Rápidos, Brutos e Mortais

It's 1836 Texas. President Houston is trying to have the new Republic join the United States. He sends his trusted scouts, Erastus Deaf Smith (Anthony Quinn) and Johnny Ears (Franco Nero), to stop rebels plotting to stop the enterprise with help from foreign powers. Johnny watches Susie (Pamela Tiffin) bathing in the river and falls head over heels.

Anthony Quinn is a compelling and powerful voice in cinema. So, let's make his character a mute. It's a simple solution. Just switch the two lead roles. They also don't give the villain enough screen time to develop. The movie needs to build up the big bad before the heroes can take him down. This is sort of a spaghetti western even if it's filmed in Spain. More can be done to create an unique form of communication for these characters. I can imagine some fun hand signal games. In the end, this is an interesting film although still a minor failure.

The war with Mexico over , the new republic of Texas is born . Set in 1836's Texas just after the Republic won its independence from Mexico. President Houston is actively working to have the new republic join the United States of America . But rebel forces , aided by a foreign power , are plotting against him . Houston , busy reorganizing the exhausted forces of Texas sends his faithful scout Erastus . As President Sam Houston instructs one of his agents to put down the plotters , the tough deaf-mute Erastus Smith (Anthony Quinn and based on real-life character) to carry out a dangerous mission . Deaf Smith is the man who hears with his eyes and speaks with his gun . Accompanying him is his best friend the sex-obsessed Johnny Ears, (Franco Nero) who falls for a beautiful prostitute (Pamela Tiffin) , Susie the ¨hooker¨ . But the rebels and the general Martin (Franco Graziosi) have intercepted a message that a deaf-mute spy is in their midst . At the beginning ,there takes a place a massacre executed by rebel henchmen (Romano Puppo , Luciano Martino) against McDonald family and things go wrong .

Pasta Western picture is set post American-Mexican war but ignores the wealth of the authentic history and becomes yet another action/adventure/humor Western and this decent production delivers what it should . However , it relies heavily on the peculiar relationship between Deaf Smith/Anthony Quinn and Johnny Ears/Franco Nero . Here there are some historical remarks about Texas , as the Republic's future is in doubt, with various factions and foreign powers hoping to sway matters to their own advantage . And based on facts , as Deaf Smith was a soldier in Houston's army distinguished for destroying a bridge and there's actually a Deaf Smith County in Texas . Although it has some anachronisms as an out of time machine gun and hokey historical events . It is a decent Western with comedy , tongue-in-cheek , action and plenty of shoot'em up , gun-play , explosion , and some moments results to be quite entertaining . Including a spectacular ending when our protagonists using a machine gun and a lot of dynamite execute a slaughter in which they take down themselves the enemy army . Anthony Quinn gives over-acting as the deaf-mute Erastus "Deaf" Smith , to infiltrate and put down one of the growing rebel factions and sympathetic acting by Franco Nero as his companion Johnny Ears who must not only do Smith's hearing for him, but must also conceal Smith's handicap . Acceptable support cast full of ordinary Spaghetti secondaries as Luciano Rossi , Goffredo Unger , Tom Felleghi , Renato Romano and Romano Puppo .

It packs an anti-climatic musical score by Daniel Pattucci and attractive ¨ballad of Deaf Smith and Johnny Ears¨ sung by Ann Collin . And an atmospheric cinematography in Eastmancolor by Tonino Delli Colli , though a perfect remastering is necessary , being shot on location in Gelato falls , El Lacio , Rome and Almeria , Spain , as usual . The motion picture was regularly directed by Paolo Cavara , a craftsman who made all kinds of genres . As Paolo directed Giallo as ¨Black belly Tarantula¨ , ¨E Tanta Prava¨, Drama/war : ¨La Cattura¨, ¨comedy : "Virility" , ¨Il Lucamone¨, ¨La Lacandiera¨ and especially shock-documentary as ¨L'Occhio Salvaggio¨, ¨Mondo cane¨ , ¨La Donna Nel Mondo¨, ¨Witchdoctor in Tails¨, and ¨I Malamondo¨ .

I like Franco Nero. I like his voice, his accent, his acting style, his acrobatics. Any movie starring Franco Nero already has one thing going for it in my book. Saying that Nero is the ONLY thing going for "Deaf Smith And Johnny Ears" would be somewhat inaccurate - there is also a good score, Pamela Tiffin's spunk (at one point, she puts Nero in a reverse headlock!), and some interesting directorial touches (as when Cavara films some scenes from the deaf man's point-of-view, with no sound). But if this is supposed to be a comedy, it's much too violent (beginning with the massacre of an entire family), and if it's serious, then the plot is confused and uninteresting. Anthony Quinn is a bore...and what's up with that ending? (**)

This is not a bad little movie, of a certain 'style' that was popular when it was made.

It's loud - and violent - at times, but there-in lies a heart and whilst neither (Franco) Nero or (Anthony) Quinn show us their inner feelings, rather like a lesser Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid, there is a sort of loyal, strange chemistry between them, that like the best of friendships, work for reasons only known to them.

Unlike 'B' westerns of 20 years earlier, that almost tried too hard to get the most out of their tiny budget/bad script/untalented actor, director etc, Deaf Ears... doesn't, it just gets on with it, which is nice as we can relax and let it unfold.

Erastus 'Deaf' Smith (Anthony Quinn) is the deaf mute messenger who is hired by General Sam Houston to infiltrate a rebel faction that are trying to stop Texas becoming part of the U.S. His friend, Johnny Eras (Nero) comes to assist him with his mission.

There's the usual womanising in the cat-house that helps beef up both the lead's manliness and the male viewing numbers is there as is blowing things up.

Though the film is also known as the bland 'Los Amigos', it's often and usually goes by this far more intriguing one. I saw it on TCM (Turner Classic Movies). It says on the Radio Times website that it was in Italian, but it was not, though in hindsight I'm sure it was dubbed - and Quinn, who is multi-lingual, doesn't speak, of course. The ending and its music is quite a strange enigma, mind you.

If you're after a good, standard, straight western, I'd dither at recommending it, but if you do like your spaghetti westerns, with some sauce, then go for it.

Set in 1830's Texas, Erastus 'Deaf' Smith (Anthony Quinn) is an ageing but trusted spy for the president, despite the obvious handicap of being a deaf mute. His friend and companion is the sexually charged Spaniard Johnny Ears (Franco Nero), seemingly on a constant mission to obtain another notch on his bed post (or should I say, someone elses!). In fact, unlike your usual Spaghetti Western hero, he is probably more likely to be found in bed than in a bar brawl or gunfight.

The two have been sent by the president to halt the uprising down south, where a rebel by the name of Morton is rallying a rebellion to create independence and domination, with the help of German backing.

The whole emphasis of the story is the great bond between Nero and Quinn, which is quite enjoyable throughout. Comically, Johnny Ears is constantly throwing stones at the laid back Smith in order to get his attention. Ears' relationship with the luscious local whore Susie (Pamela Tiffin) is also a fine display of character play, as their interplay changes from flirtation to sexual tension, and from lust to love. Hell, by the end, Ears seems willing to quit his womanising ways and settle down with the blonde beauty.

There are entertaining one-liners throughout (all obviously left to Nero, who is in fine comic form). As for Quinn, the whole idea that a deaf gunhand can survive and be held in such esteem is entertaining in itself (as he walks away completely unaware of the explosions metres behind him, and sneaks up on opponents oblivious to the fact that the bells on a whores garter - given to him whilst he awaited the return of the promiscuous Ears from the local brothel - are jangling together).

Aside from these highlights, the film is fairly average fare. At times Smith's inability to communicate can be as frustrating to the viewer as it must be to Smith himself. The Director does however highlight this disability to some effect, with silence at any time when the story is shown from Smith's eyes. Too much weight is also placed on the final action-packed climax, which goes on for an age with a maximum explosion count (although it does contain a priceless moment when Ears is unable to operate the enemies' machine gun - a skill mastered to great effect by Nero's Django).

In summary, this is an entertaining little film, high on cheese but low on substance. And there are days when that is exactly the sort of "popcorn" movie that you want to watch. If you are in that mood (I was) you will probably enjoy it (I did!). But it is definitely more "watchable" than "recommended".