50th Anniversary of “The Price of Power”

Today marks the 50^th anniversary of the Rome premier of “The Price of Power” directed by Tonino Valerii and starring Giuliano Gemma, Van Johnson and Warren Vanders.

When the president of the United States ends up dying from an assassin's bullet, Willer's further quest for revenge is ultimately more successful. Spanish actress Maria Cuadra plays Lucreatia Garfield, the President's wife. In her role she portrays pretty much the role of Jackie Kennedy as the glamorous President's wife. Even in the assassination scene, Cuadra seems to emulate many of the same actions from Jackie Kennedy's last moments with John F. Kennedy in Dallas in 1963. The film's concept was conceived by Massimo Patrizi, Luigi Comencini's brother-in-law, and serves as an adaptation of the story of John Fitzgerald Kennedy's assassination in the form of a Western. Patrizi also imposed another true story in his script, that the attempted murder of James A. Garfield in 1881.

The film grossed a total of 1,273,858,000 lire on its domestic release in Italy. It was released in Spain on June 9, 1970 as La muerte de un presidente.

Il prezzo del potere – Italian title

La muerte de un presidente – Spanish title

Ringo y el precio del poder – Spanish title

En hamnares vag – Finnish title

Texas – French title

Blutiges Blei – German title

O preco do poder – Portuguese title

Det boldiga Dallas – Swedish title

Cena Vlasti – Yugoslavian title

A Bullet for the President – U.S.A. title

The Price of Power – English title

A 1969 Italian, Spanish co-production [Party Film (Rome), Films Montana (Madrid)]

Producer: Bianco Manini

Director: Tonino Valerii (Antonio Valerii)

Story: Massimo Patrizi, Ernesto Gastaldi

Screenplay: Massio Patrizi

Cinematography: Stelvio Massi [Technicolor, Techniscope]

Music: Luis Enriquez Bacalov

Cast:

William ‘Bill’ Willer – Giuliano Gemma

Artnhur McDonald – Waren Vanders (Warren Vanderschuit)

President James Garfield – Van Johnson (Charles Johnson)

Lucretia Garfield – Maria Jesus Cuadra (Maria Perez)

Jack Donovan – Ray Saunders (Rai Saunders)

Sheriff Jefferson – Benito Stefanelli

Mr. Pinkerton – Fernando Rey (Fernando Arambillet)

Vice President – José Suárez (José Sánchez)

Nick – Manuel Zarzo (Manolo Zarzo)

Wallace – Mike Harvey (Michael Harvey)

Texas Governor – Julio Peña (Julio Muñoz)

Doctor Strips – Pepe Calvo (José Salgado)

Mr. Willer – Antonio Casas (Antonio Barros)

Mortimer – Frank Brana (Francisco Pérez)

Slim – Joaquin Parra

Brett – Lorenzo Robledo

Donovan’s woman – Norma Jordan

Deputy – Carlos Bravo (Ramon Bravo), José Canalejos

Cotton – Ángel Álvarez (Ángel Fernandez)

Saloon patron – Riccardo Pizzuti

With: Massio Carocci, Angel del Pozo (Ángel Merino), Franco Meroni, Luis Rico Pelaez, Maria Luisa Sala, Francisco Sanz, Ralph Neville, Lisardo Iglesias, Roberto Camardiel (Roberto Escudero)