I vendicatori dell'Ave Maria

Tony Kendall in a western comedy with elements of fighting

This film by Bitto Albertini was made in 1970, at a time when the heyday of spaghetti westerns was already waning. Now the serious western stories were given comedic elements. This is also the case here: there is shooting and dying, but there is also laughter during acrobatic tricks and hearty fights.

The SPLENDOR circus is a guest in the town of Goldfield. The three Garrison brothers (Tony Kendall, Alberto DellÀcqua, Pietro Torrisi) impress with their acrobatic skills. When they notice that the evil gold mine owner Parker (Alberto Farnese) is trying to bring the town more and more under his control, they support the townspeople and the ostracized Mexicans against the treacherous aggressor. Of course, the three muscle-bound youngsters are also great at using their fists, so things get really tough in the saloon. In the end the pistols are also used...

What's interesting about this almost forgotten western comedy is the cast. Tony Kendall is known as Joe Walker from the KOMMISSAR / COMMISSIONER X film series with Brad Harris. The great acrobat Alberto DellÀcqua appeared in four films in the 1970s in the TEUFELSKERLE / DEVIL GUYS series (best: Three Devils on the Way to Istanbul). And muscle man Pietro Torrisi, who was usually seen in supporting roles, was to have a few leading roles in the barbarian films that then became fashionable in the 1980s.

A bizarre mix of slapstick and shooting that's definitely not for everyone!

Parker murders the sheriff of the town, then sets fire to the house of his family to disguise the crime. A few circus artists (!) happen to be nearby and save two women from the burning building. Thus they have two witnesses to hide and start to collect more proof against Parker. But Parker becomes new sheriff and suddenly the acrobats are suspected to be bandits themselves...

From the cast and summary mentioning circus artists, I expected a comedy, but this movie is mostly serious and not without the violent action Italian westerns were known for in 1970. "I vendicatori dell'Ave Maria" sometimes seems cheap, for example the music is obviously borrowed from other movies, including "I quattro dell'Ave Maria" by Giuseppe Colizzi. But the story is never boring, it's entertaining enough to watch till the end. Director Adalberto Albertini is known for "Black Emanuelle" and "Star Crash 2", although that doesn't sound like a recommendation.