My Name Is Pecos

A Mexican is walking through the desert, arrives at a well and drinks a bit of water. A gunman sells him a pistol for 20 dollars. He buys the pistol and shoots the gunman. "My name is Pecos", he tells him belatedly. Pecos rides into a small town called Houston (!) and informs the grave digger there will be a lot of work for him soon. Then he challenges a bunch of bandits for a barrel of gold and personal vengeance.

It's a cheap production, but done with a lot of style, clearly following the "Fistful of Dollars" ideas about a mysterious stranger cleaning up a town. We get to know very little about Pecos' past, but that is intentionally done. Everything from the music to the camera work feels right, the actors are giving good performances, it's a thoroughly enjoyable picture even if nothing new under the sun.

In Fargo we saw an extremely laid-back crook in the car-salesman. The bureaucrat-crook one might say. In this film he has his western counter-part. Never seen this actor in anything else, which is quite unique by its own. Pecos himself is some sort of mexican. They changed his eyes for the role, similarly as they did to Sean Connery for 'You Only Live Twice'. The follow-up to this was quite good as well, but this one is special. Many unique gags and a hero who jumps up on his horse from the back. Those who hear him say 'My Name is Pecos' in the beginning of the film are already dead, when trying to shoot him in the back. Some gags were stolen from this film for 'Trinity', who was a much less interesting hero. A 10 out of 10.

Mexican drifter Robert Woods returns to his hometown to find trouble in the form of a vicious group of cutthroats who have taken it for their own, a gang that Woods seems to have taken a real disliking to, or perhaps he's encountered before.

There's very little story here, just mainly a series of violent and not very imaginative encounters between Woods and the nasty, racist gang of killers, or the killers and various townspeople.

Though somewhat interesting in the lead role, Woods is pretty wooden. It's not really his fault though. His character is as cardboard as any I've seen playing the main protagonist in a spaghetti western. It's hard to believe this was popular enough to spawn a sequel.

The theme song is pretty nifty though

Usual Italian spaghetti, Pecos returns to his hometown Houston, there he faces many outlaws who try find out where their robbery's money is, bothered by the Gringos at saloon his quick response is a bullet, meanwhile the Glenn's gang inquires the Mexicans for some clues, Pecos discovers at underground cellar the money hidden at wine barrel, in between he has caught by the gang, actually he was betrayed by the dubious undertaker, a young Mexican Mary helps him to escapes, however her family who lives nearby will pay a high price, as always happens Pecos arrives in time to stop the killing, weak production, useless violence, whatever a poor and shallow picture, intriguing, few years ago I'd met with my fellows cinephiles, one of them I never saw, someone introduces him to me, he said "He is Pecos" a mid-age man, then I replied "Pecos from the Italian spaghetti? Yeah he said!!! Oh my Good a man nicknamed by himself, actually he was a die-hard fan of Robert Woods AKA Pecos, sometimes I meet him accidently, what a character!!!

Resume:

First watch: 2019 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 5

The print is clean and clear, with abundant detail. Compared to other DVD and blu ray editions.

There is an Italian language option with English subtitles

The only usual cast adds to this film's appeal: at least five of the eight principal villains have interesting pedigrees (eg. Pier Paolo Capponi; Peter Carsten; MassimoRighi aka Max Dean), and George Eastman), but let's not forget Umberto Raho, best remembered as the ill fated husband in "The bird with the crystal plumage". He is memorable as the vulture like undertaker in this 1966 western. Fans of the spaghetti western genre will surely recognize Sal Borghese, who was featured in all three Sabata films if I remember correctly.

The woman working in the saloon must surely be one of the most beautiful to appear in a spaghetti western.

By today's standards the film is slow going and seems an uncomfortable mix of traditional Hollywood efforts and the newer Euro mix but it is definitely entertaining. You can see why Pecos the Mexican upstart appealed to Third World audiences. Perhaps if Tomas Milian had played the role, the film. Isn't have found a wider North American/cult audience.

There is a part 2 - with infinitely more humour.

Thanks for reading.