Un minuto per pregare, un instante per morire (1968)

When outlaw Clay McCord learns the Governor of New Mexico has offered an amnesty to all who apply for it at the town of Tuscosa, he is intrigued but suspicious. He circles the vicinity, ... See full summary »

Director:

Franco Giraldi

Writers:

Louis Garfinkle, Ugo Liberatore,

Stars:

Alex Cord, Arthur Kennedy, Robert Ryan

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Alex Cord	...	Clay McCord
Arthur Kennedy	...	Tuscosa Marshal Roy W. Colby
Robert Ryan	...	New Mexico Gov. Lem Carter
Enzo Fiermonte	...	Dr. Chase
Renato Romano	...	'Cheap' Charlie
Franco Lantieri	...	Deputy Marshal Butler
Giampiero Albertini	...	Fred Duskin (Clay's partner)
Mario Brega	...	Krant (boss of Escondido)
Nicoletta Machiavelli	...	Laurinda (as Nicoletta Rangoni Machiavelli)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Fortunato Arena
Franco Balducci
Silla Bettini
Spartaco Conversi
Gino Marturano
Rosa Palomar	...	Ruby (as Rosita Palomar)

Storyline

When outlaw Clay McCord learns the Governor of New Mexico has offered an amnesty to all who apply for it at the town of Tuscosa, he is intrigued but suspicious. He circles the vicinity, weighing the offer and encountering other outlaws, all the while troubled by occasional "spells" resembling the epileptic fits which plagued his father. Eventually McCord reaches Tuscosa where he clashes with the local marshal, Roy Colby. The Governor then arrives and tries to calm the situation, knowing that if McCord asks for amnesty, other outlaws will follow. Events lead to a shoot-out with McCord, Colby, and the Governor on one side while a band of outlaws comprise the other.

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Plot Keywords:

outlaw | governor | amnesty | new mexico | cowboys and outlaws | 

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Taglines:

That's all McCord gives them!

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller | Western

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Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

1 May 1968 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Minute to Pray, a Second to Die

Company Credits

Production Co:

American Broadcasting Company (ABC), Documento Film, Selmur Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Alex Cord did all of his own stunts.

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Connections

Edited into Spaghetti Western Trailer Show (2007)

User Reviews

I Enjoyed It!

I caught this for the first time a few nights ago on television. I expected to only tune in for a few minutes, but found myself intrigued by the movie. I ended up watching it all and found it surprisingly compelling. The acting by the three American leads was quite good, especially that of Alex Cord. He plays a gunslinger with quite a degree of vulnerability. Very different from how most of them are portrayed in westerns. He ended up in several situations where he was at the mercy of the bounty hunters. The final shootout between the three leads and the bad guys was very good, as was the scene where the doctor digs a bullet out of Clay McCord. Somewhat gruesome, but realistic. I must admit that, despite my initial misgivings at watching a "spaghetti western", I ended up enjoying this film quite a bit. I would recommend it to anyone who likes westerns.