Gatling Gun

1968, re-released 2009

Dorado Films

R1 DVD

Reviewer: Bob Estreich

Dr Richard Gatling has been kidnapped and his revolutionary machine gun stolen by Tarpas, a halfbreed bandit from Las Cruces. He intends to ransom Gatling to the Union for a million dollars and sell the gun to the Confederacy for another million. Chris Tanner, a Federal Agent, is one of the few who knew about the gun and its whereabouts and he has been framed for its theft. He is due to hang. His boss, Pinkerton, gets him out of prison so he can track down the gun and Dr Gatling. Tanner only has a month to complete his mission. If he fails his boss will hang in his place.

Tanner is sent out disguised as a local man who is also due to hang. He carries a message to the man’s brothers explaining that they must help Tanner. One brother believes Tanner has killed his brother and sets out to kill Tanner. So, it seems, does everyone else in town. Even the local Federal Agent is not above a bit of betrayal. Tanner spends most of the film getting kicked, punched or shot. He rises above these inconveniences and saves the day and Dr Gatling.

The film is a little unusual for a spaghetti western in that it doesn’t depend too much on Western clichés like barroom brawls. There is plenty of blood and killing but it’s all part of the story, not just gratuitous. With the reasonably intelligent plot comes some good acting and great cinematography.

One odd “feature” was the way the English soundtrack cuts back to Italian with English subtitles occasionally. This is because Dorado films had to reassemble the full film by including some non-English-dubbed cuts. An significant piece of work to make this rare film available once again.

Another odd feature is the theme music, a strange mix of generic “tunes” that seem to have been played on a Hammond Organ – not exactly authentic western.

Dorado have, as usual, done a great job with the restoration. As an example of the spaghetti western genre this one should not be overlooked.

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This review will appear in Volume 3 No.1 of the digital and print edition of Synergy Magazine.

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