Three Bullets for Ringo (1966)

Mickey Hargitary plays Ringo Carson, one of three friends who rescue pretty Jane Walcom (Milla Sannoner) from Mexican bandits.

The motive for Ringo, Frank Sandeers (Gordon Mitchell) and Tom (Spartaco Conversi): A handsome ransom from her gun-running father.

But Ringo and Frank have a falling out over Jane. Both men want her. She loves Ringo and wants nothing to do with Frank.

Years later, Ringo and Jane are married and have a young son.

Ringo, now a sheriff, is called on to help a neighboring town where Confederate marauders are on a rampage.

He’s blinded rescuing a young boy; then saved by one of the marauders — none other than Frank Sanders.

But without his sight, Ringo can do little to help his mother, and she’s in a desperate situation.

A banker named Daniels is after her land for the gold mine on it. He’s forged an allegiance with Jane’s father, who has found it more difficult to sell guns to the Mexicans with Ringo as sheriff.

And now they enlist the help of Frank and his men, even making Frank the new sheriff.

Review:

This is a Spaghetti that throws all sorts of gimmicks at the viewers in a fashion as haphazard as the plot.

For instance, Ringo gets his sight back with a second knock on the head, but keeps that a secret. In another scene, he and Tom use a six-barreled cannon to fend off an attack by Frank’s men.

Daniels is always thinking of evil ways to find out where Ringo has hidden the deeds he wants. At one point, he has Ringo’s son roped and pulled toward flames. At another, he has Jane tied up high above the street and let’s his men use her as target practice.

There’s even a strange ritualistic Indian dance thrown in for good measure. And Hargitary plays his part as though he watched a few too many silent movies. In other words, he overacts pretty ridiculously.

Directed by:
Emimmo Salvi

Cast:
Gordon Mitchell … Frank Sanders
Mickey Hargitay … Ringo Carson
Spartaco Conversi … Tom
as Spean Convery
Milla Sannoner … Jane Walcom
Ivano Staccioli … Daniels
as John Heston
Amedeo Trilli … Mr. Walcom
as Mike Moore
Margherita Horowitz … Mrs. Carson
Willy Miniver … Willy Carson

Also with: Dante Maggio, Nino Fuscagni, Bruno Arié, Amerigo Castrighella

aka:
Three Graves for a Winchester
3 colpi di Winchester per Ringo

Score:
Armando Sciascia

Runtime: 88 min.

Memorable lines:

Mr. Walcom, after Ringo and his friends has rescued his daughter from the Mexicans: “Jane, I’m sorry about this mix-up. They didn’t harm you, did they?”
Jane: “No, but it wasn’t a picnic, pa. The whole thing was revolting, and I won’t do it again. First I was taken by cattle rustlers. The second time by Indians. Just to get you to pay a ransom. I’m getting tired of being your daughter.”

Jane, as Ringo prepares to kiss her: “Why was I rescued by Frank and not you?”
Ringo, having aided in the rescue by gunning down several Mexican bandits: “I’m a better shot. I made Frank do it cause it was easy.”

Trivia:

* Mickey Hargitay gained fame as a body builder and that’s supposedly how he met his second wife, the voluptuous Janes Mansfield, with whom he had three children.

* Before graduating to Spaghetti Westerns — he made four — Hargitay starred alongside wife Jayne Mansfield in “The Loves of Hercules” (1960). The film features the valley of the human trees, the gigantic monster from the cave of death, a three-headed hydra and the curvy blonde Mansfield playing two roles, one with a red wig and one with a black wig.

* Milla Sannoner was also the female lead opposite James Mitchem in 1964’s “Massacre at Grand Canyon.” She did most of her acting in TV roles, especially after 1970. She died in 2003 at 64.