And His Name Was Holy Ghost (1971)

On the day Jack Falton was born, a white dove landed on the window sill. Since then, he’s been known as Spirito Santo, or the Holy Ghost.

But that doesn’t make him a saint. Involved in a bank robbery, Jack (Vassili Karis) winds up sentenced to 20 years of hard time.

He’s rescued from work on the rock pile by an Indian who’s become sheriff (Mimmo Palmara), but only because he’s needed as a witness in a murder trial.

In truth, the sheriff has an old score to settle with Jack. The lawman blames Jack for his sister’s death

But Jack has friends, too, friends he doesn’t even know, like a well-off rancher named Foster (Jack Betts).

Jack’s father saved Foster’s life once, so Foster repays the debt by rescuing Jack from the sheriff.

Now Jack has a proposition: He’d like Foster to help organize the robbery of a cavalry gold shipment. The prize: Enough gold to last a lifetime.

Foster agrees, but two problems threaten to ruin their plans. They bring in a third partner, Father Stever, who has access to a machine gun.

He’s supposed to use it to hold the cavalry escort hostage. Turns out, Father Steve loves to use his machine gun.

The other problem is that Jack has fallen for Foster’s pretty daughter Consuela and vice versa. It’s a union Foster does not approve of.

Review:

Fairly low budget, but Karis turns in one of his better Spaghetti performances and there are enough unexpected twists to make the film seem fresh. Not to mention a pretty well-done ending.

The film might feature the only Indian sheriff in a Spaghetti Western. And the priest who turns maniacal killer is certainly an unusual touch.

Betts has such a heavy mustache and sideburns that you probably won’t even recognize him.

And there’s a key flashback sequence to explain what really happened on the day the sheriff’s sister died.

Directed by:
Roberto Mauri

Cast:
Vassili Karis … Jack Falton, aka Holy Ghost
Mimmo Palmara … Sheriff
as Dick Palmer
Margaret Rose Keil … Consuelo
as Margaret Rose
Jack Betts … Foster
as Hunt Powers
Jose Torres … Father Steve
Vittorio Fanfoni … Corporal at rock pile
Lina Ranchi … Rosita
Aristide Caporale … Stable man
Lorenzo Piani … Escort officer
Salvator Baccaro … Convict
Maria Francesca Pomentale … Sheriff’s sister

Also with: Bruno Salvi, Elio Angelucci, Bruno Arie, Frano Ukmar, Ciro Papa, Emilio Zago, Omero Capanna, Carlo Giordana

Runtime: 101 min.

aka:
…e lo chiamarono Spirito Santo
He Was Called the Holy Ghost

Music: Carlo Savina

Memorable lines: (from English subtitles)

Jack Falton, after being nursed by Consuelo: “For a nurse like her, I could go without food for three days.”

Sheriff to old man in Jack’s former hideout: “A warned man is half saved. It’s a proverb I learned from the white folks.”

Father Steve, to the cavalry escort he’s guarding with his machine gun: “Don’t be afraid. The fifth commandment says, thou shalt not kill. But I don’t want any witnesses.” He laughs maniacally and begins firing. “Nothing personal.”

Foster to Jack Falton: “I didn’t want my daughter marrying a worm like you. It wasn’t about the gold.”

Trivia:

This film spawned a pair of Holy Ghost sequels, also directed by Roberto Mauri and also starring Vassili Karis in the title role — “Return of the Holy Ghost” and “Holy Ghost and the Five Magnificent Scoundrels” (aka “Gunmen and the Holy Ghost”). Both were released in 1972.

This film, however, has no relation to the similarly titled “His Name was Holy Ghost,” also released in 1972, directed by Guiliano Carnimeo and starring Gianni Garko.

Margaret Rose Kiel appeared in about three dozen films, including three Euro Westerns, the others being “The Magnificent Three” (1961, one of her earliest roles) and “Court Martial” (9173), also starring Karis. Among her other films, “The Big Bust-Out” with William Berger and Tony Kendall and 1973’s “Put Your Devil into My Hell.”