50th Anniversary of “I Quattro dell’Ave Maria” (Ace High)

Today marks the 50^th anniversary of the premier of “Ace High” in Rome, Italy. This is the second in a three part series of westerns directed by Giuseppe Colizzi and starring Terence Hill and Bud Spencer. After beating Bill San Antonio and "rescuing" the stolen gold (“Dio perdona... Io no!” God Forgives… I Don’t), Cat (Terence Hill) and Hutch (Bud Spencer) try to collect from the partner, a banker who gave tips about gold deliveries. The banker makes a deal with Cacopoulos (Eli Wallach) for his escape and Caco will kill Cat and Hutch. Caco, of course double-crosses the banker, steals Cat and Hutch's money and sets out for Mexico on an agenda of revenge, with Cat and Hutch in pursuit.

"Ace High" is a neo-Sergio Leone, revenge western which stars Eli Wallach as a comic badman of notable antecedents. "My grandfather," he says, "was Greek, like Sophocles and Plato." Wallach often looks like Buddy Hackett, but other characters describe him as a modern Jesus, so it's difficult to know when Colizzi is kidding. The Clint Eastwood role is played by Terence Hill who, according to a helpful program note, "changed his name from Mario Girotti to avoid confusion with another Italian actor, Massimo Girotti (no relation)." Wallach and Hill have very blue eyes and fine teeth. There is hardly one full set of teeth among all the other people in the cast, which was one way of stimulating authentic Western atmosphere.

I Quattro dell’Ave Maria – Italian title

Asso piglia tutto – Italian title

Ace High – U.S.A. title

Os 4 da Ave Maria – Brazilian title

Os Quatro da Ave Maria – Brazilian title

Четиримата от Аве Мария – Bulgarian title

Trumfove eso - Czechoslovakian title

Hævneren fra El Paso – Danish title

Ace High – Dutch title

Tappava hymy – Finnish title

Luojan lähettiläät – Finnish title

Les quattre de l’Ave Maria – French title

Deux honnetes crapules – French title

Vier für ein Ave Maria- German title

Oi 4 tou Ave Maria – Greek title

Bosszu El Pasoban – Hungarian title

Ess pa top – Norwegian title

O ás vale mais – Portuguese title

Cei patru de Ave Maria – Romanian title

Козырной туз – Russian title

Stirje v igri – Slovenian title

Eis quatre bergants - Spanish title

Los cuatro truhanes – Spanish title

Ess i topp – Swedish title

Bize Trinita Derler – Turkish title

Revenge at El Paso – U.K. title

Have Gun Will Travel – U.K. title

The Four of the Ave Maria – English title

Gunmen of the Ave Maria – English title

Four Gunmen of the Ave Maria – English title

Revenge in El Paso – English title

Aces High – English title

Ace High – English title

A 1967 Italian, U.S.A. film co-production [Crono Cinematografica, Finanzia San Marco (Rome)]

Producers: Bino Cicogna, Giuseppe Colizzi

Director: Giuseppe Colizzi

Story: Giuseppe Colizzi

Screenplay: Giuseppe Colizzi

Cinematography: Marcello Masciocchi [Technicolor, Techniscope]

Music: Carlo Rustichelli

Running time: 137 minutes

Cast:

Cacopoulos - Eli Wallach

Cat Stevens - Terence Hill (Mario Girotti)

Hutch Bessy - Bud Spencer (Carlo Pedersoli)

Thomas - Brock Peters (George Fisher)

Drake - Kevin McCarthy

Mr. Harold - Stephan Zacharias (Steffan Zacharias)

Paco Rosa - Livio Lorenzon

Thomas’ wife - Tiffany Hoyveld (Maria Lorray)

Cangaciero - Remo Capitani

Bank cashier - Armando Bandini (Antonio Burlando)

Foster - Rick Boyd (Federico Boido)

Deputy Charlie - Bruno Corazzari

Al - Franco Gulà

Don Pedro Ramirez – Vicente Roca

Irish farm boy - Enzo Santaniello

Irish farm girl - Simonetta Santaniello

Drake henchman - Gino Marturano (Luigi Marturano), Mel Gaines 

Joe - Frank Braña (Francisco Pérez)

Harold henchmen - Antonio Molina Rojo, Gildo di Marco, Riccardo Pizzuti

Banker - Dante Cleri

Casino employee - Aldo Sala

Casino cashiers - Luciano Telli, Giuseppe Terranova

Casino guest - Quinto Marziale

Roulette player – Angelo Casadei

Boxing promoter - Giancarlo Badessi

Croupier - Roger Beaumont

Roulette players - Edoardo Torricella, Carlo Landa

Gambler – Elio Angelucci (Aurelio Angelucci)

Joe – Frank Brana

Boxer – Leroy Haynes

Drunk - Fulvio Pellegrino

Saloon girl - Antoinetta Fiorito

Man on street - Corrado Olmi

With: Paolo Magalotti

Stunts: Ferdinando Poggi