A Minute to Pray, a Second to Die 50th Anniversary

50 years ago today saw the premier of “A Minute to Pray, a Second to Die” starring Alex Cord, Arthur Kennedy and Robert Ryan in Rome, Italy. A morose film based on a man who thinks he has epilepsy but it’s a bullet he received in a gunfight that occasionally on a nerve in his gun hand. When he finally get the bullet removed he decides to take a pardon offered by the Governor. Depending on which version of the film you see you get a happy or unhappy ending for Clay McCord.  The film grossed $885,000 in the U.S.

Clay McCord is a legendary outlaw determined to live the life of a law-abiding citizen. Colby is the town marshal who lives by the letter of the law. Not far from Colby’s peaceful town is Escondido, a haven for criminals led by Kraut, a trigger happy outlaw who welcomes those who are wanted by the law. McCord worries that he may have the epilepsy that plagued his father and hastened his demise. He battles the sadistic gunman while hoping for a pardon from the sympathetic governor. He also falls for the lovely Laurinda as he walks between the two worlds of the law and the lawless. The film has two endings: one McCord receives his amnesty and rides away a free man ready to start a new life. The second ending has McCord receiving amnesty but is shot and killed by two bounty hunters when he leaves town. The bounty hunters, unaware McCord is not wanted anymore and receive nothing for their trouble when they go to turn the body in.

Un minute per pregare, un instante per morire – Italian title

Dove vai ti ammazzo – Italian title

Escondido – Italian title

Elävänä tai kuolleena – Finnish title

Une minute pour prier… une seconde pour mourir – French title

Mehr tot als labendig – German title

Kataziteitai: Zontanos i nekros – Greek title

Zywy lub martwy – Polish title

Morto oy vivo – Portuguese title

Un’ minute para rezar… un Segundo para morir – Spanish title

En minut att be, en sekund att do – Swedish title

Dead or Alive – English title

Outlaw Gun – English title

A Minute to Pray, a Second to Die – U.S.A. title

A 1967 Italian production [Documento Film (Rome)]

Producers: Albert Band, Selig J. Seligman

Director: Franco Giraldi

Story: Albert Band

Screenplay: Ugo Liberatore, Louis Garfinkle

Cinematography: Aiace Parolin [Eastmancolor]

Music: Carlo Rustichelli

Running time: 103 minutes

Cast:

Clay McCord – Alex Cord

Marshal Roy W. Colby – Arthur Kennedy

Governor Lem Carter – Robert Ryan

Laurinda – Nicoletta Machiavelli

Kraut – Mario Brega

‘Cheap’ Charley – Renato Romano

Deputy Marshal Butler – Franco Lantieri

Fred Duskin – Gianpiero Albertini

Father Santana – Daniel Martin

Doctor Chase – Enzo Fiermonte

Seminole – Pedro Canalejas (José Canaleja)

Fuzzy – Osiride Pevarello

El Bailarin – José Manuel Martin

Sein – Antonio Molino Rojo

Ruby – Rosita Palomar

Barber – Paco Sanz

Sid – Paolo Magalotti

Zack – Massimo Sarchielli

Deputy – Claudio Ruffini

Clay McCord as a boy – Ottaviano Dell’Acqua

Ruby’s son – Alberto Dell’Acqua

Jonas – Antonio Vico

Jesús Maria – Aldo Sambrell

Kraut henchmen – Spartaco Conversi, Lorenzo Robledo, Franco Balducci

Doc’s old assistant – Gino Marturano

Storekeeper – Benito Stefanelli

Pete – Guglielmo Spoletini

Bounty hunter – Lorenzo Robledo

Old outlaw – Franco Gulà

Saloon patron – Mimmo Poli, Claudio Ruffini, Nino Vingelli

Townsman – John Bartha

With: Fortunato Arena, Silla Bettini, Giovanni Scratuglia