A Coffin for the Sheriff Review: Difference between revisions
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Director Caiano had directed [[Pistole non discutono, Le|Pistols don't argue]], the old-fashioned, Americanized western produced back with Sergio Leone’s revolutionary [[Per un pugno di dollari|A Fistful of Dollars]] by Jolly Films. With a story of gang infiltration, murder and revenge, objects like a musical watch and a supporting character of the funny (or rather would-be funny) old man, his second western is heavily influenced by the first two Dollar movies. For most part it’s a routine movie, occasionally even a bit boring, but it builds up to a surprisingly effective finale. In true spaghetti western style Steffen is exposed as a traitor and beaten up by the gang members. It’s a unusually brutal scene, cut in some versions, almost on a par with the (equally cut) torture scene in [[Buono, il brutto, il cattivo, Il|The Good, the Bad and the Ugly]]. It also serves as a stepping stone to a sudden shootout in the villains’ lair and a protracted sequence with Steffen and his arch enemy stalking each other in the streets of Richmond. | Director Caiano had directed [[Pistole non discutono, Le|Pistols don't argue]], the old-fashioned, Americanized western produced back with Sergio Leone’s revolutionary [[Per un pugno di dollari|A Fistful of Dollars]] by Jolly Films. With a story of gang infiltration, murder and revenge, objects like a musical watch and a supporting character of the funny (or rather would-be funny) old man, his second western is heavily influenced by the first two Dollar movies. For most part it’s a routine movie, occasionally even a bit boring, but it builds up to a surprisingly effective finale. In true spaghetti western style Steffen is exposed as a traitor and beaten up by the gang members. It’s a unusually brutal scene, cut in some versions, almost on a par with the (equally cut) torture scene in [[Buono, il brutto, il cattivo, Il|The Good, the Bad and the Ugly]]. It also serves as a stepping stone to a sudden shootout in the villains’ lair and a protracted sequence with Steffen and his arch enemy stalking each other in the streets of Richmond. | ||
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In his first (or second) western Steffen has already taking up his habit of wearing small hats. It’s one of his better performances, but his character is also presented as a Don Juan winning the hearts of all women (a saloon lady, a gun moll and the marriageable daughter of his best friend in town). 1965 was Giuliano Gemma’s year: his character of the amiable but lethal gunslinger had become a model for others to follow. Steffen had of course a good face for spaghetti westerns, but he was no Angel Face and the romantic scenes are trivial. The score by De Masi is pretty standard, the theme song, ''A Lone and Angry Man'', pretty cheesy. The film has excellent villainy. Eduardo Fajardo (with blond hair for the occasion) is a fascinating lunatic, and there’s also Arturo Dominici as a slimy lawyer turned bandit. | In his first (or second) western Steffen has already taking up his habit of wearing small hats. It’s one of his better performances, but his character is also presented as a Don Juan winning the hearts of all women (a saloon lady, a gun moll and the marriageable daughter of his best friend in town). 1965 was Giuliano Gemma’s year: his character of the amiable but lethal gunslinger had become a model for others to follow. Steffen had of course a good face for spaghetti westerns, but he was no Angel Face and the romantic scenes are trivial. The score by De Masi is pretty standard, the theme song, ''A Lone and Angry Man'', pretty cheesy. The film has excellent villainy. Eduardo Fajardo (with blond hair for the occasion) is a fascinating lunatic, and there’s also Arturo Dominici as a slimy lawyer turned bandit. | ||
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Revision as of 17:11, 31 January 2015
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"A lone and Angry Man" sung by
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| Anthony Steffen is a sheriff who’s wife was brought home in a coffin. He infiltrates a gang of outlaws to find out who was responsible for the evil things done to her. Routine for most part, but the film has excellent villainy - Fajardo with blond hair! - and builds up to a violent and spectacular finale. |
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A Coffin for the Sheriff (Una Bara per lo Sceriffo)
One of the very first Italian westerns for Anthony Steffen, released almost simultaneously with Edoardo Mulargia’s Why Go on Killing? (1). Steffen was not completely new to the genre: he had played Falkenauge (Hawkeye) in the Sauerkraut western Der Letzte Mohikaner, released earlier the same year. Steffen plays a sheriff from Texas, Joe Logan, who infiltrates a gang of outlaws to find out who was responsible for the death of his wife. The woman was sent back to him in a coffin (hence the title) after she was raped and killed during a stagecoach robbery.
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Two years later Steffen has discovered that the gang is terrorizing the surroundings of Richmond. Entering the town incognito, under the name of Shenandoah (Texas Joe in the Italian version), he obtrudes himself upon Lupe Rojo and his men, finally gaining their confidence. The things done to his wife were so sickening, that only a personal settlement of the accounts can quench his thirst for blood and revenge, as we are told in the theme song: he has become a lone and angry man who only lives for revenge. While trying to identify the maniacal rapist and murderer, he also tries to protect the local farmers for possible attacks of the bandits ...
Director Caiano had directed Pistols don't argue, the old-fashioned, Americanized western produced back with Sergio Leone’s revolutionary A Fistful of Dollars by Jolly Films. With a story of gang infiltration, murder and revenge, objects like a musical watch and a supporting character of the funny (or rather would-be funny) old man, his second western is heavily influenced by the first two Dollar movies. For most part it’s a routine movie, occasionally even a bit boring, but it builds up to a surprisingly effective finale. In true spaghetti western style Steffen is exposed as a traitor and beaten up by the gang members. It’s a unusually brutal scene, cut in some versions, almost on a par with the (equally cut) torture scene in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. It also serves as a stepping stone to a sudden shootout in the villains’ lair and a protracted sequence with Steffen and his arch enemy stalking each other in the streets of Richmond.
According to Gianfranco Casadio the movie is “tutta azione e niente storia”, all action and no story (2). A flashback which could have given more cohesion and depth to the proceedings, is missing. This would-be funny Old Timer gets far too much screen time and there’s a rather chaotic sequence of the gang attacking a ranch in Indian style. A protracted sequence offers a so-called rite the passage: Steffen will only be accepted in the group if he outsmarts the better equipped gang member in a hide and seek game in the hills. Again we seem to be in an western featuring Indians: it vaguely reminded me of Sam Fuller’s Run of the Arrow (1957), in which Rod Steiger was subject to a similar - if physically far more demanding - ritual test, and the Winnetou movies also offered these type of rituals when the hero visited an enemy tribe.
In his first (or second) western Steffen has already taking up his habit of wearing small hats. It’s one of his better performances, but his character is also presented as a Don Juan winning the hearts of all women (a saloon lady, a gun moll and the marriageable daughter of his best friend in town). 1965 was Giuliano Gemma’s year: his character of the amiable but lethal gunslinger had become a model for others to follow. Steffen had of course a good face for spaghetti westerns, but he was no Angel Face and the romantic scenes are trivial. The score by De Masi is pretty standard, the theme song, A Lone and Angry Man, pretty cheesy. The film has excellent villainy. Eduardo Fajardo (with blond hair for the occasion) is a fascinating lunatic, and there’s also Arturo Dominici as a slimy lawyer turned bandit.
 
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Notes:
- (1) Marco Giusti calls it Steffen’s first spaghetti western, but the other movie, Why Go on Killing? was released December 14 and this one December 23, 1965. It's not clear which one of the two was made first.
- (2) Gianfranco Casadio, Se sei vivo, spara! Storie di pistolero, banditi e bounty killers nel western all’italiana, p. 103
--By Scherpschutter
