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The White, the Yellow, and the Black

Original title: Il bianco il giallo il nero
  • 1975
  • R
  • 1h 39m
IMDb RATING
5.5/10
825
YOUR RATING
The White, the Yellow, and the Black (1975)
Buddy ComedyCostume DramaParodyPeriod DramaSlapstickSpaghetti WesternAdventureComedyWestern

In the 19th century, when the Japanese Emperor sends a gift pony to the US President it gets stolen and ransomed by Indians but Sheriff Gideon aided by an inept Japanese servant offers to de... Read allIn the 19th century, when the Japanese Emperor sends a gift pony to the US President it gets stolen and ransomed by Indians but Sheriff Gideon aided by an inept Japanese servant offers to deliver the ransom.In the 19th century, when the Japanese Emperor sends a gift pony to the US President it gets stolen and ransomed by Indians but Sheriff Gideon aided by an inept Japanese servant offers to deliver the ransom.

  • Director
    • Sergio Corbucci
  • Writers
    • Antonio Troiso
    • Marcello Coscia
    • Sergio Spina
  • Stars
    • Giuliano Gemma
    • Tomas Milian
    • Eli Wallach
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.5/10
    825
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Sergio Corbucci
    • Writers
      • Antonio Troiso
      • Marcello Coscia
      • Sergio Spina
    • Stars
      • Giuliano Gemma
      • Tomas Milian
      • Eli Wallach
    • 9User reviews
    • 7Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos39

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    Top cast37

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    Giuliano Gemma
    Giuliano Gemma
    • Blanc de Blanc…
    Tomas Milian
    Tomas Milian
    • Sakura
    Eli Wallach
    Eli Wallach
    • Sheriff Edward 'Black Jack' Gideon
    Manuel de Blas
    Manuel de Blas
    • Maj. Donovan
    Jacques Berthier
    Jacques Berthier
    • Kelly Butler
    Romano Puppo
    Romano Puppo
    • Kady
    Nazzareno Zamperla
    Nazzareno Zamperla
    • Sgt. Donovan
    • (as Nazareno Zamperla)
    Edy Biagetti
    • Captain
    Hideo Saito
    • Yamoto
    • (as Ideo Saito)
    Frank Nuyen
    • Japanese Consul
    Lorenzo Robledo
    • Colonel
    Giovanni Petrucci
    Giovanni Petrucci
    • Shannon
    • (as Giovanni Petti)
    Tito García
    Tito García
    • Watson Brother
    Franco Tocci
    Franco Tocci
    • Soldier Guard on Train
    Cris Huerta
    • Robinson Watson 'Grasso'
    • (as Chris Huerta)
    Rafael Albaicín
    • Comanchero
    • (as Raphael Albaicin)
    Lorenzo Piani
    • Tuxedo Sheriff
    Carla Mancini
    Carla Mancini
    • Saloon Girl
    • Director
      • Sergio Corbucci
    • Writers
      • Antonio Troiso
      • Marcello Coscia
      • Sergio Spina
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews9

    5.5825
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    Featured reviews

    2planktonrules

    My copy was just about unwatchable.

    Many of the problems I had with "Shoot First...Ask Questions Later" (a.k.a. "Samurai") had nothing to do with the original production. The DVD I got from Netflix was among the very worst discs I have ever seen--and that's saying a lot since I have rented thousands of their films. In fact, it might just be THE worst. It appears as if someone took an old videotape and literally filmed it with a home videocamera! The picture was super-blurry and crooked throughout. Ugly is perhaps the kindest thing I can say about the DVD!

    As far as the film goes, it's not a good film either. It's all about some 'Japanese' folks in the West. Some might just have been Japanese but the main one was played by the Cuban-American Toma Milian and it's undoubtedly one of the most embarrassing roles he ever took. Seeing the guy in a goofy wig, mustache and kimono looked utterly stupid. Unfortunately, the film itself never rose much above this. Probably not worth your time unless you insist on seeing EVERYTHING made by Sergio Carbucci AND you can find a better DVD copy.
    RodrigAndrisan

    Failure, mistake and catastrophe!

    I saw it twice in 1975, when I was only 16 years old. It delighted me terribly then. Through the myriad of communist films, whether Romanian, Russian, Bulgarian, Czech, Polish, Chinese or Vietnamese, this was a rare bird. Watched again in 2021, I consider it just a big waste of time. Although, we have two very good actors in the cast, Eli Wallach and Tomas Milian, who both gave their best, the film is a failure, it has no fun at all, for me it's just a failed attempt to copy on Sergio Leone, everyone knows which movie, and "Red Sun" with Charles Bronson and Toshiro Mifune.
    6eugeniocll

    Light hearted Samurai parody in the West

    Not every movie is made to become legendary and this is definitely one of them, so don't expect anything outstanding from this title. However, things are made for a purpose and "il bianco, il nero, il giallo" fully reaches its own. It's in fact a light hearted comedy with some puns and surrealism that you want to watch with your children on an ordinary quiet evening (eg. nobody ever gets hurt and the happy ending is served).

    The novelty of the movie is represented by the exaggerated nonsensical samurai portray, brilliantly played by Milian who is the real star in here (and so much at ease!). Some great moments are the spit in the eye which is probably the best spit I've seen (it kept me laughing for a week at least!) and the identification of the pony Shimbè.

    The movie has a feel good attitude all the time and some wanna-be morality is displayed, quite similarly to They call me Trinity. Noticeably, Sakura and Blanc the Blanc fulfil their dreams, while Black Jack retires after being prized, and the Indians are saved.

    Good vibes have the power to take a bit of your soul and this movie does just that. I recommend to watch it without great expectations and to relax your mind.
    5misanthropist76

    Not Corbucci's best, but definitely one of his weirdest.

    Don't go into this film expecting a typical Corbucci high body count shoot 'em up. This time around the famous `other Sergio' takes a stab at the comedy/spaghetti sub-genre which was ever so popular in the waning days of the Euro Western. `Bianco, il giallo, il nero, Il' is more or less a bizarro take on the East meets wild West classic `Red Sun'. Eli Wallach plays `Black Jack Gideon', a straight and narrow lawman who reluctantly gets mixed up in a quest to recover a prize Japanese show pony that's being held for ransom by a renegade band of army deserters with a penchant for dressing up like Indians. Accompanying him on his journey are the notorious bandit and womanizer `Swiss', played by Giuliano Gemma and `Sakura' the dung handler turned Samurai played by Tomas Milian. Many unintentional laughs and moments of genuine surreal weirdness set to the equally strange Guido & Maurizio De Angelis score almost guarantee this film to delight fans of the genre and confuse and frighten the average viewer.
    6ma-cortes

    Sergio Corbucci's Western parody is packed with noisy action and silly humor

    A very funny Western about some roguish adventurers who attempt to rob a fortune of a rescue . Italian-Spanish co-production full of action , exaggerated characters, shootouts and lots of humor . This Spaghetti Western concerns about robbing a valuable Japanese pony from a train crossing American West and the Japan Ambassador had for gift to US . The thieves result to be some rebel Indians . Then a Japanese named Sakura (Tomas Milian), ¨the Yellow¨ along with a rogue thief Swiss(Giuliano Gemma) ¨the White¨ , and a sheriff (Eli Wallach) ¨the Black¨ team up as three unlikely heroes . This is a surprisingly low-key Spaghetti Western in which three diverse characters joining forces to find the sacred horse and rob a rescue .

    This amusing picture contains an entertaining plot , action Western , shootouts and bits of campy and refreshing humor . It's an improbable blending of standard Western, tongue-in-cheek and Chop-Socky . A bemusing premise , gunslingers against samurais , and interesting casting full of usual Spaghetti make this oater well worth the watching . Delightful Western satire in which the grifter Giuliano Gemma using his wits , breaking all the rules and kicking virtually every cliché in the pants , as he relentlessly deceives, plunders and robs . Amiable but sometimes lumbering Western satire goes on and on about the same premise , as a lot of minutes are superfluous ,it has half hour of excess , as it packs overblown jokes and antics and some moments turns out to be dull and tiring . Tomas Milian steals the show as Sakura, he is very fine, he ravages the screen, he jumps, bounds and leaps, hit and run , besides receives violent punches, kicks and is ultimately buried . Furthermore, appears ordinary secondaries of Spaghetti/Paella Western as Chris Huerta , Tito Garcia, Victor Israel ,Dan Van Husen, Rafael Albaicin, Lorenzo Robledo, and many others . The film mingles slapdash, pursuits, high body-count and it's fast moving and quite entertaining. There is plenty of action in the movie , guaranteeing shootouts, fights or stunts every few minutes . The musicians Guido and Mauricio De Angelis, compose a jolly soundtrack with catching leitmotif and well conducted ; it's full of guttural sounds and commercial songs. Striking cinematography by Luis Cuadrado in Eastmancolor with negative well processed . Interior filmed at Paolis Studios , Rome ,and Ballesteros studios ,Madrid and outdoor sequences filmed , of course , at Almeria, Spain. The film follows in the wake of ¨ Hallelujah trail (65) ¨ by John Sturges ¨ Support your local sheriff ¨ and ¨ Support your local gunfighter ¨ by Burt Kennedy and of course ¨ Blazing saddles (74) ¨ by Mel Brooks , all of them are engaging Western satire and very fun . The picture takes part of a sub-genre in which during the period of the 70s combined Spaghetti Western and art martial with original influence of ¨David Carradine's Kung Fu ¨ series , for example ¨ Karate law in the west ¨(Tonino Ricci), ¨ My name is Shangai Joe¨(Mario Caiano) and ¨ Return of Shangai Joe ( Bitto Albertini)¨, in addition ¨ Red sun (Terence Young )¨ that bears remarkable resemblance to this one .

    Sergio Corbucci's direction is well crafted, here he's more cynical and humorous and less inclined toward violence and packs too much action , but especially this slapstick Western contains broad comedy . The other Sergio made several Spaghetti classics as ¨ Django¨, ¨The great silence¨, ¨Hellbenders¨, ¨The specialist¨ , and Zapata Western as ¨The Mercenary¨, ¨The Compañeros¨ and ¨What am I doing in middle of the revolution¨ . In addition Sergio directed other inferior S.W. as ¨Far West story¨ ,¨Johnny Oro¨, ¨The white the yellow an the black¨ and ¨Minnesota Clay¨. It's an offbeat , muddle and uneven Western but will appeal to Corbucci aficionados . Rating : 5,5 , riotous Western spoof in which there's too much silly comedy and enough excitement

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Eli Wallach's fourth Spaghetti Western, and his seventh and final Western film.
    • Goofs
      Although the first motorcycle was built in 1885, it certainly didn't even remotely resemble the thoroughly modern motorcycle driven by Giuliano Gemma's character.
    • Quotes

      Sheriff Edward Gideon: [Observing a deserted town] What the hell's goin' on around here?

      Sakura: Oh... maybe today holiday.

      Blanc de Blanc: He's right. Today's the day of St. Blanc the Martyr. That's my saint day! Hey, Sheriff, do you mind if I-?

      Sheriff Edward Gideon: Shut up, Swiss. Sit down. You bring tears to my eyes, but we ain't Catholics in these parts.

      Sakura: Uh-uh-uh, that's right. In America, all prostitutes.

      Sheriff Edward Gideon: [Annoyed] Protestants.

    • Connections
      Referenced in DVD (2006)
    • Soundtracks
      White Yellow And Black
      (uncredited)

      Written by Guido De Angelis, Maurizio De Angelis and Susan Duncan Smith

      Performed by Guido De Angelis and Maurizio De Angelis (as Dilly Dilly)

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    FAQ15

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    • Film

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 17, 1975 (Italy)
    • Countries of origin
      • Italy
      • Spain
      • France
    • Languages
      • Italian
      • Japanese
    • Also known as
      • Samurai
    • Filming locations
      • Almería, Andalucía, Spain
    • Production companies
      • Filmel
      • Mundial Film
      • Tritone Cinematografica
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $200,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 39m(99 min)
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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