Ruthless Colt of the Gringo (1966)

Luigi Giuliani (as Jim Reed) is Clark Harrison, who interrupts two men robbing a mine owner and is knocked unconscious.

When Harrison comes to, the mine owner is dead and he’s been accused of murder.

Worse yet, his lady love Cora testifies against him at his subsequent trial, portraying him as a desperate man willing to do anything for a fresh start in life further West.

Harrison winds up spending five years at the federal prison of Amargosa. When he’s released, he has one thing on his mind: Clearing his name by finding those truly guilty of the crime.

He’s riding into danger, because saloon owner Bliss (Carlos Otero) and mine foreman Holloway (Cesar Ojinaga) have a good reason to want him dead.

And they have a top gun named Coleman and a band of henchmen willing to do their bidding.

But Harrison finds a friend in Judge Wilker (Gustavo Re), who’s always doubted his guilt.

Convincing Lois Duval (Marta Padovan), the dead mine owner’s pretty daughter, of his innocence will prove more difficult.

But Lois and Cora have more to worry about than who winds up with the gold from the mine.

Bliss wants Cora for his own; Holloway feels the same about Lois.

And both are very forceful and determined suitors, not above using violence to get the women they desire.

Luigi Giuliani (aka Jim Reed) as Clark Harrison, watching Cora testify against him in Ruthless Colt of the Gringo (1966)

Marta Padovan (Martha Dovan) as Lois Duval, hearing from Holloway (Cesar Ojinaga) that Clark Harrison has returned in Ruthless Colt of the Gringo (1966)

Review:

You won’t find a rating above because I have no idea how to rate this film.

Watching a non-English version of a Spaghetti Western is one thing. With the help of YouTube’s translate feature, you can follow the plot.

But the version of this film I watched ran just 74 minutes, 21 short of the run time listed on the Spaghetti Western database.

So with a full quarter of the film gone, clearly what I watched wasn’t what filmmakers delivered to audiences back in 1966.

I can say this: The film owes more to the American Westerns that proceeded it than the European Westerns that followed “Fistful of Dollars” (1964).

One exception: The harsh treatment of the female characters, who are constantly being threatened by the men who say they love them.

Even our hero gets into the act, roughing up Cora once he returns home in his attempt to find the real killers.

Carlos Otero (Charles Otter) as saloon owner Bliss, who wants Cora for his own, in Ruthless Colt of the Gringo (1966)

Cesar Ojinaga as Holloway, a mine foreman smitten with owner Lois Duval in Ruthless Colt of the Gringo (1966)

Directed by:
Jose Luis Madrid

Cast:
Luigi Giuliani … Clark Harrison
as Jim Reed
Marta Padovan … Lois Duval
as Martha Dovan]
Germana Monteverdi Mercedes … Cora
as Pat Greenhill
Carlos Otero … Bliss
as Charles Otter
Cesar Ojinaga … Holloway
Gaspar “Indio” Gonzalez … Coleman
Gustavo Re … Judge Wilker
Isidro Novellas … Sheriff
Moisés Augusto Rocha … Coleman henchman
as Jak Rocha
Dámaso Muní …. Deputy
Ricardo Moyán … Jess
Juan Maria Solano … Coleman henchman
Eduardo Lizarza … Duval
Juan Torres … Williams
Francisco Aguilera … Jury foreman

Also with: Alberto Gadea, Jose Maria Pinillos, Antonio Marcos, Beni Pérez, Pedro L. Conde, Hilario Ocon, Gerardo Ribas, Carlos Vargas, Vicente Bondal, Gaspar ‘Indio’ González, Antonio Jimenez Escribano.

aka:
Gringo’s Pitiless Colt
La venganza de Clark Harrison
La spietata Colt del Gringo
La spietata Colt di Ringo

Music:
Francesco De Masi
Enrique Escobar

Song: “A Man Must Fight”
performed by Peter Tevis

Germana Monteverdi Mercedes (Pat Greenhill) as saloon girl Cora, about to be surprised by Clark’s return in Ruthless Colt of the Gringo (1966)

Gaspar Indio Gonzalez as Coleman, leader of the henchmen working for Bliss and Holloway in Ruthless Colt of the Gringo (1966)

Memorable lines:

Clark to Cora upon his return from prison: “I should kill you. But I don’t want to get my hands dirty with you vile, stinking blood.”

Holloway to Lois: “I’ll cut your claws, wildcat!

Bliss to Cora: “We will never part. Never. But if you run away I will personally destroy you. You’ll be mine or nobody’s. Don’t forget it!”

Gustavo Re as Judge Wilker, willing to take a chance on Clark Harrison in Ruthless Colt of the Gringo (1966)

Isidro Novellas as the sheriff caught in the middle of a bank holdup in Ruthless Colt of the Gringo (1966)

Trivia:

* Marta Padovan also appeared in “The Secret of Captain O’Hara.” She also dubbed Roseanne Barr in the Spanish version of “Roseanne.”

* Liugi Giuliani appeared in one other Spaghetti Western, “Sheriff with the Gold,” also released in 1966. He went on to become a model and spokesman for Giorgio Armani, according to Tom Betts’ Westerns All’Italiana blog.

* Jose Louis Madrid directed 21 films and followed this up with his only other Spaghetti Western, “Who Killed Johnny R?” (1966). The film starred Lex Barker and Marianne Koch.

Germana Monteverdi Mercedes (Pat Greenhill) as Cora, preparing to testify against Clark Harrison in Ruthless Colt of the Gringo (1966)

Luigi Giuliani (Jim Reed) as Clark Harrison, showing up at the sheriff’s office with Cora (Germana Monteverdi Mercedes) looking for answers in Ruthless Colt of the Gringo (1966)

Marta Padovan (Martha Dovan) as mine owner Lois Duval, wondering if Clark Harrison can be trusted in Ruthless Colt of the Gringo (1966)

Luigi Giuliani (aka Jim Reed) as Clark Harrison, returning to the real murders in Ruthless Colt of the Gringo (1966)