AKA “Secret of O´Hara captain” Starring {German Cobos, Jose Canalejas and Frank Baña}
Usual faces in S.W. world, it´s a spanish production ! Sounds like more american than “spaghetti”. Do you agree ?
Database page: Secreto del capitan O'Hara, El - The Spaghetti Western Database
Yes, it’s like many American made U.S. Cavalry films of the 1950s.
A love triangle and army vs Indians. It doesn’t have any SW edge
to it. No enduring characters, gadgets or outfits. The music is routine
background and military marching music.
It’s rare enough that if you have a chance to see it by all means do
so, just don’t expect much.
Tom, thanks for replying ! Do you have this film ?
Kind regards
I’m pretty sure I have/had it on Beta video which I’ve given to a retired friend who is supposed to make DVD-R copies sometime. I haven’t seen it since the early 80s. We ran a review by Bill Connolly of it in WAI! in an early issue.
[url]http://www.spaghetti-western.net/index.php/Secreto_del_capitan_O'Hara%2C_El[/url]
A pretty obscure Spanish western with somewhat of an American-feel to it. It´s about cavallerists in a fort and especially two rivals, Mayor Moore and Captain O´Hara (the hero). These two have had their difficulties ever since the academy and Moore got O´Hara downgraded due to cowardice (obvioussly a false accusation). Now the mayor´s fience arrives at the fort and right from the start falls in love with the captain. Also involved is a scout namned Wells and an indian barmaid namned Wana, who after some complications also fall in love. A very romantic story as you can see. Around all this is the threat of an Indianwar, and as the lovesick mayor goes on the warpath, the Navajos and Apaches attack the fort with a bloddy massacre as a result.
This all sounds pretty standard and not to exciting maybe, but i must confess i really enjoyed this one, it struck my romantic string. Also the action was good, the Indians believeable and the two women real beauties.
The date on both the database and imdb-entry seems to be wrong. It does have a slightly older look than 68, and both sources i checked now (Weissers book, yeah i know not the most reliable to say the least, and Western all´Italiana vol 3) gives the releasedate as 1965.
Giusti says '64
It was released in Italy (title : il segreto di Ringo) in '66, in other countries probably even later
I’ll check things tomorrow
Seems a film I might appreciate too, beautiful women, bloody Indian attack, the cavalry …
Btw, what version did you see, swedish VHS ?
Nope, no swedish release of this one i´m affraid. I found a dvdr in a shelf in my parents countryhouse while spending the last week there… had forgotten i had it so not sure who i got it from, but it had a Spanish version in faded colors and English version with spanish subtitles (in not very good, but quite watchable quality). Origins unkown in other words…
I recall enjoying this one, and have put on my re watch pile.
I have updated the database accordingly.
Bruckner gives the film also with 64, but has the release date for 22.10.1968!
Old fashioned cowboys and indians one, but made a bit more interesting with the inner conflict of two army officers. End battle is energetic, and film is better than similar ones around the same period.
Can someone merge this topic with this one please, thanks 
:
[url]http://www.spaghetti-western.net/forum/index.php/topic,2149.0.html[/url]
Done
Cheers Phil 
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[url]http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/267/vlcsnap2011110417h05m46.png/[/url]
[size=12pt]http://www.spaghetti-western.net/index.php/The_Secret_of_Captain_O'Hara_Review[/size]
There is a fandub from a Spanish T.V print which is in more of a widescreen ratio so I have been told.
I cropped this screenshot left and right a little because I wanted to use it for the review, but then I decided to take another.
The version I watched is in about 1,78:1, the Spanish print that can be found on CG seems 4:3 (1,33:1 > so less wide). It does run a couple of minutes longer though, but I don’t see any reason to watch more than one version in order to pick up one or two lost scenes. The film is watchable, but it’s no masterpiece, if you knowwhattaimean
Edit:
Just got a notice that a new version has been loaded up, it’s indeed a Spanish version with a AR of about 2,20:1
Watched the fan dub using the Spanish widescreen picture. Looks great but unfortunately this is a pretty poor film. Very traditional in style and, as Scherps mentions in his review, clearly based on Ford but without his talent or touch.
Had a nap half way which helped get me through it. Not one I’d recommend to be honest.
Ha, ha so the nap was better than the film…
![http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/267/vlcsnap2011110417h05m46.png/[/url]](http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/267/vlcsnap2011110417h05m46.png/%5B/url%5D){kind=link}