Gunman of One Hundred Crosses (1971)

Tony Kendall is Santana, a man on the trail of an officer who sold out his unit and allowed them to be slaughtered during the Civil War.

He winds up at the ranch of a young beauty named Jessica (Marisa Rabissi as Marin Mulligan), who’s vowing vengeance herself, and determined to pick up a gun if that’s what it takes.

Someone killed her father, so she sent for her brother Jimmy, asking him to help out at the family ranch.

Now, for no reason she can pinpoint, someone has killed him as well. She’s determined to find out who.

Meanwhile, Santana thinks he’s found his man, one who’s now passing himself off as businessman Louis Damon.

He’s also the man Jessica is considering marrying. In fact, Louis is scheming to have Jessica kidnapped; then rescue her himself in hopes of winning her gratitude and hurrying up that wedding.

You see, there’s a gold vein running through her property. She’s unaware, but Louis Damon is hardly alone in the plot to get his hands on that land.

Tony Kendall as the vengeance seeking Santana in Gunman of 100 Crosses (1971)

Marisa Rabissi (Marina Mulligan) as Jessica Diamond watches Santana head off for vengeance in Gunman of 100 Crosses (1971)

Review:

A second-rate, low-budget revenge Spaghetti, but one you’re not likely to forget.

That’s because when the true villain is revealed about an hour into the film, it turns out to be a black-clad, whip wielding female (Monica Miguel).

She has Louis Damon wrapped around her finger. And she doesn’t hesitate to whip the clothes right off Jessica Diamond when she proves reluctant to sign over her ranch.

Of course, the film might have been better if director Carlo Croccolo had revealed the villain a bit earlier, leaving her more time to crack that whip.

It also might have been better if he hadn’t decided to provide his own comic relief as a stuttering henchman named Slim Logan, who gets a surprisingly amount of screen time.

Ray Saunders — Spaghetti fans will remember him from “The Price of Power” — plays Jessica’s faithful ranchhand Tom.

Mimmo Palmara (Dick Palmer) as Louis Damon, plotting a land grab and a seduction in Gunman of 100 Crosses (1971)

Monica Miguel as the villainess, determined to get her way with her whip and harassing Jessica Diamond in Gunman of 100 Crosses (1971)

Directed by:
Carlo Croccolo
as Lucky Moore

Cast:
Tony Kendall … Santana
Marisa Rabissi …. Jessica Diamond
as Marina Mulligan
Mimmo Palmara … Louis/ Frank Damon
as Dick Palmer
Ray Saunders … Thomas
Monica Miguel … Whip-wielding villainous
Carlo Croccolo … Slim Logan, the stammerer
Roberto Danesi … Red-haired henchman
as Robert Danish
Mariella Palmish … The blonde
Benito Pacifico … Pancho

Also with: Lidia Biondi, Carlo Boso, Ziro Papas, Luciano Conti, Marcello Meconizzi

Runtime: 91 min.

aka:
Una pistola per cento croci!
One Gun, A Hundred Graves

Music: Marcello Minerbi

Ray Saunders as Tom, Jessica Diamond’s helper, concerned when she goes missing in Gunman of 100 Crosses (1971)

Carlo Croccolo as Slim Logan, the stammering henchman who tries to warn about Santana in Gunman of 100 Crosses (1971)

Memorable lines:

Tom to Jessica, after her brother’s death: “Life is learning. And you’ve got to go on to learn how to live it.”

Louis, of Jessica, as he plots a way to get her to marry him: “First I’ll get her to trust me. And I know just how.”
Slim, the stammerer: “Yeah, buy her a ring.”
Louis: “Just imagine someone rescues her. After she’s been kidnapped.”

Gang leader, in the middle of a shootout with Santana: “Tell them (his men) they’d better all go out of town two at a time, so he doesn’t notice.” Whereupon they all leave at once, with Santana following.

Tom to Santana: “We’re dominated by hate. It’s so much easier. and more natural, to love, not to hate. I figured that out a long time ago.”

Slim, running into the outlaws’ hideout: “Santana’s coming. Santana’s coming.” He looks around at all the dead bodies. “I guess you already know.”

Mariella Palmish as the saloon girl who follows Santana to bed and hopes for his return in Gunman of 100 Crosses (1971)

Tony Kendall as Santana begins to even the odds with his six-gun in Gunman of 100 Crosses (1971)

Trivia:

Carlo Croccolo appeared in more than 100 films as an actor. He directed two Spaghetti Westerns, this film and “Black Killer,” which came out the same year.

In his Westerns All’Italiana blog, Tom Betts reports that the actress billed as Marina Mulligan is director Croccolo’s wife, Marisa Rabissi. This much is sure, Marina Mulligan shows up on just two Spaghetti cast lists — this film and “Black Killer” (1971), both films directed by Croccolo.

Another of those Spaghettis that tried to cash in on the popularity of other films. Kendall’s character is called Django in German and Sartana in France.

Mimmo Palmara (Dick Palmer) as Louis Damon trying to convince Marisa Rabissi (Marina Mulligan) as Jessica Diamond to marry him in Gunman of 100 Crosses (1971)

Marisa Rabissi as Jessica Diamond, kidnapped and in trouble again in Gunman of 100 Crosses (1971)

Marisa Rabissi (Marina Mulligan) as Jessica Diamond flinches under the whip of a villainess in Gunman of 100 Crosses (1971)

Marisa Rabissi (Marina Mulligan) as Jessica Diamond, stripped by villainess with a whip in Gunman of 100 Crosses (1971)

Monica Miguel as the villainess reaches for the loot and her whip in Gunman of 100 Crosses (1971)

Tony Kendall as Santana and Ray Saunders as Thomas discuss Jessica Diamond’s plight in Gunman of 100 Crosses (1971)