Keoma's 40th Anniversary Premier!

November 25^th marks the 40^th Anniversary of the Italian premier of Enzo Castellari’s “Keoma”. One of the last significant Euro-western films. The story revolves around a half-breed Indian, who returns to his native country after having fought in the Civil War. Unfortunately the situation is much changed: the town is in the hands of the evil Caldwell and everyone is against him except his stepfather and an old Negro friend named George. With the help of both the as Keoma tries to return things as they were before his departure, but he must face-off with his stepbrothers. A situation that hasn’t changed since their childhood as Keoma has never been accepted by them and they’ve always felt he was loved by their father more then they were.

A celebration of the film and its 40^th anniversary was held in Turin, Italy on February 16^th with a showing of the film followed by a question and answer session.

After the Civil War, ex- Union soldier Keoma Shannon, part-Indian and part-white, returns to his home town to find his half-brothers in alliance with a petty tyrant named Caldwell. Caldwell and his gang rule over the town with an iron fist. With the help of his father and George, an old Black friend, he vows revenge. Keoma also shows compassion when he saves a pregnant woman from a group sent by Caldwell's group to be quarantined in a mine camp full of plague victims. Keoma is constantly visited by the apparition of an older woman ("The Witch") who saved him during the massacre of an Indian camp.

Keoma - Italian title

Mon nom est Keoma - Italian title

Keoma il vendicatore - Italian title

Keoma - Brazilian title

Caramba! - Finnish title

Caramba - paholainen kannoilla - Finnish title

Keoma - Melodie des Sterbens - German title

Keoma Ein Mann wie ein Tornado - German title

Keoma - Das Lied des Todes - German title

Coolman Keoma - German title

Keoma - Greek title

Med Satan i hälarna - Swedish title

Keoma - han kom för att hämnas - Swedish title

Keoma - Turkish title

The Violent Breed - English title

Django Rides Again - English title

Django’s Great Return - U.S.A. title

Desperado - U.S.A. title

Keoma the Avenger - U.S.A. title

A 1975 Italian production [Uranos Cinematografica (Rome)]

Producer: Manolo Bolognini

Director: Enzo G. Castellari (Enzo Girolami)

Story: Luigi Montefiore

Screenplay: Mino Roli (Emminio Pontiroli), Nico Ducci, Luigi Montefiore, Enzo G. Castellari (Enzo Girolami)

Dialogue: Nick Alexander [English]

Cinematography: Aiace Parolin [Eastmancolor, Techniscope]

Music: Guido & Maurizio De Angelis

Songs: “Keoma” sung by Sybl and Guy (Susan Duncan Smith & Cesare De Natale), “In Front of My Desperation” sung by Guy (Cesare De Natale)

Running time: 105 minutes

Cast:

Keoma Shannon - Franco Nero (Francesco Sparanero)

Lisa - Olga Karlatos (Olga Vlassopoulos)

George - Woody Strode (Woodrow Strode)

William Shannon - William Berger (Wilhelm Berger)

Caldwell - Donald O’Brien (Donal O’Brien)

Butch Shannon - Orso Maria Guerrini

Lenny Shannon - Antonio Marsina

Cham/Sam Shannon - John Loffredo

doctor - Leon Lenoir (Leopoldo Scavino)

‘The Witch’ - Gabriella Giacobbe

Confederate soldiers - Wolfgang Soldati, Massimo Vanni

brothel owner - Victoria Zinny

Caldwell henchmen - Ken Wood (Giovanni Cianfriglia), Domenico Cianfriglia, Arnaldo Dell Acqua, Roberto Dell Acqua, Angelo Ragusa, Riccardo Pizzuti

plague victim - Pierangelo Civera

saloon patron - Sergio Ruggeri

with: Alfio Caltabiano