50th anniversary of “Sonny & Jed”

 

Today marks the 50^th anniversary of the premier of “Sonny & Jed”. Directed by Sergio Corbucci and starring Tomas Milan, Susan George and Telly Savals. The fil is about Jed Trigado (Milian) who is an extravagant lone outlaw, who only steals from the rich and hides out in Bandera, Mexico, with the peaceful Somillo Indian tribe. His biggest enemy is Sheriff Franciscus (Savalas), who is determined to avenge the defeat suffered at the hands of Jed who managed to escape from his prison after killing many men. Sonny (Susan George) is a great admirer of Jed and wants to work with him. The insistence of the girl, and the pressure of Franciscus, forces the reluctant Jed to accept her and after a few robberies taken together and they get married and then rob the minister. Franciscus, still in pursuit of the outlaw couple demand from the sheriff (Alvaro de Luna) a promise, that in addition to a sizeable reward, he grants amnesty for all their crimes. But this strategy is unsuccessful, and they escape during a fire set in a barn which results in the blindness of Sheriff Franciscus. Now emboldened, Sonny and Jed present themselves at the banquet of Garcia Moreno (Eduardo Fajardo) and his wife, Linda (Rossana Yanni), during which Jed kidnaps the lady and takes her to Bandera. Sonny becomes jealous of Linda and allows Sheriff Franciscus to enter Jed’s hideout. Jed is wounded by him and Sonny, nurses him back on his feet, and forces her husband to follow her in a state of subservience, treating him like a slave which is how Jed treated Sonny at the beginning of their relationship.

 

J. and S. – storia criminale del far west – Italian title

La banda J. & S. – cronaca criminale del far-west – Italian title

Los hijos del dia y de la noche – Spanish title

Die rote Sonne der Rache – German title

Jed & Sonny – Australian title

Lännen karhukopla – Finnish title

Far West Story – French title

Listeia ala Amerikanika – Greek title

Grym Revansch – Swedish title

Far West Story – U.K. title

Bandera Bandits – English title

The Gang of the Far West – English title

The J & S Band – English title

J & S: The Criminal Story of an Outlaw Couple – English title

Bandits! – U.S.A. title

Sonny & Jed – U.S.A. title

 

A 1972 Italian, Spanish, West German film co-production [Producciones

     Cinematográficas Orfeo (Rome), Roberto Loyola Cinematografica Sp A (Madrid),

     Terra-Filmkunst (Munich)]

Producer: Roberto Loyola

Director: Sergio Corbucci

Story: Sergio Corbucci

Screenplay: Sergio Corbucci, Sabatino Ciuffini, Mario Amendola, Adriano Bolzoni, José

     María Forqué

Cinematography: Luis Cuadrado (Luis Encinar) [Technicolor]

Music: Ennio Morricone

     Songs: “Sonny”, “Sweet Susan” sung by I Cantori Moderni

Running time: 97 minutes

 

Cast:

Jed Trigado – Tomas Milian (Tomás Rodríguez)

Sonny – Susan George

Sheriff Franciscus – Telly Savalas (Aristotelis Savalas)

Linda Moreno – Rossana Yanni (Marta Paxot)

Aparacito – Franco Giacobini (Francesco Giacobini)

Doña Aparacito – Laura Betti (Laura Trombetta)

Doñ Garcia Moreno – Eduardo Fajardo

Merril – Herbert Fux

Killer – Werner Pochath

Bounty hunter – Dan van Husen (Daniel van Husen)

Felipe – Victor Israel (Josep Vilanova)

Somillo – Simón Arriaga

Don Garcia henchmen – Jose Canalejas, Raphael Albaicin

Lawman in bowler – Álvaro de Luna (Álvaro Blanco)

Roulette croupier – Lorenzo Robeldo

Chico - Juanito Santiago

Garcia aide – Jaime Doria

Garcia bodyguard - Rafael Albaicín (Ignacio Escudero)

Sheriff – Alvaro de Luna

Silvertown sheriff – Bennie Thomas

Franciscus deputy - Gene Collings (Gene Collins), Gonzalo Esquiroz (Gonzalo de

     Esquiroz)

Party guests – Felipe Urmeneta, Antonio Orengo

Padre - Ricardo G. Lilló

Prostitutes - Carmen Guardón, Beatriz Savón, Lucy Tiller (Lluch Tiller)

Mexican newlywed – Luis Aller

Newlywed – Pilar Clement (Pilar Clemens)

Photographer - Miguel Amario (Miguel Bosch)

Little P ranch host - José Riesgo (José Cortina)

Ferryman - Léopoldo Francés

Stagecoach shotgun guard – Joaquin Parra

Townsman - Fabián Conde (Domingo García)

With: Pilar Climent, Mario Talleri, Ruggero Fedozzi, Luis Cuadraro,

Ruggero Fedozzi, David Nero, Juan Cazalilla