.Westerns...All'Italiana!: 50th Anniversary of Beyond the Law

Tuesday, April 10, 2018

50th Anniversary of Beyond the Law

Today marks the 50th Anniversary of the premier of “Beyond the Law” in Rome, Italy. Lee Van Cleef had reached star billing because of this previous roles in “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” and “The Big Gundown” the year before and up and coming western actor Antonio Sabato who had previously appeared the previous year in “Hate for Hate”. Lee plays a veteran outlaw who is reformed through his friendship with young mining engineer Ben Novak, who has recently arrived from Europe. Most of Van Cleef’s Euro-western would follow a similar path where he would play a father figure and teacher of younger characters ab out the West and how to stay alive and cope with all they will face in a harsh and rugged land.

Lee plays thief Billy Joe Cudlip an outlaw who decides to change his life and become one of the good guys. But when he's named sheriff, he finds himself torn between the forces of good and evil, uphold the law or succumb to the temptation of a shipment of silver worth a fortune?

The film found very limited release in the U.S.A. and for many years I believed it was never released in the United States until I found an press book and an ad mat which came from Oregon. I myself never saw the film until it popped up one day on television. I had heard of the film but it had not yet come out on video so it was a pleasant surprise to watch Lee play a different and like Jaroo in “El Condor” a vulnerable character. It is also curious because of the presence of Bud Spencer in a beardless role as James Cooper.

Die letzte Rechnung zahlst du selbst – German title

Al di là della legge – Italian title

Um Colt Paraos Filhos do Diabo – Brazilian title

Más allá de la ley – Spanish title

Los indomables – Spanish title

O dia da Lei – Brazilian title

Turpa tukkoon – Finnish title

Pas de pitie pour les salopards – French title

Pio pera apo ton nomo – Greek title

I Teleftaia sfaira gia ton serifi – Greek title

Az utolso szamlat te fizeted – Hungarian title

Utenfor loven – Norwegian title

Do diabla z prawem! - Polish title

À Margem da lei - Portuguese title

Bortom lagen – Swedish title

Sheriffen i Silvertown – Swedish title

Bloodsilver – U.K. title

The Last Bill is Yours – U.K. title

The Outrider – U.K. title

The Good Die First – U.S.A. title

Beyond the Law – U.S.A. title

A 1967 German, Italian film co-production [Roxy Film GmbH (Munich), Sancro Siap

(Rome)]

Producer: Alfonso Sansone, Enrico Chrosciki

Director: George Finley (Giorgio Stegani)

Story: Warren Kiefer (Lorenzo Sabatini)

Screenplay: Fernando di Leo, Mino Roli (Erminio Pontiroli), Warren Kiefer, Inge Hilger,

Giorgio Stegani

Cinematography: Enzo Serafin (Vincenzo Serafin) [Technicolorl Techniscope]

Music: Riz Ortolani (Riziero Ortolani)

Song: “How Much You Miss Me” sung by Katyna Ranieri

Running time: 110 minutes

Story: An outlaw decides to change his life and become one of the good guys. But when he's named sheriff, he finds himself torn between the forces of good and evil, uphold the law or succumb to the temptation of a shipment of silver worth a fortune?

Cast:

Billy Joe Cudlip - Lee Van Cleef (Clarence Van Cleef, Jr.)

Ben Novak - Antonio Sabato

Burton - Gordon Mitchell (Charles Pendleton)

‘Preacher’ - Lionel Stander

Al - Al Hoosman (Alston Hoosman)

James Cooper - Bud Spencer (Carlo Pedersoli)

Sally Davis - Graziella Granata

Betty/Lola - Ann Smyrner (Rohde Nielsen)

Hotel owner - Adriana Facchetti

Sheriff John Ferguson - Enzo Fiermonte (Vincenzo Fiermonte)

Mr. Davis/Abe Pik - Hans Elwenspoek