Navajo Joe (1966)

A Native American warrior called Navajo Joe seeks revenge on a gang of sadistic outlaws who has massacred the people of his tribe.

Director:

Sergio Corbucci

Writers:

Ugo Pirro (story), Piero Regnoli (screenplay) (as Dean Craig)

Stars:

Burt Reynolds, Aldo Sambrell, Nicoletta Machiavelli

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Burt Reynolds	...	Navajo Joe
Aldo Sambrell	...	Mervyn 'Vee' Duncan (as Aldo Sanbrell)
Nicoletta Machiavelli	...	Estella, Mrs. Lynne's maid
Fernando Rey	...	Reverend Rattigan
Tanya Lopert	...	Maria, Saloon girl
Franca Polesello	...	Barbara, Saloon girl
Lucia Modugno	...	Geraldine, Wounded saloon girl
Pierre Cressoy	...	Dr. Chester Lynne (as Peter Cross)
Roberto Paoletti	...	Sheriff Johnson
Nino Imparato	...	Chuck Holloway, Banjo Player (as Antonio Imparato)
Lucio Rosato	...	Jeffrey Duncan, Member of Duncan's Gang
Valeria Sabel	...	Hannah Lynne
Mario Lanfranchi	...	Mayor Jefferson Clay (as Mario Lanfranchi)
Ángel Álvarez	...	Oliver Blackwood (bank manager)
Rafael Albaicín	...	Mexican scalphunter

Storyline

A Native American warrior called Navajo Joe seeks revenge on a gang of sadistic outlaws who has massacred the people of his tribe.

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Plot Keywords:

main character shot | street shootout | opening action scene | violence | rape and murder | 

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Taglines:

Navajo revenge slashes ...burns ...ravages the screen!

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Genres:

Western

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Italy Spain

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

27 April 1967 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

A Dollar a Head

Filming Locations:

Colmenar Viejo, Madrid, Spain

Box Office

Gross:

ESP 17,706,559 (Spain)

Company Credits

Production Co:

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

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Burt Reynolds has joked about his dislike of this movie by referring to the film's director Sergio Corbucci as being the "wrong Sergio". Sergio Leone is the most internationally famous director of many of the successful spaghetti westerns including the Dollars Trilogy. Moreover, there was also another Sergio who directed spaghetti westerns, Sergio Sollima.

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Goofs

When the telegraph man announces that the only telegraph line has been cut, the next scene clearly shows high-line wires behind Burt Reynolds' head.

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Quotes

Sheriff Elmo Reagan: But you can't, an Indian sheriff? Only ones elected in this country are Americans.
Joe: My father was born here, in the mountains. His father before him and his father before him and his father before him. Where was your father born?
Sheriff Elmo Reagan: Ulp, what's that to do with it?
Joe: I said, where was he born?
Sheriff Elmo Reagan: Uuh, in Scotland.
Joe: My father was born here, in America. His father before him and his father before him and his father before him. Now which of us is American?

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Connections

Referenced in Nackt und zerfleischt (1980)

User Reviews

An Italian-Spanish co-production full of action , exaggerated characters, shootouts and lots of violence

For money, for pleasure, for revenge , he doesn't care why he kills or how ¡ . The sole survivor , named Navajo Joe (Burt Reynolds who wore a black toupe hairpiece), of a slaughter and atrocity executes a single-handedly revenge , as he slashes, burn , ravages and kills each person involved in the massacre . He is relentless in his vendetta , deadly in his violence . The conflict is a simple one between avenger Indio and oppressors , nasty bandits (Aldo Sambrell , among others). Meanwhile , Navajo Joe aids an unappreciated although terrorized little town called Esperanza City in the process . The town is inhabited by important people as the banker named Blackwood (Angel Alvarez of Django) , the priest(Fernando Rey of Return Magnificent Seven) , the doctor (Peter Cross) and a gorgeous mestizo girl (Nicoletta Machiavelli) , among others. Navajo is submitted a tempestuous trap and is caught up and he suffers incredible tortures .

It's an exciting western with breathtaking showdown between the protagonist Burt Reynolds and the enemy Aldo Sambrell and his hoodlums. Burt Reynolds is fine , he ravages the screen , he jumps, bounds and leaps, hits and runs ; besides receiving violent punches , kicks , lashes and is ultimately hung . Reynolds told this one is his worst film but I think it turned out to be a good Spaghetti Western . Producer Dino De Laurentiis made this with the intention of replicating the success of For a fistful of dollars (1964) after that movie had become a box-office hit . De Laurentiis wanted to find an American actor to rival Clint Eastwood's popularity. Reynolds had appeared in TV westerns and was part Cherokee Indian . De Laurentiis persuaded Reynolds to sign on. Aldo Sambrell as a cruelly baddie role is terrific , this is his only acting as starring , subsequently the would play very secondary or minimum characters . Furthermore, there appears usual secondaries Italian/Spanish Western as Alvaro De Luna , Simon Arriaga , Rafael Albaicín ,Lorenzo Robledo, and , of course , Fernando Rey in his ordinary role as priest . The film blends violence , blood , tension , high body-count and it's fast moving and quite entertaining . There is plenty of action in the movie , guaranteeing shootouts or stunts every few minutes . There are many fine technicians and nice assistant direction as Ruggero Deodato, future Cannibal Holocaust, and production designer Eduardo De la Torre Fuente who creates an excellent scenario with barren outdoors , dirty landscapes under a glimmer sun and a fine set on the Indian cemetery . The musician Ennio Morricone , Lee Nichols, composes a nice soundtrack and well conducted ; it's full of guttural sounds and Indian screams. Striking cinematography by Silvano Ippoliti in Technicolor, Techniscope with negative well processed . Interior filmed at Dino De Laurentiis Cinematografica, Studios Rome and outdoor sequences filmed at Torremocha, Colmenar, Guadix and of course Almeria, Spain.

Sergio Corbucci's direction is well crafted, here he's less cynical and humorous and more inclined toward violence and too much action, other Westerns he filmed contained broad comedy . He made several Spaghetti classics : ¨ Django¨, ¨The great silence¨, ¨Hellbenders¨, ¨The specialist¨ , and Zapata Western as ¨The Mercenary¨, ¨The Compañeros¨ and ¨What am I doing in middle of the revolution¨ . In addition Sergio directed other inferior S.W. as ¨Far West story¨ ,¨Johnny Oro¨, ¨The white the yellow an the black¨ and ¨Minnesota Clay¨ .