Friday, March 18, 2011

THE FURY OF JOHNNY KID

Dove si spara di piu - Italian title
La furia de Johnny Kid - Spanish title
Hirttäjäiset - Finnish title
Un doigt sur la gachette - French title
Glut der Sonne - German title
A furia de Johnny Kid - Portuguese title
Ride for a Massacre (Where They Shoot the Most) - English title
Love, Hate and Vengeance - English title
The Ultimate Gunfighter - English title
The Fury of Johnny Kid - English title

A 1966 Italian, Spanish, co-production [Framer Films (Rome), Hispamer Films P.C. (Madrid)]
Producer: Francesco Merli
Director: Gianni Puccini
Story: María del Carmen Martínez Román based on ‘Romeo and Juliet’ by William Shakespeare
Screenplay: María del Carmen Martínez Román
Cinematography: Mario Montuori [Technicolor, Techniscope]
Music: Gino Peguri
Running time: 89 minutes

Cast:
Johnny Monter/Mounter - Arthur Grant (Karl Hirenbach)
Giulietta Campos/Juliette Wolff - Cristina Galbó (Cristina Sánchez)
Roselyn/Lezerinf - Maria Cuadra (María Perez)
Lefty - Andrés Mejuto (Severino Mejuto)
Sheriff Cooper - Piero Lulli (Giusva Lulli)
Rodrigo Campos/Wolff - Peter Martell (Pietro Martellanza)
Blackie - Jacinto Molina (Jacinto Alvarez)
Campos’ son - José Rubio (José Urrea)
Senor Campos/Wolff - Rufino Inglés (Rufino Garcia)
Bill Monter/Mounter - Luis Induni (Luigi Radici)
Mrs. Monter/Mounter - Ana María Noé
priest - Ãngel Ãlvarez (Ãngel Fernández)
Steve - Paolo Magalotti
Campos/Wollf henchmen - Poldo Bendandi, Lewis Lawrence (Luciano Catenaci)
Giulietta’s/Juliette’s maid - Eulalia Tenorio


Romeo and Juliet out west, with the Mexican and Gringo families of the Monters and Campos filling in for the Montagues and Capulets of the original Shakespearean play. The two families hatred and antagonism for each other manifests itself in murder and ambush during which both sides show themselves as not having any sense of restraint or mercy. The Campos, and in particular the eldest son Rodrigo are shown to be particularly ruthless in their endeavors and they are also aided by the assistance of Sheriff Cooper. Meanwhile Johnny Monter, meets Giulietta Campos while robbing a stagecoach with his one handed friend Lefty and takes a liking to her. They are expecting the coach to be carrying a treasure belonging to the Camposes and while they don't find it, the beautiful young maid more then makes up for it as far as Johnny is concerned. The pair meet up again during a raid Johnny makes on the Campos' ranch during which Senor Campos announces his daughter's engagment to Sheriff Cooper. Giulietta is not at all pleased with this arrangement and once an opportune and secret meeting takes place with Johnny the couples' mutual infatuation is complete and their minds are made up to be together. On learning of this the local saloon girl Roselyn, who held the previous affections of Johnny, tells their story to Rodrigo in a fit of jealousy. Johnny is subsequently captured and jailed but Roselyn takes pity and helps him escape, losing her own life in the process. The stage is now set for a final showdown as Johnny attempts to free Giulietta from her father's house and the Mounter’s embark on an all out assault on their enemy's stronghold. The ending differs as to which version of the film you see. One they all die, the other the young couple escapes the slaughter and ride off.

YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFjJx6Wp660

3 comments:

  1. Hi Tom:

    There was typo in the portuguese title.
    The correct one is:

    A FÚRIA DE JOHNNY KIDD

    All the best

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  2. I saw the alternate version of "The Fury Of Johnny Kidd" on YouTube where Johnny Kidd and Julia Campos ride off together. As his family is killed by the Grim Reaper, who shoots family members from both the Mounter and the Campos families dead, he says, "Couldn't you have found a better way?" In this film, Peter Lee Lawrence is credited as Arthur Grant. There was another Spaghetti Western in which he was credited as Arthur Grant and that was "One By One Without Pity" in 1968 where he played "Bill Grayson" or "Chico". Peter Lee Lawrence was actually born as Karl Otto Hyrenbach on February 21, 1944, in Lindau, Nazi Germany, and died on April 20, 1974, in Rome, Italy when he was only 30. His most well known role is that of Colonel Mortimer's brother-in-law in the 1965 classic Spaghetti Western "For A Few Dollars More". It was his first film and he was uncredited at only 21 years old. Sergio Leone hired him for the role when he recognized him from a Coca-Cola commercial Peter had done in Spain. He took one look at Peter and said. "You're the guy I need for my movie!" And the rest is history as they say. Sadly, brain cancer took his life when he was still young. RIP Peter Lee Lawrence. We still miss ya.

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