Awkward Hands (1970)
6/10
Decent Paella Western well starred by the German Peter Lee Lawrence and compellingly directed by Rafael Marchent
22 February 2014
Cool Spaghetti full of fury , action, and portentous duels . This acceptable and enjoyable Paella Western that owes a considerable debt to Leone deals with a miserable livery stable boy named Peter Cushmich (Peter Lee Lawrence), he's mistreated, pushed and kicked by his colleagues (Antonio Pica) and foreman (Luis Induni) . But he falls in love for the owner's daughter (Pilar Velazquez) . When the owner (Antonio Casas) learns his daughter married to Peter , he ties Peter and punishes , lashes and banishes him . Peter is left into desert . Then arrives an occasional mysterious helper , a too smart bad guy called Latimore (Albert De Mendoza) , he's a tough bounty hunter looking for four cutthroats (Mariano Vidal Molina , Frank Braña, Aldo Sambrell , Antonio Molino Rojo) . Peter befriends Latimore who acts as protector of the humiliated young . At the beginning the gunfighter teams up with the hapless young man but Peter is wounded , being healed by a Chinese wise . The Chinese old man (Gene Reyes) teaches (similar to many years later , Pat Morita/Ralph Macchio, in Karate Kid ) him Oriental philosophy and to use his "Awkward Hands" . Thanks to him , Peter learns about himself , the sense of life and to shoot . Then Peter carries out a personal vendetta against people mistreated him . Later on , Peter Cushmich is ¨wanted dead or alive¨ , reward : 5.000 dollars , then Latimore sets out in pursuit .

Leone-style Western with nice performances and fine direction by Rafael Romero Marchent who creates some good action scenes and exciting set pieces . The movie contains typical particularities Spaghetti , as is full of fury , sadism , bloodbaths , and close-ups of grime-encrusted faces . The notorious Spaghetti/Paella actor , Peter Lee Lawrence is good in his usual tough role , here playing a miserable young become into a terrible avenger . His role is well performed , he plays as a relentless revenger , a violent young who seeks a bloody vendetta , an usual plot in Spaghetti/Paella Western . Blond German youth Peter Lee Lawrence, who made his uncredited debut in Sergio Leone "For A Few Dollars More" (1965), was the hero in many Spaghetti Westerns. His short cinematographic history can be enclosed in nine years of Italo-Spain co-productions such as "More Dollars for the MacGregors" , ¨Winchester justice¨,"Pistol for a Hundred Coffins", ¨The man who killed Billy the Kid¨ , ¨Fury of Johnny Kid¨ and several others . Furthermore , a largely secondary cast plenty with Spanish secondaries , all of them ordinary in Chorizo western as Antonio Casas , Antonio Pica , Mariano Vidal Molina , Frank Braña , Luis Induni , Beni Deus , Lorenzo Robledo , the great Aldo Sambrell , among others , though there sadly lacks Fernando Sancho . Adequate photography by Miguel Fernandez Mila , being necessary a right remastering because of the film copy is washed out , filmed on location in Las Rozas , Manzanares Del Real , La Pedriza , Madrid . And being accompanied by an agreeable musical score by Anton Garcia Abril , including catching leitmotif.

The motion picture was well written by ordinary Santiago Moncada and by the director's brother Joaquin Romero Marchent . The movie was produced in enough budget by Ricardo Sanz who financed various Paella Western such as "My Horse, My Gun, Your Widow" , ¨4 Implacables¨ , ¨Bala Marcada¨ and "I'll Kill Him and Return Alone" . Being professionally directed and in his own personal style by Rafael Romero Marchent . Rafael Romero Marchent was born on May 3, 1926 in Madrid, Spain. He is a director and actor, known for Garringo, Un Dolar de Recompensa , or Manos Torpes . Rafael Romero Marchent was brother of Joaquin Luis Romero , who was the first to shoot Westerns in Spain . At first, Rafael Romero began in films as an actor, but when his career began to wane, he preferred to spend time behind the camera . Rafael is an expert writer and director of Spaghetti Western as proved in ¨Two crosses on Danger Pass¨, Cry for revenge¨, ¨Two guns for two twins¨ and ¨Sartana Kills Them All¨ or ¨Un par Asesinos¨. While his brother Joaquin Marchent is deemed the Paella Western's best director , his first film was ¨El Coyote¨ and the sequel titled ¨Revenge of Coyote¨ shot in Mexico ; after that , he filmed ¨The shadow of Zorro¨ and ¨Revenge of Zorro¨, he went go directing Western as ¨ Riding to death ¨ , ¨Adventures in the West¨ , ¨Three good men¨, ¨Sabor Venganza ¨ and the most popular and violent ¨Condenados a Vivir¨ . Plus , he wrote for his brother Rafael Romero Marchent the followings Western : ¨Manos Torpes¨, ¨Ocaso Un Pistolero¨ , ¨Garringo¨ , ¨Dos Cruces en Danger Pass¨ and ¨Sartana Kills Them All¨. Rating : 6,5/10 .Passable and decent Chorizo Western , though contains some flaws and gaps ; however , it results to be entertaining .
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