Tequila Joe (1968)

Antonio Ghidra plays Sheriff Joe Donnen, who drowns the memory of watching his brother get shot to death with tequila while war rages between Manuel Trianas and Rock Mulligan in the town he’s supposed to protect.

A young deputy named Burt (Jean Sobieski) shows up, determined to put an end to the violence, with or without Joe’s help. Joe warns it will end badly; the youngster decides to interfere anyway.

Meanwhile, Mulligan and Trianas continue to plot against one another. The breaking point comes when Trianas captures Muligan’s daughter, Consuela, seduces her, then lets his men have their way with her.

In retaliation, Mulligan blows up a wagon load of prisoners, a wagon containing his own men as well, just to kill Trianas.

That sets the stage for the final showdown between Burt, Mulligan and Mulligan’s remaining men.

Joe joins in this time. Not because he’s tired of hiding behind a bottle. But because he realizes Burt is his long lost son.

Review:

Nicely filmed, good score, better than average even if the plot is a bit predictable and reputedly lifted from El Dorado and Rio Bravo.

After all, the minute Deputy Burt shows up, you can sorta guess how things are going to turn out with Tequila Joe.

But the savagery Mulligan and Trianas show toward one another isn’t nearly as predictable. And, once the gunfire stops, Dell’Aquila throws in a nice twist at the end of the film.

Director
Enzo Dell’Aquila

Cast:
Antonio Ghidra … Joe Donnen
Jean Sobieski … Deputy Burt
Furio Meniconi … Rock Mulligan
Mimmo Palmara … Manuel Trianas
as Dick Palmer
Felicita Fanni … Conseula
Mimo Billi … Rodriguez
Eleonora Ruffo … Mulligan’s daughter

aka
And Then a Time for Killing
e venne il tempo di uccidere
Time and Place for Killing

Score: Franceso De Masi
Song: “A Man Alone” by Raoul

Runtime: 95 min.

Memorable lines:

Sheriff Joe Donnen to Deputy Burt: “You’re biting off a heap sight more than you know how to chew. It’s more than I can chew. I don’t chew anymore. I drink. It’s less painful.”

Sheriff Donnen to fellow drinker: “They should have a law against allowing those pure water preachers in this saloon.”

Sheriff Donnen: “Yeah, I was a man once. Sure I was. Wasn’t no one I couldn’t face. Only a man’s courage is just like a fine crystal glass. All you gotta do is shake the glass a mite before it’ll break to pieces.”

Trivia:

Jean Sobieski is the father of Leelee Sobieski, who starred in “Eyes Wide Shut” (1999) opposite Tom Cruise and appeared in “Never Been Kissed” the Drew Barrymore film.

Eleonora Ruffo was just 16 when she played The Queen of Sheba in a 1952 film by the same name. She went on to appear in about 20 films; this was one of her final roles. Her only other Western appearance was a 1960 comedy called “A Dollar of Fear.”

Felicita Fanni’s only other Western role was her screen debut as a village girl in 1967’s “Death Rides a Horse,” starring Lee Van Cleef.