Johnny Oro

If Johnny Ringo hadn't stuck to his principle of only hunting killers wanted officially for gold there wouldn't have been a pile up of bodies at the end of film. In the beginning of the film he kills the one of Last of the Perez family member and his brother wants to get even, and threatens the sheriff to attack his town with Apaches - rare appearance in a spaghetti western- if he doesn't hand in Ringo ( the sheriff had arrested him for blowing up some guys in self defence) but the sheriff refuses to. It's an interesting western, starts slow, meandering a little, but it gradually builds up to a crescendo neatly topped by an excellent action sequence at the end of film. Mark Damon is really good as the golden pistol toting bounty Hunter, cutting a cool figure in black.

The Quick Pitch: After bounty hunter Johnny Ringo kills his brothers, a Mexican bandit joins forces with a band of Apaches to seek his revenge.

Overall, Ringo and His Golden Gun is a good, but not great, Spaghetti Western. I may have gone in expecting way too much as the movie was directed by the great Sergio Corbucci. His films Django, The Great Silence, and Companeros are among my favorites of the genre. Ringo and His Golden Gun doesn't quite measure up to that standard. Ringo and His Golden Gun is not as dark and brutal with the over-the-top violence found in many of Corbucci's other films. It almost feels like a standard, run-of-the-mill American Western. Not that that's a bad thing, just not what I was hoping for. I found the first third of the film very entertaining - meeting Ringo and getting the basic story of what's to come. But somewhere in the second act, things started to drag a bit. The grand gunfight during the film's finale should have been a highlight, but it lacked that something special to make it memorable. Most of the acting was solid, including Mark Damon as Ringo. Though I must admit that his ridiculous looking mustache and eyeliner made me chuckle a time or two. Other positives of note include Riccardo Pallottini's cinematography and, especially, Carlo Savina's score. Savina's work on Ringo and His Golden Gun is eerily reminiscent of Ennio Morricone. I've often said that if it weren't for Sergio Leone, Sergio Corbucci would probably be better known. I'll add to that by saying that if it weren't for Morricone, Savina would no doubt be better known.

6/10

Just when we thought cowboy movies had gone belly up, along came this operatic horse opera with a black outfit hero with a droopy mustache and a gilded side arm who goes about offing the clean cut family for the price on their heads - well they were murdering bandidos but still!

All the energy and flamboyance that the plodding dollars films lacked and concepts that belonged in Italianate literature. Mark Damon stopping off between Roger Corman and being a corporate heavy was something new in movie heroes and, after blowing up the town, there he was facing an adversary who tells him "Smile at me Ringo, for I am death." How long had this been going on?

Well I think this really isn't so much worse than Sergio Leone's best movies.

Music is really great and i am sure Ennio Morricone would gladly sign under it. There are many themes and very nice "mandolin and trumpet" combinations.

Yes it's true synchronized sound is somewhat funny but it doesn't spoil the authentic filling.

There is some serious acting present by nearly all main characters. I decided to check more of Corbucci's work if i can find it somewhere. Is this movie was shot in Italy or America?

A must see movie for all spaghetti fans.

Dubbed movies are, at least for me, difficult to watch in part because the speech always seems out of synch -- and of course is.

This film, known variously as "Johnny Oro" and "Ringo and His Golden Pistol," almost overcomes that difficulty because of very good acting, great scenery (supposedly Italy), many and superlative stunts, and an excellent score.

And even good acting from the dubbers, something I have found rare in the past.

As to that score, I wonder if composer Carlo Savina influenced Ennio Morricone, or if Morricone influenced Savina. There are similarities in their scores, as witness this one and any of the Clint Eastwood "spaghetti Westerns."

But the story here is both unusual and clever. Written by Adriano Bolzoni and Franco Rossetti, "Ringo" presents many and varied characters as well as an involved story of Gringos and Mexicans and Apaches, back-stabbing, cowardice, courage, honor, and, yes, foolishness.

In addition, the chief villain, slimily played by Franco De Rosa, is surely one of the most evil ever portrayed on film.

Mark Damon might have appeared in a better light without a dubbed-in performance, but by and large he made a good ... well, "hero" might not be the correct term here, but as a strong protagonist Damon was quite watchable.

There is an interesting print at YouTube, with the dubbed English and Greek subtitles. I enjoyed it, and can recommend it.