Dead Men Ride (1971)

Fabio Testi is Roy Greenfield, who breaks out of prison with an older man named Emiliano.

Emiliano dies during the escape. Greenfield returns to his friend’s hometown to even a score on his behalf.

It’s a town where a man named Redfield (Eduardo Fajardo) lives a life of luxury and has assembled a band of gunmen willing to do his bidding.

The life is financed by Mexican peons, forced to work his gold mine for a pittance, forced to live in ramshackle huts.

And they’re forbidden from owning the weapons that might help them revolt against his rule.

Weakened by his flight from the law, Greenfield recuperates in the home of Joselito (Jose Calvo), one of those peons.

Then he travels to town where his fast gun quickly draws attention and lands him a job as one of Redfield’s enforcers.

But enforcing the type of law Redfield dispenses is the last thing on Roy Greenfield’s mind.

Fabio Testi as Roy Greenfield, a man looking to even the score on behalf of a dead friend in Dead Men Ride (1971)

Eduardo Fajardo as Redfield, issuing orders on how to deal with a stranger in town in Dead Men Ride (1971)

Review:

Hallelujah. Here we have a splendid Spaghetti of the old-fashioned type that made the genre so popular.

That means no comic elements. That means no gimmicks. And — hallelujah again — there isn’t even a barroom brawl.

There are fine performances from all of the leads — Testi included as the quiet, but determined hero of the piece. Plus a rousing score courtesy of Bruno Nicolai.

And Charo Lopez has one of the more unusual female roles you’ll find in a Spaghetti Western. She’s being forced to live with Redfield, her lecherous uncle, and serve the sexual needs of two of his lieutenants.

She yearns for a return to her family, but feels she’s been disgraced and won’t be accepted. Naturally, she sides with the handsome, quiet and capable stranger.

Jose Calvo as Joselito, the aging peasant who places his hopes on Roy Greenfield in Dead Men Ride (1971)

Charo Lopez as Jessica, as a frequent but unwelcome visitor barges into her bedroom in Dead Men Ride (1971)

Directed by:
Aldo Florio

Cast:
Fabio Testi … Roy Greenfield
Charo Lopez … Jessica
Jose Calvo … Joselito
Ben Carra … Lawrence
Romano Puppo … Newman
as Roman Barrett
Massimo Serato … Emiliano
Eduardo Fajardo … Redfield
Daniel Martin … Pedro
Goffredo Ungar … Chris
Mario Morales … Miguel
Luciano Pigozzi … Manolo
Jose Nieto … Sheriff Mortimer
Francisco Sanz … telegrapher

Also: Miguel del Castillo, Rufino Ingles, Mario Novelli, Joaquin Parra, Antonio Basile, Gonzalo Esquiroz, Oscar Gustini. Riccardo Petrazzi, Antonio Orengo, Tomas Pico

Runtime: 103 min.

Music: Bruno Nicolai

aka:
Anda muchacho, spara!
At the End of the Rainbow

Romano Puppo as Newman, one of Redfield’s colleagues in Dead Men Ride (1971)

Ben Carra as Lawrence, one of Redfield’s colleagues in Dead Men Ride (1971)

Memorable lines:

One of Redfield’s henchman, of a wounded Mexican: “Here’a s son of a bitch who plays dead.”
Second henchman: “How’s the imitation?”
First henchman: “Not bad.”
He fires a bullet, killing the Mexican.
First henchman: “Now it’s perfect.”

Mexican: “What can we do?”
Joselito: “Nothing. The sheep is not a wolf. He’s always here to shear. And what does it do. Nothing.”
Pedro: “Or turns into a wolf.”

Redfield, as he threatens Joselito with drowning to get the information he wants: “Do you want to talk? Or do you prefer to grow fins like a fish?”

Roy Greenfield: “Freedom is not gold. No one can give it away. You have to earn it.”

Francisco Sanz as the telegraph operator who helps Roy Greenfield in Dead Men Ride (1971)

Daniel Martin as Pedro, one of the leaders among the Mexican peasants in Dead Men Ride (1971)

Trivia:

* Aldo Florio directed just six films. His only other Spaghetti was his directorial debut, the lackluster “Five Giants from Texas” (1966) starring Guy Madison.

* Born in 1943, Spanish actress Charo Lopez was still active in 2021. This marked the first of her three Euro Westerns, followed by “The Bandit Malpelo” (1971) and “Eh? Who’s Afraid of Zorro” (1975). She’s best known in her native country for her work on Spanish TV shows.

* Fabio Testi worked as a stuntman on “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” and had a small role as one of Frank’s henchmen in “Once Upon a Time in the West,” according to Tom Betts’ Westerns All’Italiana blog.

Fabio Testi as Roy Greenfield, realizing he’s walked into a trap set by Redfield in Dead Men Ride (1971)

Mario Novelli as Alan, one of Redfield’s henchmen in Dead Men Ride (1971)

Mario Morales as Miguel, a Redfield informant among the Mexican peasants in Dead Men Ride (1971)

Jose Nieto as Sheriff Mortimer, questioning Roy Greenfield, a newcomer to town in Dead Men Ride (1971)

Charo Lopez as Jessica, the woman forced to live with a lecherous uncle in Dead Men Ride (1971)

Fabio Testi as Roy Greenfield, falling into the hands of Redfield’s henchmen in Dead Men Ride (1971)