Dieci bianchi uccisi da un piccolo indiano – Italian title
Pasión salvaje – Spanish title
Venganza Apache – Spanish poster
Verano sangriento – Spanish title
10 Bleichgesichter und ein Indianerjunge – German title
Zehn Cowboys un dein Indianerboy – German title
10 White Victims of the Little Indian – English title
Blood River – English title
A 1973 Italian, Spanish co-production [Filmar Compagnia Cinematografica (Rome), Procensa Films (Madrid)]
Producer: Gino Rossi, Giuseppe Maggi
Director: George W. Breakston (Gianfranco Baldanello Merano)
Story: Mario Damiani, Juan Antonio Verdugo
Screenplay: Gianfranco Baldanello (Gianfranco Merano), Mario Damiani, Juan Antonio Verdugo (José Torres)
Cinematography: Leopoldo Villaseñor Barco [Technicolor, Techniscope]
Music: Piero Umiliani (Romano Ferrera)
Song: “Blood River” sung by Shirley Harmer
Running time: 95 minutes
Cast:
Ringo - Fabio Testi
Abel Webster - John Ireland
Catherine Webster - Sara Bay (Rosalba Neri)
John - Luis Induni (Luigi Radici)
Ben Webster - Michael Riviere (Miguel de la Riva)
Condor - Daniel Martin (José Martinez)
squaw - Luisa Rivelli (Rosella Lanfranchi)
maid - Maria Teresa Zago
Webster ranch hand - Attilio Dottesio
with; José Canalejas, Bruno Arié, Vittorio Richelmy, Sergio Sagnotti, Altiero Di Giovanni, Angelo Dessi (Angelo Desideri), Giovanna Lenzi, José Manuel Martin (José Perez)
The film focuses on the problems of a rich rancher named Able Webster. His son's wife is halfbreed named Catherine who is in love with a stranger named Ringo. Able also finds out he is not to be, as expected, the inheritor of the Webster fortune. 30 years ago he and 9 of his neighbors and friends massacred an Indian village in order to obtain the tribe's land. One problem, a small boy named Condor escaped the massacre and has now grown into a vengeful warrior out to kill the 10 men who were responsible for the annihilated his family and tribal members. Condor is helped in his revenge by Indians from the afterlife.
According to Giusti's Dizionario the running time is 95 minutes. Western all'Italiana book 2 says 90 minutes.
ReplyDeleteItalian Torino Video release is claims to run 96 minutes but actually it's just 81 min. I also have another Italian language copy from unknown source which is just 75 min!
"Blood River" is one of the best spaghetti western titles, if not the best. The theme song has amazing vocals. Too bad that there isn't much good to say about the film itself.
It's always amazing when a director and producer sign a good cast of name actors and the film turns out to be so bad. This happens quite often in the Spaghetti Western genre. Wasted opportunity after wasted opportunity.
ReplyDeleteIs the same Julie Newmar who played Catwoman during the sixties ?
ReplyDeleteYes, she has a cameo appearance as an Indian squaw who has connections with the after life.
ReplyDeleteI'm now being told that Newmar is not in the film by someone who says they saw a trimmed version. I've removed her from the cast listing but her appearance is still debatable.
ReplyDeleteThe singer of the theme song "Blood River" is none other than the elusive Edinburgh-born singer, the late and very great Lydia MacDonald.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Lydia MacDonald was Piero Piccioni's favourite singer, Lydia was seldom out of the recording studio doing sessions for Piero Umiliani, Ennio Morricone and many others and asppears on many, many Italian Film Soundtracks.
Thanks for the information. Any additional information on Lydia would be appreciated. Post has been updated.
ReplyDeleteMore information regarding the wonderful Lydia MacDonald in comments here (from Lydia's nephew!).
ReplyDeletehttp://youtu.be/yH_8vuC1eQM
Hope this helps.
Thanks I've been in contact with Lydia's nephew and he supplied me with additional information on her.
ReplyDeleteOkay latest update. The "Blood River" song is not sung by Lydia MacDonald. It is in fact the Canadian singer Shirley Harmer, who also did other film themes for Piero Umiliani eg. Witchcraft '70, You'll recognise the voice!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the update on Shirley Harmer, noted and changed.
ReplyDelete