With the talent assembled in the production of this tosh, it should have at least been tolerable. The films English title "Deaf Smith and Johhny Ears" attracted my curiosity, but a film about a deaf commando (gunfighter!) set in a historic Texas, where more people end up in Boot Hill than seem to live in the township was certainly difficult to believe. What could they have been thinking?...a 'deaf' 60ish protector of the countries president......I ask you!
I see from other posts, a few have enjoyed it but I'm with those who looked deeper and found very little. After a string of films just like this, it's little wonder the Western genre was well and truly killed off. Leone's Cinematographer Tonino Delli Colli may have had an eye for detail, but he obviously did not get the budget, or the time, to create any magic here.
Any promise in the idea, is quickly killed off with shoddy Italian and Spanish writing and film technique (or lack off it) A halfway interesting Music score attempts to give more than the script can deliver (the song lyrics promise a strong idealistic storyline but it's not forthcoming) In fact, the music score not only seems to belong to another film, it sounds somewhat familiar. The film wastes beautiful Pamela Tiffen, and reduces the Franko Nero role to little more than a clone of the 'Trinity' films character, and Quinn, well he just appeared to be enjoying getting paid in his old age
Italians could not make intelligent films about the 'American' west (even Sergio Leone's epic 'Once Upon a time in the West' while it looked good at the time, in retrospect, is filled with the type of foolishness that drags this work down to 'C' grade level) The near ridiculous body count and callous way people are killed puts 'Deaf Smith' in the 'Dollar' film category. The undiscerning viewer could be impressed, anyone else may want to leave town. Maybe with better handling....but I doubt it.
TCM in Australia screened this (as with most of their movies) with the 'Automatic Sound Leveler' on... creating what sounds like a constant hailstorm in the background when no-one is speaking. In this age of technical excellence when will they ever get it right? KenR
I see from other posts, a few have enjoyed it but I'm with those who looked deeper and found very little. After a string of films just like this, it's little wonder the Western genre was well and truly killed off. Leone's Cinematographer Tonino Delli Colli may have had an eye for detail, but he obviously did not get the budget, or the time, to create any magic here.
Any promise in the idea, is quickly killed off with shoddy Italian and Spanish writing and film technique (or lack off it) A halfway interesting Music score attempts to give more than the script can deliver (the song lyrics promise a strong idealistic storyline but it's not forthcoming) In fact, the music score not only seems to belong to another film, it sounds somewhat familiar. The film wastes beautiful Pamela Tiffen, and reduces the Franko Nero role to little more than a clone of the 'Trinity' films character, and Quinn, well he just appeared to be enjoying getting paid in his old age
Italians could not make intelligent films about the 'American' west (even Sergio Leone's epic 'Once Upon a time in the West' while it looked good at the time, in retrospect, is filled with the type of foolishness that drags this work down to 'C' grade level) The near ridiculous body count and callous way people are killed puts 'Deaf Smith' in the 'Dollar' film category. The undiscerning viewer could be impressed, anyone else may want to leave town. Maybe with better handling....but I doubt it.
TCM in Australia screened this (as with most of their movies) with the 'Automatic Sound Leveler' on... creating what sounds like a constant hailstorm in the background when no-one is speaking. In this age of technical excellence when will they ever get it right? KenR