Jesse and Lester (1972)

Donald O’Brien is Lester O’Hara, a Mormon traveling the West in search of his long-lost half-brother, Jesse Smith (Richard Harrison).

Seems they’ve inherited land near the town of Trinity, and Lester is heading there in hopes of starting his own church.

When he finally finds his philandering brother, Jesse’s wearing nothing but longjohns because he was chased out of a girl’s bedroom by a shotgun-toting brother.

Turns out Jesse has much different aspirations. He wants to built the grandest whorehouse in the West and figures he needs $1,500 to start that venture.

Well, getting $3,000 — enough to build a whorehouse and church — turns out to be easier than keeping the money.

That’s partly because of bone-headed moves by the ever-trusting Lester, partly because rival bandit gangs are roaming the hills around Trinity.

And though Jesse and Lester part ways more than once, fate keeps pulling them back together.

Richard Harrison as Jesse Smith, wagering his future on a game of dice in Jesse and Lester (1972)

Donald O’Brien as Lester O’Hara, watching his brother Jesse wager body parts in Jesse and Lester (1972)

Review:

Richard Harrison and Donald O’Brien starred in some very good serious Westerns. They try to form a comedy team — a la Terence Hill and Bud Spencer — here and fall flatter than a pancake.

The blame for the mess falls squarely at the feet of Harrison. He wrote the script, starred in the film and, according to one of his interviews, fired the original director three days into shooting and took over that role himself.

The result is a comedy Western that will make you groan more than chuckle. If you have any reaction at all.

Penniless more often than flush with cash, our heroes wind up washing dishes at a Chinese restaurant at one point. Collecting cow chips at another. There’s even some kung fu fighting for good measure.

The best part of the film is the finale shoot-out, partly because Lester, who’s preached against violence the entire film, winds up killing some bad guys in the most surprising manners.

Gino Marturano as Poker, one of the bandit chiefs up to no good in Jesse and Lester (1972)

George Wang as the owner of the Chinese restaurant, held at gunpoint by Jesse Smith in Jesse and Lester (1972)

Directed by:
Renzo Genta and
Richard Harrison
as James London

Cast:
Richard Harrison … Jesse Smith
Donal O’Brien … Lester O’Hara
as Donald O’Brien
Anna Zinneman … Elena Van Schaffer
George Wang … Chinaman
Gino Marturano … Poker, bandit chief
Federico Boido … Blondie
as Rick Boyd
Emilio Messina … Grizzly Joe, boxer
Rodolfo Licari …. Boxing promoter
Fernando Cerulli … Thompson
Aldo Cecconi … Bank manager
Calogero Caruana … Pablo
as Lino Caruana
Galliano Sbarra … Dr. H. Goodlove

Runtime: 97 min.

Also with: Luciano Rossi, Daniela Meroni, Alba Benfatti, Ada Pometti, John Bartha, Goffredo Unger, Michele Branca, Osiride Pevarello, Claudio Ruffini, Salvatore Baccaro, Fortunato Arena, Riccardo Petrazzi, Franca Haas, Vincenzo De Palo, Marcello Meconizzi, Maurizio Mannoia, Sergio Smacchi, John P. Dulaney, Ugo Ballester, Aldo Formisano, Alfonso Giganti, Mario Ingrassia, Dolores Calò

aka:
Jesse & Lester – Due fratelli in un posto chiamato Trinita
Two Brothers in a Place Called Trinity

Music: Carlo Savina
Song: “Glory, Glory” by I Cantori Moderni di Alessandroni

Anna Zinneman as Elena Van Schaffer, the whore who turns Jesse Smith’s head in Jesse and Lester (1972)

Calogero Caruana as Pablo, one of the bandits out to get Jesse Smith in Jesse and Lester (1972)

Memorable lines:

Lester O’Hara: “Okay, we’re made of different stuff.”
Jesse Smith: “The only thing we have in common is a mother.”

Jesse Smith, upon learning there’s gold in the area where the brothers have inherited land: “I still think you were trying to trick me.”
Lester O’Hara: “Think about getting some clothes on. You don’t make sense in your underwear.”

Jesse Smith: “At last I’ve got enough money to set up my house of pleasure and you, your house of prayer. We may even be able to exchange clients.”

Lester O’Hara, passing Jesse a stack of cash: “Go on. Count it if you don’t trust me.”
Jessie Smith: “Nah. Among your many defects is trustworthiness.”

Lester O’Hara, to his wounded brother: “Does it hurt, Jesse?”
Jesse Smith: “Only when I breathe.”

Federico Boido (Rick Boyd) as Blondie, one of the feuding bandit leaders in Jesse and Lester (1972)

Aldo Cecconi as the bank manager who winds up collecting buffalo chips in Jesse and Lester (1972)

Trivia:

Anna Zinneman plays a lovely whore here who asks Jesse for $30 in exchange for some time in her bed and winds up with a Bible instead. She appeared in just one other Spaghetti, playing the role of a saloon girl nicknamed “Baby Doll” in “Shoot the Living, Pray for the Dead” (1971).

In an interview on Nanarland.com, Richard Harrison says he used a psuedonym when directing and starring because he felt doing otherwise “cheapened the film.” He also said he thought he had more talent as a writer and director than as an actor.

Harrison reportedly had a hand in directing four films, including “Acquasanta Joe” (1971). His six writing credits include “Scalps” (1987), though he said in the same interview that it was his understanding that very little of what he wrote was used in that film.

Richard Harrison as Jesse Smith, learning Lester put their money in the bank just robbed in Jesse and Lester (1972)

Donald O’Brien as Lester O’Hara, warning against violence when a fight breaks out in Jesse and Lester (1972)