This is another wonderful feature presented to US audiences by Sid Pink, who recently past away in 2002. It was produced during an incredibly vibrant period for Pink, when he was making pictures in Spain during 1961-1968.
Starring Jeffrey Hunter as Joe Novak, The Christmas Kid is a not-quite-perfect Christ parable with the lead role essayed by the actor most notable as Jesus from King of Kings. It follows his birth in a makeshift shelter, his troubled teen years as an angry--yet non-violent--youth, culminating in his about-turn as an adult gunfighter. Along the way, he is tested in New Testament fashion by a prostitute, the promise of riches, and by an ersatz Satan (in the form of profiteer Louis Hayward). The analogies don't end there. His birth is visited by three wayfarers from the neighboring town who are following a light from the ramshackle "manger", and there appears to be a possible "crucifiction" Western-style, set for Joe's future.
The cast is uniformly excellent, with many appearing in several of Pink's movies at the time: Gustavo Rojo appeared in Fickle Finger of Fate, Witch Without a Broom, Tall Women and Madigans Millions; Perla Cristal also appeared in Witch.., Tall Women and another Pink feature called Sharaz.
Rojo should be memorable to "Spaghetti Western" fans for his role in A Bullet for Sandoval, and Cristal appeared in the first two Jess Franco Orloff movies, as well as appearing as the nefarious bi-sexual mad scientist in Paul Naschy's Fury of the Wolfman. Veteran character actor Jack Taylor appears as Novak's unforgiving father, still blaming his son for his mother's death at childbirth. Taylor still acts, appearing to US audiences most recently in Polanski's The Ninth Gate. Genre fans remember Taylor for his numerous roles in Franco movies such as Female Vampire, Count Dracula, Eugenie and Succubus.
With a cast like this, Pink did not fail.
My OOP video boasted an effective cartoon graphic of the climactic confrontation between Joe and the townspeople.
This, along with other features in Pink's canon, should be allowed a DVD release.
