Italian director Mario Caiano has done some fairly important spaghettis, and deserves some recognition a think.
Films include A Coffin for the Sheriff, Ringo Face of Revenge, both with Anthony Steffen, Fighting Fists of Shanghai Joe, 70’s kung fu-spaghetti, and a few more films.
He even did a pre-Fistful spaghetti Pistols don’t Argue actually shot at the same time in Spain that Leone made his film.
Also check out his Italian crime flicks WEAPONS OF DEATH (NAPOLI SPARA) & BLOODY PAYROLL (MILANO VIOLENTA)
They kick ass!
Caiano was a new for me. Just watched Fighting Fists of Shanghai Joe and found it totally entertaining. Also numerous little details from this one can be seen in Kill Bill. Gonna check out A Coffin for the Sheriff next. Those crime flicks seem intresting too.
Ah, Caiano, I don’t know. So far I haven’t seen one film from him which I would label as good.
Some start promising, like Ringo, Face of Revenge, but then become conventional and boring in the 2nd half. He had some talent for filming people in landscapes and almost no talent for filming larger action scenes, which is bad for a director of action films.
The best so far is the mildly satirical Train for Durango (only 5 out of 10, but let’s wait for the uncut Koch DVD), A Coffin for the Sheriff was OK and the above mentioned Ringo and the Shanghai Joe crap are mediocre.
So no great expectations for the rest of his output, which includes with 2 Zorro flics from the early 60s more forerunners of the SW craze.
[quote=“Silvanito, post:1, topic:265”]Italian director Mario Caiano has done some fairly important spaghettis, and deserves some recognition a think.
Films include A Coffin for the Sheriff, Ringo Face of Revenge, both with Anthony Steffen, Fighting Fists of Shanghai Joe, 70’s kung fu-spaghetti, and a few more films.
He even did a pre-Fistful spaghetti Pistols don’t Argue actually shot at the same time in Spain that Leone made his film.[/quote]
A COFFIN FOR THE SHERIFF 64 RINGO THE FACE OF REVENGE 66
Both these are extremely high quality, superlative, well plotted acted/directed SWs Cults
Very compulsive viewing and a memorable leading performance by ANTHONY STEFFEN
TRAIN TO DURANGO 1967
Very strong leading men in ANTHONY STEFFEN and MARK DAMON give this exquisite SW
a major boost, making it a cult 1960s classic.
The above 3 CULT Classic SWs show a fine director at work; Mario Caiano. 
I love CULT 8)
I hate MAINSTREAM 
MARIO CAIANO 1933 Italian Prolific Director Westerns/Giallos/Adventure/Police
MORE extremely impressive Film Credits are: CULT Westerns/Horror/Spy/Giallos
SIGN OF ZORRO 1962
RIDE AND KILL 1964
BULLETS DONT ARGUE 1964
NIGHTMARE CASTLE 1965
ERIK THE VIKING 1965
MILLION $ COUNTDOWN 1967
MAN WHO CRIED REVENGE 1968
7 PISTOLS FOR A MASSACRE 1969
EYE IN THE LABYRINTH 1972
MILANO VIOLENTA 1976
NAPOLI SPARA 1977
NO pretentious, dull Dramas but ALL high quality CULT FIlms. :o
Phil H mentioned an interview with Mario Caiano on the Pistole Non Discutono disc. I watched it last night. Relatively short but interesting. (unlike the interview with other directors on other releases by RHV, this one has English subtitles).
He talks quite a bit about Leone and their friendship. He says something interesting when he is asked whether he has/had any jealosy toward Leone for his success with Fistful. He says that he does not and never has had any jealousy. The reason is that (to paraphrase him) he did not consider being a film director as his real calling in life. He says he always hung back a little and did not give it his everything. He thought when growing up, that he would become a writer. He knows, now, that he won’t be a writer. If he had known at the time that film would be his career, he might have put more in to it.
A nice honest admission.
I’ve liked several of Caiano’s films.
Such as:
RIDE AND KILL
BULLETS DON’T ARGUE
TWO GLADIATORS
ERIK THE VIKING
A COFFIN FOR THE SHERIFF
SPIES KILL SILENTLY
RINGO: THE MARK OF REVENGE
A NAME THAT CRIED REVENGE
ADIOS, HOMBRE! (Sette pistole per un massacro)
NAPOLI SPARA
These I have found quite enjoyable on many different levels.
But, I have to admit that I really don’t care for SHANGHAI JOE, much. It has its moments, but overall I find it boring and, I don’t know…somewhat silly, perhaps.
I have never had the chance to see A TRAIN TO DURANGO…so I am anxiously awaiting the Koch Media release of that one!
PS= @Romaine Fielding…
Yes, that interview with Caiano is quite nice. And I agree about that “honest admission” bit.
Shanghai Joe was decent but the kung fu action scenes look primitive. Perhaps it would have benefited from hiring a Hong Kong choreographer to help with the fight scenes.
Absolutely!
That would have turned the film completely around, in my estimation.
I really like Shaghai Joe. I know it’s not so good but it always cracks me up. It is my guilty (well, not so guilty) pleasure. I am not a martial artist and don’t recall the fight scenes well. I recently watched The Stranger & The Gunfighter. I remember how bad (to me) the fight scenes were in that film and thinking that I did not remember the fight scenes in Shanghai Joe as being as bad.
Maybe I like Shanghai Joe because it starts in “St. Francisco” (as they call it in the film). That where I live!
Have you seen the Return of Shanghai Joe?
No, not yet. I’ve read that it is not as good. It is waitng to be watched, though.
I guess Ill move it ahead of The Assassination of Jesse James (based on your post in another thread!) in my queue.
How did you find Return?
[quote=“Romaine Fielding, post:14, topic:265”]No, not yet. I’ve read that it is not as good. It is waitng to be watched, though.
I guess Ill move it ahead of The Assassination of Jesse James (based on your post in another thread!) in my queue.
How did you find Return?[/quote]
No I have not managed to view the Return one yet, to much of a backlog :).
As always I am quite sure there will be people who think The Assassination of Jesse James is a true masterpiece, as all down to opinion.
Ahh…I love San Francisco!! Haven’t been able to get there in years, though.
Would love to go back and visit, soon!
Back on topic…
I once sat down and tried to watch THE RETURN OF SHANGHAI JOE. In short, I hated it. I even gave away the tape I had of it. As I recall it seemed to be trying to combine elements of the first film with the then-popular Trinity-type stuff. Not to my taste.
And Ennioo…you are absolutely correct, it is all down to personal opinion.
I happen to be one of those that you allude to in your post above!
I think THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES… is a true masterpiece. But, I understand why some folks just don’t like it.
If you go into the movie thinking it is going to be something other than a character study–and examination of the effects of idolatry on both the one idolized and the one doing the idolizing—then, you will definitely be disappointed.
Gee…I can’t seem to stay on topic!!
[quote=“Chris_Casey, post:16, topic:265”]Ahh…I love San Francisco!! Haven’t been able to get there in years, though.
Would love to go back and visit, soon![/quote]
Next time you get out here I’ll buy you a beer (or your beverage of choice).
Yikes, if it has elements that remind of the crappy Trinity-clone movies. I probably won’t like it. I like my humor black. (although I DO like the first Trinity movie).
Yes, and what makes forums like this one a good place to visit :).
I saw “Fighting Fists of Shanghai Joe” at a drive-in as the second movie of a Kung Fu double feature back in '80 while in Art School and had no clue at the time that it was a SW. I just thought it was a bizarre Kung Fu movie (I was really into the martial arts movie scene in the late 70s and early 80s).
I grabbed a copy off eBay a few years ago and while it was definitely the movie I remembered, it was nowhere near the “Kung Fu” movie I had remembered it being. Most of the fight scenes are pretty primitive and pale in comparison to the real deal coming out of Hong Kong at the time. That said, I rewatched it again just recently and really enjoyed it on its own terms as a less than top drawer SW.
I’ have seen nothing but quality entertainment from Mario Caiano. I think hw IS good at action and maybe u were being too harsh staton but…
That said, I’ve only seen two of his films.