Monta in sella!! Figlio di...

My review is of the English-dubbed, fullscreen VHS video, released in the US in the 1980s, entitled THE GREAT TREASURE HUNT. Lovable rogue Dean Madison (played by the charming Mark Damon, always good as a lovable rogue!) enlists a French munitions expert and his "niece" (played by the luscious Rosalba Neri--she and Damon would be reunited the next year in DEVIL'S WEDDING NIGHT) to help save his brother Sam, who has just been caught while robbing a bank. After that incident is resolved, about one-third of the way into the film, a blind man named Felipe is waiting for the quartet, and explains that he was kept prisoner and tortured by a mad Mexican general who has appointed himself as "El Supremo" and has built an impregnable fortress which is filled with gold. He suggests the quartet work with him to get that gold, so they head toward Mexico and thus begins the Great Treasure Hunt of the title. This is not a nihilistic, bleak Italian western--it's an entertaining caper film (really not unlike OCEAN'S ELEVEN or GRAND SLAM, but in western garb), nicely shot (except for too many unconvincing day-for-night shots), and well-acted by all the principals, especially Damon and Neri. Most of the music sounds unlike typical Italian western music (except in a few scenes), sounding more like a typical USA adventure film score. There's nothing profound or incredibly original here (although the surprise ending comes off well!), but it's an entertaining Eurowestern adventure, and those who must see as many Eurowesterns as they can will want to track down this one. As it was released on video in the USA, used rental copies can probably be found. A pleasant surprise! Damon appeared in many other excellent Eurowesterns, and of course went on to great success as a producer and film executive, capacities in which he still works as of this writing (check his producer filmography to see the many hits he's been involved with!). However, he's still a star as an actor in my house, and much of his European output is still in need of rediscovery. I hope to find more in the coming years...

A blind man named Felipe recruits a team to help him steal the gold from a heavily guarded Mexican fortress. His crew consists of two bank-robbing brothers, Dean (Mark Damon) and Sam (Stelvio Rosi); a retired safecracker and explosives expert, Andre (Alfredo Mayo); and Andre's "niece", Agnes (Rosalba Neri), a card-shark and hustler. Having been a prisoner at the fortress, Felipe knows how to get the gang in and out, but, being blind, he needs help with the heist. Surely it can't be as straightforward and simple as Felipe makes it sound, can it?

The Great Treasure Hunt (or The Great Chihuahua Treasure Hunt - I like that name better) is an interesting take on the whole Spaghetti Western genre. The movie is actually one part SW and one part Euro- heist - two genres I love. Here, they mix well together. The Great Treasure Hunt is also a fairly lightweight, breezy film. Not as light as something like Trinity, but nowhere near as serious or dark as most SWs. The film features plenty of gunplay and fistfights, but nothing overly graphic. The plot to loot the gold is fairly well thought out. Between the explosives on the roof, Agnes' plan to steal the key, and the cannon guarding the treasure, it's all a lot of fun. The cast is top notch. All four of the main cast members are solid. Damon and Rosi play well off each other. There were times where I feared their shtick might devolve into slapstick, but director Tonino Ricci was smart enough to pull back on the reigns. I'm not sure I'm overly familiar with a lot of Mayo's work, but he had a long, long career before making this movie - beginning in 1935. And then there's Rosalba Neri - I can't think of an instance where I enjoyed one of her performances more. And unlike a lot of other movies she appeared in, especially SWs, her screen time in The Great Treasure Hunt is equal to the guys. Finally, there's the twist at the end. It worked on me. What more can you ask? Overall, a nice little SW.

This Italian/Spanish co-production paints an ironic , cynic portrayal of a group of fun characters formed by a quartet of soldiers-of-fortune . After committing a hold-up , Sam Madison (Stelvio Rosi as Stan Cooper) is about to be hanged . His brother Dean Madison (Mark Damon) contacts a previous expert in explosives , the veteran André (Alfredo Mayo) and his gorgeous niece Agnes (the Eurotrash Goddess Rosalba Neri). Uncle and niece result to be two tricky poker players who execute a lot of messes and tricks against their contenders . The three put on a plan to make a bank robbery , just in time to disrupt Sam's hanging , and free him , too . In turn , the four sympathetic protagonists are contracted by a Mexican Revolutionary called Felipe , (Luis Marín) , a blind man interested in carrying out a heist against the nasty General El Supremo (Giancarlo Badessi who played in the famous ¨Calígula¨ movie as Claudius ) , that's why he can't do it alone and he hires to help him . As a valuable treasure is kept by the military dictator at a strongly armed fortress . The task will be dangerous and extremely difficult , but their schemes are executed at whatever risk .

It is an exciting Spaghetti Western containing noisy action , thrills , shootouts , horse pursuits and turns out to be an acceptable Western and entertaining enough . This ¨Zapata¨ picture is set during the Mexican Revolution but ignores the wealth of the authentic history and becomes yet another action/adventure/humor Western and this passable production delivers what it should . It is a decent Western with comedy , tongue-in-cheek , action and plenty of shot'em up , gun-play and some moments results to be quite entertaining . The picture is finely starred by Mark Damon along with Stan Vance , both of whom are fighting each other for whatever reason . At the beginning his career , Damon starred as an extra for American films , and , subsequently , performing secondary roles . Mark , then emigrated Italy and he once reportedly missed out on a role in a Franco Nero western because his height made Franco Nero look too short . As he performed several Pasta Westerns , such as "Un Treno Per Durango" , "Cry for Revenge" , ¨Requiescant¨, ¨Johnny Yuma¨, ¨Johnny Oro¨ . Soon moved into other film genres playing good guys , bad guys , and good-bad guys and interpreting adventure movies as "Lions of St. Petersburg" , ¨Normand sword¨, and "Long Live Robin Hood" ; these parts often exploited his athletic physique by having him remove his shirt . Co-starred by Stelvio Rosi , nicknamed under pseudonym Stan Cooper who also interpreted some Westerns and adventures . Support cast is pretty good such as Alfredo Mayo as the Frenchman who formerly played a lot of classic Spanish movies , Luis Marin as a blind Mexican who wants to get his mitts on a crooks' gold and other Spanish actors as Francisco Sanz and Adolfo Thous .

Emotive as well as thrilling musical score by Luis Enriquez Bacalov , this soundtrack is one of the best parts of the film , plenty of catching and attractive sounds . Colorful and evocative cinematography by Cecilio Paniagua . The motion picture titled ¨The great treasure hunt¨ was well directed by Tonino Ricci , at his best . The recently deceased Tonino was an uneven filmmaker who began his career as an Second Unit Director or Assistant Director and writer, being his first film this "The Liberators" , or ¨Dedo En La Llaga¨, or original title "Il Dito Nella Piaga" . Ricci was a craftsman who directed all kinds genres , as Terror : ¨Panic¨ ; Giallo : "Cross Current" ; Western : "The Great Treasure Hunt" ,"Robin Hood , Arrows , Beans and Karate" , "Bad Kids of the West" ; Adventures : ¨Buck¨,¨Buck and the magic bracelet¨ , "White Fang to the Rescue" , ¨Robin Hood¨ , ¨Thor Il Conquistatore¨, "Raiders of the Magic Ivory" , ¨Bermudas : The cave of sharks¨ ; Action : ¨Rage¨, ¨Rush¨ , ¨Day of the sharks¨ , "Days of Hell" ; Sci-Fi : "Encounters in the Deep" and Mafia film : "The Big Family"