50th Anniversary of the Premier of the Big Gundown

“The Big Gundown” is a 1966 Italian Spaghetti Western and was co-written by long-time Sergio Leone collaborator Sergio Donati, directed by Sergio Sollima, and starring Lee Van Cleef and Tomas Milian. It was originally released by Columbia Pictures in the US as a double feature with “A Time for Killing”.

Some critics, such as Leonard Maltin, consider the film one of the finest spaghetti westerns, second only to Sergio Leone's Dollars Trilogy. It was the first film Van Cleef made following “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” (1966) and was his first leading man or hero role. Tomas Milian played Cuchillo, a charming rogue accused of rape and murder. “Run, Man, Run!” (1968) was a sequel which brought back Milian without Van Cleef.

It was important to Sergio Sollima that he tell a classic tale of a rich corrupt politician vs. a poor misunderstood peasant/scapegoat as a way of addressing the age old subject that, being Italian, he knew quite well living under the dictatorship of Mussolini during World War II. This film would actually share more with Leone's opus “Once Upon a Time in the West” than the Eastwood pictures. Each focuses on the modernizing of the West and the corrupt, rich businessmen that manipulated and used the poor. The film was shot in Almería, Spain and had its world premiere in Madrid, Spain on November 29, 1966

The American release capitalized on Van Cleef’s co-starring role in the mega hit film “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” where the Americans mistranslated the Italian title and named Van Cleef the Ugly when it was really designated as Eli Wallach.

La resa dei conti – Italian title

La caccia – Italian title

El halcón y la presa – Spanish title

La presa – Spanish title

Ajuste de cuentas – Argentinian title

Der Gehetzte der Sierra Madre – Austrian title

O Dia da Desforra – Brazilian title

Голямото преследване – Bulgarian title

Ajuste de cuentas – Chilean title

Ajuste de cuentas – Colombian title

Velká přestřelka – Czech title
Posledný súboj - Czech title

Manden med de sorte støvler – Danish title

Een verdoemde te meer – Dutch title

Luodin laki – Finnish title

Een verdoemde te meer – Flemish title

Colorado – French title

Der Gehetzte der Sierra Madre – German title

Ένας εναντίον δέκα – Greek title

Számadás – Hungarian title

A nagy leszámolás – Hungarian title

Fukushu no ganman – Japanese title

Ajuste de cuentas – Mexican title

Colorado – Polish title

O grande pistoleiro – Portuguese title

Marea răfuială – Romanian title

Сдавайся и расплатись – Russian title

En blodig kniv, et dödande skott – Swedish title

Kolorado – Turkish title

Ajuste de cuentas – Venezuelan title

Sokolov Plen – Yugoslavian title

Account Rendered – English title

The Showdown – English title

The Big Gundown – U.S.A. title

A 1966 Italian, Spanish co-production [PEA (Rome), Tulio Demicheli (Madrid)]

Producer: Alberto Grimaldi, Tulio DeMicheli

Director: Sergio Sollima

Story: Fernando Morandi, Franco Solinas

Screenplay: Tulio Demicheli (Armando Demichelli), Sergio Donati, Sergio Sollima

Cinematography: Carlo Carlini [Technicolor, Techniscope]

Music: Ennio Morricone

Song: “Somewhere” sung by Cristy (Maria Brancucci)

Song: “Run, Man, Run” sung by Cristy (Maria Brancucci) & I Cantori Moderni

Running time: 108 minutes

Story: A lawman sets out to capture a rapist and return him a trial in order to gain political office and help a wealthy railroad man. In time he learns the accused Mexican peon is not guilty and helps him prove his innocence.

Cast:

Jonathan “Colorado” Corbett - Lee Van Cleef (Clarence Van Cleef Jr.)

Manuel “Cuchillo” Sanchez - Tomás Milián

Brokston – Walter Barnes

Captain Segura - Fernando Sancho (Fernando Les)

Lizzie Miller- Luisa Rivelli (Rosella Lanfranchi)

Widow - Nieves Navarro (Nieves García)

Jess - Benito Stefanelli

Baron Von Schulenberg - Gérard Herter (Gerhard Haerter)

Rosita Sanchez - Maria Granada (Manolita Barrosa)

Jack - Pietro Ceccarelli

Lizzie Miller - Monica Strebel

Sheriff Jellicol - Robert Camardiel (Roberto Escudero)

Hondo - Nello Pazzafini (Giovanni Pazzafini)

Mitchell - Spartaco Conversi

Rocky - Romano Puppo

Mr. Lynch - Calisto Calisti

Shemp Miller - Ángel del Pozo (Angel Merino)

Mr. Miller - Tom Felleghy (Tamas Fellegi)

Brother Smith & Wesson - Antonio Casas (Antonio Barros)

Paco Molinas - José Torres (José Medina)

Sheriff of Willow Creek - Fernando Sánchez Polack

Mexican barber - José Zalde (José Zaldua)

Mexican barman - Angelo Susani

Mexican prostitute - Silvana Bacci, Lina Franchi, Alba Maiolini

Mexican officer - Attilio Dottesio

Mormon leader - Herman Reynoso (Hermano Reynoso)

Sarah - Maribel Martín (Maria Martinez)

John O'Leary - Luis Gaspar (Luis Osorio)

Nathan Plummer - Barta Barry (Bernabé Barri)

Dave - Lorenzo Robledo

Widow’s ranch hands - Frank Braña (Francisco Pérez), Molino Rojo, Luis Barboo,

Fernando Bilbao, Santiago Santos

Willow Creek prostitute - Christine Heffernan

Photographer - Giovanni Tarallo

Wedding guests - Mark Spencer (Raniero Darascenzi), José Galera Balazote

Don Gomez Serrano henchman - Amerigo Castrighella

With; Alberigo Donadeo