In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Colt (1971)

Craig Hill is Mace Cassidy, leader of an outlaw gang terrorizing the West.

During one stage holdup, he spots someone just as tempting as any loot, pretty “Toni” Pickford (Agata Lys).

He drags her into the brush and rapes her, leaving her father (Francisco Sanz) standing by the stage to hear her cries of anguish.

Flash forward four years, and Sheriff Bill Nolan (also Craig Hill) is trying to figure out the best way to protect a shipment of cash coming through the Oakland area.

He’s outfoxed by the bandits, who are led by a man wearing a leather mask and make off with $15,000.

It’s the work of Mace Cassidy and his men, Nolan suspects. He rumages through a wagon and finds a wanted posted for Cassidy — a wanted poster with an image that looks just like the sheriff — and tucks it away where no one else can find it.

Back in Oakland, traveling salesman Pic Pickford has arrived with pretty daughter Toni, just in time to cash in on the sale of costumes for a Halloween celebration.

Pickford thinks the town sheriff looks quite familiar. So he points him out to Toni.

She confirms it: He’s the very same man who raped her four years prior.

Review:

An odd little Spaghetti Western / who-dunit combination based in a town with an odd fascination for Halloween (or Hallowen, as it’s spelled on one sign).

The film does a good job of making the viewer wonder whether or not the sheriff really is the outlaw.

The fact that Sheriff Nolan is constantly bickering with his top deputy, Collins, adds to the sense of doubt.

There are a couple of subplots that seem to go nowhere and never get resolved.

The filmmaker’s fault? Who knows? The print I was watching in English ran a scant 73 minutes, meaning at least 12 were missing. That’s a lot of missing footage.

Fans of pretty blondes will be delighted to have Agata Lys on hand as “Toni,” who isn’t certain she’s fit for young Deputy Grant after what she’s been through.

Nuccia Cardinali is the other pretty blonde, wife of the sheriff and a woman ready to stick by his side.

Directed by:
Mario Bianchi
as Frank Bronston

Cast:
Craig Hill … Sheriff Bill Nolan / Mace Cassidy
Nuccia Cardinali … Mrs. Clarissa Nolan
Gilberto Galimberti … Deputy Collins
as Gill Roland
Agata Lys … Antonietta “Toni” Pickford
Lorenzo Piani … Deputy Ben Grant
Francisco Brana … Judge Finley
Francisco “Paco” Sanz … Pic Pickford
Liliana Chiari … Margie
Alfonso Sario … Mayor Owens
Marisa Bertoni … Gladys
Silvio Klein … Bullard
Maria Vico … Mrs. Mallory

Runtime: 87 min.

Also with: Vincenzo Esposito, Attilio Pelegatti, Giuseppe Pandolfi, Ernesto Vanes, Antonio Padilla, Omero Capanna, Franz Colangelo, Romano Milani, Dolores Calo, Franco Ricci, Adriana Bruno, Vezio Natili, Milena Zampana

aka:
In nome del padre, del figlio e della Colt
The Masked Thief

Music: Piero Piccioni, Gianni Ferrio

Memorable lines:

“Toni” Pickford as the stage comes to a stop in the middle of the trip: “What is it, pa?”
Pic Pickford: “Oh, I guess he’s got to rest the horses.”
In truth, five bandits dressed like saloon girls in distress are approaching.

Outlaw to Pic Pickford, as he listens to his daughter being assaulted by Mace Cassidy: “What’s the matter, pa? She had to start sometime.”
Second outlaw: “Don’t worry, pa. The boss knows how to break them in real good.”

Deputy Collins to Sheriff Nolan: “You wanted to do it all yourself so you could brag about what a hero you are. I had you figured right from the start. You’re just a conniver and a braggart. The great Billy Nolan, Okland’s hero. One of these days, you’re gonna lose that badge. You’ll get yours then, Billy.”

Judge Finley to Sheriff Nolan: “There’s someone who knows yo and says he can identify you as Mace Cassidy … Well, this is it. Your numbers up. I have to put you under arrest.”

Toni Pickford, after luring her boyfriend deputy out of the office, where he’s conked over the head by her dad: “Oh, papa, you didn’t hurt him bad, did you?”
Pic Pickford: “Don’t worry, Toni. He’s a sturdy young man.”

Trivia:

The Spaghetti Western database reports that this film was made in 1971, but no released in Italy and France until 1975.

This marked the film debut of Agata Lys, who became a sex symbol as a hostess of the TV contest “Uno, dos, tres … responda otra vez” the following year. She appeared in three other Spaghetti Westerns, “Tequila,” “Three Supermen of the West” and “Valley of the Dancing Widows.”

Other Spaghettis in which you can catch Nuccia Cardinali include “Two Crosses to Danger Pass” (1967), “Executioner of God” (1971) and “Tiger of the River Kwai” (1975), the last of her 13 films. She also pursued a singing career.

Mario Bianchi had been assistant director on three earlier Spaghettis, but this marked his debut as director. His next two films — “Kill the Poker Player” (1971) and “Fasthand is Still My Name” (1973). He’d continue directing until 2001, with more than 100 films to his credit.