Johnny Hamlet (1968)

Andrea Giodana plays Johnny Hamilton, a Confederate soldier returning home from the Civil War.

He soon learns his dream was true. His father, Chester, is dead, “willfully murdered” in 1865, according to his grave marker.

He’s determined to find the murderer, but gets a second shock when he returns to his childhood home to visit his mother, Gertrude.

She’s is now married to his uncle, Claude Hamilton (Horst Frank). He claims to have already avenged the death of Johnny’s father.

As Claude tells it, Chester was in charge of $300,000 in gold that was supposed to help the Confederate cause.

The gold was stolen and Chester was killed by a bandit named Santana. So Claude tracked down Santana and killed him.

But Johnny isn’t convinced. Not that Claude has his mother’s best interests at heart. And not that Santana is dead.

Before long, he finds he’s being accused of murder, too.

And the person he supposedly killed is Ophelia, the woman he loves.

Andrea Giordana (Chip Gorman) as Johnny Hamilton, seeking answers about his father’s death in Johnny Hamlet (1968)

Horst Frank as Claude Hamilton in Johnny Hamlet (1968)

Review

Western retelling of Hamlet is interesting in spots, but not wholly successful. The restored Wild East version of the film is a great reminder of how well filmed the movie was, and Sergio Corbucci’s script certainly calmed director Enzo G. Cstellari’s fear that there wasn’t enough action in Hamlet to make an interesting movie.

Gilbert Roland plays Horace, the friend who keeps showing up to bail Johnny out of one jam after another. Ennio Girolami and Ignazio Spall play henchmen for Johnny’s uncle, an early clue that something’s amiss as Johnny returns home.

And lovely Stefani Careddu, a star of “Any Gun Can Play,” has a small role as an actress named Betty. Her odd earrings provide a key clue in Johnny’s quest for answers.

Horst Frank is at his evil best here, and, by film’s end, there’s certainly no shortage of corpses. Among the scenes you’re likely to remember — Johnny’s “crucifixion” after being accused of his girlfriend Opelia’s death, his mother’s death ride to save him and the creative use of gold dust in the final showdown.

Gilbert Roland as Horace in Johnny Hamlet (1968)

Manuel Serrano as Santanna in Johnny Hamlet (1968)

Directed by:
Enzo G. Castellari

Cast:
Andrea Giordana … Johnny Hamilton
as Chip Gorman
Gilbert Roland … Horace
Horst Frank … Claude Hamilton
Ennio Girolami … Ross
Ignazio Spalla … Guild
Gabriella Grimaldi … Ophelia
Francoise Prevost … Gertrude Hamilton
Stefani Careddu … Betty
Manuel Serrano … Santana
Franco Latini … Gravedigger
Giorgio Sammartino … Sheriff

aka:
Quella sporca storia nel west
That Dirty Story of the West
The Wild and the Dirty

Score:
Alessandro Alessandroni
Francesco De Masi
Audrey Nohra

Francoise Prevost as Gertrude Hamilton in Johnny Hamlet (1968)

Gabriella Grimaldi as Ophelia in Johnny Hamlet (1968)

Memorable lines:

Actor #1, after Johnny has gunned down two men: “What did they want?”
Actor #2: “Well, believe me, these two rascals would have sent us to perform in hell.”

Ross: “A man don’t argue with a gun pointed at his head.”
Guild: “You’re right. They’re liable to sweat and put a couple of bullets through you by mistake.”

Horace: “Too many rats in this town.”
Sheriff: “If you’re referring to me, Horace, you must be light in the head. Don’t forget who’s sheriff.”
Horace: “That’s what you call yourself — sheriff. I got another name for you. You’re the only man I know who started at the bottom and keeps going lower.”

Johnny: “You know, Horace, the world seems less rotten when you watch it from a glass.”
Horace: “Everything looks more beautiful when the glasses are filled.”

Stefani Careddu as Betty in Johnny Hamlet (1968)

Giorgio Sammartino as the sheriff in Johnny Hamlet (1968)

Trivia:

This film was made from a story by Spaghetti director Sergio Corbucci, and there’s no attempt to disguise “Hamlet” as the inspiration, though the Italian title is translated as “That Dirty Story in the West.” The names of three leads — Claude, Gertrude and Ophelia — are taken straight from Shakespeare.

Gilbert Roland got his start in silent films and was over 60 years old when he appeared in five Spaghetti Westerns between 1967 and 1968. The most familiar is probably “Any Gun Can Play.”

Ennio Girolami as Ross in Johnny Hamlet (1968)

Ignazzio Spall as Guild in Johnny Hamlet (1968)

Franco Latini as the gravedigger in Johnny Hamlet (1968)

Manuel Serrano as Santanna in Johnny Hamlet (1968)

Gilbert Roland as Horace in Johnny Hamlet (1968)

Andrea Giordana (Chip Gorman) as Johnny Hamilton in Johnny Hamlet (1968)