The Grand Duel (1972) Il grande duello (original title)

Director:

Giancarlo Santi

Writer:

Ernesto Gastaldi (screenplay)

Release Date:

1974 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Tagline:

A one man Judge, Jury and Executioner who turns the Wild West into a Blood Bath!

Plot:

A grizzled ex-sheriff helps a man framed for murder to confront the powerful trio of brothers who want him dead.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Bounty Hunter | Insect | Saloon | Gunfight

Cast

Lee Van Cleef	...	Sheriff Clayton
Alberto Dentice	...	Philipp Wermeer (as Peter O'Brien)
Jess Hahn	...	Bighorse the Stage Driver
Horst Frank	...	David Saxon / Patriarch Samuel Saxon
Klaus Grünberg	...	Adam Saxon (as Klaus Grunberg)
Antonio Casale	...	Hole the Bounty Hunter (as Antony Vernon)
Marc Mazza	...	Sheriff Eli Saxon
Dominique Darel	...	Elisabeth, Adam's Bride to Be
Alessandra Cardini	...	Anita, One of Madame Oro's Girls (as Sandra Cardini)
Gastone Pescucci	...	Borghese - the Caretaker
Elvira Cortese	...	Madame Oro, Stage Passenger
Anna Maria Gherardi	...	Saxon's Girl
Hans Terofal	...	Jo Barrel
Salvatore Baccaro	...	Saloon Servant
Remo Capitani	...	Bounty Hunter (as Ray O'Connor)
Memè Perlini
Piergiorgio Plebani
Giancarlo Badessi	...	Publican with eye patch
Luigi Antonio Guerra
Maria Teresa Piaggio
Vittorio Sancisi
Franco Balducci	...	Bull's Friend
Giovanni Filidoro	...	Old John
Giovanni Cianfriglia
Michelangelo Mastroni
Angelo Susani	...	Bounty Hunter
Gianni Di Segni
Clemente Cipriano
Luigi Masironi
Mimmo Rizzo
Giorgio Trestini	...	Bull
Furio Meniconi	...	Hangman
Luigi Scavran
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bob Clark	...	Deputy (uncredited)
Franco Fantasia	...	Bounty Killer (uncredited)
Ottorino Polentini	...	Bounty Hunter (uncredited)

Directed by
Giancarlo Santi

Writing credits
Ernesto Gastaldi		(screenplay)

Original Music by
Luis Bacalov
Sergio Bardotti

Cinematography by
Mario Vulpiani

Film Editing by
Roberto Perpignani

Set Decoration by
Francesco D'Andria

Costume Design by
Lina Nerli Taviani

Makeup Department
Alfonso Gola	....	makeup artist
Ettore Tarquini	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Roberto Giussani	....	production manager
Pietro Innocenzi	....	production supervisor
Emanuele Spatafora	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Fabio Garriba	....	assistant director
Claude Othnin-Girard	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Elio Pacella	....	sound
Antonio Pantano	....	boom operator
Adriano Taloni	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Eros Bacciucchi	....	special effects
Pasquino Benassati	....	special effects technician
Giovanni Corridori	....	special effects technician
Giulio Molinari	....	special effects technician

Stunts
X Brands	....	stunt double: Lee Van Cleef (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Mario Bagnato	....	second camera operator
Divo Cavicchioli	....	still photographer
Umberto Dessena	....	grip
Antonio Nicolosi	....	chief electrician
Vittorio Nicolosi	....	key grip
Pasquale Rachini	....	camera operator
Pier Luigi Santi	....	assistant camera

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Clara Poggi	....	wardrobe
Renato Ventura	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Jean-Pierre Besnard	....	assistant editor
Adalberto Ceccarelli	....	assistant editor
Elisabetta Innocenzi	....	assistant editor
Gabrielle Reinecke	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Henryk Chrosicki	....	presenter
Sergio Giussani	....	administrator
Ettore Rosboch	....	presenter
Sergio Sagnotti	....	master of arms

Production Companies

• Mount Street Film (co-production)
• Corona Filmproduktion (co-production)
• Terra-Filmkunst (co-production)
• Société Nouvelle de Cinématographie (SNC) (as Société Nouvelle de Cinematographie) (co-production)

Distributors

• Constantin Film (1972) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Cinema Shares International Distribution (1974) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Société Nouvelle de Cinématographie (SNC) (1973) (France) (theatrical)
• Titanus Distribuzione (197?) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (1993) (USA) (VHS)
• Century Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS) (as "Sabata, o Justiceiro")
• Crystal Pictures (Brazil) (VHS) (as "O Grande Duelo")
• Fonovizyon (19??) (Turkey) (VHS)
• Krause & Schneider Multimedia (KSM) (2009) (Germany) (DVD)
• Mill Creek Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Mill Creek Entertainment (2012) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Platinum Disc (2003) (USA) (DVD) (with "God's Gun", "Beyond the Law" and "Death Rides a Horse")
• Polyband (19??) (West Germany) (VHS)
• Rossi Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS) (as "O Grande Duelo")
• Synergy Entertainment (2007) (worldwide) (DVD)
• Timeless Multimedia (1991) (USA) (VHS)
• Treeline Films (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• V.E.P. (19?/) (Greece) (VHS)

Also Known As:

"Il grande duello" - Italy (original title)
"Grand Duel" - USA
"Storm Rider" - USA (video title)

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

Italy | West Germany | France

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 (1973) | Sweden:15 | USA:R | UK:18 (1988) (cut) | West Germany:16 (nf) | UK:15 (re-rating) (2008) (cut) | Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Elios Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Mount Street Film

Goofs:

Continuity: At various times Lee Van Cleef's character is called both "Sheriff" and "Marshal".

Quotes:

[first lines]
Madame Oro, Stage Passenger:Hey Driver, can't you put the fear of God into those mules of yours?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)

A brilliant surrealistic Spaghetti Western

This is a brilliant Italian/German/Monocco western that is vastly underrated with touches of Italian Giallo, a little Neo Realism and Nourish properties as well.....also being trendy via having one of the characters, the youngest of the brothers to be homosexual and deadly with a gun...also and interesting mix of flashback desaturated blue filtered monochrome/black and white photography....the film is finally on DVD thru Treeline films, part of a vast 50 films DVD collection.....the only drawback is the film is only formatted via Pan and Scan, which is very apparent, almost like watching a tennis match....well anyway a widescreen print is available this will have to do, but even in Pan and Scan , this is a Grand film and highly recommended for Van Cleef and non Van Cleef fans..also a brilliant score by future Academy Award winner Luis Enrique Bacalov which is making a comeback via the soundtrack to Kill Bill Vol 1.....please get this film along with the collection I mentioned earlier....not bad for $25.00....thanks