The Hills Run Red (1966)
"Un fiume di dollari" (original title)

After the Civil War ends, two soldiers return home with a cache of stolen money. They are caught by Union troops. One escapes, but the other is sent to prison for five years. When he gets ... See full summary »

Director:

Carlo Lizzani

Writer:

Piero Regnoli

Stars:

Thomas Hunter, Henry Silva, Dan Duryea

Cast

Credited cast:
Thomas Hunter	...	Jerry Brewster / Jim Houston
Henry Silva	...	Garcia Mendez
Dan Duryea	...	Col. Winny Getz
Nicoletta Machiavelli	...	Mary Ann
Gianna Serra	...	Hattie Gardner
Nando Gazzolo	...	Ken Seagull / Ken Milton
Loris Loddi	...	Tim Brewster
Geoffrey Copleston	...	Brian Horner
Paolo Magalotti	...	Stayne
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Fortunato Arena
Vittorio Bonos	...	Gambler #1
Jeff Cameron	...	Randall (blond Mendez gunman)
Pietro Ceccarelli	...	Bald Mendez gunman (as Puccio Ceccarelli)
Guido Celano	...	Burger - Blacksmith
Gianluigi Crescenzi	...	Carson

Storyline

After the Civil War ends, two soldiers return home with a cache of stolen money. They are caught by Union troops. One escapes, but the other is sent to prison for five years. When he gets out and goes home, he finds that his wife has died in poverty because his partner kept all the money, and is now a major power in the area with an army of deadly gunmen to back him up.

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Plot Keywords:

soldier | army | civil war | assumed identity | murder | 

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Taglines:

The man who had five years to think about killing... his best friend! Finally they meet...

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Genres:

Action | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

9 September 1966 (Italy)

Also Known As:

River of Dollars

Filming Locations:

Colmenar Viejo, Madrid, Spain

Company Credits

Production Co:

C.B. Films S.A., Dino de Laurentiis Cinematografica

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Union cavalry sergeant: We'll make you talk.

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Connections

Referenced in A History of Dollars (2008)

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Soundtracks

"Home to My Love"
Lyrics by Audrey Nohra
Music by Ennio Morricone
Performed by Gianna Spagnolo

User Reviews

Decent Enough

In The Hills Run Red, two Confederate thieves fleeing on a stagecoach draw cards to see which one will stay on the coach to lead their pursuers away and which one will jump off and hide with their fortune in stolen loot.

Five years later the unlucky loser of that card draw (Thomas Hunter) is released from prison to find his destitute wife deceased and his son sent away by his former partner, breaking the promise the promise to take care of them that the now wealthy rancher made to his friend.

Overall, this is worth viewing despite being saddled with a wooden lead performance by Hunter (cast for his passing resemblance to Clint Eastwood?) and a less than spectacular script.

It's made enjoyable by some gorgeous photography (the canyon bushwhack/stampede scene a standout), an excellent score by an uncredited Ennio Morricone, and good support by Dan Duryea and black-leather clad villain Henry Silva.

I wonder if this was an inspiration for John Woo's A Better Tomorrow.