One of several Spaghetti Westerns featuring Gilbert Roland in the 1960s, and here he is the pivotal figure in the story, rather than being more of a sidekick, along to assist a younger hero. This one is a loose adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's "Treasure Island" with Gilbert in the "Long John Silver" role.
As usual, having an already "market tested" quality plot to build around is a big plus in a Spaghetti Western, and I have a hunch the longer European version of this (if such a thing ever existed) could well be a minor classic. However I watched the 98 minute American cut, which turns much of the final third into montages, in order move the story along quickly and fit the hour and a half running time preferred by distributors in America back in the 1960s and 70s. This sudden change in approach is quite jarring and serves to dissipate much of the films potential for drama and excitement. I'm imagining that a two hour version could have maintained a more consistent tone and allowed the story and characters to develop better (That's my theory anyway).
The first third is very good, with plenty of colourful rogues and scoundrels, along with the enchanting Dominique Boschero. As others have mentioned it's sad to see her bow out so soon. There is no significant girl in Treasure Island either, but, within a "Western" genre setting, I think she could easily have been accommodated, riding along in one of the wagons, causing manly blood to simmer.
Gilbert Roland arrives and easily dominates the screen with his typical roguish charm. As an Hispanic actor he was never allowed to achieve his full potential in Hollywood, so it is nice to see him getting some decent Spaghetti roles late in the day and enjoying an "Indian Summer" of sorts.
Richard Harrison is pretty underwhelming, possibly because he isn't given a lot to work with. Playing a former soldier turned priest who refuses to use a gun is not the ideal part to have in a non-comedy Spaghetti Western!
The second third is not quite as good as the first, with some poor and or illogical plot development, but still moves along adequately until the characters take refuge in an abandoned Inn (the equivalent of the stockade in Treasure Island). However about the time Richard Harrison heads out to look for supplies the montage scenes begin to kick in and sap the films momentum.
There's nothing fundamentally wrong with what happens in the final third, the expected fights and shootouts and double crosses are all there in the appropriate places, it's just the execution falls flat, it feels rushed, outlined and painted with a broad brush and lacking in emotional content (as Bruce Lee would have put it). Not that it's really bad or anything, just that it felt to me like it could have delivered a bit more than it did.
Still a very nice movie for fans of Gilbert Roland to enjoy
To the reviewer who wrote "My advice to fans killing time watching low-grade Italian genre crap: take some time to watch the hundreds of masterworks from Italy - you might learn something about the human condition from the artists and craftsmen ranging all the way from Antonioni through Zurlini."
In reply I say "I live with the human condition every day and I watch Spaghetti Westerns in order to take my mind off such things."
