Johnny West (1965)

Mimmo Palmara (as Dick Palmer) plays the title role of Johnny West, a half-breed who runs afoul of the evil Jefferson brothers when he makes off with the loot from a stagecoach robbery their men pulled.

So they go gunning for Johnny and decide the best way to even the score is to shatter the left hand that makes him such a quick draw, kill his girlfriend Juanita and her father, then frame him for the crime.

While he’s sitting in jail, he’s joined by two ex-boxers turned peddlars — Trent and McCoy — and their sidekick named Dusty.

And since the Jeffersons’ greed knows no bounds, they stage a bank robbery this time, then allow the quartet to break out of jail so they can be blamed for that crime as well.

Only things don’t go quite as planned,, and the Jefferson twins and their henchmen suddenly find themselves facing four guns instead of one.

Make that five if you include hot-headed young Jimmy Bryan, whose dad the Jeffersons killed to get his gold mine.

Mimmo Palmara (Dick Palmer) as Johnny West, ready for a final showdown with the Jefferson clan in Johnny West (1965)

Mara Cruz as Ann Rose, worried about boyfriend Bob Felton as Jimmy Bryan and his thirst for vengeance in Johnny West (1965)

Review:

Gianfranco Parolini — better known as Frank Kramer — directed some entertaining Spaghetti Westerns (including the Sabata trilogy). This was not one of his best.

In fact, the two stars might be generous, but I’ll give the film the benefit of the doubt since the version I watched ran 82 minutes and most sites place the true runtime at about 15 minutes longer.

The biggest problem is the strange mood of the film — dour whenever Johnny West shows up in contrast to the slapstick comedy that take center stage when the peddlers and their sidekick are center stage

Palmara’s performance certainly falls on the bland side of the Spaghetti school of acting, though he does shed a single tear when his dog, Gypsy, dies.

One nice twist: For the final showdown, the bad guys bring Fred Jefferson’s coffin to town and pry it open so his dead body can witness the demise they have planned for Johnny and his friends.

Andre Bollet as Brad McCoy, a peddler framed for a robbery and thrown in jail in Johnny West (1965)

Robert Delaporte as Don Trent, one of the trio of hard-drinking, fun-loving peddlers in Johnny West (1965)

Directed by:
Gianfranco Parolini

Cast:
Mimmo Palmara … Johnny West
as Dick Palmer
Adriano Micantoi … Fred / Chris / Jefferson / Jackson
as Mike Anthony
Robert Delaporte … Don Trent
Andre Bollet … Brad McCoy
Roberto Camardiel … Dusty
Bob Felton … Jimmy Bryan
Mara Cruz … Ann Rose
Dada Gallotti … Ginger
as Diana Garson
Bernabe Barta Barri … Sheriff McIntire
as Bartha Barry

Also with: Giuseppe Mattei as Joseph Mathews, Spartaco Conversi as Spanny Convery, Alfonso de la Vega, Alfonso Rojas, Josefina Serratosa, Angeles Lee, Fernando Bilbao, Polly Grouck, Audry Fischer, Edy Dentine, Greg Stone, Dean Morton, Bruno Arié, Roberto Robles

aka:
Johnny West il mancino
Left-Handed Johnny West

Score: Angelo Francesco Lavagnino
Song: “Johnny West” by Katrina Ranieri

Runtime: 98 min.

Roberto Camardiel as Dusty, a peddler forever bragging about his days as a Rebel soldier in Johnny West (1965)

Dada Gallotti (Diana Garson) as Ginger, reacting when the contents of a coffin are revealed in Johnny West (1965)

Memorable lines:

Juanita to Johnny West: “You always take Gypsy (his dog) with you. Johnny, please don’t leave me behind.”

Fred Jefferson: “Since you took the money away, my hands haven’t been able to sleep nights.”
Johnny West: “Maybe you should have tried singing to them.”

Chris Jefferson: “Don’t you interrupt me, Frederick. The Jefferson brothers think with one brain. Mine.”

Johnny: “Grit your teeth, Jefferson. You killed Juanita. And it’s time you answered for her death.”
Frederick Jefferson: “It was my brother who did it. My brother Chris. I swear.”
Johnny: “Then I’m holding the both of you responsible. So go back and tell your brother. Find a six-foot hole. Big enough for two.”

Johnny: “We’re going to blast your eyes out, comanchero. And your spirit will wander blind up in the dark mountain.”

Adriano Micantoni (Mike Anthony) as Fred Jefferson, an outlaw leader not afraid to take lives himself in Johnny West (1965)

Adriano Micantoni (Mike Anthony) as Chris Jefferson, the man who considers himself the brains of the Jefferson operation in Johnny West (1965)

Trivia:

* Mimmo Palmero got his start in sword and sandal films and went on to appear in at least 16 Spaghetti Westerns, usually as a villain. This role marked a rare opportunity for him to play the hero.

* He was friends with Sergio Leone and reportedly the director’s first choice for the role of Ramon in “Fistful of Dollars.” Palmero decided to appear in “Bullets Don’t Argue” instead. Leone turned to Gian Marie Volonte to play the villain in his film.

* This marked the Spaghetti Western debut for Mara Cruz, who had been active in films since the late 1950s. She’d go on to play the female lead in two more — “Two Crosses at Danger Pass” and “The Vengeance of Pancho Villa.”

Bernabe Barta Barri (Bartha Barry) as the sheriff with multiple murders and robberies to solve in Johnny West (1965)

Mimmo Palmara (Dick Palmer) as Johnny West, ready to blind a member of the Jefferson gang to make him talk in Johnny West (1965)

Mara Cruz with Ann Rose and Dada Gallotti as saloon girl Ginger, who looks over her like a daughter in Johnny West (1965)

Juanita, a young Mexican girl who pays a high price for her love of Johnny West in Johnny West (1965). Does anyone know who plays this part?

The Indian girl who falls for Johnny West in Johnny West (1965). Does anyone know who plays this part?

Mimmo Palmara (Dick Palmer) as Johnny West, pondering whether he can afford to love again in Johnny West (1965)

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