Django and Sartana, Showdown in the West (1970)

Gordon Mitchell plays Burt Keller, a demented outlaw with a habit of talking to himself in the mirror and cheating himself at cards.

Yet somehow, he and his men have managed to steal an Army payroll in gold.

His next concern is escaping into Mexico. As insurance, he directs his men to kidnap Jessica Brewster (Simone Blondell), the pretty daughter of a wealthy landowner who lives nearby.

His men massacre a host of people at the Brewster ranch in order to complete their mission.

But when Burt the reward on his gang has lured both Django (Hunt Powers) and Sartana (Franco Borelli as Chet Davis) to the area, he sends him men out to kill them instead of fleeing for the border.

Of course, killing Django and Sartana is easier ordered than done.

Review:

Demofilo Fidani, the prolific director of cheapie Spaghettis, adopted the pseudonym Dick Spitfire for the first and only time for this effort.

But a spicy name on the opening credits can’t mask a razor thin plot. And the cameras spend way too much time following our heroes riding from one gunfight to another, with the score soaring for no apparent reason as they leisurely ride along.

We do get one memorable scene in which Sartana is tied to a cross and used for target practice. Have no fear. Django comes to the rescue, just as Sartana came to his rescue earlier in the film.

Mitchell’s maniacal performance is memorable too. It’s difficult to understand how he would convince one gunman to follow him, let alone the army-sized gang he sends after Sartana and Django. But, hey, give those bad guys this: They sure know how to die with a flourish.

On the other end of the acting spectrum is Simone Blondell. Moments after a character named Slinky threatens to kill her, Django shows up and the two start duking it out. Simone looks on stoically. Okay, she does bite her lip once. But she makes absolutely no attempt to escape the threatening situation.

Perhaps she was simply bored with being kidnapped so often in her dad’s movies.

Directed by:
Demofilo Fidani
as Dick Spitfire

Cast:
Jack Betts … Django
as Hunt Powers
Franco Borelli … Sartana
as Chet Davis
Simonetta Vitelli … Jessica Brewster
as Simone Blondell
Gordon Mitchell … Burt Kelly
Benito Pacifico … Slinky
as Dennis Colt
Attilio Dottesio… Old miner
as Dean Reese
Celso Faria … Ramirez
Paolo Rosani
as Paul Ross … Silky
Krista Nell …Cleo
as Doris Kristane
Ettore Manni … Sheriff
Amerigo Castrighella … Deputy
as Custer Gail
Mariella Palmich … Lilly
Manlio Salvatori … Mr. Brewster

Runtime: 89 min.

aka
Arrivano Django e Sartana… è la fine
Django and Sartana Are Coming … It’s the End
Final Conflict: Django Against Sartana
Sartana If Your Left Arm Offends, Cut It Off

Score: Lallo Gori

Memorable lines:

Burt Kelly’s brother, upon being told to write a ransom note: “But I don’t have a pen.”
Burt Kelly: “In your pocket.”
Sure enough, that’s where it is.

Young boy at ranch, upon seeing three strangers advance in the distance: “Miss Brewster, help. It’s the Kelly gang. Everyone run for cover.”

Old miner: “He’s Sartana. He’s a sort of mystery man, trying to bring law and order to the West. But he’s still got plenty to do.”

Burt Kelly, to his reflection in the mirror. “I ain’t playing (cards) with you. You cheat more than me.”

Trivia:

The same year, Fidani released “Dead Men Don’t Make Shadows” with essentially the same cast and Hunt Power and Franco Borelli back in the lead roles. In fact, there’s a scene at a mine in this film that looks like it was lifted from that film, simply with the dubbing changed.

Krista Nell and Mariella Palmich are saloon girls and bed partners for Kelly’s men. But they help Django escape at one point and Krista even flings a knife with great accuracy, helping boost the film’s body count. In return, Django lets them keep the reward on the men gunned down in his escape.

Aristide Massaccesi, cameraman for this film, later went on the direct a number of films in the Emmanuel series.