Charity and the Strange Smell of Money (1973) - Once Upon a Time in a Western

Al Costello owns the saloon and the bank in Gila Bend, and the government is planning to temporarily store $1 million in railroad funds in his bank.

So naturally, Costello begins to concoct a scheme to steal that $1 million, with the help of his lovely sister Maria (Rosalba Neri) and his chief enforcer (Attilio Severinin as Andrew).

When Bud “Charity” Jenkins (Robert Ross) shows up, claiming to be a government agent, Costello fears his plans might be in jeopardy.

He’ll need Maria to distract Charity. After all, she’s quite skilled in the art of distraction.

But a Mexican bandit named Ramirez has also learned of the money and wants to get his hands on it.

So does the new preacher in town. Turns out, he’s not a preacher at all. He’s an outlaw known as Bronco Kid (Piero Vida) with a stolen parrot on his shoulder and a $5,000 bounty on his head.

Review:

Near the end of the film, Pippo the Parrot pipes up, spouting, “This is gonna be fun” as two sides prepare to square off in an apparent gunfight.

Ah, no it isn’t.

In fact, there’s very little fun to be had anywhere in this Spaghetti comedy in which silly fistfights are far more plentiful than jokes that work.

The best part about the film: Pippo and his ill-timed quips, which frequently land Bronco Kid in trouble.

But I wouldn’t recommend watching the film even for those.

Robert Ross (Robert Malcolm) as Bud (Charity) Jenkins in Charity and the Strange Smell of Money (1973)

Pippo the Parrot and Piero Vida as Bronco Kid in Charity and the Strange Smell of Money (1973)

Directed by:
Italo Alfaro

Cast:
Robert Ross … Bud “Charity” Jenkins
as Robert Malcolm
Piero Vida … Bronco Kid
Rosalba Neri .. Maria Costello
Luigi Montini … Al Costello
Salvatore Puntillo … Ramirez
Peter Landers … Rev. Higgins
Dante Maggio … Old sot
Giaclaudio Jabes … Pablo
as Jean Claudio
Spartaco Conversi … Colonel
Fernando Cerulli … Sheriff
Attilio Severini … Andrew, Costello’s bouncer

Runtime: 92 min.

aka:
Sentivano uno strano, eccitante, pericoloso puzzo di dollari
And They Smelled the Strange, Exciting, Dangerous Scent of Dollars
Behold the Strange, Stimulating Smell of Dollars

Music: Gianni Meccia and Bruno Zambrini

Luigi Montini as Al Costello in Charity and the Strange Smell of Money (1973)

Rosalba Neri as Maria Costello in Charity and the Strange Smell of Money (1973)

Memorable lines

Bronco Kid: “God protect you.”
Charity, pulling his pistol: “I’d rather do it myself. God’s too busy.”
Bronco Kid: “You have a sense of humor.”
Charity: “No. Just a belly full of preachers.”

Al Costello: “Not even the devil could open this safe of mine.”
Charity: “You’re underestimating the devil, Costello. Me, I’ve got more faith in my guns.”

Parrot: “He’s got you by the short hairs, Bronco boy!”

Attilio Severini as Andrew, Costello’s bouncer in Charity and the Strange Smell of Money (1973)

Salvatore Puntillo as Ramirez in Charity and the Strange Smell of Money (1973)

Charity, when “ashamed” Maria shows up in his room: “What do we do? Tell me?”
Maria: “Dishonored means I scream if you send me away.”
Charity: “And if I let you stay?”
Maria: “I’ll yell anyhow. But not very loudly.”

Sheriff to the undertaker: “How many (coffins)?”
Undertaker Hawkins: “To finish or to make?”
Sheriff: “To make.”
Hawkins: “I don’t know and I don’t want to know either. I just keep making them.”

Peter Landers as Rev. Higgins with Pippo the Parrot in Charity and the Strange Smell of Money (1973)

Robert Ross (Robert Malcolm) as Bud (Charity) Jenkins in Charity and the Strange Smell of Money (1973)

Trivia;

One of just three credits for Robert Ross (Robert Malcolm) in IMDb and his only Spaghetti Western outing. His other films — playing the title character in “Sinbad and the Caliph of Baghdad” (1973) and playing a red-clad superhero in “Supermen Against the Orient” (1973) — apparently weren’t any better.

Piero Vida appeared in eight Spaghetti Westerns, but this was his only starring role. His other most prominent parts were as Portugese in the George Hilton-John Ireland film “Dead for a Dollar” (1968) and as one of a trio of minstrels Robert Woods assists in “Pecos Cleans Up” (1967). He died in Rome in 1987 at age 49.