Ben und Charlie

Giuliano Gemma appeared in quite a few buddy movies, for example with Mario Adorf in "A Sky Full of Stars For A Roof", with Nino Benvenuti in "Vivi o preferibilmente morti" and with Bud Spencer in "Anche gli angeli mangiano fagioli". In "Ben And Charlie", George Eastman (who created the story outline for the screenplay) becomes his companion. Right at the beginning, Charlie (Eastman) swears never to run any criminal "business" with Ben (Gemma) again - who is just out of prison and likely to be back inside soon! But of course it doesn't take long until they get back together and make more or less (usually less) successful attempts at anything from gambling to bank robbery. "Ben And Charlie" is much better than most comedies released at the time, because it doesn't get too silly and maintains a certain character development including even a couple of tragic moments.

People always gawk at me with incredulity when I tell them how much I enjoy European made westerns, specifically Italian spaghetti westerns. They ask, how can you make a western in Italy, of all places, and I tell them that I can do it even one better: Most of them were actually filmed in SPAIN and on soundstages back in Rome. They are 100% "fake" in terms of what most people might call "authenticity" and are more like playing cowboys when you were a kid. All they needed was to find the right looking locations (Almeria, Spain does quite nicely), rustle up some horses (plenty of horses in Europe), dig up the costumes + weaponry (ever hear of a props department?) and find the writers, producers, and directors with enough vision to cobble together an interesting little story + frame it properly, and there you go. Just like playing cowboy out back in the sandlot, except it's grownups and they film it.

With that out of the way, BEN & CHARLIE is a marvelous example of the "later period" of spaghetti westerns that came after the idiom had been established as a form unto itself. By 1972 the Italians had proved without a doubt they could make fine, sweeping westerns on the same level of effectiveness as the John Ford and Howard Hawks classics (see ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST for more information). So they were freed up, as it were, to sort of muck around trying to find new ways to make the form work, and one of the tangents they used was the comedy/slapstick approach, best epitomized by the "Trinity" films with Terence Hill and Bud Spencer. While the variant may not have caught on as strongly here in the new world, TRINITY IS STILL MY NAME was the highest grossing spaghetti western in Europe so naturally other Italian writers, producers and directors decided to have their own go at making more light hearted efforts.

BEN & CHARLIE is particularly effective because it eschews some of the more, shall we say, absurdist approach for a bit of grimness here & there, and boasts an impressive collection of talent both in front of and behind the camera. Genre favorite Giuliano Gemma -- best known for his "Ringo" spaghettis -- and seven foot tall George Eastman -- best known as a cult horror movie star -- are absolutely wonderful as the titular characters. Instead of sneering, laconic gunslingers these two are a pair of confidence hucksters traveling the old west doing their best to avoid an honest day's work. Gemma is the brains of the duo, a shyster galore who can turn nearly any mundane opportunity into a chance to scam a few dollars out of somebody. And Eastman is the brawn of the two, a big hulking sinister looking pistolero who unwittingly finds himself on the lam with Gemma with the always delightfully evil Aldo Sanbrell hot on their trail ... Eastman may be more associated with horror, but one of the movie's most laugh inducing segments finds him bone-dry thirsty and penniless leaning against a bar while mugs of fresh, foaming beer are passed back & forth. Doesn't sound like much? Watch Eastman's face. He is an overlooked genius of comic timing.

The supporting cast is also made up of heavyweight names from Italian gene cinema: good old Franco Fantasia, the deliriously sexy Marisa Mell, Luciano Catenacci (Max Lawrence, to all you Mario Bava fans), Nello Pazzafini, Roberto Camardiel, Cris Huerta, Luis Induni, the ever reliable George Rigaud, and my hero Giacomo Rossi-Stuart. I wish I could suggest an Americanized/Hollywood cast of analagous nature ... The names & faces will be instantly familiar to anyone who's seen more than two or three of these things. The whole affair is directed with restrained artfulness by genre veteran Michele Lupo, who had cut his teeth with spaghetti master Sergio Leone in the sword & sandal Peplum genre, with a gifted young cameraman named Aristide Massaccesi (better known to horror & Euro sleaze fans as Joe D'amato) provides the goings-on with a certain visual flair that is quite intriguing. The film was also masterfully written by George Eastman himself along with heavyweight name Sergio Donati, who also had worked with Leone on both FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE and, yes, ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST.

Leone's influence is directly homaged in a scene lifted from THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY, where the filthy, flat broke Gemma pays a visit to a gun dealer and connives the guy into loading a pistol for him and looking carefully down the barrel to make sure he could see the bullet. You can make up the rest of the scene I am sure, which is a device seen as recently as THE TERMINATOR; Gemma even flips over the CLOSED sign on his way out the door, directly referencing Eli Wallach's message for one character in particular to keep his mouth shut. The film is filled with such moments and as Uncle Roger Ebert himself has pointed out, westerns pass or fail based on the strengths of their individual moments rather than necessarily relying on a specific story. The scene may be somewhat derivative, but then again ALL westerns are somewhat derivative once you get down to it, with horses, six- shooters, saloon brawls, gorgeous damsels, quick draw duels. It is the approach that differentiates one example from the other, and the approach here is amusing, witty, involving, and downright entertaining.

8/10: Available on DVD from Wild East Productions and both a must-have addition to the library of any devotee as well as a great addition to the collection of the novice. And downright entertaining to prove diverting to any fan of movies regardless of what kind they are.

I saw this movie for the first time twenty years or so ago. In this time,I found it absolutely fantastic, extremely enjoyable, with a good plot (what is not common in a spaguetti western) and two very interesting characters superbly played by Gemma and Eastman. If you can find this movie (under its English title "Ben and Charlie) take it. It's really a good western movie, not just for addicts, I can guarantee. You'll find that even in the so under-estimated genre of the spaghetti western, there's some good moments that makes us wonder: maybe these times of bluffing, crazies westerns-movies, that made the fame of actors like Giulliano Gemma, Terence Hill and Bud Spencer are not so bad at all!

Ben and Charlie (Giuliano Gemma and George Eastman) are two bottom-feeding criminals and ex-partners, who no matter how much they hate and try to avoid one another, keep crossing paths. Before long they re-team and end up embarking on a crime spree, that despite their ineptitude, turns them into notorious outlaws and puts them in the path of many colorful and dangerous characters.

Very much a product of it's time (the early 70's), with it's rambling, character-driven narrative, it's a bit loose and episodic during it's first half. Once it gets going though, this free-spirited action-adventure is consistently amusing and a lot of fun, with Gemma and Eastman very appealing.

Production values are pretty good, as is the photography by Aristide Massacesi, better known as Joe D'Amato, director of several infamous sex and gore films, often starring Eastman.

This entertaining engaging movie is crammed with fist-fights, kicks , punches , overwhelming stunt work and lots of humor . Gemma and Eastman or luigi Montefiore are pretty good as two army men robbing and taking on a bunch of bandits and both of whom make their own stunts , as usual .It deals with Ben : Gemma who is freed from prison after spending some years. His colleague Charlie: George Eastman or Luigi Montefiori is waiting out of jail. Then they undertake several adventures, heists , stagecoach assaults and dangers. While they are fighting and hating each other. The duo being relentlessly pursued by a nasty sheriff : Aldo Sambrell and a detective of the famous Pinkerton Agency : Giacomo Rossi Stuart or Jack Stuart. Along the way Ben falls in love for a beautiful woman : Marisa Mell. At the ending takes place , at the downtown, a thrilling duel in Spaghetti style and under splendid musical score background .

This Ravioli has noisy action , shootouts, fights and saloon brawls in Terence Hill/Bud Spencer style. It is an entertaining and funny Pasta Western with the attractive actors Gemma and Eastman forming an odd as well as fun couple. Lightingly paced and with a really disconcerting storyline that results to be absurd at times, but frenetic fights and gunplay sequences make up for it . This release has some cool and hilarious moments ; however, the Terence Hill and Bud Spencer movies are much better. The picture displays lots of laughters , tongue in cheek, jokes , slapstick and cold killings , too . In the picture appears ordinary genre support actors as Spanish players : Aldo Sambrell, Roberto Camardiel, Jesus Guzman, Jorge Rigaud ,Antonio Casas, Francisco Sanz , Cris Huerta , Luis Induni ; as Italian people such as : Nello Pazzafini, Ken Wood or Giovanni Cianfriglia , Tom Felleghy and Franco Fantasia ; most of them playing brief appearances.

Nice cinematography filmed on location El Lacio, Gelato and Spain : Poblado Tabernas, Almeria, Andalucia, Spain. Very good musical score by Gianni Ferrio in Ennio Morricone style and full of catching sounds and haunting songs . The motion picture originally written by Sergio Donati and George Eastman himself was decently made by Michele Lupo who directed various Bud Spencer vehicles as Bulldozer, El Supersheriff, Dos granujas en el oeste, Supersheriff and the little extraterrestrial. Lupo directed to Gemma , his fetish actor , in various movies as Master Touch with Kirk Douglas, Stay Away with Amidou, Arizona Colt with Fernando Sancho and the best: California with William Berger, Romano Puppo, and Miguel Bose .The motion picture will appeal to Spaghetti western aficionados and Giuliano Gemma fans