The Magnificent Stranger

Il magnifico straniero – Italian title
Maledetto Gringo - German title

Yperohos ekdikitis – Greek title

Maledetto Gringo – Spanish title

El magnifico extranjero – Spanish title

The Magnificent Stranger – English title

A 1966 Italian production [Jolly Film (Rome), Avis Film (Munich)]

Producer: Murray Benson, Bernard Kowalski

Director: Herschel Daugherty, Jus Addiss (Justus Addiss)

Story: Richard Carr, David Lang

Screenplay: Richard Carr, David Lang

Cinematography: Howard Schwartz [black & white colorized]

Music: Dimitri Tiomkin, Rudy Schrager (Rudolph Schrager)

Song: “Rawhide” sung by Frankie Laine (Francesco Lo Vecchio)

Running time: 94 minutes

Cast:

Rowdy Yates – Clint Eastwood (Clinton Eastwood, Jr.)

Wishbone – Paul Brinegar

Simon Baines – Lloyd Corrigan

John Tasker – Louis Hayward

Ruth Tasker – Holly McIntire

Grist – Don Barry (Donald de Acosta)

Lieutenant Pauling – Peter Adams (James Adams II)

Toland – Robert Donner

Sheriff McVey – Robert Wilke

Sheriff McKay – Slim Pickens (Louis Lindley, Jr.)

Burt – Terry Becker

Maddy Trager – Luana Anders (Luana Anderson)

Lem Trager – Walter Coy

Slade – Peter Mamakos

Colonel Hiller – Russ Conway (Russell Zink)

Sam Jefferson – Joseph Hoover

Jack Cleet – Bob Yuro (Robert Yuro)

Fred Adams – Steve Gravers (Solomon Gottlieb)

Bill Adams – George Keymas

Mrs. Cory – Helen Wallace

Mr. Cory – Glenn Dixon (Granville Dixon)

Trevor – Lew Brown

Morse – James Anderson

Peterson – Gregg Martell (Henry Ross)

Pollet – Terry Frost

Hollis – Jack Searl (John Searl)

Driver – Robert Adler

Telegrapher – Jan Arvan (Jan Arvanitas)

Latch – Reg Parton (Regis Parton)

Bartender – Roy Engel

White - Les Hellman (Lars-Erik Hellman) 

[Composed of two episodes of the “Rawhide” TV series (episode 7.9 “The Backshooter” and episode 3.2 “Incident of the Running Man”]

Ramrod Rowdy Yates, thrown from his horse, is found in the prairie by outlaw Sam Jefferson, who cares for his injuries. While doing so, Jefferson is shot in the back. Jefferson, who is wanted for a Wells Fargo robbery, asks Rowdy to claim the $5000 reward offered for his capture and to give it to his wife. In town, Wells Fargo agent John Tasker publicly announces that Jefferson was shot in the back, causing three of Jefferson's friends to suspect that Rowdy was the man who did the shooting. When the three indicate they are going to avenge Jefferson's death, Rowdy is offered help, for money, by the sheriff, which he spurns. Then he collects the reward from Tasker, who tells him that Jefferson was never married. Rowdy now faces two problems: one is to find if Tasker is telling the truth; the other is to fight off Jefferson's three friends. While seeking to purchase additional cattle for the Sedalia-bound cattle drive, Yates comes across a man desperately trying to warn an Army outpost of the impending danger. Rowdy doesn't believe his story until the stranger shackles himself to Rowdy, and is later killed by the outlaws planning the strike. With the dead man shackled to him, Rowdy attempts to take over where the deceased left off.

This so-called film was released in 1966 when Eastwood was still in Europe making “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”. He took time off from making the film and flew to Rome to pursue legal action against the producers and distributors. The Film apparently was released for a short time in Germany and Mexico before it was withdrawn when a lawsuit was threatened.

 

A 45 RPM was released by CAM with a singer named Cifiello singing “Rawhide” backed by the Ezio Leoni orchestra.