Fighters of Ave Maria (1970)

The Circus Splendor featuring the acrobatic Garrison brothers lands in the town of Goldfield, but has its show interrupted by a bank robbery.

The robbers are dressed like Mexican bandits, but a wounded man left behind turns out to be the son of the town leader.

Fearing he’s about to be exposed, that crooked town boss, Carl Parker (Alberto Farnese) kills the sheriff and sets his house ablaze.

And that’s when the Garrison brothers — Tony (Tony Kendall), Sam (Pietro Torrisi) and Peter (Alberto Dell’Acqua) spring into action, using their skills to rescue a pretty sheriff’s daughter named Katy Wilson.

They soon learn the truth behind the shenanigans: Parker and the sheriff were partners in a gold mine.

By getting rid of the sheriff and his entire family, Parker not only covered the tracks of his wounded son, but figured to inherit the gold mine as well.

What Parker doesn’t know — at least not at first — is that Katy survived. In fact, she’s fallen for Peter, the youngest of the acrobatic brothers.

Review:

An odd mix of violence and humor, acrobatics and Mexican bandits, helped along by a rousing, but very borrowed score.

There’s a message about racism too. Parker has been blaming all his evil-doing on the Mexicans who live in the hills around town.

And when the Splendor brothers rescue one of Pedro Serrano’s men, the bandit leader expresses shock that gringos would bother with the life of a Mexican.

On the downside, director Albertini keeps putting the Garrison brothers in danger’s way, at times for no apparent reason other than an excuse for another action scene.

Directed by:
Adalberto Albertini
as Al Albert

Cast:
Tony Kendall … Tony Garrison
Spartaco Conversi … Pa Garrison
Pietro Torrisi … Sam Garrison
as Peter Thorrys
Alberto Dell’Acqua … Peter Garrison
Ida Meda … Katy Wilson
Alberto Farnese …. Carl Parker
as Albet Farley
Attilio Dottesio … Sheriff Ferguson
Remo Capitani … Pedro Serrano
Arrigo Peri … Blue, circus magician
Sergio Testori … Ben, mine supervisor
Maria Louisa Gentilini … Rose
as Helen Parker
Elena Veronese Puatto … Ma Garrison
Gennarino Pappgalli … Governor

Runtime: 97 min.

Also with: Attilio Severini, Sergio Sagnotti, Filippo Perego, Alberigo Donadeo, Franco Pasquetto, Riccardo Pizzuti, Enrico Chiappafreddo, Osiride Pevarello, Sergio Smacchi, Marcello Meconizzi

aka:
I vendicatore dell’Ave Maria
Fighters from Ave Maria
Twilight Avengers

Music: Piero Umiliani

Memorable lines:

Pedro Sereno: “It’s almost a holy miracle when a gringo helps a Mexicana.”

Saloon tough: “Hey, you know what happens when you pull a gun and point it as a sissy? He wets his pets.”
He fires two shots at the feet of Tony Garrison, who doesn’t flinch.
The tough: “What’s the idea? You didn’t wet your pants. Why did you go and ruin a good joke.”
Tony: “Altercations, sir, are something my father has forbidden me from taking any part in.”

Clay Parker: “I have no enemies, sheriff.”
Sheriff Ferguson: “Rich men always have enemies.”
Parker: “I’ll put the Parker brand on their foreheads when I get a hold of those men!”

Trivia:

Cast lists for this film are inconsistent on which female actress is playing which role. That’s why there’s a question mark in the cast photos for the actress playing Katy Wilson. If anyone knows for sure, please comment below.

Spaghetti fans will be familiar with Tony Kendall and Alberto Dell’Acqua, two of the Garrison brothers. The third, Pietro Torrisi, appeared in more than 100 films, including several Spaghettis, but often in very minor roles. Mr. Italy in 1963, he got his start as a stuntman in Sword and Sandal films, according to the Westerns All’Italiana blog.

In one scene, Parker’s men have stolen the Mexicans’ goats and are branding them. Tony Garrison grabs the brand and brands one of Parker’s top guns with a large P on his buttocks. He’s later made to drop his drawers to show Parker what happened.