They Were Called Graveyard (1969) Due volte Giuda (original title)

Director:

Nando Cicero

Writers:

Jaime Jesús Balcázar (story) and
Jaime Jesús Balcázar (screenplay)

Release Date:

14 April 1969 (Sweden)

Genre:

Mystery | Western

Plot Keywords:

Spaghetti Western | Amnesia | Vulture | Street Shootout | Civil War

Cast

Klaus Kinski	...	Dingus / Victor Barrett
Antonio Sabato	...	Luke Barrett
Cristina Galbó	...	Ragaza
José Calvo	...	Russel (as Pepe Calvo)
Emma Baron	...	Luke's Mother
Milo Quesada
Franco Leo
Linda Sini	...	Madame
Narciso Ibáñez Menta	...	Murphy
Franco Beltramme	...	Carson
Damián Rabal	...	Sheriff
Maite Matalonga	...	Mac Calhoun's Daughter
Claudia Rivelli
Carlos Ronda	...	Mac Calhoun
Gastone Pescucci
Gianni Pulone		(as Giancarlo Pulone)
Gaetano Scala
José Palomo	...	Jonathan
Ettore Bruson
Nino Nini
Antonietta Fiorito
Pino Sciacqua		(as Giuseppe Sciacqua)
Sergio De Vecchi
Ettore Broschi

Directed by
Nando Cicero

Writing credits
Jaime Jesús Balcázar		story and
Jaime Jesús Balcázar		screenplay

Original Music by
Carlos Pes

Cinematography by
Francisco Marín

Film Editing by
Renato Cinquini

Production Design by
Juan Alberto Soler

Set Decoration by
Luciano Spadoni

Costume Design by
Tigano Lo Faro
Luciano Spadoni

Makeup Department
Vittorio Biseo	....	makeup artist
Hipólita López	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Antonio Girasante	....	general manager
Luis Marín	....	production manager
Lucio Zarini	....	unit manager
Lucio Zarini	....	production supervisor (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Liana Ferri	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Pietro Vesperini	....	sound recordist
Pietro Vesperini	....	sound engineer (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Joe D'Amato	....	camera operator (as Aristide Massaccesi)
Francisco Marín Jr.	....	assistant camera (as Francisco Marin Andreu)
Claudio Morabito	....	camera operator
Angelo Pennoni	....	still photographer
Eugenio Saluzzi	....	assistant camera

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Giorgio Motto	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Carlo Marino	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Roberto Pregadio	....	conductor

Other crew
Maria Pai Rocco	....	script supervisor
Manolo Rubio	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Colt Produzioni Cinematografiche
• Medusa Distribuzione
• Balcázar Producciones Cinematográficas (as Producciones Cinematográficas Balcázar)

Distributors

• Medusa Distribuzione (1969) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Avis (1970) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Hispamex (1970) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Les Films Marbeuf (1970) (France) (theatrical)
• Sinister Cinema (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• KSM Film (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Medusa Video (199?) (Italy) (DVD)
• Mill Creek Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• VAF-Medien-Vertrieb

Special Effects

• SES
• Sviluppo Pellicole e Stampa (SPES) (optical effects) (as S,P.E.S.)

Other Companies

• Centro Doppiaggio Televisivo (CDC)  post-synchronization (Rome) (as C.D.C. - E.L.D.A.)

Also Known As:

"Due volte Giuda" - Italy (original title)
"Shoot Twice" - USA (video title)

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

Italy | Spain

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Sweden:15 | West Germany:16 (nf) | Germany:16 (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Cinecittà Studios, Cinecittà, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Colt Produzioni Cinematografiche

Movie Connections:

Referenced in 800 Bullets (2002)

Way Better Than Its Reputation!

Nando Cicero's "Due Volte Giuda" aka. "Twice A Judas" of 1971 starring Antonio Sabato and the great Klaus Kinski, may not be a Spaghetti Western masterpiece, but it is certainly an entertaining and suspenseful and vastly underrated film.One aspect that makes this movie special is the amnesia story. This is one of the few Spaghetti Westerns to include amnesia, and the only one I've seen in which the topic of amnesia is actually one of the primary aspects of the plot, which follows a man (Antonio Sabato), who wakes up with a grazing gunshot wound to his head, next to a corpse in the middle of the desert, and has no clue who he is. The first half hour of the movie is quite confusing, and that's what maintains the suspense.

Kinski delivers an excellent performance as always, and Sabato fits in his role very well. José Calvo is furthermore convincing as an alcoholic doctor. The rest of the performances are OK too, but I couldn't say that any of them were particularly worth mentioning. The film is nicely (though in no way outstandingly)photographed, and the score is also quite good (although certainly not brilliant).

"Twice A Judas" is an original and suspenseful Spaghetti Western, and although it looses some of its quality towards the end, which is, in my opinion, a bit cheesy and too fast-paced compared to the film's beginning, it is certainly worth watching and way underrated. If you're a fan of Spaghetti Westerns and/or Klaus Kinski, I recommend to give this a try. 6/10