Massacre at Grand Canyon / Massacro al Grande Canyon (Sergio Corbucci, Albert Band, 1964)

1964 ā€“ Original title: Massacro al Grande Canyon ā€“ Dir: Sergio Corbucci, Albert Band (Alfredo Antonini) ā€“ Cast: James Mitchum, Giorgio Ardisson, Jill Powers, Giacomo Rossi Stuart, Burt Nelson, Eduardo Cianelli, Nando Poggi, Vladimir Medar, Vlastimir Gavric ā€“ Music: Gianni Ferrio

Quite a few years ago, while zapping, I stumbled upon some western action. Being a western fan, I decided to stay with the movie. It looked good, was moderately entertaining, but not particularly distinguished. Some of the landscape looked like the locations used for the Winnetou movies, but the action was a bit tougher and there were no Indians in sight. I was very surprised to find out afterwards that I had watched a movie directed by Sergio Corbucci.

For the rest of the Review, go to:

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


For more info visit:
Database page: Massacro al Grande Canyon - The Spaghetti Western Database (spaghetti-western.net)

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I was always wondering if Corbucci was fired by the producer, or if he was hired to help him out.

But because of their later cooperation on I crudeli the second option was the more likely one for me. Good to know this now for sure.

Concerning the different scores, the 2nd one was probably prepared for the new german dub without any italian involvement. There are more examples of german dubs (especially if they are made for TV) who use a different score.
Even classics like The Maltese Falcon (with an odd 60s pop-jazz soundtrack) or Stagecoach were mutilated by this method.

I have seen this film with two different opening credit sequences. I believe the one on KOCH DVD is the original one from Ā“64. Some tape releases have animated credit sequence very much like A Fistful of Dollars. I guess it was added when the film was re-released to bring in more ā€œreal spaghetti western atmosphereā€ā€¦?

Good review, scherp!!
Nicely researched and objective.

Keep them coming, amigo!

I, personally, didnā€™t find as much to enjoy about this film as you did; but, I can definitely see your point about many of the filmā€™s better aspects.

Tom Betts at .Westerns...All'Italiana!: Remembering Albert Band says the following:

ā€œAlbert Band was born in Paris on May 7, 1924, the son of painter Max Bandā€¦ Albert Band is the father of director Charles Band, composer Richard Band and grandfather of actors Alex and Taryn Band. Alfredo Antonini was a pseudonym he employed but mistakenly taken to be his real name.ā€

Scherpschutter, if this is correct, you might want to change the biographical details in your review: ā€œBand was an American with an Italian background: his real name was Alfredo Antoniniā€¦ā€

[quote=ā€œNovecento, post:5, topic:1054ā€]Tom Betts at .Westerns...All'Italiana!: Remembering Albert Band says the following:

ā€œAlbert Band was born in Paris on May 7, 1924, the son of painter Max Bandā€¦ Albert Band is the father of director Charles Band, composer Richard Band and grandfather of actors Alex and Taryn Band. Alfredo Antonini was a pseudonym he employed but mistakenly taken to be his real name.ā€

Scherpschutter, if this is correct, you might want to change the biographical details in your review: ā€œBand was an American with an Italian background: his real name was Alfredo Antoniniā€¦ā€[/quote]

Iā€™ll look into this during the next few days

Albert Band talked with Bill Connolly of ā€˜Spaghetti Cinemaā€™ fame, and told him that his real name was Albert Band. Bill relayed the information on to me. Like most people I always believed it was Alfredo Antonini. Concerning Massacre at the Grand Canyon itā€™s not much and I thought very slow. Ardisson had the best role in the entire film.

I agree in that it is a slow film.

I always assumed that the american Albert Band and the Antonini Band are 2 different persons. That Antonini only choose an american sounding pseudonym which happened to be identical with an real existing director.
Great. So maybe the only one who did the pseudonym thing the other way round.

IMDB.com has him already as Band. Checking his films I found a bad horror flic I have seen without connecting it to our SW Band: Zoltan, Dog of Dracula

Learning that Albert was the son of Max Band had already swung me round to thinking of Antonini as a pseduonym, rather than his real surname, but itā€™s good to have it confirmed from the horseā€™s mouth - via Tom of course.

Zoltan: Hound of Dracula was a childhood favourite of mine - it often used to play on late-night UK TV - although I havenā€™t seen it in donkeyā€™s (houndā€™s?) years.

Zoltan rocks! Havenā€™t seen it in a spell mā€™self.

Oh yeah, and back on topic. I actually like MASSACRE a bit. No favorite, but a solid Sw nonetheless.

From the Sergio Leone Web Board:

I have bought a book on Corbucci where it is included his autobiography. He writes: "Massacre at Grand Canyon" is one of those mysterious films which are credited to me though I only shot some scenes. It was just a mercenary business. I took the money and went back to Rome".

This explains a lot. If itā€™s the truth.

Also known as Massacre At Grand Canyon. Translated Title: Massacro El Grande Canyon.

My observation is the uncredited performances by actresses in spaghetti westerns.

In this movie there are three women with speaking parts. On the internet movie database the leading lady is billed as Jill Powers, a pseudonym for Milla Sannoner, yet Thomas Weisserā€™s ā€œSpaghetti Westerns - The Good, The Bad and The Violentā€ and this site SWDB show Jill Powers (as Nancy) and Milla Sannoner (as Flake Masonā€™s lady), hence two people. The name Jill Powers canā€™t be found in anything apart from this film and Milla Sannoner appears in 26 items according to imdb.com. The third woman referred to as Maude by James Mitchum turns up within the first 30 minutes and as there are no other women credited in cast is unbilled.

normfilmbuff

According to Dizionario del Western allā€™italiano (Marco Giusti), Jill Powers is a pseudo of Italian actress Gabriella Pallotta.

First note, this looks like a Corbucci film. Scene for scene, it looks identical to something he would have shot prior to making Minesotta Clay. The lead role ( Wes Evans) is played by legendary actor James Mitchum. Mitchum really gives this film all he has and I coudnā€™t be happier with his performance. The story goes likes this, After being away for a long while, (avenging his fatherā€™s death) Wes Evans retuns home to find out that his lover nancy is in fact married to another man. (She thoight Wes had died) While wanting to keep a low profile, trouble is brewing, between two ranchers, the Dancerā€™s and Whitmoreā€™s. Eventually a truce is offered by Wes, which calls for the Whitmoreā€™s to stand back,and the dancerā€™s will send away the manson gang who they hired to help them. Of the course the twist is that Tully Dancer and his father secretly offer Flake Manson ( head of the manson gang) more money, in order to help them. As one might expect, things turn ugly from there. Overall, this is an enjoyable early entry to the genre.

Without a doubt. Strange that the usual online sources (including the SWDb) still donā€™t mention Pallottaā€™s role as Nancy in Massacro.

@davidgregorybell has done it again

https://www.spaghetti-western.net/index.php/Two_Directors_+Two_Climaxes=_Massacre_at_Grand_Canyon

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Below par this one. The first half an hour was quite boring. Picked up later with lots of shooting in the titular canyon grande although the choreography was variable, it wasnā€™t often clear who was shooting at whom and there were a number of continuity errors (corpse on ground between Harley and Clay with bloodied face appeared before the shooting started and then disappeared and reappeared throughout fight, shifted position as well). I thought both Mitchum and Cannelli were dubbed (correct?). I got the Mafia analogy especially with Cannellini as the Don giving orders from his bed. Same location in Yugoslavia as the Winnetou movies. Weird ending with the hero riding off and leaving the heroine to tidy up his house without even a peck on the cheek (with the narrative having chickened out of having him killing her husband). IMDB and Wikipedia refer to the hired guns as ā€˜Masonā€™ but it was definitelyā€™Mansonā€™ ( a few years too early).

New poll, original post, top of thread. :arrow_up:

@Admin Database page needs update, Iā€™ve linked it.

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