Walter Chiari is Mike and Raimondo Vianello is Colorado, a team of pickpockets.
They ride stagecoaches in disguise — as musicians, for instance — to gain other passengers’ trust before robbing them, then finding some reason to depart before the stage reaches its destination.
The duo winds up with some cash that way, and lots and lots of gold watches.
One day, they’re pretending to be husband (Mike) and pregnant wife (Colorado). They disembark when Colorado fakes labor pains, then discover they’ve snagged two more gold watches.
One is inscribed to Fred Hinter; the other to John Milland.
Moments later, the stagecoach explodes, killing everyone aboard.
They later meet the man who planted the explosives. He explains that Hinton and Milland were sons of powerful families feuding over a gold mine in Dallas.
And that they were returning home after years spent at boarding schools back East.
Well, if there’s a gold mine at stake, Mike and Colorado decide they might cash in by riding into Dallas, pretending to be John Milland and Fred Hinter, respectively.
Once there, everyone in Dallas expects the partners to be deadly enemies.
And Mayor Ortes, who has been killing off Millands and Hinters in hopes of landing the mine himself, wants to make sure the join the growing list of dead enemies.
Walter Chiari as Mike, braces for trouble he knows is coming in Heroes of the West (1964)
Raimondo Vianello as Colorado, impersonating Fred Hinter in Heroes of the West (1964)
Review:
Mildy entertaining comedy Western that’s certainly better than most of the Spaghetti comedies that followed the Trinity films.
It benefits from spunky performances by the three leading ladies — Silvia Solar as the sister of John Milland, Maria Anderson as the sister of Fred Hinter and Monica Randall as the dance hall singer who cozies up to the mayor.
The film’s best scene comes when the mayor organizes a showdown during which Mike (as John Milland) and Colorado (as Fred Hinter) are to shoot apples off one another’s heads.
He’s used the ploy before to eliminate the patriarchs of the two families.
This time, Margaret and Barbara are hiding with rifles, ready to pluck those apples off the adversaries’ heads. They succeed even after the apples have been reduced to tiny bits.
Mike and Colorado use it as an opportunity to proclaim newfound admiration for one another, then head off to the saloon to celebrate.
All is well until Sherry suggests another display of their markmenship, this time with each man bending way over, a drink sitting on their backsides. The goal: Each man is to shoot the drink off the other’s bottom, with a six shooter, fired from between their legs.
The setting for the very next scene is a doctor’s office.
Silvia Solar as Margaret, standing firm for her family’s honor in Heroes of the West (1964)
Mary Anderson as Barbara does some convincing the hard way in Heroes of the West (1964)
Directed by:
Stefano Vanzina
as Steno
Cast:
Walter Chiari … Mike
Raimondo Vianello … Colorado
Silvia Solar … Margaret
Maria Anderson … Barbara
as Mary Anderson
Tomas Blanco … Mayor Ortes
Miguel Del Castillo … Pablo
Monica Randall … Sherry
as Aurora Jolie
Beni Deus … Bill
Antonio Peral … Il Boia / Gomez
Xan das Bolas … Doctor
Adolfo Arles … Judge
Also with: Bruno Scipioni, Mercedes Lobato, Santiago Rivero
Runtime: 88 min.
aka:
Gil erio del West
Two Against All
Music: Gianni Ferrio / Manuel Parada
Songs:
“Gli eroi del West” sung by Alessandro Alessandroni
“La ragazza del saloon” sung by Nora Orlandi
Tomas Blanco as Mayor Ortes, marveling over his own plan in Heroes of the West (1964)
Miguel Del Castillo as Pablo, preparing to place explosives on a stagecoach in Heroes of the West (1964)
Memorable lines:
Sorry, I watched a non-English version of this film.
Monica Randall as Sherry, ready to grace the crowd with a tune in Heroes of the West (1964)
Walter Chiari as Mike and Raimondo Vianello as Colorado, discussing their next move in Heroes of the West (1964)
Trivia:
* This was one of five comedy Westerns made by the team of Walter Chiara and Raimondo Vianello. The others: “The Magnificent Three” (1961), “The Terrible Sheriff” (1962), “The Twins from Texas” (1964) and “Ringo and Gringo Against All” (1966).
* Monica Randall might be mouthing the words in the Dallas saloon, but Nora Orlandi is credited with singing the quite catchy title tune for this film. She was also a composer and is credited with scoring multiple Spaghettis, including “Johnny Yuma.”
Pablo (Miguel Del Castillo) fills Mike (Walter Chiari) and Colorado (Raimondo Vianello) in on what happened the feuding brothers in Heroes of the West (1964)
Maria Anderson as Barbara and Silvia Solar as Margaret look on while their ‘brothers’ take credit for the girls’ sharp-shooting skill in Heroes of the West (1964)
The man who’s forever coming to the rescue of Mike and Colorado in Heroes of The West (1964). Does anyone know who plays this part?
The two henchmen working for Mayor Ortes in Heroes of the West (1964). Does anyone know who plays these parts?
Walter Chiari as Mike and Raimondo Vianello as Colorado, in panic mode after their ruse has been discovered in Heroes of the West (1964)
Barbara (Mary Anderson) with the phony Fred (Raimonda Vianello) and Margaret (Silvia Solar) with the phony John (Walter Chiari) in Heroes of the West (1964)
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