50th anniversary of “They Call Him Veritas”

 

Today also marks the 50^th anniversary of “They Call Him Veritas”. Directed by Luigi Perelli and starring Mark Damon, Pat Nigro Franco Garofalo and Pietro Ceccarelli. The story is about

Story: Veritas (Damon), Jesse (Ceccarelli), Misery (Garofalo) and Chigger (Nigro) who are rascals who live by their wits between Sacramento and San Antonio. Taking advantage of the confusion caused by the Civil War, they wear suitably different uniforms and profess to be heroes. Eventually they wear the wrong uniforms and fall into the hands of southerners, who condemn them to death and then let them free because the war is over. Penniless and clumsy, the four sneak a free meal and some donkeys from the monks of a monastery, then end up in a home as servants of Paquita (Maria D’Incoronato), who knows where a corrupt official has hidden gold. They develop a plan to evade the surveillance of the bodyguards of the military and to rob the latter. They load the gold on a wagon. But when they are about to take flight, are in turn tricked by a mysterious character. Veritas, admires him and asked his name: it is Will James (Guglielmo Spoletini), author of the book "How to get Rich in the West". Given the effectiveness of James, Veritas takes his optimism and instills it in his companions.

 

Lo chiamavano Verità – Italian title

Os 4 Magníficos Pistoleiros – Brazilian title

They Called Him Verity – Danish title

On m’appelle Verita – French title

Itan pio tolmiros kai ton elegan Verita – Greek title

Le llamaban la Verdad – Spanish title

Smartast i vastern – Swedish title

They Call Him Veritas – English title

 

A 1972 Italian film production [R.T.R. Medusa Film (Rome)]

Producers: Oreste Coltellacci, Giulio Scanni

Director: Luigi Perelli

Story: Oreste Coltellacci

Screenplay: Oreste Coltellacci

Cinematography: Mario Capriotti [Technicolor, Techniscope]

Music: Manuel de Sica

Running time: 91 minutes

 

Cast:

Veritas/Verity – Mark Damon (Alan Herskovitz)

Chigger/Gigante – Pat Nigro (Pasquale Nigro)

Jeese/Jezel – Pietro Ceccarelli

Misery – Franco Garofalo

Paquita – Maria D’Incoronato

Saloon patron – Pietro Torrisi

Spencer/William James – William Bogart (Guglielmo Spoletini)

Spencer henchman- Rico Boido (Federico Boido)

Dying Mexican – Stefano Oppedisano

Pierre – Gigi Bonos (Luigi Bonos)

Friar – Giorgio Dolfin

Captain – Enzo Fiermonte (Vincenzo Fiermonte)

Louis James - Corrado Annicelli

Sheriff - Biagio Pelligra (Giuseppe Aloitta)

With: Franco Scanni, Tony Askin (Antonio Aschi), Giuseppe Alotta, Mauro Mannatrizio, Michele Basile, Gilberto Galimberti