User reviews

The film is set in 1847 after the war between México and EEUU . In California now governs the Yankees whose governor , ¨Mario Feliciani¨ , mistreats the Mexicans and orders the ranchers to demonstrate their property titles . Meanwhile , a nasty judge , ¨Arturo Dominici¨ , frees a murderer , ¨Piero Lulli¨ , and delivers injustices against the Mexicans . But then , there appears the masked El Coyote , ¨Fernando Casanova¨ , who is actually Cesar De Echague , posing as a coward and collaborationist . Cesar is son of Don Cesar, ¨Jesús Tordesillas¨ , a powerful land baron .

This is an adventure/western movie that has a historic interest , being one of the first Tortilla/Pasta Western to be filmed in Spaín . In ¨fact , the Western Village called " Golden City" constructed by the excellent designers Cubero and Galicia was ordered to be built by producer Eduardo Manzanos Brochero for his production company "Copercines" and soon after there was shot "For a fistful of dollars" by Sergio Leone and produced by Pea production/Alberto Grimaldi who also financed this his first Western ¨The Sign of the Coyote¨ . Moving and thrilling screenplay by José Mallorquí , based on his novels . As he wrote several stories about the popular personage El Coyote who had great successful in Spain . Previously , El Coyote was adapted by Joaquin Romero Marchent in two films produced by Eduardo Manzanos titled ¨El Coyote¨ 1955 and ¨La Justicia Del Coyote¨ 1956 shot in Mexico and Spain , it stars Abel Salazar . Main cast is passable , as Fernando Casanova is acceptable as the foppish owner as well as the masked hero and Maria Luz Galicia is beautiful as his love interest . Support cast is pretty good , plenty of secondaries who a bit later on they would play lots of Spaghetti , Paella or Gazpacho Western such as : José Jaspe , Raf Baldassarre , Piero Lulli , José Marco, Alfonso Rojas , Simon Arriaga , Fernando Hilbeck , Santiago Rivero , and ,of course , the great Fernando Sancho playing his first role as a sympathetic Mexican , character to be successively performed a great number of times . Atmospheric cinematography by Ricardo Torres , shot on location in Manzanares Del Real , Colmenar Viejo , La Pedriza , these places are located in Madrid surroundings and where shortly after to be filmed hundreds of Pasta or Tortilla Westerns . Stirring and evocative musical score by Manuel Parada , though in the Italian print appears credited Francesco De Massi.

The motion picture was professionally directed by Mario Caíano assisted by Rafael Romero Marchent . In fact, in some Spanish versions shows up as codirector Rafael Romero Marchent , brother of Joaquín Marchent , who subsequently turning two fine filmmakers of Chorizo Western . Caíano directed all kinds of genres and several Spaghetti/Paella Westerns , most of them shot in Almería, such as ¨My name is Shangai Joe¨ , ¨Train for Durango¨ , ¨7 Pistolas for a massacre¨ , ¨Man Who cried for vengeance¨ , ¨Ringo face of revenge¨ , ¨Lone and angry man¨ , ¨Bullets do not argue¨ and ¨Brandy¨.