Der letzte Ritt nach Santa Cruz

Kraut slowly becomes a spaghetti western with Mario Adorf and Klaus Kinski

This German-Austrian western by Rolf Olsen (1919-1998) was created in the wake of Karl May's wave of success, but is considered a forerunner of the spaghetti western that began a year later. It was shot on Gran Canaria and the script was written by the later DERRICK (German television crime series) author Herbert Reinecker.

EUROPEAN FILM AWARD nominee Mario Adorf plays the nasty bandit Pedro Ortiz, who finally manages to break out of prison. Together with his evil cronies (Klaus Kinski, Sieghardt Rupp, Thomas Fritsch) and his classy lover Juanita (Marisa Mell), he makes his way to Santa Cruz, where he has hidden his previous prey. But first he wants to take revenge on ex-sheriff Rex Kelly (Edmund Purdom). Without further ado, the gang kidnaps his beautiful wife (Marianne Koch) and their son. In this way, the thugs force the horrified Kelly to rob the bank where he now works. But the trigger-happy Rex Kelly has forgotten nothing and does everything he can to save his family. There's also the strange piano player Woody (Walter Giller), who also fell into the clutches of the really nasty gang...

This film scores with a good and diverse cast. It's also quite rough and nasty for a Kraut Western, paving the way for harder fare in the tradition of Sergio Leone. For the German stars, learning to ride was definitely worth it. Marianne Koch, who celebrated her 90th birthday a few months ago, was hired by Sergio Leone for "A Fistful of Dollars" (1964). Top villain Klaus Kinski (1926-1991), who, according to Mario Adorf, wasn't particularly squeamish with horses, impressed as the ultra-evil bounty hunter Loco in "Il grande silenzio" (1968). And Mario Adorf, who turned 90 last year, was a regular in the Western genre anyway (Winnetou I, 1963). The main role is played by US star Edmund Purdom (1924-2009), best known as "Sinuhe the Egyptian" (1954). Marisa Mell and Sieghardt Rupp, who were welcome guests at the Roman Cinecitta in the coming years, are convincing in smaller roles.

Successful western and, above all, an interesting mixture that excellently documents the transition from cabbage to spaghetti western!

Pedro Ortiz (Mario Adorf) is released from prison and returns soon to free a young man called Carlos (Thomas Fritsch). Together with Jose (Klaus Kinski) and Fernando (Sieghardt Rupp), they start a new gang for bank robbery and the usual things bandits do. They take Ortiz' friend Juanita (Marisa Mell) and the servile piano player Woody (Walter Giller) with them. When former sheriff Kelly (Edmund Purdom) follows them, they take his wife Liz (Marianne Koch) and his young son for hostages. During the perilous journey to Mexico, the group is reduced one by one, while Ortiz' has delusions of grandeur, looking for a hidden treasure.

Shot on the island of Gran Canaria shortly after the success of the German Karl May westerns 'Treasure of Silver Lake' and 'Winnetou I', this Austrian production tried to cash in on their success and even signed Mario Adorf, the villain of the latter. But it is totally different in tone, in a darker and more violent mood it is foreshadowing the Italian westerns soon to follow. Koch would reappear in "A Fistful of Dollars" and Kinski in "For A Few Dollars More". The villain (Adorf) is in the center of the show all the time, whereas the hero (Purdom) remains pale and only starts moving when his family is in danger. On one hand, it makes the movie original to put the villain in the foreground, on the other hand, it is a weakness not to have a more memorable hero. Mixed feelings, but in any case an interesting movie on the border line between American western influences and new European western style.