcohol thing and talks about the director too.

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If he hated this one, I can’t imagine what he thinks about Sam Wallash :joy:

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Indeed ! LOL He said that he got on well with Fidani, but he knew that these films weren’t up to scratch.

There were quite a few that he’d never seen completed, and some that he had no memory of making at all … specifically, ‘Kill the Poker Player’ he also hated the last two snow pictures , ‘White Fang and the Gold Diggers’ and ‘White Fang and the Hunter’ … I think that was the last straw for him.

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I do however remember hearing him talk in an interview about his good relationship with John Ireland and that he liked Machine Gun Killers?

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Probably equally important for the final result of El Puro is who was in charge to oversee how it was put together in the editing room. While I can certainly see the actors having a big influence on what was filmed and how it was filmed, I doubt any of the actors would have been around for the editing stage. It would be interesting to know how that was done. Did the editor work on his own, asked to stick strictly to some kind of script, or was there Mulargia, or someone else, looking over his shoulder in the process?

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537

Quite interesting, I will keep that in mind.

As I said credits do not always tell the truth about who did what. On the other hand we have some cases, and 5 Men Army comes to my mind, for which some involved people tell totally contradicting stories who directed a whole film.

I still think that El puro very much looks to me like being directed by Mulargia, but will check in the next days what was said before about that. I think our Phil made an interview with Robert, which does not question Mulargia’s credit, but maybe he said more what was not printed?
Phil?

538

Now, seven years later, we will finally find out whether last.caress was right. (By the way, has he left the forum for good or is he just taking a break?)

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539

I’m guessing that editors of this period would be given notes from those in charge … and left to get on with it, while the ‘artistes’ go off and work on something else.

The high turn over of product at this period didn’t allow for much fannying around … Assemble the footage, get it down to around 100 minutes, trim a few bit here and there, et voila!

As mentioned before, Robert complains about the drunk scenes, but obviously didn’t put his foot down to get them trimmed further.

:thinking:

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540

When I interviewed Woods and Fiorini some years back Woods said they chose Mulargia because he was “maleable” and got him stoned to help bring him around to their vision of the film and their rewrite.

I’ve always took that to mean that Mulargia was behind the camera but not really in charge of the content or direction of the film. I guess there are other ways of interpreting that though. Read the interview and make up your own mind.

https://www.spaghetti-western.net/index.php/Robert_Woods_and_Marc_Fiorini_on_El_Puro

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541

The interview is amazing.

Got to say, I received ‘El Puro’ and ‘Savage Guns’ on Friday.

Not really been able to savour them, because I feel like I’m presently dying with a bug…it seems to be the same as last year…

Main question: Forgive me, before I feel like passing out…
Seriously, need to get tobeds.
‘El Puro’ seems to have a legendary reputaion…

If peeps have had such fond thoughts, and wanted it to be released, then why are there so many people saying its shit.??

Going back to bed…reakkylly not feeling well.

Best samigos

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542

Legendary reputation is a bit exaggerated for a film which is outside the SW fanbase barely known, and which comes from a director with a low reputation.
But El puro found some enthusiastic followers amongst these fans, but all being a matter of taste, some like it, others don’t.

But I think there are not so much which would call it shit.

Well, watch it neither with low nor with too high expectations, give it a chance, and see if you can enjoy it.

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