The Rough and Ready Cowboy (TV)

Kōya no Shōnen Isamu - Japanese title

Sam il ragazzo del West – Italian title

Willie Boy – French title

Isamu the Wilderness Boy – English title

The Rough and Ready Cowboy – English title

A 1973-1974 Japanese, Italian production [Tokyo Movie Shinsha (Tokyo)]

Producer: Nobuo Inada

Directors: Kyosuke Mikuriya, Yoshitaka Nitta, Shigenori Yoshida

Story: Koji Yamakawa, Noboru Kawasaki

Screenplay: Tsunehisa Ito, Tadaaki Yamazaki, Hiroshi Kaneko

Animation:  Isamu Kegeyama

Photography: Katsuji Misawa

Music: Takeo Watanabe

Song: "Sam, Sam, Sam!"  sung by Nico Fidenco

Running time: 52 episodes x 24 minutes

Cast:

Sam, Barbara, Alan, Cole, Rep, Win, Smith, Big Stone, Dan, Clara, Tatunoshi Watai, General Strong, Anthony

The young Isamu called Sam, is the son of a Japanese man and an Indian woman.  For this reason, the boy is the object of ridicule and discrimination in the society of the Old West in which he lives.  His father disappeared when Sam was still a baby and he was brought up by a gang of vicious outlaws, making him experienced in the use of firearms.

Reaching adolescence, his cruel classmates subject him to a terrible test: rob the bank of El Paso, but Sam, already tired of the life of crime and all that unnecessary cruelty refuses to obey the order. Having rescued his friend Big Stone and disarmed his captors, he flees to pursue a good life in search of his father in the Wild West, without knowing he’s already found him and saved his life.

Originally produced for Japanese TV in 1973, the series was redubbed into Italian by Arizona Studios and a main theme song was sung by composer Nico Fidenco and shown on Italian TV Rete 4 in 1983.

Episodes:

1) La prova, 2) Primo duello, 3) Killer Paburo, 4) Un vano giuramento, 5) Questione di coscienza 6) Big Stone, 7) Uatari Katunoshin, 8) Sun Boy, 9) Festa di compleanno, 10) La dolorosa rivelazione, 11) L'incontro, 12) Una decisione difficile, 13) Wanted, 14) La resa dei conti, 15) Duello nella città morta, 16) Fino all'ultimo colpo, 17) Una nuova vta, 18) Ombre del passato, 19) Il ranch Morrison, 20) Guerra sui pascoli, 21) Coltello Nazuma, 22) I fratelli Scorpion, 23) Una stella per Sam, 24) Le Maschere Rosse, 25) Destini comuni, 26) Ranch Morrison addio, 27) Billy the Kid, 28) Il canyon dell'oro, 29) Rivolta alla miniera, 30) Uccidere o morire, 31) L'attacco degli Angeli Neri, 32) Il prezzo della vittoria, 33) Bakarus il pistolero, 34) Il rapinatore solitario, 35) La vendetta del settimo anno, 36) Tamburi di Guerra, 37) Il predicatore, 38) Il sole sorge ancora, 39) Nel cielo del West, 40) Soldi facili, 41) La mappa strappata, 42) I due sceriffi, 43) La legge del più forte, 44) Il piccolo rapinatore, 45) Lotta sul fiume, 46) La figlia dello sceriffo, 47) La terra promessa, 48) La città senza legge, 49) L'orientale, 50) Il rapimento, 51) Alla volta di Red River, 52) Finalmente riuniti