Brothers Carson Donovan (Calisto Calisti) and James Donovan (Mel Gaines) rule the area around White City with an iron fist.
They extort money from the local ranchers. And when they need extra funds, James and his men will add a bit of thievery to their dirty deeds.
Into White City rides a bounty killer (Charles Southwood) with a saddle bag full of wanted posters.
In White City, he finds a pretty saloon girl (Cristina Penz as Trudy), a cripple itching for revenge (Ettore Manni as Blake Logan) and a bastard son eager to assume a position offering more power in the Donovan gang (Jeff Cameron as Lucas Carson).
Review:
Directed with lots more flair and gusto than the typical Demofilo Fidani Western and with a surprising scarcity of groan-worthy moments.
Fidani serves up some Spaghetti hijinks in the form of a crutch and a canteen that can shoot, and Charles Southwood is suitably silent and rugged as the avenging hero of the piece.
The plot is still a bit more convoluted than necessary, but at least most of the strings pull together in the end. And Cristina Penz is quite alluring as the conniving dance hall queen.
Fidani’s daughter Simonetta Vitelli (Simone Blondell) has a small role as the pretty daughter at a ranch where the James Donovan gang takes refuge. She’s nearly raped until her mother offers herself up instead.
Charles Southwood as Frank in Stranger Say Your Prayers (1968)
Jeff Cameron as Lucas Carson in Stranger Say Your Prayers (1968)
Directed by:
Demofilo Fidani
as Miles Deem
Cast:
Charles Southwood … Frank
Jeff Cameron … Lucas Carson
Cristina Penz … Trudy
Massimo Righi … Nick
as Max Dean
Calisto Calisti … Carson Donovan
as Anthony Stewens
Mel Gaines … James Donovan
Ettore Manni … Blake Logan
Simonetta Vitelli … Miss Sullivan
as Simone Blondell
Fabio Testi … Donovan henchman
Amerigo Castrighella … Texas
as Custer Gail
Joe D’Amato … Willie
as Ariston Massachusetts
Lino Coletta … Clark
Dino Strano … Bud
Red Mindlestone … Red
Runtime: 98 min.
aka:
Straniero… fatti il segno della croce!
And Now I Recommend My Soul to the Lord
And Now… Make Your Peace with God
Music: Marcello Gigante
Calisto Calisit (Anthony Stewens) as Carson Donovan in Stranger Say Your Prayers (1968)
Mel Gaines as James Donovan in Stranger Say Your Prayers (1968)
Memorable lines:
Bud, to a badly wounded Donovan: “Don’t worry, Donovan. You’ll make it. We’re almost there.”
2nd gang member: “We’ve got some medicine at the hideout.”
Trudy: “What made a stranger like you interfere with Lucas and that cripple?”
Frank: “I like to get mixed up with people.”
Trudy: “Don’t be silly. That kind of thinking doesn’t go around here.”
Cristina Perez as Trudy in Stranger Say Your Prayers (1968)
Simonetta Vitelli (Simone Blondell) as Miss Sullivan with her mother and Mel Gaines as James Donovan in Stranger Say Your Prayers (1968)
Nick, a member of the Donovan gang: “I’m glad you’re feeling better, Donovan.”
Donovan: “Yeah! Much better. Your concern is like the kiss of Judas.”
Carson Donovan to his men: “A wagon load of last year’s horse manure is worth more than the brains of all of you put together.”
Donovan’s man (Fabio Testi): “That’s right, Lucas, you’re only a bastard. And you act like a bastard too!”
Deputy: “Sheriff! Sheriff! The prisoner’s escaped. He’s a bounty killer!”
Fabio Testi as Donovan gang member in Stranger Say Your Prayers (1968)
Dino Strano as Bud in Stranger Say Your Prayers (1968)
Trivia:
This marked just the second credited role for Fabio Testi, best known to Western fans for playing the lead in “China 9, Liberty 37” (1978). Here he’s a member of the Donovan gang. His first credited role was in another Demofilo Fidani Western, 1968’s “And Now Make Your Peace with God.”
One of five Spaghetti films for Cristina Penz, who also appeareed in “Return of Django” (1967), “If YOu Want to Live … Shoot!” (1968), “Pray to God and Dig Your Grave” (1968) and 1968’s “And Now … Make Your Peace with God.”
Massimon Righi (Max Dean) as Nick in Stranger Say Your Prayers (1968)
Cristina Perez as Trudy in Stranger Say Your Prayers (1968)
Charles Southwood as Frank in Stranger Say Your Prayers (1968)
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