Ben and Charlie

Giuliano Gemma appeared in quite a few buddy movies, for example with Mario Adorf in "A Sky Full of Stars For A Roof", with Nino Benvenuti in "Vivi o preferibilmente morti" and with Bud Spencer in "Anche gli angeli mangiano fagioli". In "Ben And Charlie", George Eastman (who created the story outline for the screenplay) becomes his companion. Right at the beginning, Charlie (Eastman) swears never to run any criminal "business" with Ben (Gemma) again - who is just out of prison and likely to be back inside soon! But of course it doesn't take long until they get back together and make more or less (usually less) successful attempts at anything from gambling to bank robbery. "Ben And Charlie" is much better than most comedies released at the time, because it doesn't get too silly and maintains a certain character development including even a couple of tragic moments.

Generally speaking the comedy spaghetti westerns of the 70's are not usually very good at all. So, this one was a bit of a surprise. Giuliano Gemma and George Eastman have great chemistry as a couple of small time crooks who are a disaster together but wind up as a constant hapless duo. The mix of comedy with typical spaghetti western action was balanced just right, and I did find myself actually chuckling a few times. Look out too for a cameo appearance from the delectable Marisa Mell as a woman from Gemma's past.

Italiano westerns rock, even with jazzy piano /country western theme music (I like it!!)

I think E. May saw this film to borrow structural elements for Ishtar - - lol.

Viva Italia.

Ben and Charlie (Giuliano Gemma and George Eastman) are two bottom-feeding criminals and ex-partners, who no matter how much they hate and try to avoid one another, keep crossing paths. Before long they re-team and end up embarking on a crime spree, that despite their ineptitude, turns them into notorious outlaws and puts them in the path of many colorful and dangerous characters.

Very much a product of it's time (the early 70's), with it's rambling, character-driven narrative, it's a bit loose and episodic during it's first half. Once it gets going though, this free-spirited action-adventure is consistently amusing and a lot of fun, with Gemma and Eastman very appealing.

Production values are pretty good, as is the photography by Aristide Massacesi, better known as Joe D'Amato, director of several infamous sex and gore films, often starring Eastman.

I saw this movie for the first time twenty years or so ago. In this time,I found it absolutely fantastic, extremely enjoyable, with a good plot (what is not common in a spaguetti western) and two very interesting characters superbly played by Gemma and Eastman. If you can find this movie (under its English title "Ben and Charlie) take it. It's really a good western movie, not just for addicts, I can guarantee. You'll find that even in the so under-estimated genre of the spaghetti western, there's some good moments that makes us wonder: maybe these times of bluffing, crazies westerns-movies, that made the fame of actors like Giulliano Gemma, Terence Hill and Bud Spencer are not so bad at all!