Une corde, un Colt

Une corde, un colt (France · Italy 1969) is a spaghetti western directed by Robert Hossein.

Also known as

Synopsis

Ruthlessly pursued by the Rogers family following a dispute over cattle, Ben Caine (Benito Stefanelli) is chased back to the Caine Ranch. Despite his wife Maria's (Michèle Mercier) desperate pleading, the Rogers family hangs Ben Caine, forcing Maria to watch. Consumed with revenge but finding her two brothers-in-law reluctant to assist, Maria enlists the help of Manuel (Robert Hossein). Manual, presumably preoccupied with the past, wears a single black glove and lives alone in a ghost town. Manuel agrees to Maria's plan with reluctance, in part because of his deep feelings/attraction to her. Manuel finds employment as foreman at the Rogers' ranch and surreptitiously kidnaps Pa Rogers' (Daniele Vargas) only daughter Johanna (Anne-Marie Balin). With Johanna as the bait, Maria will be in the perfect position to exact her revenge on the Rogers but things don't turn out quite as planned.--by The Halitosis Kid 26 February 2007

Credits

Cast: Robert Hossein (Manuel), Michéle Mercier (Maria Caine), Anne-Marie Balin (Johanna/Diana Rogers), Daniele Vargas (Will Rogers), Guido Lollobrigida [as Lee Burton](Thomas Caine), Serge Marquand (Larry Rogers), Pierre Colett (Sheriff Ben), Michel Lemoine (Eli Caine), Philippe Baronnet (Bud Rogers), Pierre Hatet (Frank Rogers), Ivano Staccioli (Valee brother), Beatrice Altariba (saloon girl), Cris Huerta (hotel clerk), Angel Alvarez (barman), Benito Stefanelli (Ben Caine), Charly Bravo (Sam Valee), José Canalejas (Valee brother), Lorenzo Robledo (Rogers henchman), Luigi Ciavarro (Rogers ranch hand), Maria Gustafson (saloon girl), Simón Arriaga (Rogers henchman), Alvaro de Luna (deputy), Saturno Cerra (Rogers ranch hand)

Screenplay: Claude Desailly, Robert Hossein
Cinematography: Henri Persin [Eastmancolor - Panavision 1,78:1]
Music: André Hossein
Song: "The Rope and the Colt" sung by Scott Walker
Producers: Vincenzo Buffolo, Giulio Sbarigia

Reviews

Trivia

Film is dedicated to Sergio Leone who also directed the dinner scene of the movie.
Sergio Leone was supposed to play the role of the hotel desk clerk in the film but was eventually replaced by Chris Huerta. Christopher Frayling now admits that when he reviewed Leone's performance in the movie, he was watching a very bad print, and didn't realise that he had mistaken Chris Huerta for Sergio Leone. However, he maintains that "everyone" he spoke to when researching his book on Leone, claims that Leone played the part for the cameras. If we are to believe "everyone", then maybe Leone's version of the hotel clerk scene was shot but not used, and instead replaced by Chris Huerta's version of the role.
Dario Argento is credited as a co-writer in most international prints, but has according to Hossein nothing to do with the film.
For the German theatrical version, some original music was removed and music from Quien Sabe inserted to make the movie less quiet and more exciting. For a DVD release, an attempt was made at manually restoring the original soundtrack while keeping most German dub. A 2022 BluRay release offers both of these tracks.