Gunfight at Red Sands (1963)

Richard Harrison is Ricardo Martinez, aka “The Gringo,” a white adopted by a Mexican family who’s been fighting as a mercenary with revolutionaries south of the border.

When the band he is fighting with is ambushed, Richardo is the lone survivor and returns to his native Texas — at an opportune time for his family.

His brother, Manuel, has been wounded by bandits. His father has been mortally wounded. The gold hidden in the family home has been taken. His father lives long enough to tell him three men were responsible.

And so Ricardo sets out to find those guilty of the crime. And he soon discovers things have changed since he left Carterville.

Mexicans are much less welcome, for one thing. His old flame, a saloon girl named Maria, has moved on with her life.

And the new marshal, a man named Corbett, shares the general disdain for his family’s “kind.”

One pleasant surprise is his younger sister Lisa Martinez, who has grown into a lovely young woman. Lovely enough that Ricardo is tempted to stop thinking of her as a sister.

Review:

One of the earliest Spaghetti Westerns, this is a likeable affair with a rousing score courtesy of Ennio Morricone and a solid job from Richard Harrison in the lead role.

None of the gimmicks are in place yet, of course, but the revenge for a murdered family theme would be played out over and over again in Spaghettis for the next decade.

The trio after the Martinez gold and land include Juan Garudo (Aldo Sambrell in a small role), Lou Steadman and, of course, the sheriff.

Directed by:
Ricardo Blasco

Cast:
Richard Harrison … Gringo / Ricardo Martinez
Sara Lezana … Lisa Martinez
Daniel Martin …. Manuel Martinez
Giacomo Rossi-Stuart … Sheriff Lance Corbett
as G.R. Stuart
Mikaela … Maria Huertas
Rodolfo de Campo … Doc Bancroft
as Sam Field
Bernabe Barta Barri … Lou Steadman
as Barta Barry
Aldo Sambrell … Juan Guardo
Agustan Gonzalez … Zeke “Giggles” Wilson
Gonzalo Esquirez … Kincaid Wilson
Brua Simionato … Rosa Cardena
as Barbara Simon

Also with: Angel Solano as Mike Solano, Tito Garcia, Jose Calvo, Alfonso Rojas, Xan Das Bolas, Jose Luis Chinchilla, Rafael Vaquero, Nathan D’Eagle, Telly Thomas

Runtime: 93 min.

aka:
Gringo
Duello nel Texas

Score: Ennio Morricone as Dan Savio
Song: “Gringo Like Me” sung by Dicky Jones

Memorable lines:

Francisco: “Not a brave way to die.”
Richardo: “What are you talking about?”
Francisco: “Dying on the run, on the wrong side of the border.”

Richardo: “Where’s Garudo’s horse now?”
Sheriff: “In the livery stable.”
Richardo: “I want to have a look at it.”
Sheriff: “Go ahead. Maybe the horse is missing a shoe. If it is, don’t shoot the horse.”
Richardo: “I’ll have to remember that.”

Gringo: “What I want now is peace. Law and order in our lives.”
Lisa: “Law and order? You know for Mexicans there’s only one law, and what that law is: Kill or be killed. Either get those killers or we’ll all be dead like father.”

Gringo: “You have to learn to be a little patient, Lisa. After all, patience is a woman’s virtue.”
Lisa: “I know it. But I’m not a woman to you. You forget that I’m no longer very little.”

Trivia:

Richard Harrison had bit parts in five U.S. made films in the late 1950s before heading to Italy and appearing in “Avenger of the Seven Seas” in 1961. This marked his second “Spaghetti Western.”

This was the first Western with a musical score from Ennio Morricone, though he used the named Dan Savio in the credits.

This marked the film debut for pretty Sara Lezana, who went on to appear in about two dozen films. Among them would be two more Euro Westerns — “Murieta” (1965) and “Fall of the Mohicans” (also 1965).

Aldo Sambrell as Juan Guardo, preparing an ambush for Gringo in Gunfight at Red Sands (1963)

Richard Harrison as Gringo (aka Ricardo Martinez) reports an attempted ambush in Gunfight at Red Sands (1963)