The Savage Guns (1962)
"Tierra brutal" (original title)

In Sonora, in a lonesome valley near the border of Arizona: ex-major Summer tries to forget about the horrors of the war of independence on his farm. He has foresworn to violence. His ... See full summary »

Director:

Michael Carreras

Writer:

Edmund Morris (screenplay)

Stars:

Richard Basehart, Paquita Rico, Don Taylor

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Richard Basehart	...	Steve Fallon
Paquita Rico	...	Franchea
Don Taylor	...	Mike Summers
Alex Nicol	...	Danny Pose
Fernando Rey	...	Don Hernan
María Granada	...	Juana
José Nieto	...	Ortega
Félix Fernández	...	Paco
Víctor Bayo	...	Sanchez
Rafael Albaicín	...	Gonzales
Xan das Bolas	...	Cantinero pedro
Pilar Caballero	...	Sanchez' Wife
Francisco Camoiras	...	Manolo
Antonio Fuentes	...	Capitan bolas
José Manuel Martín	...	Segura

Storyline

In Sonora, in a lonesome valley near the border of Arizona: ex-major Summer tries to forget about the horrors of the war of independence on his farm. He has foresworn to violence. His intention is put to the test when a gang of villains ravages the small town.

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Plot Keywords:

arizona | violence | outlaw gang | mexico | spaghetti western | 

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Genres:

Romance | Western

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Details

Country:

USA Spain

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 October 1962 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Savage Guns

Filming Locations:

Spain

Box Office

Gross:

ESP 6,922,551 (Spain)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Capricorn, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Tecisa

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Ortega: I don't make war on women and children.
Danny Pose: No, you just leave them as widows and orphans!

User Reviews

Very early spaghetti western, if not the first.

In 1961 Michael Carreras was looking to become an independent producer, breaking away from Hammer Films, purveyors of high-quality Gothic horror movies, which was a family business owned by James Carreras, his father. His idea, a new one, was to film a European western, using the desert area of Almeria, Spain, to fill in for the American southwest. Along with another Hammer regular, Jimmy Sangster, he signed American actors Richard Basehart, Don Taylor, and Alex Nicol, all of whom had acted for Hammer, to play the protagonists. The result, SAVAGE GUNS, is one of, if not the first, spaghetti westerns of the modern age. It has the look, the low sandy desert, adobe houses, the sneering bandidos, and the iconic mysterious gunslinger who finds himself between warring factions. The music is not quite there yet, very American in style, as is the action, but it has its moments. As a prototypical Euro-western, it's of interest to students of the genre, but probably too slow for typical western fans. Lots of talking. Capricorn, Carreras' and Sangster's company, didn't last long, and most likely because of the failure of this film, Hammer remained uninterested in adding westerns to their roster of Gothic Horror, Adventure, and Thriller movies.