Stagecoach of the Condemned (1970)

Richard Harrison is Robert Walton, a former gunman hoping to live a quiet life running an inn where he lives with his wife and young son.

Then Ramon Sartana (Fernando Sancho) shows up with a stagecoach full of passengers, one of whom is headed to a nearby town to tesify against one of his outlaw friends.

Seems that during a stop at a farm, Tony Stevens (Bruno Corazzi) and two buddies raped and killed a pair of pretty girls and a man who came to their defense.

That’s landed them behind bars. Tony’s convinced there’s not enough evidence to convict them, until the sheriff tells him about the witness left behind.

Thing is, Ramon and his men aren’t sure which stage passenger is the witness. So they hold them at the inn, trying to sort it out, threatening everyone in the process.

What Ramon doesn’t know is that Robert Walton’s real name is Wayne Sonnier, one the fastest gun in Texas.

And that he has an old score to settle with a man named Tony Stevens.

Richard Harrison as Wayne Sonnier (aka Robert Walton), a former gunman forced into action again in Stagecoach of the Condemned (1970)

Erika Blanc as Martha Sonnier (aka Walton), her peaceful life interrupted in Stagecoach of the Condemned (1970)

Review:

You likely wondering why Ramon Sartana and his men don’t just end their problems by killing everyone aboard the stage when they stop it.

After all, we’ve seen that seen play out countless times in the Spaghetti West. And it would be in keeping with the sadistic nature of Spaghetti villains.

Fortunately, there must be a soft spot in Ramon Sartana’s heart, because not killing the passengers offers us a chance for a Spaghetti with a plot more unique than most.

Director Juan Bosch and company don’t fully exploit the possibilities or tension that could have resulted.

But they do offer up a subplot in which the innkeeper’s son Danny begins to believe his father a coward and sets off to take matters into his own hands.

We also have three pretty ladies trapped in inn with the outlaws, meaning they’re in constant danger of assault. Plus an old-timer who knows Walton’s real identity and tries to prod him into action.

Fernando Sancho as Ramon Sartana, intervening to help an outlaw friend in Stagecoach of the Condemned (1970)

Bruno Corazzari as Tony Stevens scoffs at the notion that he’ll be tried and found guilty in Stagecoach of the Condemned (1970)

Directed by:
Juan Bosch
as John Wood

Cast:
Richard Harrison … Robert Walton / Wayne Sonnier
Fernando Sancho … Leon Pomaro / Ramon Sartana
Erika Blanc … Martha Walter / Sonnier
Gaspar “Indio” Gonzalez … Fox
Florencio Calpe … Herbert Green, preacher
Maria Cinta … Joanna Patrick
Burno Corazzari … Tony Stevens
Angel Lombarte …. Patterson / Fox
Leontine May … blonde girl
Antonio Molino Rojo … Joe Buchanan
Ricardo Moyan … Brett Hudson
Miguel Muniesa … Judge
Cesar Ojinaga … Frederick, stage driver
Ignacio Abadal … Martin Leroy, shotgun guard
Elena Pironti … Elizabeth Patrick
Gustavo Re … John Candy
Maria Cinthia Rosello … Saloon girl
Fernando Rubio … Pedro

Also with: Juan Miguel Solano, Juan Torres, Fernando de Miragaya, Joaquín Germán, Alberto Severi, Nano Martín, Juan Patiño

Runtime: 89 min.

aka:
La diligencia de los condenados
Rancheros
I’ll Forgive You Before I Kill You

Music: Enrique Escobar (as Henry Soteh)

Danny Sonnier (aka Walton), frightened by what he’s witnessing in Stagecoach of the Condemned (1970). Anyone know who plays this part?

Juan Torres as Jeremy Foster, a salesman and one of the stage passengers in Stagecoach of the Condemned (1970)

Memorable lines:

Sorry, watched this one in Italian with no subtitles. Hopefully a better, English-friendly print will become available and I can update this blog.

Trivia:

Maria Cinta, who plays the role of stage passenger Joanna Patrick, was better known as a singer than actress. In fact, she started her singing career when she was just 12. She had a supporting role in one other Spaghetti, 1965’s “Dollars for a Fast Gun.”

Juan Bosch had been directing throughout the 1960s, but this marked his first Spaghetti. He’d catch up, eventually making six more, including “Dig Your Grave Friend … Sabata’s Coming” (1971), “And the Crows Will Dig Your Grave” (1971), “God in Heaven … Arizona on Earth” (1972), “My Horse, My Gun, Your Widow” (1972), “They Believed He Was No Saint” (1972) and “Dallas” (1974).

Richard Harrison as Wayne Sonnier (aka Robert Walton with wife Martha (Erika Blanc) in Stagecoach of the Condemned (1970)

Fernando Sancho as Ramon Sartana questions Elizabeth Patrick (Elena Pironti) and her niece Joanna (Maria Cinta) in Stagecoach of the Condemned (1970)

Bruno Corazzari as Tony Stewart, spotting some appealing blonde prey in Stagecoach of the Condemned (1970)

Erika Blance as Martha Sonnier (aka Walton) with son Danny in Stagecoach of the Condemned (1970)

Fernando Sancho as Ramon Sartana with Preacher Herbert Green (Florencio Calpe), one of the stage passengers in Stagecoach of the Condemned (1970)

Richard Harrison as Robert Walton (aka Wayne Sonnier) perks up when he hears a name from his past in Stagecoach of the Condemned (1970)