50th anniversary of the premier of “Karate, Fists and Beans”

 

Today marks the 50^th anniversary of the premier of “Karate, Fists and Beans”, Directed by Tonino Ricci it starred Dean Reed, Cris Guerta and Iwao Yoshioka. The film tells the story of Sam (Dean Reed) and Buddy Piccolo (Cris Huerta), two highwaymen who go to a convent to find food, instead they find the golden hand of St. Quirinus missing and chase, Colonel Randolf Quint (Alfredo Mayo) who is disguised as a guardian and has stolen the hand. They end up becoming allies with him when they find out he is working with the banker Morgan (Renato Malavasi) to rescue his kidnapped daughter held by Espartaco (Fernando Sancho) and his gang. The hand was going to be given to the kidnappers as ransom. Another plan was to have Tired Finger ( a forger make and sell fake dollars to Espataco but it does not succeed. The forger’s two sons Ken (Sal Borgese) and Clint (Angel Aranda) as well as a Japanese chef named Moikako (Iwao Yoshioka) join Quint, Sam and Buddy. The band enters the hideout of Espartero, with Sam posing as the famous "Brain" while Moikako proposes to capture the outlaw using his karate skills. Baby Morgan is liberated by the band and Espartero is captured and imprisoned.

 

Storia di karatè, pugni e fagioli - Italian title

La ley del karate en el Oeste - Spanish title

Siete contra todos - Spanish title

Karatê, Murros e Feijão - Brazilian title

Du ka karate mig her og der - Danish title

Karatekauhu lännessä Karate - Finnish title

Fäuste, Bohnen und... Karate! - German title

Roben ton dason me toxa kai karate – Greek title

Karate i vilda västern - Swedish title

Karate, yumruk ve Fasulye hikayesi - Turkish title

The Friendly One - English title

Story of Karate, Fists and Beans - English title

Karate, Fists and Beans - English title

 

A 1973 Italian, Spanish co-production [National Cinematografica (Rome), P.C. Balcazar

     (Barcelona)]

Producer: Sergio Borelli

Director: Tonino Ricci

Story: Alfonso Balcazar

Screenplay: Arpad De Riso, Giovanni Scolaro

English dialogue: Ted Rusoff

Cinematography: Jaime Deu Casas [Eastmancolor]

Music: Juniper (Emma De Angelis)

Running time: 92 minutes

 

Cast:

Sam - Dean Reed

Buddy Piccolo/Small - Cris Huerta (Crisanto Brieva)

Moikako Fujibashi - Iwao Yoshioka (Ivao Yoshika)

Colonel Randolf Quint - Alfredo Mayo (Alfredo Martinez)

Andy Johnson - Pino Ferrara (Giuseppe Ferrara)

Ken Goldenhand - Sal Borgese (Salvatore Borgese)

Farmer - Dante Cleri

Clint Goldenhand - Ángel Aranda

Sheriff - Luis Induni (Luigi Radici)

Deputies - Gaspar González, Ángel Lombarte

Morgan - Renato Malavasi

Mexican dancer - Carla Mancini

Espartero - Fernando Sancho (Fermando Les)

Espartero henchman – Juan Patiño Lucio Zarini, José Luis Chinchilla

‘Baby’ Morgan - Francesca Romana Coluzzi

Judge Angus McLeod/Johnson - Gustavo Re

Freddy - Freddy Unger (Geoffredo Unger)

Espartero henchman - Juan Patiño, Lucio Zarini, José Luis Chinchilla

Father Modesto – Ivan Torres (Juan Torres)

Concha - Irene d’Astrea

Henry - Claudio Ruffini

Zachary Todd – Pajarito (Manuel Muñiz)

Chinese eatery dinner – Sergio Smacchi

Mexican diner owner - Antonio Almorós (Ramón Almorós)

Mexican diner waiter – Francisco Jarque Zurbano

Duck hunters – Franco Ukmar, Renzo Pevarello, Arnaldo Dell’Acqua

Trial protestor – Antonio Ponciano

Townsman – Riccardo Petrazzi