Dead for a Dollar (1968)

Three partners — the Colonel (John Ireland), the Portugese (Piero Via) and Roy Fulton (Gordon Mitchell) – rob a bank of $200,000.

But Roy double crosses the other two men and buries the loot in the grave that’s supposed to contain his body.

Gut-shot in the get-away, Roy sends a young man he’s befriended off to fetch a doctor.

Instead, as Roy lies dying, Glenn (George Hilton) heads back to the grave for the money.

Instead of the loot, he finds Roy’s body.

And so begins the chase for the $200,000, or a share of it.

Portugese and the Colonel swindle one another. Glenn tries to swindle them both.

Then there’s a banker who was in on the original robbery.

Not to mention a pretty blonde named Liz (Sandra Milo), who will cuddle up with anyone if it means getting closer to the money.

John Ireland as The Colonel, about to show off his skill with a six-gun in Dead for a Dollar (1968)

George Hilton as Glenn Reno, breaking off his partnership with Roy Fulton permanently in Dead for a Dollar (1968)

Review

Mediocre Spaghetti that quickly bogs down as we watch the money switch hands time and time again.

Some scenes work. Early on, Portugese plays dead in the middle of the trail and robs Glenn of his horse. Glenn tries the same trick on an Indian. He’s too smart to fall for it.

Then there’s the scene where The Colonel shows up at Liz’s dress shop, only to find Portugese is already in her bedroom, searching for his pants.

But other scenes don’t. Like Liz flirting with Glenn in the middle of a gunfight in that same dress shop. Or the supposedly erotic closeups of Glenn and Liz eating dinner.

The Millcreek DVD version runs a little more than 90 minutes; most sites list the original film at 106.

Piero Vida as Portugese, bragging to The Colonel about his pretty dressmaking girlfriend in Dead for a Dollar (1968)

Sandra Milo as Liz, a dressmaker with her own ideas about what to do with $200,000 in stolen money in Dead for a Dollar (1968)

Directed by:
Osvaldo Civirani

Cast:
George Hilton … Glenn Reno
Sandra Milo … Liz
John Ireland … The Colonel
Gordon Mitchell … Roy Fulton
Piero Vida … Portugese
Franco Ressel … Hartman
Andrea Scott …. Higgins
as Andrew Scott
Renato Chiantoni … Doctor
Ivan Scratuglia … Sheriff Hawkins

Also with: Monica Pardo, Mimmo Palmara as Dick Palmer, Franco Gulà, Carla Brait, Rossella Bergamonti, Renato Chiantoni, Vincenzo Andronico, Roberto Messina, Mario de Vico, Rocco Lerro

Runtime: 105 min.

aka:
I’ll Kill You and Recommend You to God
Trusting is Good … Shooting is Better
T’ammazzo! — Raccomandati a Dio

Score: Angelo Francesco Lavagnino

Franco Ressel as Hartman, the crooked banker wanting his money back in Dead for a Dollar (1968)

Mimmo Palmara (Dick Palmer) as Frank, Hartman’s lead henchman in Dead for a Dollar (1968)

Memorable lines:

The Colonel: “I’m too soft. The next time, I’ll leave your boots on, but cut off your feet.”

The Colonel: “Take it easy Portugese, unless you want to hear the sound of my gun.”
Portugese: “Last time, it was a little out of tune. No?”

Glenn: “Believe it or not, my father always taught me to be an honest bandit.”

Hartman, when his lead henchman turns on him: “Well, well, there’s always a bastard who beats the other bastards.”

Rosella Bergamonti as a saloon girl taking bets as part of a scam with Portugese in Dead for a Dollar (1968)

Monica Pardo as the saloon girl Glenn accidentally winds up in bed with in Dead for a Dollar (1968)

Other tidbits:

Sandra Milo was a sexy star who appeared in a number of films in the 1950s and 1960s, including two of Fellini’s top masterpieces. This marked her last film appearance for nearly a decade. The year before, she appeared in a much better comedy Spaghetti, “Bang, Bang Kid” with Guy Madison and Tom Bosley.

Gordon Mitchell as Roy Fulton, warning Glenn Reno not to double cross him in Dead for a Dollar (1968)

John Ireland as The Colonel, trying desperately to keep part of $200,000 in stolen bank money in Dead for a Dollar (1968)

George Hilton as Glenn Reno,wondering whether a woman is responsible for part of problems in Dead for a Dollar (1968)

Piero Vida as Portugese faces an unwelcome surprise from an old friend in Dead for a Dollar (1968)

Sandra Milo as Liz conspires with The Colonel on how to get even with Portugese in Dead for a Dollar (1968)

Piero Vida as Portugese and John Ireland as The Colonel interrupted by an unexpected third partner in Dead for a Dollar (1968)