Ringo ne devait pas mourir

Second-tier American leading man Guy Madison plays a character whose notoriety precedes him in this Spaghetti Western – which, having very modest credentials emerges as essentially routine (though featuring a nice enough score). The plot offers some mild interest: the title, incidentally, refers to a wounded man involved in the murderous assault by gun-runners on a ranch – the property of the family of their pursuer, cavalry agent Madison. The latter's younger siblings are determined that the injured party, now in their charge, lead them to the gang boss responsible; ultimately, the identity of either mystery man proves a surprise – and both, ironically, become involved with one of Madison's sisters (another is raped during the raid). Euro-Cult starlet Rosalba Neri appears unremarkably as a saloon hostess, and Madison's ex-flame.

I never thought I'd live to see the day when there was a good spaghetti Western. Most of the ones we have rammed down our throats are those goofy ones Eastwood was in, the ones where men are classified into gods who can't miss, demi gods who can only miss gods, and mortals who just fill graveyards. Yawn provoking one dimensional caricatures they think can pass off as caricatures because they don't shave.

But this one combines the elements of credible characters with entertainment and an actual story line.

It helps to have Guy Madison, too. No doubt he had a large say in keeping this one from being a cartoon cardboard cut out.

Not saying it is realistic. This is a shoot em up. But the circumstances are more thought provoking and believable, because the characters actually have motivation. In the spaghetti flops that clowns like Leone directed, he simply made everyone a certain degree of a sadist to explain their actions. In this film we are spared that cliché of the modern movie. The gun play is far more believable than anything Leone ever did. There are a few clownish fight scenes with people doing flips, but not many.

Like most good Westerns, the minor characters and their treatment with dignity make this stand above the lesser ones. Again, one sees this a lot with Guy Madison, so either he had a large hand in it, or he was careful in the selection of the role.

This is entertainment.

Very well made Eurowestern with Guy Madison (almost unrecognizable) as Martin Benson. The plot may be a familiar one to Eurowest fans, but the director gives a standard plotline a fresh new look. No overacting in this film, which sometimes is the case, just straightforward acting from the entire cast. I would give the film at least five stars (maybe more)!

Released in 1968 and directed by Gianfranco Baldanello, "This Man Can't Die" (aka "The Long Days of Hate") stars Guy Madison as a government-hired agent looking for the ringleader of a group of gunrunner/bootleggers. Meanwhile his parents are murdered and youngest sister raped (Anna Liotti). Will he and his younger brother & other sister (Steve Merrick & Susy Benson) find the killers and their ringleader? Rik Battaglia and Rosalba Neri are also on hand.

This is a serious spaghetti Western more akin to Sergio Leone's "Once Upon a Time in the West" (1968) than his comic booky (and sometimes goofy) Man with No Name trilogy. But it's half as long as "Once Upon a Time" and therefore leaner, which is better in my book (although "Once Upon a Time" is technically the better movie). While not great, it's a solid Western with a lousy English-speaking title. Too bad Anna Liotti's role wasn't bigger because she's an ultra-cutie.

The film runs 90 minutes and shot in Spain.

GRADE: B

Guy Madison was another former big name star who went to Italy in hopes of work and got to star in this pasta oater, Long Days Of Hate. The former star of Wild Bill Hickok on television must have waited for the pay check to clear before embarking on this one.

When the film opens we find out that Madison has been undercover with a gang of gunrunners, selling army rifles to the Indians, but his cover was blown before he found out who the real leader was. So what do the outlaws do? Invade his home and kill his parents and rape one of his sisters. Of course Madison and the siblings are out for blood.

There is an older sister, but she's untouched because the leader of the gang has a thing for her. If you care to see the film, you'll find out who it is.

When he was in the states Madison in addition to Wild Bill Hickok on television did a few nice B westerns and seeing him in this is really quite a come down.

Madison must have envied what happened to Wild Bill in Deadwood after working on this.