50th Anniversary of Sartana the Gravedigger

The third Sartana film starring Gianni Garko premiered in Rome, Italy 50 years ago today. Anthony Ascott (Giuliano Carnimeo) remarked that Gianni Garko came up with many of the illusions and tricks that Sartana would perform in the film. Unlike Gianfranco Parolini, the director of If You Meet Sartana Pray for Your Death, Carnimeo stated he did not have any issues shooting the film with Klaus Kinski. Carnimeo said that Kinski arrived on set, proceeded to costumes and make-up and then on set and that Kinski was "meticulous and precise like a Swiss watch."  This film proved to be one of the most popular in the Sartana series and helped establish Gianni Garko as a major star in the Euro-western genre.

Sono Sartana, il vostro becchino – Italian title

Yo soy Sartana – Argentinian title
Angel of Death: Sartana – Australian title
Le fossoyeur – French title
Je suis Sartana, l’ange de la mort – French title
Sartana - Töten war sein täglich Brot – German title
Ta gerakia petoun psila – Greek title
Anoigo tafous, pairno ekdikisi – Greek title
Sartana esta de volta – Portuguese title
Yo soy vuestra Verdugo – Spanish title
Sartana - Dödens ängel – Swedish title
Mezar Kazici! – Turkish title
Sartananin oyunu – Turkish title
I’ll Dig Your Grave – English title
I’m Sartana… I’ll Dig Your Grave – English title
Sartana – Angel of Death – English title
I am Sartana, Your Angel of Death – English title
I am Sartana, Your Grave Digger – English title
Sartana the Gravedigger – English title

A 1969 Italian production [Ambrosiano Cinematografica (Rome)]
Producer: Aldo Addobbati, Paolo Moffa
Director: Anthony Ascott (Giuliano Carnimeo)
Story: Tito Carpi (Fiorenzo Carpi)
Screenplay: Tito Carpi (Fiorenzo Carpi), Enzo dell’Aquila (Vincenzo dell’Aquila)
Cinematography: Giovanni Bergamini [Eastmancolor, Cromoscope]
Music: Vasco & Mancuso (Vassili Kojucharov, Elsio Mancuso)
Running time: 102 minutes
 

Story: A bunch of professionals rob a bank, including one disguised as Sartana, and everyone now believes Sartana did it. Now hundreds of bounty hunters are after him, while he is looking for the mastermind and trying to clear his name.

Cast:
Sartana – Gianni Garko (Giovanni Garković)
Buddy Ben/Bear – Frank Wolff (Walter Wolff)
Chadeau/Holden/Hot Dead – Klaus Kinski (Nikolaus Nakaszynski)
Judge – Renato Baldini
Baxter Red – Ettore Manni
Deguejo – Gordon Mitchell (Charles Pendleton)
Sheriff Fisher – Sal Borgese (Salvatore Borgese)
Shadow – José Torres (José Medina)
Bill Cochran – Rick Boyd (Federico Boido)
Mayor – Franco Pesce (Francesco Pesce)
Omero Crown – Tulio Altamura
Gin – Celso Faria
Slim – Jean Louis
Judge’s henchman – Samson Burke (Samuel Burke)
Sheriff – John Bartha (János Barta)
Deputy - Giovanni Petrucci
Innkeeper – Ermelinda De Felice
Hotel Owner – Tchang Yu (Yu Tchang)
Banker – Giuseppe Mattei
Barber – Bruno Boschetti
Gambler – Vittorio Fanfoni
Baxter Red henchmen – José Balzote, Roberto Messina
With: Lorenzo Piani, Fortunato Arena, Alberico Donodeo