Three Lead Dollars (1964)

Fred Beir plays Rudy Valance, who returns home after a long absence to investigate and avenge the killing of his father from a year earlier.

He finds a community in the grips of a businessman named Morrison (Francisco Nieto) and his band of henchmen.

It isn’t long before Valance butts head with Matt, leader of that band.

Or until he learns that Morrison’s grip is so tight, he’ll have trouble buying stock from his neighbors because they fear retribution.

Because in these here parts, if you’re selling beef, you sell it to Morrison. At a price he sets.

But Valance is determined to hang around. Besides, there’s a former neighbor named Ann (Evi Marandi) who’s all grown up now and looking mighty pretty.

A complication arises when a former sheriff named Raf shows up, just as determined to take Rudy back to Santa Monica, where he’s suspected of killing a deputy.

Fred Beir as Rudy Valance has an encounter with some of Morrison’s men in Three Lead Dollars (1964)

Evi Marandi (Evy Marandis) as Anne, the former neighbor of Rudy, now all grown up in Three Lead Dollars (1964)

Review:

Well, there are some good ideas here. Francisco Nieto, who doesn’t show up until about 53 minutes into the film, is a villain so callous he returns from his trip East with a new girl on his arm, casting saloon gal Nora aside with nary a second thought.

And check out the way Morrison and his henchmen down their drinks in a synchronized, almost ritualistic manner, with everyone else waiting for their leader to take the first swig.

Unfortunately, there are lots of head-scratching scenes too. Like a chase scene in which our hero veers off to save Raf, who’s fallen from the saddle. Matt and his men, apparently momentarily blinded, ride right on past.

At another point, Raf suddenly produces a letter clearing Rudy in the shooting of the deputy back in Santa Monica. Then why has he been so hellbent on taking him in?

And while pretty Evi Marandi certainly brightens up the affair with her gorgeous smile, she just suddenly appears out of nowhere at times, as though waiting off camera with the director, just waiting to be scurried in front of it for another encounter with star Fred Beir.

Still it’s worth a watch for fans of early Euro Westerns. And any fan of Westerns will note the nod to “High Noon,” as the law-abiding townsfolk sit in church, gunfire raging outside, wondering whether they should rush to the hero’s aid.

Francisco Nieto as Morrison, the man with the power and henchmen in Three Lead Dollars (1964)

Roberto Messina (Bob Messenger) as Matt, leader of Morrison’s gang of henchmen in Three Lead Dollars (1964)

Directed by:
Pino Mercanti
as Joseph Trader

Cast:
Fred Beir … Rudy Valance
Evi Marandi … Anne
as Evy Marandis
Francisco Nieto … Morrison
Richard St. Bris … Laurence
Dina De Santis … Nora, saloon singer
as Dyna De Saint
Olivier Mathot … Morrison henchman
Roberto Messina … Matt
as Bob Messenger
Andrea Fantasia … Raf
Stella Monclair … Mrs. Morrison

Also with: Renato Terra Caizzi, Virgilio Daddi, Angel Alvarez, Luis Chavarro, Andrew Hart

Runtime: 99 min.

aka:
Tres dólares de plomo
Tre dollari di piombo
Three Dollars of Lead

Music: Gioacchine Angelo
Song: “Canto del cowboy” by Bruno D’Angelo

Andrea Fantasia as Raf, the former lawman determined to take Rudy back to Santa Monica in Three Lead Dollars (1964)

Dina De Santis (Dyna De Saint) as Nora, the saloon singer loyal to Morrison in Three Lead Dollars (1964)

Memorable lines:

Morrison henchman, of Rudy Valance: “I’ll bet my socks to a six-gun he’ll die wearing boots.”

Raf to Rudy, after he’s been wounded by men who were trying to kill his prisoner: “May you rot in hell. I’m beginning to think you planned this. Pretty smart of you, I’d say. I’m blaming you, my friend, and you’ll pay!”

Raf to Rudy: “We’re gonna to make it to Santa Monica or bust. Believe you me, even if it means I have to kill you.”

Raf, after killing a man who sneaks into Rudy’s ranch house to stab him to death: “He didn’t even say howdy.”

Richard St. Bris as Laurence, Anne’s dad, trying to stand up to Morisson’s men in Three Lead Dollars (1964)

Angel Alvarez as Sam, the helper on Rudy’s new ranch in Three Lead Dollars (1964)

Trivia:

* Morrison, the villain of the piece in this film, uses the Long Branch Saloon — sound familiar? — as his base of operations.

* Pino Mercanti released another Spaghetti the same year, “Damned Pistols of Dallas,” with virtually the same cast, including Fred Beir in the lead role and Evi Marandi as the girl who falls for him.

Andrea Fantasia as former sheriff Raf and Fred Beir as Rudy Valance in Three Lead Dollars (1964)

Sheriff Pete, a lawman who knows his place, with saloon singer Nora (Dina De Santis as Dyna De Saint) in Three Lead Dollars (1964)

Francisco Nieto as Morrison with two of his henchman, Gary and Matt (Roberto Messina as Bob Messenger) in Three Lead Dollars (1964)

Evi Marandi (Evy Marandis) as Anne with Fred Beir as Rudy Valance in Three Lead Dollars (1964)

Dina De Santis (Dyna De Saint) as saloon singer Nora with Jake (Luigi Ciavarra), one of Morrison’s henchmen in Three Lead Dollars (1964),

Fred Beir as Rudy Valance, looking for clues in his father’s killing in Three Lead Dollars (1964)