Deathwork (1971) Captain Apache (original title)

Director:

Alexander Singer

Writers:

Philip Yordan (screenplay) and
Milton Sperling (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

27 October 1971 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Mystery | Thriller | Western

Tagline:

They Trailed Him...Tailed Him...Tried to Nail Him...NO WAY!!!

Plot:

A Native American born US Army officer, Captain Apache, investigating a murder, uncovers a presidential assassination plot. |

Plot Keywords:

Native American | Murder | Beautiful Blonde | Cowboys And Indians | One Against Many

Cast

Lee Van Cleef	...	Capt. Apache
Carroll Baker	...	Maude
Stuart Whitman	...	Griffin
Percy Herbert	...	Moon
Elisa Montés	...	Rosita (as Elisa Montes)
Tony Vogel	...	Snake
Charles Stalmaker	...	O'Rourke (as Charles Stalnaker)
Charly Bravo	...	Sanchez (as Charlie Bravo)
Faith Clift	...	Abigail
Dee Pollock	...	Ben (as D. Pollock)
Dan van Husen	...	Al (as Dan Van Husen)
Hugh McDermott	...	Gen. Ryland
George Margo	...	Sheriff
José Bódalo	...	General (as Jose Bodalo)
Elsa Zabala	...	Witch
Allen Russell	...	Maitre d'
Luis Induni	...	Commissioner Collier
Carl Rapp
Vito Salier	...	Diablo
Bud Strait
X Brands
Fernando Sánchez Polack	...	Guitarist (as Fernando Sanchez Pollack)
Ricardo Palacios	...	Sergeant
Milo Quesada
Bruce M. Fischer
Eric Chapman
J. Radlowsky
Dean Selmier
Per Barclay
Lucy Tiller
John Clark
Randy Gibson
Francisco Marsó		(as Francisco Marso)
Rupert Crabb
Antonio Padilla
Cass Martin
Cris Huerta		(as Cris Huertas)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert Rietty	...	Dubbing (voice)
Jess Hahn	...	Father Rodriguez (uncredited)
Jay W. Jensen	...	Soldier (uncredited)

Directed by
Alexander Singer

Writing credits
Philip Yordan		(screenplay) and
Milton Sperling		(screenplay)
S.E. Whitman		(novel)

Produced by
Irving Lerner	....	associate producer
Milton Sperling	....	producer
Philip Yordan	....	producer

Original Music by
Dolores Claman

Cinematography by
John Cabrera		(photography by)

Film Editing by
Leigh G. Tallas

Art Direction by
Julio Molina

Makeup Department
Fernando Florido	....	makeup artist
Vicenta Palmero	....	hair stylist
Julián Ruiz	....	makeup artist (as Julian Ruiz)
María Nieves Ruiz	....	hair stylist (as Mª Nieves Ruiz)
Miguel Sesé	....	makeup artist (as Miguel Sese)

Production Management
Alejandro Perla	....	unit manager
Gregorio Sacristán	....	production supervisor (as Gregorio Sacristan)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Adolfo Aristarain	....	third assistant director
Miguel Gil	....	first assistant director
Martín Sacristán	....	second assistant director (as Martin Sacristan)

Art Department
Luciano Arroyo	....	design assistant
Antonio Mateos	....	prop master
José María Tapiador	....	design assistant (as Jose Mª Tapiador)
Jesús Mateos	....	property master (uncredited)
José María Tapiador	....	assistant art director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Ian Crafford	....	associate sound editor
Jim Groom	....	sound editor
Antonio Illán	....	sound recording engineer (as Antonio Illan)
Enrique Molinero	....	mixing recordist
Mike Sale	....	sound recordist
John Salter	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Manuel Baquero	....	chief of special effects (as Manolo Baquero)
Derek Turner	....	special effects man

Camera and Electrical Department
Juan Antonio Aguilar	....	assistant camera
Julián Fernández	....	chief grip (as Julian Fernandez)
Federico G. Grau	....	still photographer (as Federico Grau)
José Mateos	....	focus puller (as Jose Mateos)
Gregorio Alonso Mayoral	....	gaffer
Ricardo Navarrete	....	camera operator (as Ricardi Navarrete)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Andrés Fernández	....	wardrobe master (as Andres Fernandez)
Charles Simminger	....	wardrobe supervisor (as Charlie Simminger)

Editorial Department
Carmen Alonso Collar	....	editorial assistant
Soledad López	....	editorial assistant (as Soledad Lopez)
Elizabeth Redstone	....	editorial assistant
María Carmen Taberne	....	editorial assistant (as Maria Carmen Teberner)

Music Department
Juan Márquez	....	musician: guitar solo (as Juan Marquez)
José Nieto	....	conductor (as Pepe Nieto)
José Nieto	....	music arranger (as Pepe Nieto)

Other crew
Eva Del Castillo	....	script clerk
Norma Gorcey	....	production secretary
Vicente Sacristán	....	production assistant (as Vincente Sacristan)

Production Companies

• Benmar Productions (uncredited)

Distributors

• Scotia International (1971) (USA) (theatrical) (presents)
• International Film Distributors (1973) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Regia Films (1975) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Hollywood Movie Classics (1985) (USA) (VHS)
• JTC (1993) (USA) (VHS)
• Geneon Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Pioneer Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Better Television Distribution (2006) (worldwide) (TV)
• Adria Filmverleih (1972) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Filmways Australasian Distributors (197?) (Australia) (theatrical)
• EastWest Entertainment (200?) (USA) (DVD)
• United American Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

"Captain Apache" - UK (original title)

Runtime:

89 min | Spain:94 min | USA:94 min

Country:

UK | Spain

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:12 | UK:12 | West Germany:16 (nf) | Australia:G | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | USA:GP (original rating) | USA:PG

Company:

Benmar Productions

Goofs:

Anachronisms: After Captain Apache is captured by Griffin's men outside the telegraph office he's taken to a run down stone building. Behind the building, in the upper right corner of the screen you can see some sort flashing neon sign or billboard in the distance.

Quotes:

Griffin:Why do you always insult people who might kill you?
Capt. Apache:I like to see a man enjoy his work.

Soundtrack:

Captain Apache

Yes its as bad as they say - but it doesn't make it unwatchable!

"Ah aha aha ahaaaa - they call him Captain Apache".

"Well any film that provides you with an opportunity to hear Lee Van Cleef singing not just once, but twice has got to be worth a viewing" I thought to myself. "I'm sure it can't be as bad as I've been told". Well in truth it IS that bad. But it doesn't make it unwatchable! Lee Van Cleef plays an Apache Captain within the Army that is sent to investigate the murder of a Commissioner, and discover the meaning of the dying man's last words "April Morning".

It plays like a murder mystery in a western setting, with numerous characters introduced throughout that appear to have heard the phrase "April Morning", but are either attempting to solve the riddle themselves, or are shot before they can speak. These include gunrunner Griffin (Stuart Whitman), the blonde temptress Maude (Caroll Baker) and the equally teasing Rosita (Elisa Montes). And from a plot perspective, that is pretty much it (well, without solving the mystery that is!). Yes, it sounds very simple, but in actual fact the story is quite convoluted.

The soundtrack is hysterical - the title track in particular being so bad that you just love it - with Lee Van Cleef narrating to a tune so catchy that it would put professional purveyors of pop to shame! And you still get his rendition "April Morning" at the end of the film to look forward to.

Whilst it is quite poor Spaghetti Western fare, and a perfect example of the deterioration of the genre during the seventies, it does have three main factors that make it quite watchable :

1 - Lee Van Cleef himself - although this is a real LVC by numbers effort, the man has a screen presence that can rescue even the worst of films.

2 - The afore-mentioned theme tune.

3 - Caroll Baker and Elisa Montes (thats just the male hormones working! And anyway ladies, you get the bonus of a near naked Lee Van Cleef, so no accusing me of gawping!).

Aside from this, there are some really good moments (Captain Apache insulting the two twins, the death of the Mexican General (played by Jose Bodalo) and a handful of other scenes that I chuckled at at the time but have since left my mind). At times the editing between scenes was quite poor (at one point jumping from Captain Apache in bed with Maude, to them discovering the hanging body of the key witness). Well hung!

Don't let me put you off watching it, because it is an example of a film being so bad its good. I would never have imagined however that Lee Van Cleef crooning would be the highlight of a film!