California (1977)

Giuliano Gemma is “California,” a southern soldier making his way back home from the Civil War. He’s befriended by young Willy Preston (Miguel Bose), who has a medal, but little else, to show for his time fighting for the South. But the post-war West isn’t very kind to former Rebels.

They run across a gunman named Rope Whittaker, who is tracking down Confederates for bounty money. They run across a father searching for the Southern soldier who killed his son. That meeting proves fatal. He and his surviving sons kill Willy over a stolen horse.

California, using the name Michael Random, completes the journey to Willy’s home to break the news. Tired of war, tired of killing, he falls for pretty Helen Preston and thinks of settling down. That is until Whittaker strikes again. This time, authorities have turned on him, and he kidnaps Helen during an attempt to escape a sheriff and his deputies. And so California sets off to find Helen and soon finds his days of using his gun aren’t over after all.

Giuliano Gemma as Michael Random in California (1977)

Raimond Harmstorf as Rope Whittaker in California (1977)

Review:

Decent late entry into the Spaghetti field, especially the segment at the Preston ranch, an usually long segment devoted to character development in a genre long on action, sometimes short on these types of scenes. The depiction of the treatment of former Confederate soldiers is also rather poignant.

The film also features three other memorable scenes — Willy and California trying to catch frogs, the scene in which Willy dies and the one in which Helen is in the back of a buckboard driven by a former Confederate as they desperately try to escape Whittaker’s men.

But once California sets out to find Helen, it’s typical Spaghetti fare. And the Preston ranch is supposed to be in Georgia. Folks, the sure doesn’t look like Georgia in the second half of the film.

Miguel Bose as Willy Preston in California (1977)

Paola Dominguin as Helen Preston in California (1977)

Directed by:
Michele Lupo

Cast:
Giuliano Gemma … Michael “California” Random
Raimund Harmstorf … Rope Whittaker
Paola Dominguin … Helen Preston
Miguel Bose … Willy Preston
William Berger … Mr. Preston
Dana Ghia … Mrs. Preston
Chris Avram … Nelson
Claudi Undari … Eric Plummer
as Robert Hundar
Romano Puppo … Gary Duke
Franco Ressel … Full
Malisa Longo … Yasmin

aka:
California addio
Adios California

Runtime: 98 min.

Score:
Gianni Ferrio

Chris Avram as Nelson in California (1977)

Dana Ghia as Mrs. Preston and William Berger as Mr. Preston in California (1977)

Memorable lines:

Whitaker: “This one’s a double bounty. Man’s worth $500 in Missouri and $250 in Kansas. Ah, but he’d never last long enough for us to collect on both. We oughtta split him in two.”

Mr. Preston, holding Willy’s medal: “From now on, we’ll be known as Willy Preston’s family, the boy who died a hero in the war. But we’ll just be a family who doesn’t have a son anymore. I don’t think you can imagine how much we loved him, how much we’d have preferred him less hero, but alive. We already got enough metal rusting in the barnyard.”

Romano Puppo as Gary Duke and Claudio Undari (Robert Hundar) as Eric Plummer in California (1977)

Franco Ressel as Full in California (1977)

Mr. Preston, surveying the dinner table: “Flowers. And menus. My boy, this is a trap.”
California: “It’s one that never misses.”

Cowboy number one, after Willy has been killed: “How about the other one?”
Cowboy number two: “One man’s enough for one horse.”

Full, the gambler: “By the way, California, I heard you fought in the war.”
California: “Yes, and I was killed.”

Giuliano Gemma as Michael Random with Paola Dominguin as Helen Preston in California (1977)

Miguel Bose as Willy Preston with Giuliano Gemma as Michael Random in California (1977)

Other tidbits:

When Willy asks California’s name, Gemma spies a crate in the back of the wagon bearing the name Michael Random, a tobacco company. So he adopts that name. We never really find out why he doesn’t want to be known as California.

Miguel Bose was the son of an actress and bullfighter and is best known in Spain and Latin America as a singer and composer. This marked one of his first substantial roles in a film.

This marked the film debut for Paola Dominguin, a former model who was just 17 when the movie was made.

Paola Dominguin as Helen Preston in California (1977)

Giuliano Gemma as Michael Random in California (1977)