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The Guardian
February 14, 1998
Cable & Satellite
Ringo and His Golden Pistol
Sergio Corbucci 1966
A great title for a good but not great spaghetti Western,
directed by The Other Sergio (Corbucci not Leone) made the same year as his
acknowledged masterpiece, Django. Where the latter film had tortured gunslinger
Franco Nero dragging his coffin after him in his quest for gold. Ringo’s black
clad bounty hunter is considerably more upfront about his crusade to acquire
the shiny yellow stuff if there’s any killing to be done., it’ll only be a
bandit with a price on his head and no paper money, thanks. It’s a policy that
causes our Ringo (or Johnny Oro, as he’s called in the original Italian version
to earn the undying enmity of a clan of Mexican bad hats, and when Ringo is
caged up in a bordertown jail (thanks to an upright lawman’s no gun’s rule),
they come looking for him along with a band of bloodthirsty Apaches. High
cheekboned Mark Damon proves suitably saturnine as the suave shooter of the
title and, as with Django, Corbucci unleashes an awesome battery of relentless
violence at the story’s climax. (AP)
[This was shown at 3 a.m. on TNT]
Johnny Oro's golden pistol was actually a .32 caliber Colt Police Positive with pearl grips and adjustable sights. It also came with a dark black holster and matched Johnny's clothing. The gun seems to be anachronistic as the film takes place in the 1870s and Johnny's golden pistol wasn't introduced until 1905. The actual gun was recommended by then-president Teddy Roosevelt for New York City's policemen and was widely used by law enforcement. But to have one made of 14-karat gold with pearl grips has GOT to be something. I wish I had that gun because after looking at it I'm starting to become jealous. Unfortunately, the version of Johnny Oro that I saw on YouTube was in Italian so I have no clue what they're saying. Which is sad because I'm part Italian. You would think that because I'm part Italian that I would know the language but no. I DO know a tiny bit of Spanish though. And I could tell ya the Spanish title for this movie. "Johnny Oro Y Sus Pistola Oro". Or "Johnny Oro And His Golden Pistol". What I don't get is why he's also called Ringo. I thought Giuliano Gemma was Ringo. Oh well. Have it your way, I guess.
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