IMDb > A Man Called Blade (1977)

A Man Called Blade (1977) More at IMDbPro »Mannaja (original title)

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Overview

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Director:
Sergio Martino
Writers:
Sergio Martino
Sauro Scavolini
Contact:
View company contact information for A Man Called Blade on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
13 August 1977 (Italy) See more »
Genre:
Western See more »
Plot:
Arriving in the mining town Suttonville, after claiming the bounty of a outlaw known as Burt Craven... See more » | Add synopsis »
Plot Keywords:
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User Reviews:
Eat your heart out, Wesley Snipes! See more (19 total) »

Cast

  (in credits order) (complete, awaiting verification)
Maurizio Merli ... Mannaja
John Steiner ... Valler
Sonja Jeannine ... Deborah McGowan (as Sonya Jeannine)
Donald O'Brien ... Burt Craven
Salvatore Puntillo ... Johnny Johnny - the impresario
Antonio Casale ... Dorman - bandits' head (as Nino Casale)
Enzo Fiermonte ... The government Envoy
Rik Battaglia ... Gerald Merton - Mannaja's father (as Rick Battaglia)
Aldo Rendine ... The Fat Passenger in the Stagecoach
Sergio Tardioli ... The Saloon Barman
Sofia Lombardo ... Mannaja's Mother (as Sophia Lombardo)
Philippe Leroy ... McGowan
Martine Brochard ... Angela
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Enzo Maggio
Nick Alexander ... Dorman - Bandits' Head (voice: English version) (uncredited)
Domenico Cianfriglia ... Valler's Man (uncredited)
Alberto Dell'Acqua ... Valler's Man (uncredited)
Ottaviano Dell'Acqua ... Rioting Miner (uncredited)
Bruno Di Luia ... Stagecoach Guard (uncredited)
Michael Forest ... Blade (voice: English version) (uncredited)
Nello Pazzafini ... Valler's Man (uncredited)
Riccardo Petrazzi ... Valler's Man (uncredited)
Claudio Ruffini ... Valler's Man with Whip (uncredited)
Franco Ukmar ... Valler's Man (uncredited)
Frank von Kuegelgen ... Valler's Man (voice: English version) (uncredited)
José Yepes ... Valler's Man (uncredited)
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Directed by
Sergio Martino 
 
Writing credits
(in alphabetical order)
Sergio Martino 
Sauro Scavolini 

Produced by
Luciano Martino .... producer
 
Original Music by
Guido De Angelis 
Maurizio De Angelis 
 
Cinematography by
Federico Zanni 
 
Film Editing by
Eugenio Alabiso 
 
Production Design by
Giacomo Calò Carducci 
 
Costume Design by
Marisa Crimi 
 
Makeup Department
Mirella Ginnoto .... hair stylist
Dante Trani .... makeup artist
 
Production Management
Pietro Innocenzi .... production manager
Furio Rocchi .... production supervisor
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Massimo Manasse .... assistant director
 
Art Department
Adriano Tiberi .... property master
 
Sound Department
Raffaele De Luca .... sound
Bruno Moreal .... sound mixer
Stefano Piermarioli .... sound recordist
 
Special Effects by
Cataldo Galliano .... special effects
 
Stunts
Riccardo Petrazzi .... stunt coordinator
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Alberto Anzellotti .... key grip
Roberto Belli .... gaffer
Sebastiano Celeste .... camera operator
Giorgio Garibaldi Schwarze .... still photographer (as Baldi Schwarze)
Mario Pastorini .... assistant camera
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Luisa Buratti .... wardrobe mistress
 
Editorial Department
Giuseppe Romano .... assistant editor
 
Other crew
Evi Farinelli .... production secretary
Mirella Malatesta .... publicity secretary
Luigi Padovani .... riding master
Riccardo Petrazzi .... weapons master
 

Production CompaniesDistributors
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
"Mannaja" - Italy (original title)
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Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents
Runtime:
Brazil:101 min
Country:
Italy
Language:
Italian
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 See more »
Certification:
Australia:MA | Sweden:(Banned) | New Zealand:R13 | Iceland:16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Italy:VM18 | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Norway:18 | Germany:BPjM Restricted
Filming Locations:
Elios Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy
Company:
Devon FilmSee more »

Did You Know?

Trivia:
John Steiner was afraid of horses, so Sergio Martino had him stand on wooden planks while shooting him closeup so it looked as if he were riding a horse.See more »
Movie Connections:
References Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)See more »

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User Reviews

   (Review this title)
7 out of 11 people found the following review useful.
Eat your heart out, Wesley Snipes!, 4 February 2007
Author: Coventry from the Draconian Swamp of Unholy Souls

The titular character thankfully isn't an ancestor of overrated vampire-hunter Wesley Snipes, but a genuinely old-fashioned and testosterone-laden spaghetti western hero who furiously wanders around the deserts like a one-man-army, hunting down wanted criminals for the rewards on their head. Blade is relentless but fair, he has an imposing charisma and wields hatchets as professionally as he fires shotguns. In short, he's the ideal guy to dedicate another magnificently violent, imaginative and nasty euro-Western to! And, oh yes, Sergio Martino's film can easily compete with the absolute greatest efforts in this sadly extinct sub genre of cult cinema, like Sergio Corbucci's "Django", Sergio Sollima's "The Big Gundown" and perhaps even some of Serio Leoni's lesser known movies. "A Man Called Blade" is a very eventful and exciting film, chock-full of outrageous gun & fistfights, mean & treasonous bandits and wild ambushes. When arriving in the little town of Suttonville to claim the reward on a killer's head, Blade encounters the vicious & corrupt sidekick of a prominent businessman. Blade offers his services to McGowan and Voller, because despite exploiting the local miners, large troops of outlaws continuously steal the silver. Voller wants to get rid of Blade as soon as possible, because he plots to take over the empire, but Blade is tough and has an extra personal score to settle with McGowan. The plot twists perhaps aren't the most original ones ever, but bear in mind "A Man Called Blade" got released during the dying years of spaghetti western cinema. And even though not always original, Martino's film is fast-paced and doesn't feature a single dull moment. The fights are dirty (literally) and the violence is rather graphic, with several cowboys dying from hatches in their foreheads or bullets between the eyes. The outdoor locations are sublime and I absolutely loved the moody theme song that gets repeated during the film's most essential sequences. Other fans seem to disapprove of the music in this film, but I thought it was excellent. Maurizio Merli makes a terrific macho hero. Perhaps not as legendary as Franco Nero or Tomas Milian, but close enough. The film sadly doesn't have a strong female lead, only a sympathetic go-go dancer and the silent daughter of the mayor. The most memorable performance is given by John Steiner as Blade's sadistic opponent Voller. With his ugly face and almost natural aura of arrogance, Steiner gave image of multiple villains in Italian cult films. His role here definitely ranks among the best! Highly recommended.

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