A Man Called Sledge (1970)

Director:

Vic Morrow
(more)

Writers:

Vic Morrow and
Frank Kowalski ...
(more)

Release Date:

9 June 1971 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Tagline:

Savage. Ornery, Beautiful!

Plot:

In the Old West, a gunfighting outlaw connives his way into a prison in hopes of getting his hands on a large shipment of gold stored there. |

Plot Keywords:

Outlaw | Prison | Gold | Old Man | Skeleton Mask

Cast

James Garner	...	Luther Sledge
Dennis Weaver	...	Erwin Ward
Claude Akins	...	Hooker
John Marley	...	Old Man
Laura Antonelli	...	Ria
Wayde Preston	...	Sheriff Ripley
Ken Clark	...	Floyd
Tony Young	...	Mallory
Allan Jones
Herman Reynoso	...	Simms
Steffen Zacharias	...	Red - Prison Guard
Didi Perego	...	Elizabeth
Paola Barbara	...	Jade
Mario Valgoi	...	Beetle
Laura Betti	...	Sister
Lorenzo Piani	...	Guthrie
Franco Giornelli	...	Joyce
Bruno Corazzari	...	Bice
Altiero Di Giovanni	...	Kehoe
Lorenzo Fineschi	...	Toby
Remo De Angelis	...	Poker Player
Giovanni Di Benedetto	...	Secondino (as Gianni Di Benedetto)
Franco Balducci	...	Un carcerato
Tiberio Mitri	...	Altro carcerato
Fausto Tozzi	...	Maximum security prisoner
Riccardo Garrone	...	The Warden
Orso Maria Guerrini
Barta Barri		(as Barta Barry)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Angelo Infanti	...	Prisoner (uncredited)
Luciano Rossi	...	The "Wolf" (uncredited)

Directed by
Vic Morrow
Giorgio Gentili		(uncredited)

Writing credits
Vic Morrow		and
Frank Kowalski
Massimo D'Avak		screenplay: Italian version

Produced by
Harry Bloom	....	co-producer
Dino De Laurentiis	....	producer
Carl Olsen	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Gianni Ferrio

Cinematography by
Luigi Kuveiller		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Renzo Lucidi

Production Design by
Mario Chiari

Art Direction by
Mario Scisci

Set Decoration by
Enzo Eusepi		(uncredited)

Costume Design by
Elio Micheli

Makeup Department
Giuliano Laurenti	....	makeup artist
Elda Magnanti	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Mario Pisani	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Roy Carrington	....	assistant director
Giorgio Gentili	....	first assistant director

Sound Department
Edith de Swarte	....	dubbing sound
Sash Fisher	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Pasquino Benassati	....	special effects
Remo De Angelis	....	master of arms

Stunts
Remo De Angelis	....	stunt coordinator
Earl Parker	....	stunt coordinator

Music Department
Phil Coulter	....	composer: song "Other Men's Gold"
Bill Martin	....	composer: song "Other Men's Gold"

Other crew
Renée Glynne	....	continuity
Nona Medio	....	dialogue director
Carl Olsen	....	historical consultant
Madlyn Rhue	....	script girl

Production Companies

• Dino de Laurentiis Cinematografica

Distributors

• Columbia (1971) (France) (theatrical)
• Columbia Home Video (video)
• Columbia Pictures (1971) (USA) (dubbed)
• GoodTimes Home Video (1990) (USA) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 (1972) | Sweden:15 | USA:R | Australia:M | Netherlands:18 (orginal rating)

Filming Locations:

Italy

Company:

Dino de Laurentiis Cinematografica

Trivia:

Average Shot Length = ~4.7 seconds. Median Shot Length = ~4.5 seconds.

Quotes:

Old Man:You're feelin' mean, 'cause you know that gold can't be taken, and you've seen it yourself. And I tell ya', if you try to take it, you're gonna' wind up dead, or in prison. And that's the closest you'll ever get to it, through six inches of steel. I know: I been closer to that gold INside, than any man OUTside. And I tell ya', it can't be taken.
Luther Sledge:[Reflects for a moment] Oh, yes it can! Yeeehaaw!
Luther Sledge:[Throws an empty whiskey bottle in the air and shoots it as it falls] I knew it, I knew it all the time! Oh, we're gonna' take that gold, and we're gonna' take ALL of it. And you and your tales of old timers don't mean a whiff of cow dung, because you never had the brains or the guts to do it. We're gonna' take it from the INside.
[...]

Soundtrack:

OTHER MEN'S GOLD

"And my friends - for gold they died"

I must confess to "umming and ahhing" a fair bit as to whether I really wanted to see this film. I've got nothing against James Garner, but he just didn't say "spaghetti western protagonist" to me. He doesn't have that certain "kill" look in his eye (think Eastwood, Nero, Gemma, Steffen et el). However, having always respected Howard Hughes' "Essentials" book, this was one of the few films that he had covered so far that I had not seen - and his recommendations had generally not disappointed. I am really glad that I did dispel these initial reservations, because Man Called Sledge makes great viewing from beginning to end.

Luther Sledge (Garner) is introduced to us as he enters a bar with one of his cohorts. Leaving his colleague to participate in an ill-fated card game, Sledge reunites himself with his lover Ria (Laura Antonelli). After a night of passion (lucky man!) he is woken by the sound of a gunshot. He returns to the bar to find his partner dead, and forced to defend himself against the killers. An old timer witness (John Marley) confirms that Sledge has merely defended himself.

Sledge and the old timer soon cross paths again, with the former assuming that he is being tracked due to the price on his head. However, it soon transpires that the old man has been spying on a delivery of gold. This gold is transported by a posse of armed guards and stored in a top security prison overnight. The old man recounts how he spent time in the jail, with his cell sitting side by side to the safe.

The lure of the gold is too much for Sledge, and he is soon devising a scheme to get his hands on the horde and allow him to settle down and lead an honest life with Ria. And what better way to get access to the treasure than to find ones self imprisoned in the jail......

A simple yet highly enjoyable idea for a story, with double crossing aplenty and a cracking soundtrack. If truth be told, I am still not completely sold on Messrs Garner and Weaver in the spaghetti genre, but the film itself more than makes up for such minor grumbles. There are some great scenes, with Sledge's wilful imprisonment (with some very shady characters forming his prison mates) a particular highlight.

Highlighly recommended, and grasping at a possible "must view" berth.