I quattro dell'Ave Maria (1968)

Director:

Giuseppe Colizzi

Writers:

Bino Cicogna (writer)
Giuseppe Colizzi (screenplay)

Release Date:

3 September 1969 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Western

Tagline:

The smile that kills...

Plot:

An outlaw Cat Stevens (Mario Girotti) is saved from the noose and is then hunted by his saviors when he goes back to crime...

Plot Keywords:

Outlaw | Revenge | Bounty Hunter | Robbery | Spaghetti Western

Cast

Eli Wallach	...	Cacopoulos
Terence Hill	...	Cat Stevens
Bud Spencer	...	Hutch Bessy
Brock Peters	...	Thomas
Kevin McCarthy	...	Drake (as Kevin Mc Carthy)
Tiffany Hoyveld	...	Thomas' wife
Federico Boido	...	Drake's blond henchman (as Rick Boyd)
Armando Bandini	...	Bank cashier
Livio Lorenzon	...	Paco Rosa
Steffen Zacharias	...	Harold
Remo Capitani	...	Cangaceiro
Bruno Corazzari	...	Charlie
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dante Cleri	...	Bankier, playing cards with Cacopoulos
Antonietta Fiorito
Isa Foster
Franco Gulà	...	Old man, talking to bankier
Corrado Olmi
Aldo Sala	...	Casino employee, trying to break through door
Luciano Telli	...	Roulette player, sitting right beside Cacopoulos
Giuseppe Terranova	...	Treasurer in Casino
Edoardo Torricella	...	Roulette player, sitting left beside croupier (as Eddardo Torricella)

Also Known As:

Ace High (UK) (USA)
Four Gunmen of Ave Maria
Have Gun Will Travel (UK)
Revenge at El Paso
Revenge in El Paso

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for western violence. (re-rated)

Runtime:

132 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:M | UK:15 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (1970) | Sweden:15 | USA:M (original rating) | USA:PG-13 (2004 re-rating)

Filming Locations:

Almería, Andalucía, Spain

Company:

Crono Cinematografica

Quotes:

[Cacopoulos holds up a wealthy young man]
Cacopoulos: So don't worry, I just need a small amount. Just enough for the bare necessities.
[looks at the money]
Cacopoulos: Well, no. Money corrupts men, it softens him. So to keep you young and pure, I think I'll take everything.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "De familie Knots: Omkoperij (#2.3)" (1981)

Aces good

(aka: ACE HIGH)

Eli Wallach plays Cacopoulos, a generous bandit who gives away all he steals to those less off than he is. That is, until he steals $300,000 from bounty hunters Cat Stevens and Hutch Bessy (Terence Hill and Bud Spencer) who then come trailing after him all over the southwest (or in this case, Almeria Spain) and want their money back.

When they catch up with him, Cacopoulos let's them in on his primary motive. To get back at three men who double-crossed him 15 years before, letting him get caught and sent to prison. He already killed one, and the other was killed in a Mexican shootout earlier in the film. That only leaves Drake (Kevin McCarthy) and since Cacopoulos had already gambled all Hill & Spencer's money away in Drake's gambling establishment, it's only natural that they help Cacopoulos out in getting their money back.

Reluctantly, Hill & Spencer agree and with the help of circus tightrope walker Thomas (Brock Peters), they stumble onto the fact that Drake's establishment has the roulette wheel fixed, with lookouts in the ceiling and a magnet in basement room under the roulette wheel itself. Needless to say, Drake will get his just reward for ripping the town off with his fixed gambling tables and Cacopoulos will get his revenge. I won't say how so you'll have to see for yourself.

The first half of this film is pretty standard, but the second half involving Drake is where the film really distinguishes itself, imo. It turns into a caper yarn. It also has it's funny moments but isn't as humorous as Hill & Spencer's later spaghetti western; THEY CALL ME TRINITY (1971). Btw, this is their second appearance together, the first being GOD FORGIVES, I DON'T from the year before.

The anamorphic Paramount DVD uses an excellent print although I think the widescreen is a bit too cropped on both top and bottom. Sound is also good with English subtitles (if necessary) and another excellent score by Bruno Nicolai.

If you like the genre with a little humor thrown in, then you might like this one. I did. Above average.

7 out of 10 -