Guns for Dollars (1971) User Reviews

One eccentric character too many, but a great view

[marc-366 · 7/10 · 2 November 2005]

Any film with a title as memorable and eye-catching as "Heads You Die, Tails I Kill You" has a lot to live up to. Luckily this one does.... well, for the first half at least.

The story centres around George Hilton's character named "Halleluyah" (thus the films alternative title "They Call Me Hallelujah"). He has been hired by Mexican general Ramirez (Roberto Camardiel) to steal jewels from the army, allegedly to help fund the revolution.

The beginning of the movie is very strong, as Ramirez is led to the firing line by the army, to Ciprani's fantastic score. Some onlookers are already grieving, but proceedings are intervened when Halleluyah appears with his very novel machine gun. Great stuff.

The plot has more twists and turns than, ummmmm, a very twisty turney thing! It is not just Halleluyah searching for the jewels, but a secret agent disguised as a Nun (Agata Flori), the Russian Alexei (Charles Southwood) and a gang of arms dealers led by Fortune (Paulo Gozlino).

Whilst the movie is a real roller-coaster of a ride, it does reach new levels of stupidity with the introduction of Alexei. As I said at the beginning of this write up, the film doesn't disappoint - it just (in my opinion) has one eccentric character too many. This makes the second half just a bit too farcical to me at times.

Most of the best scenes are based around Halleluyah's interaction with the gang - particularly near the beginning where disguised as monks they successfully steal the jewels (and soon face a confrontation with "Brother" Hallelujah). There is also a hilarious scene in which our hero poisons the gang's food, resulting in much belly ache and diarrhoea enforced swift exists! As far as the cast are concerned, Hilton makes a good leading man for the less serious westerns. Regular spaghetti stalwart Federico Boido is also well cast as the weasel like gang member Slocum.

I would definitely recommend this film (despite my reservations about the Russian!). It is a well plotted, good fun view, with enough double crosses and twists to keep you interested and entertained throughout.

overly plotted but still fun

[hooahh71 · 7/10 · 4 August 2001]

I bought a copy of this film from an on-line cult-movie dealer solely on the basis of its title: HEADS YOU DIE,TAILS I KILL YOU. This is one case where a spaghetti western lives up to its nifty title. Though a bit overly-plotted, this is a machinegun-paced, fun oater. More in common with the westerns of Howard Hawks and Burt Kennedy than the sweltering pasta dishes of Leone and Corbucci. Holds your interest throughout its running time. Great script.

So-so Spaghetti western with a brave and sympathetic hero taking off the Emperor Maximiliano troops

[ma-cortes · 5/10 · 17 June 2017]

Goofy , entertaining and amusing tongue-in-cheek spaghetti Western . This exciting picture contains Western noisy action , gun-play , fun situations and bits of humor . The film gets the comic remarks from Western parody united the features of typical Spaghetti . Offbeat Western comedy with a hero named ¨Alleluja¨ who looks partially ¨Sartana¨ . It is a bemusing SW with lots of mayhem , crossfire and nutty incidents ; however , being slightly mediocre . This time the new hero is named ¨Alelujah¨ (George Hilton) who carries a ¨surprising machine gun¨ which displays unexpected and magic resources . He is a elegant gunman and his companion is Gen. Emiliano Ramirez (Roberto Camardiel) , both of whom join forces along with a suspicious nun (Agata Fiory) to take a bag full of valuable jewels through gang-infested lands . They face off a powerful banker (Andrea Bosic) and his hoodlums as Fortune (Paolo Gozlino) . It stars ¨Alleluja/George Hilton¨ who unites a mysterious , fake sister and a Cossack Duke (Charles Southwood) . The resourceful hero , freelance gunman , named ¨Alleluja¨ appears to chase nasty gunfighters , as well as to get a gold stash . The confrontation will be inevitable between the mean cutthroats , scoundrels , villainous gunslingers and , of course , ¨Alleluja¨ . As 'Trinity' is the Game...'Hallelujah is his Name!

Silly slapstick euro-western, Terence Hill-Bud Spencer style . Amusingly starred by George Hilton , it is plenty of action , shootouts , tongue-firmly in cheek , double-crosses , fights with lots of punches , kick-ass , bounds , leaps , twists and loads of shots . The movie takes parts from Enzo Barboni movies such as ¨Trinity is my name¨ and ¨Trinity is still my name¨ . The picture is acceptable and amusing which doesn't say a lot because it has some cheap and ridiculous moments , too . This is a regular Faglioli-Spaghetti Western in Trinity and Bambino style and that's why there is a cult to idiocy surrealism , silliness , dirtiness with an appropriately goofy tone , customary issue in this sub-genre . The violence isn't crude but suits the light-weight comedy fun and silly slapstick like the Trinity series . It certainly has an enthusiastic cast , plenty of slapstick , some very impressive gymnastics , especially in the massive fight sequences ,especially set in the Chinese laundry and Monastery . The film is filled with action , twists , fun , brawls , shootouts , surprise-filled entertainment and with a couple of frankly bemusement moments . It does eventually outstay its welcome , and there are a surprising amount of fights and laughter . The movie is running out of ideas a bit ; nevertheless , it is still good enough to be fun . ¨Alelujah¨ is a two-fisted and tough gunfighter with technical weaponry and a lot of tricks similarly to previous Sabata , here he is attempting t to take down European emperor Maximilian by seizing a purse of precious jewels intended to be used for the purchase of weapons . ¨Alelujah¨ is another hero of second class in the S.W. genre as Sabata and Sartana . The Uruguay-born George Hilton was a Spaghetti first-star such as ¨ Sartana no perdone¨ , ¨Go kill and come back¨ , ¨Kitosch¨ , ¨They call me Alleluja¨ , ¨Ruthless four¨ , ¨Alleluja for Django¨ , and also played successful Giallo as ¨The strange vice of Mrs Wardh¨ , ¨The scorpion's tale¨, ¨All colors of the dark¨ , ¨My deal Killer¨ . He teams up , as co-protagonist , with the Spanish Roberto Camardiel , he is one , (along with Tito Garcia , Chris Huerta , Pedro Sánchez, and the great Fernando Sancho) of the ordinary support characters who accompanied to starring in the multiple Spaghetti/Paella Westerns of the 60s and 70s . The movie gets the usual Italian Western issues , such as greedy antiheroes , violent facing off , quick zooms , exaggerated baddies , among them . It appears ordinary secondary actors who are habitual in Italian Western and Peplum genre , such as : Andrea Bosic , Paolo Gozlino , Franco Pesce , Fortunato Arena , Goffredo Unger and Federico Boido or Rick Boyd and Roberto Camardiel as Mexican general fighting for the revolution against European domination.

This bewildering picture was middlingly directed by Giuliano Carmineo or Anthony Scott , who directed Westerns with Spaghetti-hero named Sartana , usually played by Gianni Garco and George Hilton . Giuliano Carmineo , alias Anthony Ascott, directed various Sartana with George Hilton who replaces Gianni Garco , as Hilton played more natural and roguish than Garco who was cold and peculiar . Giuliano Carmineo realized several Spaghettis , most of them featuring mainly the same cast again , such as "Di Tresette Ce N'è Uno, Tutti Gli Altri son Nessuno" ,Uomo Avvisato Mezzo Ammazzato... Parola Di Spirito Santo¨ (original title) or "His Name Was Holy Ghost", this is probably the best among the bunch of spaghetti western comedies that George Hilton was starring in and "Lo Chiamavano Tresette... Giocava Sempre Col Morto" that actually was the last time George Hilton/Chris Huerta and Carnimeo worked on such a western comedy together , ¨The moment to kill¨, ¨Find a place to die¨ , ¨They call him Cemetery¨ , ¨They call me Hallaluya¨ , and the Sartana movies : "Have a Good Funeral, My Friend, Sartana Will Pay" , ¨Sartana the gravedigger'(69) ,"Sartana's Coming, Get Your Coffins Ready" , ¨Light the fuse Sartana is coming¨(1971) , among others . Giuliano also directed other kinds of genres , as Sci-Fi : ¨Exterminators of the year 3000¨, ¨Computron¨, Giallo : ¨The case of the bloody iris¨ , Crime thriller : ¨Secrets of a Call Girl¨ , Buddy movie films : ¨Convoy Buddies" or "Kid Stuff" , "The Diamond Peddlers" . This one is clearly inferior to his entries in Sartana series . Rating : 5.5/10 . Average but amusing .

Sloppy but fun spaghetti western

[Wizard-8 · 15 August 2012]

By the 1970s, many spaghetti western filmmakers decided after years of making serious spaghetti westerns to start making some that were more comical in nature. "They Call Me Halleluja" (a.k.a. "Heads I Kill You, Tales You're Dead") is one such western, and overall it's a pretty fun exercise. It's goofy fun almost right from the start, with assorted slapstick and various other comic touches (a machine gun sewing machine.) The peppy score by Stelvio Cipriani is the icing on the cake. The movie is not perfect - there are a few moments when it seems that linking footage is missing, and in the second half of the movie, the characters seem to forget about the treasure they had previously been seeking. And the second half also starts to get a little tiresome with its seeming padding. But overall, if you like spaghetti westerns and you are not in a completely serious mood, this movie will do nicely.

Historically questionable

[edwinabc · 6/10 · 8 July 2016]

How did Mexico get Revolvers before the US Army in the Civil War? Maximillian's reign in Mexico ended just before the Start of the American Civil War. Amazing. The Revolver was Brand new Technology at the Start of the Civil War. However the Acting was Theatrical. First guns were a powder Charge and pellet, the Movie Shows a rapid firing revolver which was not introduced until the early 1870's. In 1847 appeared the First Colt Revolvers used by the Texas Rangers. But it was not a "Fan" firing revolver seen in the Movie. The War against the Comanche's an early version of the Revolver was used but it was hammer-less thus incapable of fan Firing.

Ed The C

Silly fun

[BandSAboutMovies · 6/10 · 22 August 2020]

Whether you know it as Guns for Dollars, Deep West, Heads I Kill You, Tails You're Dead! They Call Me Hallalujah or the title we chose, this Giuliano Carnimeo-directed (The Case of the Bloody Iris, the Sartana films) movie is a comedic take on the Italian Western that is worth a look.

Interestingly enough, Giuliano started his directing career on a movie we covered last week, the Jayne Mansfield-starring Panic Button, working alongside George Sherman.

1860's Mexico serves as the stage and jewels are the McGuffin as General Ramirez (Robert Camardiel, Sorrow from Django Kill... If You Live, Shoot!) wants them to finance his revolution, Hallelujah (George Hilton!) wants the money for getting them and all manner of others want them, including a nun (Agata Flori) and a Russian nobleman named Grand Duke Alexey Wissayolovich Kropotki (Charles Southwood, who was Sabbath opposite Hilton in Sartana's Here... Trade Your Pistol for a Coffin) and various bandits and bad men.

Most of the fun here is the interplay between Hallelujah and Kropotki, as well as the main double crosses to see who gets the baubles that everyone is willing to kill and die over.

If you're looking for a serious Western, this isn't it. It has sewing machine/machine gun and bazooka/ukelele combo weapons, Russian dancing and corkscrews being used to remove bullets. This is a film more influenced by the Trinity films and Eurospy world than Leone, so if you can handle that, by all means, enjoy! I sure did.

Silly, Undistinguished Revolutionary Western

[FightingWesterner · 5/10 · 24 May 2011]

Mysterious gunfighter George Hilton totes around a sewing machine/machine gun and offers his services to a group of Mexican revolutionaries seeking a stash of jewels held by the Spanish government.

The first half of the movie is mildly interesting, thanks to a fast-pace. However, things get bogged down after awhile, with too much in-your-face direction, slapstick, and silly characters, like a Russian cossack!

Hilton is as amusing as ever, even if his character, like all the others in this movie, is a bit cardboard. The sewing machine and the scene where he removes a bullet with a corkscrew alone makes the film worth checking out.

Good Clean Fun With Machine Guns

[boblipton · 5/10 · 11 August 2020]

Roberto Camardiel is running the revolution against Emperor Maximillian, but things aren't going so well. In fact, he's facing a firing squad. Fortunately the peasants, led by scalawag gun-runner George Hilton save him. But the Revolution cannot succeed without machine guns, and that calls for money, so the plan is to steal the Emperor's Crown Jewels and have Hilton convert them into Gatlings. What the Emperor Norton will say in Petaluma, no one knows.

When we think of spaghetti westerns, we think of Sergio Leone with Clint Eastwood as the Man With No Name, and this definitely qualifies. In many ways, it looks like THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY, but while that was filled with dark, sardonic humor, this one seems to take all the deaths as good, clean fun, just a boy's adventure, with Hilton outwitting and outrunning everyone else. It's fine on those terms, but lacks any depth whatsoever.

"If a Yankee and a Russkie played hound dog together, they would have the world up a tree"

[simonize-1 · 8/10 · 4 October 2004]

This is a splendid comic adventure; it is also a 1971 spaghetti western that coming at the tail end of an era was not much seen.

While the cast is uniformly good, it is the script that excels. Tino Carpi's writing provides good lines for almost everybody, whether it is the lead HALLELUJAH, his aristocratic rival in arms ALEXEI, or the two parties, trying to cheat them, the Mexican bandit revolutionary RAMIREZ or the American spy disguised as a nun (AGATA FLORI); even the ruthless arms dealer KRANTZ who engineer the theft of the jewels that everyone chases after a motley crew that becomes recognizable, because they are given not only names but personalities (eg. Cookie and his comments about outlaws, going back to Utah; Fortune, and so forth).

Uruguay born GEORGE HILTON comes across as a blend of TERENCE HILL; JAMES COBURN, especially when he wears motorcycle goggles in an early sequence, and even HUMPHREY BOGART! The actor credited as CHARLES SOUTHWOOD is an engaging fellow, especially when he does his Cossack schtik.

The music by STELVIO CIPRIANI is almost non-stop and adds to the atmosphere.

This is a film that will remind you of many other spaghetti westerns, even if those were made later than this: I was reminded of the SABATA films; the TRINITY films especially the second that deals with rogue monks and their monastery; other Mexican revolutionary films all the way back to VIVA ZAPATA; VERA CRUZ (Emperor Maximilian again) and COMPANEROS/MERCENARY, plus the two Leone westerns DUCK YOU SUCKER and then MY NAME IS NOBODY with the shaving sequence. And those are some that come off the top of my head.

I watched the video distributed by ACADEMY and could almost believe it was STEREO HIFI as cited on their box, but for the fact that no one was doing that back in 1971. In fact I watched this full frame video on a widescreen TV, in the widescreen mode, and was quite satisfied with the picture quality, confirming the original photography was excellent to begin with.

It remains a western that should be seen, therefore be made more available; how nice it would be to see the film on DVD letter boxed, even if it were only in mono!

Highly enjoyable. Hallelujah!

[RatedVforVinny · 8/10 · 6 December 2019]

A first rate Italian Western starring the great George Hilton and which was recently shown at Tarantino's (very own) festival of classics. His own runaway success has really brought these obscure 'Spaghetti's' into the public eye. This example is more along the lines of the fun 'Sabata', rather than (the gritty) 'A Fistful of Dollars' and showcases a vast array of unusual/inventive weaponry. Highly enjoyable and strikes a near perfect balance of comedy and action.

Amazing Dario Sabatelo Produced Masterpiece

[gfourmil · 10/10 · 8 January 2007]

until Mr. Tarantino recently included this film in his recent 'festival-of-classics', i thought only my family knew of it. i happened upon it on late-nite KTLA TV, and as my true San Diego mansion was 120 miles from LA, my 'hill-top' location, still allowed me to record it, on Beta-Max. i have seen this termed 'trash'. 'Shame, Shame, come back Shame! this, as 'Any Gun Can Play'('Kookie's best performance)is not your usual 'pasta-western'. no Leonie 'dark-side'--rather trenchant humor, and very-oddly, a rather strong link to modern physics. What??? the theme of 'perceptor-as-creator' is the 'base' for many scenes. those unaware of this line of 'quantum-physics' simply will see what sometimes appears as absurd, actually agrees with same. 'i pity the poor fool'---

i Love 16mm 'hand-held' photo-tech, and as both fixed, or 'hand-held', this unknown masterpiece blows-away the typical American camera-work. in fact, one may pause Any frame and observe a bit of Absolute Superb 'Modern-Impressionism', that should grace any Great museum---the colors, balance--Perfect. Captivating. This film-art 'nails' any cognizant viewer from opening scenes on--

'Performance-wise'? one must remember this is 'dubbed' to English', so some lines may seem clumsy. yet the characters from the Mexican revolutionary, Russian thief. false Nun, etc. are brilliantly directed. Plot-wise? so it's the old 'gunslinger's-riches-hunt' formula? who cares? this one is Supreme, Breathtaking cinema work, for camera-alone.

i was so taken with this, i spent +bucks to reach the 'hidden' producer. and i did. 1st he wanted to know how i found him, as the Italian 'IRS' was haunting him. then he informed me the 'rights' had been sold to an American co., seeking a flop as a tax-shelter--HA! sound like 'The Producers'? he also mentioned this film was a huge success in Europe and South America, yet ignored here, as Hollywood controls distribution.

i could say much more---simply put? you wish Art? you have 'The-Eye' of a Fine-Art museum master? Camera-man? you wish to laugh? or learn? i caught this when Tarantino was 'a gleam-in-his-father's-eye'. it deserves a 10---

Hilarious, Far-Fetched, But Hugely Entertaining Spaghetti Western Comedy

[zardoz-13 · 8/10 · 13 May 2018]

Argentine actor George Hilton made two Spaghetti western comedies where he played an enigmatic, swift-shooting stranger known as Alleluja who helps Mexican revolutionaries in their struggle against the domination of the Emperor Maximilian. Director Giuliano Carnimeo, who adopted the name Anthony Ascot, helmed both these frivolous shoot'em ups with high body counts. Comparably, "Guns for Dollars" surpasses "Return of Halleluja" with hilarity galore, but "Return" duplicates the formula with all its entertaining twists and turns. The imaginative Tito Capri wrote "Guns for Dollars," also known as "They Call Me Hallelujah," while Capri co-wrote the sequel with "The Italian Connection" scenarist Ingo Hermes and "Any Gun Can Play" scribe Giovanni Simonelli who provided the story idea. These two oaters have the darkly clad Alleluja selling his services to self-proclaimed Mexican revolutionary leader General Manuel Ramirez (Roberto Camardiel of "Seven Pistols for a Massacre") to thwart Maximilian's aims. Virtually all Spaghetti westerns belong to one of three Sergio's. First, Sergio Leone made serious westerns about death and dying. Second, Sergio Corbucci specialized in comic Spaghetti westerns. Third, Sergio Sollima made Spaghetti westerns with disenfranchised peon heroes. "Gun for Dollars" amounts to more a Sergio Leone western with lots of Sergio Corbucci comedy.

"Guns for Dollars" opens with a suspenseful execution scene. The imperialist villains are about to put not only the General but also the Priest, Victoriano Pacico (Aldo Barberito of "Shoot the Living and Pray for the Dead") along with many others against a wall and shoot them. Carnimeo relies on composer Stelvio Cipriani's drum roll music to heighten the suspense and tension. Cipriani's orchestral soundtrack is lively, buoyant material. At some point in their march to the site of execution, Carnimeo frames the action through the arch of a Senger sewing machine. This tongue-in-cheek reference to a Singer sewing machine is clever. What proves to be even more clever but clearly far-fetched is that the stranger Alleluja has modified this sewing machine so that it spits out lead as if it were a Gatling gun! He wipes out the execution squad and agrees to ride off on a quest for General Ramirez to a nearby monastery where a gang of outlaws masquerading as monks have stolen a black satchel stuffed with rare, valuable stones worth over a million pesos. At one point, during the opening sequence, the Senger jams on Alleluja, and he complains, "Shucks, the next thing you know the machine will be sewing bullets and shooting thread."

Later, Alleluja must contend with an acrobatic Russian, Grand Duke Alexey Wissayolovich Kropotkin (Charles Southwood of "Roy Colt and Winchester Jack"), who also wants to recover the jewels, too. When the filmmakers introduce Kropotkin, he is decked out in a long, white Cossack tunic, with a sword. These two Hellions must deal with another competitor, Sister Anna Lee (Agata Flori of "Operation Kid Brother"), and she proves to be just as slippery as they are. If nimble Spaghetti western comedies are your taste, you won't find a better example than "Guns for Dollars." "Stranger Returns" composer Stelvio Cipriani provides a catchy, memorable orchestral soundtrack that enlivens the action.

Fun with guns - daft as hell - great

[Bezenby · 8/10 · 5 October 2017]

This is a film about a gunslinger who owns a machine gun that's also a sewing machine, a nun who is a secret agent like James Bond, and a Russian Prince who does Cossack Kung Fu – Let's see what IMDb commentator Ed the C has to say about it:

QUOTE "How did Mexico get Revolvers before the US Army in the Civil War? Maximillian's reign in Mexico ended just before the Start of the American Civil War. Amazing. The Revolver was Brand new Technology at the Start of the Civil War. First guns were a powder Charge and pellet, the Movie Shows a rapid firing revolver which was not introduced until the early 1870's. In 1847 appeared the First Colt Revolvers used by the Texas Rangers. But it was not a "Fan" firing revolver seen in the Movie. The War against the Comanche's an early version of the Revolver was used but it was hammer-less thus incapable of fan Firing."

Thanks, Ed the C – your last name has three letters missing from it.

This is one of Guiliano Carnimeo's daftest, and therefore most entertaining, Westerns, For his fourth film of 1971, George Hilton plays anti-hero who rescues a Mexican general from execution by using his machine gun/sewing machine combo on the Mexican army. The general then gives him the task of recovering some valuable jewellery, but of course there's a gang of hoodlums after it too (led by the usual corrupt businessman), and a nun who is a secret agent, and an uppity Russian prince who blows up bad guys with a guitar doubling as a rocket launcher.

This film is not about realism, you might get that when George uses a birthday cake with dynamite for candles to blow up the bad guys, or when he puts laxative in their food and they all crap themselves, or when he shoots someone over his shoulder without looking. Or how about when the nun climbs up a telegraph pole and uses a gadget to send a message in morse code?

I don't know how he does it, but Guiliano Carnimeo manages to find the balance between comedy and violence that is painfully lacking in other Westerns about this time. Maybe they just don't go far enough, but Carnimeo packs the film with absolute madness, and then turns the film into an eighties action flick at the end for good measure! I suppose George Hilton helps, with his Latin charm and quips (some of which make no sense) – looks like there was a sequel to this one too!

Oh, good music as well, plus, the cinematography is by future director Stelvio Massi!