A Stranger in Town (1967 film)
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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"Allen Klein produced a trilogy of Spaghetti Westerns starring and written by Tony Anthony and ostensibly copying Clint Eastwood's Man with No Name. A Stranger In Town (1967) and The Stranger Returns (1967) were released in the USA by MGM. A dispute with MGM over the last of the three, The Silent Stranger (1975), led to it not being released for seven years after production. Klein and Anthony also collaborated on the film Blindman featuring Ringo Starr as a Mexican bandito. Klein also appeared briefly on camera, in a similar role."--Sholem Stein |
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A Stranger in Town (1967) is the American title of the Tony Anthony-starring spaghetti Western "Un Dollaro tra i denti" directed by Luigi Vanzi.
A low budget clear imitation of A Fistful of Dollars, it starred Anthony as the titular Stranger, a shotgun-wielding antihero who helps a group of Mexican bandits steal gold from the US Army and Federales, and then steals it right back from them. Released by MGM to compete with the United Artists Clint Eastwood the Man with No Name film series, it became a surprise success, and spawned three sequels in which Tony Anthony reprised his role.
Plot
A blanket-clad gunfighter, the Stranger, rides into a largely deserted Mexican village, where he encounters Chica, a young widow with a baby son, and Paco, a bartender who orders him at knife-point to leave. After killing Paco with a bottle, he witnesses a massacre of Captain Cordoba's Mexican Army troops by the bandit chief Aguilar and his gang, who steal the soldiers' uniforms and a machine gun. Dressed in a Union Army uniform, the Stranger greets Aguilar and his dominatrix right-hand woman, Maria "Maruka" Pilar, and informs them that an attachment of Union soldiers, led by Captain George Stafford, will soon be arriving to deliver two bags of gold coins to Captain Cordoba's troops. In return for identifying Aguilar as Cordoba to Stafford, the Stranger requests a share of the gold. The plan succeeds, despite Stafford's scepticism.
Preparing to leave, the Stranger demands a half-share of the gold from Aguilar, who refuses, giving him only a single coin for his troubles. The Stranger creates a diversion by shooting the candles of the saloon, and steals the gold. Despite holding off Aguilar's men and escaping, he is forced to surrender the gold when they take Chica hostage. The Stranger later returns to recapture the gold, but he is ambushed and beaten by Aguilar's men, before being left to the attentions of Maruka, who becomes increasingly aroused by him. Eventually killing her by bashing her head against a stone floor, the Stranger distracts Aguilar and the gang by setting off an explosion, allowing him to steal the gold and save Chica, who has been abused by Aguilar.
After tending to his wounds, Chica gives the Stranger a shotgun and a sack of shells; he gives her several gold coins - hiding the remainder in a fountain - and advises her to leave town with her baby. Before she can do so, Aguilar and his men track her down and threaten to kill her baby so that she can reveal the location of the gold. The Stranger saves them by shooting one of the bandits, Marinero; in a prolonged battle, he eliminates the gang members one by one as they search for him throughout the town. Confronting and beating Aguilar, the Stranger kills him in a shotgun-versus-machine gun duel, and places a gold coin between his teeth. Stafford's troops, aware of who the Stranger is, arrive to recover their gold; Stafford, whose real name is Ted Harrison, agrees to allow him to keep half of the gold as bounty for killing Aguilar's gang. Bidding "George" farewell, the Stranger is watched by Chica as he rides out of town.
Cast
- Tony Anthony as The Stranger
- Frank Wolff (Frank Wolf) as Aguilar, the "Fair Man"
- Jolanda Modio (as Yolanda Modio) as Chica
- Gia Sandri as Maria "Maruka" Pilar
- Raf Baldassarre as Corvo
- Aldo Berti as Marinero
- Lars Bloch as Captain Ted Harrison/"George Stafford"
- Salvatore Puntillo as Priest
- Fortunato Arena as Captain Cordoba
- Giovanni Ivan Scratuglia (Ivan Scratt) as Aguilar Henchman
See also
