Cemetery Without Crosses (1968)

Robert Hossein is Manuel, the gunman lovely Maria Caine (Michele Mercier) turns to after her husband is wounded, then hanged in front her by members of the Rogers family.

The families are engaged in a land war, but Maria doesn’t care about that anymore; she simply wants revenge.

Manuel works his way into the good graces of the Rogers family, then kidnaps Anna Rogers and delivers her to Maria.

The ransom: Not money. Maria wants the Rogers family to dig up her dead husband, escort his body to the cemetery and honor him by attending his funeral.

But, as Manuel predicts, the trail of revenge doesn’t end there.

Maria, after all, has let her brothers rape pretty young Anna. And you don’t cross the Rogers family and get away with it in this harsh land.

Review:

Brilliant. One of the best Spaghettis. There are few better scenes in the genre than the one in which Manuel delivers Anna to Maria and her brothers. Not a word is spoken as Maria sheds tears over the turn her life has taken and Manuel wonders what’s becoming of the woman he once loved.

A wonderful score and great ending add to the appeal. And there’s even a Sergio Leone sighting.

Directed by:
Robert Hossein

Cast:
Robert Hossein … Manuel
Michele Mercier … Maria Caine
Anne-Marie Balin … Anna Rogers
Serge Marquand … Larry Rogers
Daniel Vargas … (Elder) Will Rogers
Pierre Hatet … Frank Rogers
Phillippe Baronnet … Bud Rogers
Guido Lollobrigida … Thomas Caine
Michel Lemoine … Eli Caine
Benito Stefanelli … Ben Caine
Pierre Collett … Sheriff Ben

aka:
Cimitero Senza Croci
The Rope and the Colt
Une corde, un Colt

Score:
Andre Hossein

Runtime: 90 mn.

Memorable lines:

Maria to Manuel: “You believe in revenge, but I don’t. It never ends.”

A Rogers’ brother, after the clan returns with a herd of horses spooked as a diversion: “At least we got everything back.”
Maria Caine, appearing from the shadows: “Not everything.”
Will Rogers: “What are you doing here?”
Maria drops a necklace taken from around his daughter’s neck on the table.

Maria Caine: “They’ll pay the price.”
Thomas Caine: “How much?”
Maria: “They’re coming back to get him. Then I’ll finish this.”
Thomas: “Coming back to get who?”
Maria: “Ben.”
Thomas: “Ben? He’s dead and buried. There ain’t nothin’ more you can do for him.”
Maria: “Then Rogers will pray for his soul. The people have got to see what they’ve done to Ben. I’ve waited for this, hoping they’d have to honor him, kneel down before God, as humiliated men.”

Other tidbits:

The title song, “The Rope and the Colt,” was sung by American Scott Walker and became a smash hit in England.

Lovely Michele Mercier had gained fame in a series of French-made sex farces playing the lovely Angelique.

Sergio Leone, of all people, has a bit part in the film. He’s the hotel clerk who checks in Manuel, and even has a couple of lines of dialogue.

According to IMDb, Anne-Marie Balin appeared in just two films. The other was a bit role in “Judge Roy Bean.” Robert Hossein also appeared in both films.