Navajo Joe 50th Premier Anniversay

On November 25^th 1966 “Navajo Joe” premiered in Italy. The legend has it that Burt Reynolds was debating whether to go to Spain and Italy to star in the film but when he was told he would be working with ‘Sergio’ he quickly agreed. It wasn’t until he was in Rome that he found out that it was Sergio Corbucci he would be working with not Sergio Leone. Burt has always put the film down saying, “I looked like Natalie Wood," and that it sas one of his worst films, but in reality “Navajo Joe” has gained cult status over the years and the score by Ennio Morricone is his most outrageous efforts.  The film is brutal and violent with beatings, shootings and a tomahawk fights. The film was supposed to lift villain Aldo Sambrell to stardom and Burt Reynolds an international star. Neither happened, but in the long run both actors made a name for themselves in the industry and the film is still shown and has become a genre fan favorite. Happy 50^th Anniverary!

Having massacred an Indian village, outlaw Duncan finds his men falling victim to a solitary rider, Navajo Joe. Joe saves three prostitutes who have overheard Duncan plot with Lynne, the town doctor, to steal a train full of money belonging to the bank. Joe steals the train back from Duncan's gang. He asks the townspeople of Esperanza to pay him to protect them from Duncan, making an offer of "I want a dollar a head from every man in this town for every bandit I kill." The townspeople reject him, as they "don't make bargains with Indians." Lynne's wife Hannah persuades them otherwise. Joe sets a trap for Duncan, but is caught and tortured; Lynne and Hannah are killed. Rescued by an old man from the saloon, Joe again steals the train and eradicates Duncan's gang. There is then a showdown in an Indian cemetery, where Joe reclaims the pendant that Duncan stole from his wife when he murdered her. As Joe turns, Duncan shoots Joe with a hidden gun. Injured, Joe grabs a tomahawk and throws it, hitting Duncan square in the forehead. With Duncan dead, Joe sends his horse back to town, carrying the bank's money.

Un dollaro a testa – Italian title

Navajo Joe – Italian title

Joe, el implacable – Spanish title

Joe – O pistoleiro Implacável – Brazilian title

Навахо Джо – Bulgarian title

En dollar pr. Hoved – Danish title

Navajo Joe – 1 dollar päänahasta – Finnish title

Navajo Joe – French title

Kopfgeld: ein Dollar – German title

An seinen Stiefeln klebte Blut - German title

Navajos Land – German title

Red Fighter – German title

Navajo Joe – Greek title

Navajo Joe – Hungarian title

Nevada Joe – Iranian title

Navajo Joe – Portuguese title

Навахо Джо – Russian title

Navajo Joe – en dollar per skalle – Swedish title

Aci intikam – Turkish title

Навахо Джо – Ukraine title

Savage Run – English title

Navajo’s Land – English title

A Dollar a Head – English title

Navajo’s – U.S.A. title

Navajo Joe – U.S.A. title

A 1966 Italian, Spanish co-production [Dino de Laurentis Cinematografica (Rome), C.B. Films S.A. (Barcelona)]

Producer: Lugi Carpentieri, Ermanno Donati, José Luis Dibildos

Director: Sergio Corbucci

Story: Ugo Pirro (Ugo Mattone)

Screenplay: Fernando Di Leo, Dean Craig (Piero Regnoli)

Cinematography: Silvano Ippolitti [Technicolor, Techniscope]

Music: Leo Nichols (Ennio Morricone)

Song: “Navajo Joe” sung by Gianni Spagnolo and I Cantori Moderni

Running time: 93 minutes

Cast:

Joe/Navajo Joe – Burt Reynolds (Burton Reynolds, Jr.)

Mervyn ‘Vee’ Duncan – Aldo Sambrell (Alfredo Brell)

Estella – Nicoletta Machiavelli

Maria – Tanya Lopert

Monkey – Simón Arriaga

Parson Rattigan/Brother Jonathan – Fernando Rey (Fernando Vega)

Barbara – Franca Polesello

Geraldine – Lucia Modugno

El Gordo – Cris Huerta (Crisanto Brieva)

Doctor Chester Lynne – Peter Cross (Pierre Cressoy)

Oliver Blackwood – Ángel Álvarez (Ángel Fernández)

Sancho Ramirez – Álvaro de Luna (Álvaro Blanco)

Sheriff Elmo Reagan – Gianni do Stolfo

Chuck Holloway – Nino Imparato (Antonio Imparato)

Mayor Jefferson Clay – Mario Lanfranchi

El Cojo - Ángel Ortiz (Riccardo Ortiz)

Robledo – Lorenzo Robledo

Tim – Raf Baldassarre (Raffaele Baldassarre)

Duncan henchmen – Rafael Albaicin (Ignacio Escudero), Enrique Santiago, Valentino Macchi

Jeffrey Duncan – Lucio Rosato

Hannah Blackwood Lynne – Valeria Sabel

Swedish immigrant – Lars Bloch

Swedish immigrant's wife - Dianik (Dyanik Zurakowska)

Soldier – José Terrón (José Penaranda)

Esperanza telegrapher - Juan Casalilla(Juan Cazalilla)

Townsman – Fortunato Arena

Joe’s wife – Maria Cristina Sani (Cristina Iosani)

With: Roberto Paoletti, Roderick Auguste