A Gringo rancher named Jim Latimore who treats his workers with compassion is hated by the Gonzalez brothers, partly because of his nationality, partly because of his philosophy toward his employees, partly because he’s managed to win the heart of their lovely cousin Rosita, who dared married an American.
So Gonzalez hires a bandit named El Matanza and his men to raid the Latimore ranch. They kill Jim; they massacre his workers. They deliver Rosita to the Gonzalez brothers for their amusement. Then they kidnap her son to raise as a true Gonzalez.
Two years later, five of Jim’s old friends show up, vowing justice. The group is led by Jim’s brother John (Guy Madison), Ramon (Jose Manuel Martin), Jesus, Alan and a young hothead named Joshua.
But news of their arrival quickly reaches Gonzalez. And he turns to El Matanza once again, hiring him to eliminate this new threat before the five can even make it south of the border from Texas.
Guy Madison as John Latimore (aka Tex), leader of the avengers in Five Giants from Texas (1966)
Gianni Solar as Gonzalez, the Mexican landowner who wants the gringo gone in Five Giants from Texas (1966)
Review:
Aldo Florio directed only a handful of films and only two Spaghetti Westerns. We’re 90 minutes in before he discovers any sense of flair in this one. And, by that time, you’ve likely lost interest.
Probably the weakest of the nine Spaghetti Westerns Guy Madison made after leaving Hollywood to continue his career in Europe. Very little about the film stands out, though Florio does likes to stake out the members of his cast.
Jose Manuel Martin plays Ramon, a man who preferred to retreat into the mountains when Jim Latimore needed help and, therefore, feels duty bound to help his widow.
Monica Randall as Rosita Latimore, forced into exile and robbed of her child in Five Giants from Texas (1966)
Jose Manuel Martin as Ramon, one of the five giants looking to avenge Jim in Five Giants from Texas (1966)
Directed by:
Aldo Florio
Cast:
Guy Madison … Tex (John Latimore)
Monica Randall … Rosita Latimore
Mariano Vidal Molina … Alan
Jose Manuel Martin … Ramon
Vassili Karis … Joshua
Antonio Molino Rojo … El Matanza
Giovanni Cianfriglia … Jesus
Gianni Solar … Gonzalez
Rossella Bergamonti … Gonzalez’s sister
Germano Longo … Jim Latimore
Also with: Silla Bettini, Evar Maran, Ferdinando Poggi, Giovanni Petti, Ivan Scratuglia, Luisa Compagnoni, Gaspar Indio Gonzalez, Victor Israel, Alba Maiolini, Fernando Rubio, Mirella Pamphili, Manuel Bronchud.
aka:
Five for Revenge
No Drums, No Trumpets
The Five Adventurers
I Cinque Della Vendetta
Music: Franco Salina
Runtime: 97 min.
Mariano Vidal Molina as Alan, one of the avengers in Five Giants from Texas (1966)
Vassili Karis as Joshua, one of the avengers, in Five Giants from Texas (1966)
Memorable lines:
Gonzalez to Rosita’s son, trying to teach him how to deal with peasants: “My boy, you must learn how to deal with these dogs. If they offer you their hand, bite it!”
Gonzalez to his brothers: “Inglesias Ramida (the Latimore hacienda) is like a worm in an apple. And it is right here, in the center of our land.”
Giovanni Cianfriglia as Jesus, one of the avengers in Five Giants from Texas (1966)
Antonio Molino Rojo as El Matanza, the bandit who does Gonzalez’s dirty work in Five Giants from Texas (1966)
Trivia:
Guy Madison went by the name Robert Moseley before David O. Selznick hired him for a bit role in “Since You Went Away.” Why Guy Madison? Reportedly, because he was a “guy” girls would love to meet and because a Dolly Madison cake wagon passed by.
This marked the Spaghetti Western debut for Vassili Karis, who would be a leading man in Euro Westerns by the early 1970s.
Monica Randall was still active as an actress into the 2000s. She appeared in about a dozen Euro Westerns and had small roles in “Red Sun” (1971) starring Charles Bronson and “Pancho Villa” (1972) starring Clint Walker and Telly Savalas.
Germano Longo as Jim Latimore, the gringo who dared settle in Gonzalez territory in Five Giants from Texas (1966)
Rosita’s young son Pepito, taken by Gonzalez in Five Giants for Texas (1966). Anyone knows who plays this part?
Gianni Solar as Gonzalez, flanked by his relatives in Five Giants from Texas (1966)
Monica Randall as Rosita Latimore with house servant Manolo (Giovanni Petti) in Five Giants from Texas (1966)
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