I Want Him Dead (1968)

Craig Hill is Clayton, a gunman looking to start a new life with his sister by settling down and buying land near Richmond.

But while he’s scouting out a piece of land, two brutes rape and murder his sister, Mercedes.

From then on, he’s out to get the man he holds responsible — Jack Blood.

He soon discovers Blood is among the henchmen working for a businessman named Mallek.

And Mallek is cooking up an evil plot that calls for the assassination of two generals — one Union, one Confederate — who are setting the grounds for peace talks between Lee and Grant.

His motive: to keep the Civil War going so he can sell more guns and ammunition.

If Clayton needed any more motivation to stop Blood and his men, he finds it in pretty Aloma (Lea Massari) and Marisol (Licia Calderon), two women being held captive by the bandits.

Review:

Far better than average Spaghetti, with a neat ending in which Clayton’s need to exchange his Confederate money for Union greenbacks is met … heck, the
wind sweeps the money right into his hands.

Besides that, the film is beautifully shot, features a haunting score and is nicely paced.

That said, it’s among the most geographically challenged Spaghettis you’ll ever find. Richmond, in this case, is located in the heart of the Western desert.
The peace talks between the Union and Confederates? They’re held in an adobe home.

Director
Paolo Bianchini

Cast:
Craig Hill … Clayton
Lea Massari … Aloma
Jose Manuel Martin … Jack Blood
Andrea Bosic … Mallek
Licia Calderon … Marisa
Christina Businari … Mercedes
Andrea Scotti … Harry Gunn
Federico Boido … Steve
as Rich Boyd
Frank Brana … Berger
as Francisco Brana
Tomas Blanco … Mac

Also with: Renato Chiantoni, Remo De Angelis, Francisco Nieto, Jose Riesgo, Jose Terron, Rocco Lerro, Enrique Santiago, Valentino Macchi, Barba Barry, Antonio Decembrino

aka:
Lo voglio morto
Clayton I’implacable
Django, Ich will ihn tot

Score:
Nico Fidenco
Song: “Clayton” sung by Lida Lu

Memorable lines:

Sheriff’s brother, drinking at the bar: “People get killed every day. I suppose you want us to stop our drinkin’ because your sister’s dead.”

Aloma: “Why’d you save me? Why’d you do it?”
Clayton: “Guess I had to save something.”

Jack Blood, after pouring kerosene around a tied up Clayton. “We’ve wasted enough time with you. Now, I’m going to give you a little taste of what hell is like.” He lights the kerosene.

Trivia

Pretty Lea Massari was born Ann Maria Massetani. She changed her name to Lea to honor a fiancee, Leo, who died when she was 22.

Before heading to Italy where he starred in a number of Spaghetti Westerns, Craig Hill played helicopter pilot Pete “P.T.” Moore in a popular Desilu TV series Whirlybirds (1957-60).