This Man Can’t Die (1967)

Guy Madison is Martin Benson and he’s working undercover for the U.S. cavalry to discover who’s smuggling guns and rot-gut to the Indians.

But in the process, he puts his family in danger. In fact, the outlaws attack his ranch while he’s away, killing his mother and father and raping his youngest sister.

Younger brothers Daniel (Alberto Dell’Acqua) and Arrius (Steve Merrick) were away at the time, shopping in town with sister Susy (Lucienne Bridou). They return to the ranch to find the carnage left behind.

They also find a wounded outlaw, who they carry off to a cave for safe-keeping. Vowing vengeance, young Daniel figures he’ll be key to learning who was behind the attack on the ranch.

Then Martin returns home, learns of his parents’ deaths and takes charge of the quest for vengeance.

But he’s at a disadvantage. The smugglers now know he’s working for the law; Martin doesn’t know who he’s after.

Review:

It’ll probably take the viewer about eight minutes to figure out who’s behind the gun smuggling.

But Gianfranco Baldanello still serves up a nice-looking, action-packed, entertaining Western and the aging Madison looks perfect for his part.

Speaking of looks, Baldanello also pretties up his picture with a bevy of beauties. In addition to the Benson sisters, Martin and Daniel have caught the eye of a pair of saloon girls, played by Rosalba Neri and Giola Desideri, respectively.

In fact, Neri has a pretty substantial role and, at one point, summons her fellow saloon girls to brawl with the gunrunners and prevent them from finding Martin hiding in her room.

“This Man Can’t Die” is now the most common English name for the film and comes from a comment Daniel makes upon finding the wounded man following the attack on the ranch.

He’s referring to the charter played by Peter Martell, a man the family nurses back to health hoping he can reveal the identity of the culprits.

Directed by:
Gianfranco Baldanello

Cast:
Guy Madison … Martin Benson
Lucienne Bridou … Susy Benson
Rik Battaglia … Vic Graham
Rosalba Neri … Melina
Steve Merrick … Arrius Benson
Pietro Martellanza … Tony Guy
as Peter Martell
Anna Liotti … Jenny Benson
Giola Desideri … Lillian
Alberto Dell’Acqua … Daniel Benson
Silvana Jachino … Mrs. Benson
Attilio Dottesio … Doc Parker
John Bartha … Sheriff
Franco Gula … Joe
Franco Pesce … Barnaby

Also with: Daniele Riccardi, Gaetano Scala, Franco Gulà, Fortunato Arena, Aysanoa Runachagua, Paolo Magalotti, Ilse Scholzel, Giovanni Querrel, Emilio Zago, Giovanni Ivan Scratuglia, Attilio Tosato

aka:
I lunghi giorni dell’odio
Long Days of Hate

Music: Amedeo Tommasi
Song: “Life”

Memorable lines:

Joe to his mule, after the attack on the Benson ranch: “Don’t look, Washington. Don’t look. It’s a bad thing for you to see.”

Sheriff, after the attack on the Benson ranch: “I’m the law son. It’s my duty to come in.”
Daniel Benson: “For what? To visit a cemetery? It’s not a pretty sight.”

Martin Benson to a wounded man: “I shoot better than that. But I need you alive.”

Trivia:

French-born Lucienne Bridou appeared in just one other Spaghetti Western, as the female lead in the same director’s 1968 film “Black Jack,” starring Robert Woods. She began her entertainment career as a dancer, lived in New York for a while and appeared in just four films and a couple of TV episodes before retiring to raise a family in Italy.

The marked the only Spaghetti Western for Anna Liotti, who plays Jenny Benson, and Giola Desideri, who was making her film debut as Daniel Benson’s saloon girlfriend.