La malle de San Antonio

Jailed for his religious objection to violence, Peter Lee Lawrence is released from prison at war's end, to find his parents murdered by a gang of thieves. Reversing his stance on killing (though not drinking!), he seeks vengeance, eventually taking a job in Galveston, protecting a cash shipment from the last and hardest of the bunch.

From horror director Umberto Lenzi, this is a typically colorful, though somewhat routine Italian western, with some good double and triple-crosses, as well as a few oddball touches, like a jail full of giggling loonies from a burned-out asylum, escaping and wreaking havoc on the town!

Though not terribly memorable, A Gun For A Hundred Graves (another great title) is decent enough entertainment for spaghetti western aficionados who want to see all the genre has to offer. John Ireland, who plays a quick-draw preacher, is always worth watching. There's also some pretty good Morricone-like musical themes.

(1968) A Pistol for 100 Coffins/ Una pistola per cento bare DUBBED SPAGHETTI WESTERN

It opens with recruit confederate soldier, Jim Slate (Peter Lee Lawrence) refusing to fire a gun because he says his religion prevents him to do so. So he's then sentenced to a prison camp of hard labor. And just when the civil war was over, he is then let go and upon his arrival to his family home, he then discovers his mom and dad both killed and murdered, motivating him to seek retribution to those responsible. And because he has no experience into using a colt, he then asks his friend, Cassidy to train him to use one before he gives him the names of the four men responsible. The first three men Jim killed was no problem, but the fourth one by the name of Corbett (Piero Lulli) after stopping by to a different town called Galveston, Texas who are in desperate for a new sheriff. Jim later finds out that Corbett is the current leader of some ruthless outlaws who raided the town's bank, assuming there was going to be $200,000 waiting for them, and they were disappointed that the town never received that money, which leaves the question how did Corbett and his gang of outlaws ever find out about that money in the first place unless the gang themselves got themselves an informer. At first Jim was reluctant to be the town's sheriff but as soon as he found out Corbett was the leader of the gang it forced him by the hand to accept the job with the help of reinforcements of the community, including the town mayor (Julio Peña), the undertaker name Ben (Franco Pesce) and a preacher named Douglas (John Ireland) along with many others.

I like the unique spin of this movie such as the revelation that the Corbett character was a leader of the gang of outlaws, as well as that there could be a possibility of a fifth person involved in the murder of Jim's parents. But had this movie received a bigger budget, it may have covered up some of the inconsistencies regarding the plot. Therefore, you can only appreciate what is shown so far and hope a much higher rebooted version can be made in the future.

Normally, because of my love for the spaghetti western genre, I can accept any shortcomings that can be found in the movies. But with "A Gun For One Hundred Graves", there were so many that at times I found the movie tough going. I saw the complete version, but even then there were times when linking footage and even entire scenes of explanation seemed to be missing! What makes it further odd is that there's material that could have easily been edited out without harming the narrative, from the band of lunatics to the hero's Jehovah Witness beliefs. The cast does its best with the material, with John Ireland giving the best performance. But the movie so feels like it was made up as it was going along, that I can only recommend this to die hard spaghetti western fans, and even they find the experience hard to sit through.

This exciting western packs action , shootouts , drama , high body-count , twists and it is fast moving and quite entertaining . America Civil War , the ¨Jehova Witness¨ Jim Slade refuses to kill somebody in battle and being subsequently sentenced for two years in prison . Returning from the civil war where has been condemned to forced labor , Jim (Peter Lee Lawrence) meets his parents dead at their farm . It is said that the band under the lead of Corbett (Piero Lulli) who along with his hoodlums (Raf Baldassarre) have committed the crime . Oulaws are attempting to rob a bank at Galveston , but there is no cash because a transport with 200,000 dollars did not arrive yet . As the cutthroats to return soon and the Mayor (Julio Peña) is eager to find a new marshal and offers a valuable reward : 5,000 dollars , them Jim accepts the job . There also shows up a suspicious priest (John Ireland) who helps him in his risked adventures . Meanwhile , a bunch of insane people (Jaspe , Fajardo , Victor Israel) breaking out from their cage and going bersek .

Agreeable Chorizo-Spaghetti Western mostly produced by Italy (Tritone) and Spanish important participation (Copercines) ; it follows the Sergio Leone wake , including close-up , zooms , choreographic duels and no being proceeded in American style . It's a thrilling western with spectacular outdoors and breathtaking confrontation between protagonist Peter Lee Lawrence against heartless Piero Lulli and his henchmen as Raf Baldasarre . Acceptable action sequences with rousing crossfire and spectacularly bloody shootouts including an enjoyable music by Lavagnino who composes a vibrant soundtrack in Spaghetti style , as well as a colorful and evocative cinematography . A ¨Pistol for a hundred coffins¨ is an Italian-Spanish co-production with shootouts , thrills , action , fights , go riding and many other things . Being filmed in Spanish places located on outskirts Madrid and Poblado Hoyo De Manzanares replacing Almeria . It drags at times , balancing ups and downs ; turning out to be entertaining enough . Charismatic performance for the whole casting . Peter Lee is fine as a pacifist due to his religious conscience who becomes into a violent gunfighter , as he goes for vendetta but things result out to be more complicated than he originally thought . Peter ravages the screen , he jumps , bounds and leaps , hits and runs , besides receiving violent punches , kicks , and ultimately takes place a breathtaking showdown . The notorious German actor , Peter Lee Lawrence was the hero in many Spaghetti Westerns where he found his niche , here is good in his usual tough role . Peter may be a name best remembered by some Spaghetti Western aficionados , but in his day , from the mid-'60s to the early '70s , Lee Lawrence was one of the most popular actors of the genre —at the time cheap B movies , now revered cult classics- . The handsome , Bavaria-born , —actually called Karl Hyrenbach- began working in films as his uncredited debut in Sergio Leone "For A Few Dollars More" (1965) . His short cinematographic history can be enclosed in nine years of Italo-Spain co-productions . Particularly Paella/Pasta Western as ¨In Giorno Della Violenza¨, ¨Johnny Kid¨, "More Dollars for the MacGregors" , ¨Sartana¨ ,¨Garringo¨ . But he also made thriller-drama as "Giorni D'amore Sul Filo Di Una Lama" (1973) , where he played with his long time partner , the blond actress Erica Blanc , ¨Killer Calibro 32¨ , adventure as ¨Black beauty¨, ¨Tiger of Kyber¨, and Italian horror as "Bacio Di Una Morta" (1974). Unlike fellow Spaghetti star Clint Eastwood , however , Peter never became a top international box-office attraction . Support cast is frankly decent . Fantastic performance by the always great Eduardo Fajardo in a nutty role , famous for ¨Django¨ he subsequently would play similar characters ; furthermore , the slimy , menacing outlaw played by Ralf Baldassarre , here in his regular role as bandit and in a cruelly baddie character . There appears the habitual secondaries in Spanish/Italian Western such as : Frank Braña , Alfonso Rojas , Jesús Guzmán , Andrea Scotti , Ivan Scratuglia ,Rafael Hernández , José Marco , Miguel del Castillo , Gloria Camera as Saloon girl and Franco Pesce in his ordinary role as undertaker .

Very nice cinematography by Alejandro Ulloa , including good sets, filmed on locations Seseña , Toledo , Manzanares , Madrid , La Pedriza, and Lazio, Italy . Composer Angelo Lavagnino composes a nice soundtrack , well conducted , this turns out to be one of the most memorable parts of the movie , as it's plenty of enjoyable sounds and haunting musical background with agreeable leitmotif . The motion picture was well written and produced by Eduardo Manzanos Brochero who ordered to built a Western town in Hoyo De Manzanares called 'Golden City' , it resulted to be the location in which was shot lots of Westerns produced and directed by Spanish and Italian and occasionally American people . This Western town called ¨Golden City¨ in Hoyo De Manzanares (Madrid) was made with sets by two great production designers , Cubero and Jose Luis Galicia , and it is today sadly disappeared . There was filmed several Westerns as ¨Fistful of dollars¨, ¨Welcome Padre Murray¨ , ¨Brandy¨ , ¨Dead man ride¨, various Zorros and this one . Eduardo Manzanos started producing ¨Il Coyote¨ and ¨The Jiusticia De Coyote¨ by Joaquin Romero Marchent . After that , he produced in his company Copercines ¨Vengeance of Zorro¨ and ¨L'Ombra Di Zorro¨ (1962).

This picture was professionally directed by Umberto Lenzi , though with no originality , coping the usual theme : ¨Revenge¨ . Lenzi was a nice craftsman who directed another Western titled ¨Tutto per Tutto¨ with Mark Damon and he made all kinds of genres .

Returning from the civil war Jim Slade discovers his parents dead at their farm. It is said that the gang under the lead of Corbett has committed the crime. Jim now goes for revenge but things turn out to be more complicated than he originally thought. To get some money he accepts the job as a sheriff.

A Pistol for a 100 coffins has a standard revenge storyline but some foreboding atmosphere in the town and the odd addition of the prisoners from an asylum flourishes it with some difference, lending it some horror element. It is a little slow moving at times, yet fairly watchable. It gets better as you watch on, especially in the last forty minutes where double dealing, double crosses and twists and turns occur. There's a neat revelation towards the end that I hadn't seen coming. Plus there's some lively gunplay to keep Spaghetti westerns fans contented.