Die letzten Zwei vom Rio Bravo

This film is a ripping off of American westerns. When I say ripping off I don't mean it is a poor film. It has the typical western elements: sheriffs and bandits. The role of the characters is well defined and at the end of the story the good will triumph on bad. Many films-loving people didn't understand why this film hadn't had success in Italy. First of all it was played by unknown actors, at least in Italy. Moreover, westerns were getting to be on the wane from 1965. But the main reason is that Italians were bored about classic westerns ("the stagecoach", "Rio Grande", "Cimarron", "saddle the wind" etc) they preferred action, shootings and a bit of violence. So the film "a fistful of dollars" released a few weeks later was a great success because it started a new era of making westerns as Italians preferred.

This was one of the first westerns to have false names of director and actors so as to make it seem like an American film. Probably it was shot without recording the audio even if many actors spoke English. It was released in Italian and in English both dubbed. Rod Cameron dubbed himself.

A solid early Euro western; no surprises really, but entertaining enough. A sheriff follows two brothers into Mexico on his wedding day. Only the elder, Billy, seems to be guilty, however. The usual fare of Mexicans after the gold is there. I won't give more of the plot away. Good, atmospheric music by the maestro Morricone. Well worth a look.

This is the film that Jolly Films of Rome and the other producing companies were putting their hopes and money into while tossing a bone to an unknown director named Sergio Leone, giving him film ends and minimal financing to shoot a movie called The Magnificent Stranger which featured a little-known American TV actor named Clint Eastwood. BULLETS DON'T ARGUE starred Rod Cameron, a bigger name, as Pat Garrett, with Horst Frank and Angel Aranda as Billy and George Clanton, thus mixing two old west legends into a very typically American spaghetti western. It kind of reminded me of the Budd Boetticher/Randolph Scott westerns of the late fifties, with Cameron as the stoic, older authority figure bringing in the wild, younger outlaws, and is pretty darned good, doing what it sets out to do. Oddly enough the highlight of Morricone's score is the song Lonesome Billy, about the elder of the outlaw brothers. BTW I think this is the film that did so poorly at the Italian box office that it prompted Variety to report that spaghetti westerns were dead, a week or so before the Leone/Eastwood film, retitled A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS, turned the film world on its ear.

"Bullets Don't Lie" is a Ravioli/Chorizo Western with a prolific Italian director and usual actors from Spaghetti . Entertaining Spaghetti Western with shootouts , action , go riding ,violence and amusement . On his own wedding day, sheriff Pat Garrett (Rod Cameron) must leave and try to arrest two bank robbers who have robbed the River Town Bank ; they are the Clanton Brothers , as Billy Clanton (Horst Frank) and George Clanton (Ángel Aranda) .

"Pistols Don't Argue" packs violence , crossfire , high body-count , full of horse riding , pursuits and shots and it's fast moving and quite entertaining . There is a lot of action in the movie , guaranteeing some shoot'em up or stunts every few minutes . It's an exciting western with breathtaking confrontation between protagonist Rod Cameron against the heartless Horst Frank and his brother Angel Aranda and a stirring ending gunfight . It's an agreeable story with a touch of peculiarity , some great characters, and an amazing music . This is an European co-production , Italian : Jolly Films , Spain : Trio or Ocean Films (Enrique Rivas) , Germany : Constantine Film of Múnich (Gunter Raguse) . As Italian producers Giorgio Papi and Arrigo Colombo formerly produced the first Spaghetti/Paella Western titled ¨Gringo¨ by Ricardo Blasco with similar technician team as Dan Savio or Ennio Morricone , cameramen : Mássimo Dallamano , Julio Ortas and secondary actors . After that , Papi and Colombo whose production company is called Jolly Films wish to produce two Westerns , the first with biggest budget titled ¨Le Pistole non Discutono¨, screenplay and filmmaking by Mike Perkins or Mario Caiano ; the second in little budget titled ¨For a fistful of dollars¨ by Sergio Leone with Clint Eastwood , as Sergio had to work in short budget , about 40 million of Liras for six weeks . The offer over both films included same locations , most technicians , costumes and same support cast . The most important difference was Rod Cameron whose salary was greatest than Fistful of dollars's all cast . As "Bullets Don't Argue" was shot at the same time to ¨Fistful of dollars¨ sharing atrezzo , gowns , sets , casting and many of them nicknamed under American pseudonyms . Both movies were filmed in similar exteriors such as rocks from La Pedriza (Madrid) , meadows of Dehesa of Navalvillar in Colmenar Viejo , Aldea Del Fresno (Madrid) and Almeria . Furthermore , at the Western village called 'Western City of Colmenar Viejo' that represents the 'ghost village' , being built by Augusto Lega and Felix Michelena , the first shooting there took place was ¨The terrible sheriff¨ (1963) by Antonio Momplet and Alberto De Martino . In addition , "Bullets Don't Lie" was shot in village of Hoyo of Manzanares called 'Golden City' financed by producer Eduardo Manzanos Brochero , being built (1962) by architects Jose Luis Galicia and Jaime Perez Cubero . They resulted to be the locations in which were shot lots of Western produced and directed by Spanish and Italian and occasionally American people . Besides , in "Bullets Don't Lie" appears several ordinary actors from Tortilla/Spaghetti Western such as Angel Aranda , Dick Palmer or Mimmo Palmara , Jose Manuel Martin , Tito Garcia , Julio Perez Tabernero , Simon Arriaga , Rafael Vaquero , and many others .

The musician Ennio Morricone composes a nice soundtrack and well conducted , this turns out to be one of the most memorable parts of the movie ; as it's full of enjoyable sounds and haunting musical background , including guitar and whispers , Morricone's ordinary marks . It contributes tremendously to the atmosphere of the film, adding an emotive leitmotif , the score is perhaps the best part of this film . Striking cinematography by Julio Ortas/Massimo Dallamano including a correct remastering . Outdoor sequences with barren and rocky exteriors filmed in Spanish places located on outskirts Madrid , prairie of Colmenar Viejo , Hoyo De Manzanares and La Pedriza , and of course , Almeria . Mario Caiano's direction is well crafted , here he's less cynical and humorous and more inclined toward violence and packs too much action , but especially this moving Western contains long shot'em up and thrills . Mario under pseudonym Mike Perkins directed this acceptable western , genre in which he would not only excel but one where he would spent much of the rest of his career , as he directed several Spaghetti : ¨Brandy¨, ¨Avenger of California¨ , ¨Ringo, face of revenge¨ , ¨Bullets don't argue¨, ¨Lone and angry man¨ , ¨A train to Durango¨. Caiano is a craftsman who has directed all kind of genres as Peplum as ¨Ulisse vs Ercole¨, ¨I due Gladiatori¨, ¨Maciste Gadiatori di Sparta¨ and Terror : ¨Nightmare castle¨, ¨ Eye in the labyrinth¨ and even Pornonazi as ¨Nazi love camp 27¨. Although Caiano couldn't be deemed an "A"-list director, his movies had a professionalism and a verve that many of those made by his fellow B directors lacked . This attractive as well as uneven Western but will appeal to Spaghetti aficionados . Rating : 7 , riotous Western in which there's too much violence , action and excitement enough .

Pat Garrett (Rod Cameron), the Sheriff of Rivertown, is preparing for his wedding day while the Clanton brothers Billy and George pay a visit to their hometown by robbing the bank during the wedding ceremony. Their plan seems almost foolproof, until George's mask slips and the bankers realize who it is, and older brother Billy doesn't want any living witnesses. After the wedding Garrett and his deputies set off after them who cross the border into Mexico, but Garrett ends up going solo and gets ambushed by the Clantons.

Pat Garrett survives, is horseless but he endures hardship in trying to apprehend the criminals and recovering the stolen money. But capturing the brothers is only the tip of the iceberg for Garrett, as Mexican bandits led by Santero decide to pursue Garrett and his fugitives in an attempt to get recovered money. Braving the harsh desert of the Devil's Valley Garrett evades his pursuers long enough to reach the Goddard ranch where Santero's gang surrounds them and lays siege to the house. Only one party will comes out ofthis alive...

Bullets certainly don't argue in this action-packed western which stars an ageing and paunchy Rod Cameron but the man executes his role with authority and style. He's surrounded by mainly a young cast. It's not just the action - which is top notch - that makes this early Spaghetti westerns great but it's the well-written characters, intelligent dialogue, an engaging plot, enough challenges for the hero and the beautiful desert location. This western is brimming with energy and it ends with a happy ending ... I love happy endings. I wasn't expecting this to be that good - sometimes having low expectations is a good thing.