RIDE AND KILL

 

Ride and Kill

 

Cavalca e uccidi (Ride and Kill) (Italian title),

Brandy (Spanish title)

El sheriff de Losatumba (Spanish title)

‘Brandy, The Sheriff of Losatumba’ (Spanish title)

El Sheriff de los Atumba (Spanish title)

En voor een whisky meer (For a Few Whisky More) (Belgium title)

Et pour un whisky de plus (And For a Whisky More) (Belgium, French title)

Cavalga E Mata (Brazilian title)

Ride and Kill (Canadian English title)

Pour un whisky de plus (For a Few Whisky More) (Canadian French title)

Pour un Whisky de Plus (For One More Whiskey) (French title)

Gesetz der Bravados (Law of Bravados) (German title)

Οι δολοφόνοι του Τέξας Oi dolofonoi tou Texas (The Killers of Texas), Μπραντυ Ο Σερι8Φης (Brandy The Sheriff) (Greek title)

Jedz i zabijaj! (Polish title)

Ride and Kill (UK USA title) 

 

A 1964 Italian, Spanish coproduction [PEA (Produzioni Europee Associate) [Alberto Grimaldi] (Rome), Copercine Cooperativa Cinematográfica & Fenix Films-Fénix Cooperativa Cinematográfica [Eduardo Manzanos] (Madrid)

Distributors PEA (04/30/64, Italy), Tolerius Films (09/09/64, Spain)

Producers: Alberto Grimaldi, Eduardo Manzanos & Rafael Marina

Director J. L. Boraw / José Luis Borau; 2nd Unit D: Mario Caiano; Ass D: Juan J. Arambillet & Carlos Aured

Novel: El Sheriff de Losatumba  (The Sheriff of Tombstone) by Jose Mallorqui Figueroa (1958)

Screenplay: Joe Baker (José Luis Borau)

Ch: Edmund H. North, D.D. Beauchamp & Felix Jackson, from “Destry” (1954)

Cinematography: Manuel Merino (Spanish) & Aldo Greci (Italian) [Eastmancolor - Totalscope 2,35:1]; Camera Operator Javier Pérez; Assistant Cameraman: José A. Martín; 2nd Unit Photography: Henry Stewart, Mario Sbrenna; 2nd Unit Cam Operator Ramón Sempere; 2nd Unit Photographic Assistant Francisco Alcocer

Film Editor Mercedes Alonso (Spanish) & Daniele Alabiso & Enzo Alabiso (Italian)

Music Riz Ortolani

Running time: 88m (US tv), 86m (Fr vhs), 82m (Sp), 70m (Ger vhs)

Cast:

Alex Nicol (Robert “Brandy”), Margaret Grayson / Maite Blasco [María Teresa Blasco Ranera] (Eva Delannoy), Antonio Casas [Antonio Casas Barros] (Sheriff Clymer), George Rigaud / Jorge Rigaud [Pedro Jorge Rigato Delissetche] (David “Beau” Pritchard), Luis Induni / Albert Lockwood? [Luis Radici Induni] (Steve Donnelly/Tunell), Robert Hundar [Claudio Undari] (Roy Moody), Lawrence Palmer / Renzo Palmer (Pastor Andrews), Natalia Silva (Alice Garrido/McCormick/McCornick), John Mac Douglas / Giuseppe Addobbati (Judge Stauffer), Pauline Baards / Paola Barbara (Mrs. Stauffer), Antonio Gradoli / Anthony Gradwell (Lustus Underhill, banker), José Canalejas (Chirilo, Moody’s lieutenant), Mark Johnson (Chico, sheriff’s assistant), Miguel del S. Castillo & Juan Lizárraga (Ranchers at meeting), Giovanni Petti /Giovanni Petrucci (Lewitt, city councilman), Héctor Quiroga (Murray, rancher), Alfonso Rojas (Hamlin, saloon owner), José Villasante (Patrick, rancher), Victor Rojas Bayo (Rancher spokesman at meeting), Alfonso de la Vega (Blond town spokesman at meeting), Elena Santonja (Mrs. Murray), Wilfredo Casado (Saloon bartender), Rafael Hernández (Council clerk), Pedro Fenollar (Saloon patron), Manuel Ayuso (Mayor), Francisco Braña (Wagon driver), Antonio Orengo (Rancher), Jorge del Moral, Rafael Bejarano (Cowboy #2), Antonio Zamora (Councilmen), Vicente Cárdenas.

[Ex: Compton Cameo [Tony Tenser & Michael Klinger] (06/65, UK), Austria-Filmverleih (06/03/65, Ger), (10/23/68, Fr), Rank Organization (69’s, Bel), Compton Group (70’s, Aus and NZ), France-Film [J.A. DeSèv  & Georges Arpin] (Can-Fr, 73), Paramount TV (06/03/74, US and Can), Palace Video Productions (84, Greece), Videocine (89, FR, vhs), Budget Video, (90’s, US, vhs), BGV (90’s, Fr, vhs), SK Video Film [Josef Koschier] (90’s, GER, vhs), SWV-Something Weird Video [Mike Vraney] (2002, US, vhs), ESI (04/10/02, Fr, dvd), Pidax [Edgar Maurer & Timo Schröder] (08/18/23, Ger, dvd/bluray)]

Synopsis: 1880. Tombstone. Brandy, the town drunk, has been appointed by corrupt officials to replace the local sheriff, after he was killed by their hired gunman.

[Filmed at Golden City, Hoyo de Manzanares, Madrid, Spain, in late 1963]

 

RIDE AND KILL was Spanish director/scripter José Luis Borau’s first feature following several shorts. It appears to have had two significant influences both American, that he borrowed from.

     It was perhaps Borau rather than pulp writer Jose Mallorqui (EL COYOTE) who came with using several plot devices from William Marshall’s “Destry” (1954, Universal-International), aka ‘Honor y Venganza’ (Sp), which was Marshall’s own remake/sequel to “Destry Rides Again” (1939, US, Universal). In both “Destry” and RIDE AND KILL one of the lead characters is called ‘Brandy’, and the just murdered Sheriff is replaced by the Town drunk, as a joke. The new Sheriff then swears to give up drinking and sets to work cleaning up the town. This was Borau’s only western. Pity!

     At some point co-producer Eduardo Manzanos must have purchased the 1958 novel “The Sheriff of Losatumba” (sic) by Jose Mallorqui and started things in motion. In May of 1963, Dave Diamond, of the Samuel Bischoff-Diamond Corporation (Hw), arrived in Spain with a copy of a script entitled “Brandy”, by Gertrude Nare ‘George’ Fox (1890-1967), and was looking for interested partners. He must have contacted Manzanos and struck a deal. Due to the usual Italian and Spanish production rules, Ms. Fox as a nonmember couldn't receive credit. It was her only known work. Or, perhaps Diamond left empty-handed. Instead, he went home and produced Burt Topper’s “The Strangler” (04/64, US, Allied Artists), with Victor Buono (BOOT HILL).

 

     RIDE AND KILL was Alex Nicol’s ninth western, and the third in Europe, following SAVAGE GUNS (07/62) and GUNFIGHTERS OF CASA GRANDE (04/64). He had first arrived in Europe for the war movie “5 Branded Women” (1960). Nicol next was in the obscure BIRTH OF A GUNFIGHTER (10/64). Following that he returned to directing and turned-out episodes of “The Legend of Jesse James”, “Daniel Boone” (both 1966, US) and “Wild, Wild West” (1967-68, US), before starring in A*P*E aka Super Ape / 킹콩의 대역습 / King Kong eui daeyeokseup (US/South Korea, 07/76).

      RIDE AND KILL was producer Alberto Grimaldi’s fifth western, made between SONS OF VENGEANCE (12/63) and THE MAN OF THE CURSED VALLEY (05/64).

     American teen actor Mark Johnson, who played the young ‘deputy’, was an army brat and grew up in Madrid. He later returned to Hollywood and became a successful producer, with such titles as Terence Hill’s “Don Camillo” (It/US, 1984), “The Natural” (1985, US), “Galaxy Quest” (1999, US), “The Alamo” (2004, US), “The Chronicles of Narnia” (2005-10, US) and the upcoming “The Magnificent Seven: The Series (2025, US), amongst others.

By Michael Ferguson