The Mexican army under Gen. Ubarte (Poldo Bendandi) has just about squelched the Mexican revolution and has taken political leader Don Firmino Mendoza (George Rigaud) and his fiesty daughter Juana (Pilar Velazquez) into custody.

Then a dressed all-in-white gunman with a pigeon on his shoulder shows up. He calls himself the Holy Ghost, and he mows down Mendoza’s captors with what serves as a hand-held machine gun.

Mind you, he didn’t free Mendoza for political reasons. The Holy Ghost won half of a gold mine in a card game. Problem is, he’s not sure where it’s located.

The bullet he used to killed the crooked gambler who lost the mine pierced the deed in precisely the wrong spot. That’s right, the spot that revealed the location.

As a result, the Holy Ghost is looking for Sam Crow, who owns the other half of the mine, and suspects that Gen. Ubarte is using peon labor to work in the mine, taking riches that rightly belong to him.

So with Mendoza stashed safely north of the border, the Holy Ghost rides south with a strongman sidekick named Chicken Little (Cris Huerta) and Juana, who’s determined to continue the revolution with or without her father.

Review:

With four Sartana films in their past, the actor-director team of Gianni Garko and Giuliano Carnimeo created another similar character, except that this one is dressed in white, not black, and has a pigeon named Eagle riding his shoulder.

And, fact is, this is better than some of the Sartana films thanks to a less convoluted plot and a script that’s especially witty over the first 30 minutes or so.

That said, don’t except a serious Spaghetti, even if this film begins that way. The Holy Ghost for some reason acquires a strongman sidekick named Chicken Little (Cris Huerta) who’s turned religious.

And many of the action scenes rely more on slapstick comedy than cleverly staged shootouts. For instance, the Holy Ghost infiltrates Gen Ubarte’s stronghold not with a Trojan Horse, but with Trojan whores.

Pilar Velazquez is lovely as the heroine of the piece and she’s given a meatier role than usual this time around.

Gianni Garko as Holy Ghost in His Name Was Holy Ghost (1972)

Cris Huerta as Chicken Little in His Name Was Holy Ghost (1972)

Directed by:
Giuliano Carnimeo
as Anthony Ascott

Cast:
Gianni Garko … Spirito Santo / Holy Ghost
Poldo Bendandi … Gen. Ubarte
Cris Huerta .. Chicken Little
George Rigaud … Don Firmino Mendoza
Pilar Velazquez … Juana
Paolo Gozlino … Samuel Crow
as Paul Stevens
Nello Pazzafini … Colonel
Fortunato Arena … Matadodos
Aldo Barberito … Brother John
Dada Gallotti … Madam Mae
Carlo Gaddi … Fiesta
Franco Pesce … Doctor
Federico Boldo … Vern Crow
as Rick Boyd
Victor Israel … Priest

Runtime: 94 min.

aka …
Uomo avvisato mezzo ammazzato… Parola di Spirito Santo
Blazing Guns
Forewarned, Half-Killed … The Word of the Holy Ghost
They Call Him Holy Ghost

Score: Bruno Nicolai

Poldo Benandii as Gen. Ubarte in His Name Was Holy Ghost (1972)

Pilar Velazquez as Juana in His Name Was Holy Ghost (1972)

Memorable lines:

Mexican lieutenant to a priest approaching Don Firmino: “Spit in his face.”
Priest: “No, lieutenant, I will not defile him.”
Lieutenant: “You will spit or be shot.”
Priest: “I have no wish to die. But if you force me to pick I will die with honor.”
Lieutenant, after gunning down the priest: “Is there anyone else with honor?”

Holy Ghost, to the Mexican peons: “What’s the matter with you? Haven’t you ever seen a hero with a pigeon?”

Don Firmino: “I was just telling good old Esteban that my heart will remain in Morales.”
Juana: “Your heart is coming with us, to the United States. Now take your medicine, or you won’t have a heart left to talk about.”

Alberto Barberito as Brother John in His Name Was Holy Ghost (1972)

Dada Gallotti as Madam Mae in His Name Was Holy Ghost (1972)

Juana: “Here in Morales, we have a saying — that each hand washes the other.”
Holy Ghost: “We’ve also got a saying. If trust gets you a penny, distrust will get you a million.”

Chicken Little, as he crosses into Mexico with Juana and Holy Ghost: “I shall wield the sword of justice in the name of our Lord and savior. And the forces of evil shall crumble.”
Holy Ghost: “Brother Chicken?”
Chicken Little: “Yes, my son.”
Holy Ghost: “Try keeping your eyes open more and clucking less.”

Holy Ghost: “It’s our one and only way to get into the fort. That I guarantee you. Therefore, allow me to introduce you to my, uh-hmm, trojan whores.”