50th anniversary of "The Return of Hallelujah"

 Today marks the 50^th anniversary of the premier of “The Return of Hallelujah” directed by Anthony Ascott (Giuliano Carmineo) and starring George Hilton, Lincoln Tate and Agata Flori. The film tells the story of a gunman named Hallelujah who, for a reasonable compensation, to provide the revolutionary general Ramirez an Aztec idol, known as "El Niño", the possession of which will attain for him the support of the Indians in the fight against Maximilian and General Miranda. The statue, stolen by a thief, Flora, and his accomplice, the Scotsman Archie, who, ignoring the value and significance, have used it to hide precious jewels in. However, the idol has ended up in the hands of two peons, who have sold it to a pawn shop. Hallelujah is able to retrieve the idol, and then sells it, to a businessman rather than Ramirez. Ferguson is interested in selling it in exchange for significant business benefits to General Miranda. After receiving it, in turn, from the leader of the Indians he realizes that the statue is a fake. Hallelujah, in reality still holds the real one. He then has to deal with Miranda’s henchmen, Ferguson, Flora and Archie. He plays one against the other and eventually brings the idol to Ramirez.

 

Il West ti va stretto, amico... è arrivato Alleluja – Italian title

Alléluia défie l'Ouest – French title

Le far west est trop petit pour toi, mon ami: Alleluja est arrive – French title

Beichtet, Freunde, Halleluja kommt – German title

El West es estrevho para ti, amigo! Ha llegado Alleluja – Filipino title

Alleluja zise ki ase tous allous na fonazoun – Greek title

O Regresso de Aleluia – Portuguese title

Bati sana dar gelecek arkadas – Turkish title

The West is Tough, Amigo… Alleuja’s Here – English title

The West is Very Close, Amigo – English title

Deep West – English title

The Return of Hallelujah – English title

 

A 1972 Italian, French, German co-production [Colosseo Artistica (Rome), France Cinema Productions (Paris), Hermes Synchron (Berlin)]

Producer: Dario Sabatello

Director: Anthony Ascott (Giuliano Carnimeo)

Story: Giovanni Simonelli

Screenplay: Tito Carpi, Ingo Hermes, Giovanni Simonelli

Cinematography: Stelvio Massi [Eastmancolor, Cinemascope]

Music: Stelvio Cipriani

Running time: 100 minutes

 

Cast:

Johnny la Faine/Alleluja/Hallelujah – George Hilton

Archie – Lincoln Tate

Fleurette – Agata Flori

Sam – Raymond Bussières

Zagaya – Riccardo Garrone

Priest – Aldo Barberito

General Ramirez – Roberto Camardiel

Abel – Giovanni Pazzafini

Drake – Paolo Gozlino

Ferguson – Umberto D’Orsi

Mexican officer – Renato Baldini

Ferguson henchman – Paolo Magalotti

Schultz – Peter Berling

Austrian – Adriana Faccheti

Cain – Lars Bloch

Mara/Mary – Mara Krupp

Sheriff with fishes – Fortunato Arena

Laredo deputy – Gianni Pulone

Sheriff – Luigi Antonio Guerra

Sheriff of Laredo – Goffredo Ungar

Claude – Claudio Ruffini

Bartender – Attilio Dottesio

Ferguson’s partner – Nando Sarlo

Tom Ferguson – Alfred Thomas

Ferguson henchman – Sergio Ukmar, Aldo Cecconi, Giulio Mauroni

Lt. Von Steffen – Michael Hinz

Indian chief – Pasquale Fasciano

Lieutenant Von Steffen – Michael Hinz

Stagecoach passenger – Adriana Faccheti 

Church camp women – Margherita Horowitz, Maria de Sisti

Nuts/Nutcraker – Pietro Torrisi

Undertakers – Vincenzo De Palo, Salvatori Billa

Ramirez soldier - Augusto Funari

Austrian Soldiers – Calogero Azzaretto, Renzo Pevarello, Salvatore Billa, Roberto

     Dell’Acqua, Clemente Ukmar, Raniero Dorascenzi, Maurizio Streccioni, Silvio Klein,

     Giglio Gigli, Michele Branca, Rinaldo Zamperla, Roberto Dell’Acqua, Giancarlo

     Ukmar

Grizzly/Drake henchmen – Aldo Pedinotti, Oscar Giustini, Antonio Basile, Sisto Brunetti, Sergio Testori, Sergio Smacchi

Townswoman – Eleonore Morana

With: Martial Bresson, Antonio Guerra, Annemarie Schüler