Today marks the 50th anniversary of “Massacre
at Fort Holman” directed by Tonino Valerii and starring Telly Savalas, James
Coburn and Bud Spencer. It tells the tale of
former Union Colonel Pembroke (Coburn), the former commander of Fort
Holman, was expelled from the army because it was felt he was guilty of
surrendering the fort without a fight to the Confederate forces. In fact he had
surrendered their weapons only because the enemy was holding his son hostage.
Having escaped from the camp where he was interned, he ends up, wrongly accused
of theft, in the hands of a former colleague Major Charles Ballard (José Suárez
using the alias Joseph Mitchell) who condemns him to death. In telling the
truth, Pembroke convinces Ballard to give him a chance at redemption by
allowing him to recapture Fort Holman. He is then assigned ten men, already
condemned to be hanged for various crimes. Hinting at the possibility of
granting them a pardon, Pembroke convinces the condemned men to follow him, and
with their help gains entrance into the fort - manned by hundreds of soldiers
and by an elaborate alarm system - destroying and killing the entire garrison
along with Major Ward (Savalas). After the battle, only Pembroke and Eli
Sampson (Spencer) are still alive.
Una ragione per vivere e una per morire – Italian title
Una razón para vivir y una para morir – Spanish title
Une raison pour vivre, une raison pour morir – French
title
La horde des salopards – French title
Der Dicke und das Warzenschwein – German title
Sie verkaufen den Tod – German title
Uma razao para viver, uma razao para morrer – Argentinian
title
Trinity... Os Sete Magníficos – Brazilian title
De hårde halses hævn – Danish title
Djävulens drängar – Finnish title
Fort Holmanin verilöyly – Finnish title
Kuoleman peli – Finnish title
Paholaisen palkkalaiset – Finnish title
Itan iroes kai tous elegan katharmata – Greek title
O Bouldozas, o Falakros kai o Kitriniaris – Greek title
Ohyro Holman – Greek title
Élet vagy halál – Hungarian title
Prawo do zycia, prawo do smierci – Polish title
Uma Razão para Viver, Outra para Morrer – Portuguese
title
De Hängdas revansch – Swedish title
Uppskov med doden – Swedish title
Yasamak icin bir neden, olmek icin bir neden – Turkish
title
9 Hizli Adam – Turkish title
Razlog za ziveti in umreti – Yugoslavian title
A Reason to Live, A Reason to Die – English title
Massacre at Fort Holman – U.S.A. title
A 1972 Italian, Spanish, French, German film
co-production [Sancrosiap (Rome),
Atlántida
Films S.A. (Madrid), Europrodis (Paris), Corona Filmproduktion (Munich)]
Producer: Arthur Steloff
Director: Tonino Valerii
Story: Howard Sandford
Screenplay: Rafael Azcona, Ernesto Gastaldi, Tonino
Valerii
Cinematography: Alexander Besch (Alejandro Ulloa)
[Technicolor]
Music: Riz Ortolani
Running time: 112 minutes
Cast:
Colonel Pembroke – James Coburn (James Coburn III)
Major Ward – Telly Savalas (Aristotle Savalas)
Eli Sampson – Bud Spencer (Carlo Pedersoli)
Fred/Ed Wendel – William Spofford (Ugo Fangareggi)
Donald MacIvers – Robert Burton (Guy Mairesse)
Apache/Jeremy – Joseph P. Persaud (Turam Quibo)
Will Caulder/Fernandez – Guy Ranson (Adolfo Lastretti)
Sergeant Brent – Rene Kolldehoff (Reinhard Kelldehoff)
Sergeant Spike – Allan Leroy (Georges Géret)
Confederate soldier - Juan Fernandez (Juan Muñoz) ,
Alejandro de Encisco, Angelo
Casadei
Ft. Holman guard - Juan Fernández Muñoz
Major Charles Ballard – Joseph Mitchell (José Suárez)
Scully – Ángel Álvarez (Angel Fernández)
Ward’s assistant – Fabrizio Moresco
Corporal – Joe Pollini (Giuseppe Pollini)
Private Samuel Pickett – Benito Stefanelli
April – Sharin Sher (Conchita Rabal)
Farmer – Francisco Sanz
Roger/Johnny – Mario Pardo (Mario Rodríguez)
With: Christopher Hill, Bill Norden, David Getzson, Crain
Neal, Carson Drew, David Landau, Arthur Dean, Rudolf G. Boevini, Carla Mancini,
Rudolf Gaeval
