A Man Called Django (1971) - Once Upon a Time in a Western

Anthony Steffen stars as Django, who arrives in the town of La Purtaan looking for a bandit named Carranza (Glauco Onorato). The only problem is, Carranza is about to be hanged.

Django decides he’d better interrupt that lynching.

After all, Carranza was known to hang out with some bandits Django suspects of robbing his home and killing his wife.

Carranza himself was in jail at the time, but should be able to finger the responsible parties, Django figures.

Carranza agrees to help, as long as he has a chance to get rich in the process.

The first man they’re after, Thompson, is selling rifles to the revolutionaries. And a wagon load of rifles is worth a small fortune, not to mention the risk of riding along with Django on his quest for vengeance.

Anthony Steffen as Django in “A Man Called Django” (1971)

Glauco Onorato as Carranza in “A Man Called Django” (1972)

Review:

The theme is certainly routine, but director Edoardo Mulargia keeps piling on the action in a playful sort of way that makes it all seem a bit better than ordinary.

The fact that many of the bad guys meet their demise in imaginative ways helps. So does a spirited score. And a fine supporting performance by Glaco Onorato as a sidekick with a secret.

In one of the better scenes, Django and Carranza drag Jeff, town boss of La Purtaan, out of his room while he’s still lying in bed with his mistress, Lola. They take them for a ride around town on that bed.

It’s all a grand diversion. While they’re going for their little ride, Paco, Lola’s husband, is sneaking off with Jeff’s wagon load of guns.

Stello Candelli as Jeff, giving orderrs to his men in “A Man Called Django” (1972)

Riccardo Pizzuti as Thompson, one of the men Django seeks in “A Man Called Django” (1972)

Directed by:
Edoardo Mulargia

Cast:
Anthony Steffen … Django
(Antonio de Teffe)
Glauco Onorato … Carranza
Stelio Candelli … Jeff
Riccardo Pizzuti … Thompson
Chris Avram … Capt. Gomez
Esmeralda Barros … Lola
Simonetta Vitelli … Inez
Donato Castellaneta … Paco
Benito Stefanelli … Ibanez

Also with: Alessandro Perrella, Paolo Figlia, Attilio Severini, Giovanni Cianfriglia, Gilberto Galimberti, Remo Capitani, Lorenzo Piani, Furio Meniconi, Sergio Sagnotti, Mauro Mannatrizio, Omero Capanna, Fortunato Arena, Franco Daddi, Mario Dardanelli, Antonio Danesi

aka:
Lo Chiamavano Django
Viva! Django
W Django!

Score: Piero Umiliano

Runtime: 92 min.

Donato Castellaneta as Paco, the saloon owner who helps Django in “A Man Called Django” (1972)

Remo Capitani as Sam, the townsman who helps Django in A Man Called Django (1972)

Memorable lines:

Paco: “The Indians say when a man dies, his soul escapes through his mouth. When a man’s hanged, his soul can’t get out.”
Django: “A mouth’s blocked, it can always get out somewhere else …”
Paco, with a chuckle: “Well, I don’t want to be around when it does.”

Carranza: “Listen, amigo, was it necessary to punch me that hard?”
Django: “Of course, we had to make it look real. Don’t forget, we had a big audience.”
Carranza: “A kick in the ass, also?”
Django: “Hell, that’s what’s known as an artistic touch.”

Simonetta Vitelli as Inez, suggesting Django stay a while longer in “A Man Called Django” (1972)

Esmeralda Barros as Lola the bar owner’s wife and Jeff’s mistress in “A Man Called Django” (1972)

Trivia:

More than 30 Spaghetti Westerns featured Django in their title or their alternative title. Anthony Steffen appeared in two others, “A Few Dollars for Django” (1968) and “Django the Bastard” (1969).

Yep, that’s Simonnetta Vitelli, better known as Simone Blondell, flirting with Django in the saloon. This was the only film she appeared in that wasn’t directed by her dad, prolific Spaghetti Western filmmaker Demofilo Fidani.