L'ultimo cacciatore (1980)

Director:

Antonio Margheriti

Writers:

Gianfranco Couyoumdjian (story)
Dardano Sacchetti (screenplay)

Release Date:

February 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller | War

Tagline:

Trapped in Vietnam, tortured and beaten, still he fights.

Plot:

During the Vietnam war, an American soldier gets trapped beind enemy lines. A squad of his buddies sets out to rescue him. |

Plot Keywords:

Vietnam War | Vietnam | Soldier | Stabbed In The Back | War Violence

Cast

David Warbeck	...	Capt. Henry Morris
Tisa Farrow	...	Jane Foster
Tony King	...	Sgt. George Washington
Bobby Rhodes	...	Carlos
Margit Evelyn Newton	...	Carol (as Margi Eveline Newton)
John Steiner	...	Maj. Cash
Massimo Vanni	...	Phillips
Luciano Pigozzi	...	Bartender (as Alan Collins)
Dino Conti	...	Pot-smoking soldier
Gianfranco Moroni
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jim Gaines	...	U.S. deserter (uncredited)
Miki Kim	...	Prostitute in bar (uncredited)
Romano Kristoff	...	Helicopter pilot (uncredited)
Edoardo Margheriti	...	Stinker Smith (uncredited)
Richard McNamara	...	General in Flashback (voice: English version) (uncredited)
Gregory Snegoff	...	Drunken G.I. (uncredited)
Susan Spafford	...	Carol (voice: English version) (uncredited)
Pat Starke	...	Jane Foster (voice: English version) (uncredited)
Frank von Kuegelgen	...	Maj. Cash (voice: English version) (uncredited)
Hal Yamanouchi	...	Various Vietcong (uncredited)

Directed by
Antonio Margheriti		(as Anthony M. Dawson)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Gianfranco Couyoumdjian		story
Dardano Sacchetti		screenplay

Produced by
Gianfranco Couyoumdjian	....	producer

Original Music by
Franco Micalizzi

Cinematography by
Riccardo Pallottini

Film Editing by
Alberto Moriani

Production Design by
Mimmo Scavia		(as Bartolomeo Scavia)

Costume Design by
Mimmo Scavia		(as Bartolomeo Scavia)

Makeup Department
Nicola Catalani	....	assistant makeup artist
Massimo Giustini	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Mauro Mariani	....	production supervisor
Pasquale Vannini	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Edoardo Margheriti	....	second unit director

Art Department
Antonella Margheriti	....	assistant production designer

Sound Department
Alfonso Montesanti	....	sound engineer
Bruno Moreal	....	sound mixer
Guglielmo Smeraldi	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Apolonio Abadeza	....	special effects (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Antonio Benetti	....	still photographer
Luigi Conversi	....	assistant camera
Fernando Massaccesi	....	chief electrician
Sergio Profili	....	key grip
Mario Sbrenna	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Franca Celli	....	seamstress

Editorial Department
Massimo Cataldo	....	first assistant editor
Mario Recupito	....	second assistant editor

Other crew
Umberto Bellucci	....	production secretary
Marisa Calia	....	script supervisor
Otello Tomassini	....	administrator

Production Companies

• Flora Film
• Gico Cinematografica S.r.l.

Distributors

• World Northal (1984) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Another World Entertainment (2008) (Denmark) (DVD)
• Astro Distribution (1998) (Germany) (VHS)
• DMEG (2004) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Dark Sky Films (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Home Video Hellas (HVH) (1984) (Greece) (VHS)
• Vestron Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Video Instant Picture Company (VIPCO) (????) (UK) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

Sweden:87 min (1981 heavily cut) | Sweden:97 min (1980 banned version) | UK:92 min (2002 uncut version) | UK:96 min (X rated version) | USA:95 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Sweden:15 (1981, heavily cut) | UK:X (original rating) | UK:18 (video rating) (1988) (cut) | UK:18 (video rating) (2002) (uncut) | Australia:R (censored) | Canada:R (Manitoba) | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Canada:(Banned) (Ontario) | Germany:16 (cut) | Germany:BPjM Restricted | Iceland:16 | West Germany:18 | Norway:16 (video premiere) | New Zealand:R18 | Hong Kong:III (original rating)

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Flora Film

Trivia:

According the director's son Edoardo Margheriti, Antonio Margheriti didn't want to make a political film that was for or against the Vietnam War. He just wanted to make a Vietnam War film that was fun.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the bar/brothel scene at the start of the movie a soldier is wearing two different ranks. He has a specialist (E-4) insignia on one sleeve of his uniform and sergeant (E-5) stripes on the other sleeve.

Movie Connections:

Edited into Strike Commando (1987)

Margheriti and Warbeck's finest hour

Whilst on the surface, Antonio Margheriti's, The Last Hunter, might be categorised as a simple exploitation flick, in reality it comprises a great deal more depth and actually serves as a vehement condemnation of the horrors and futility of war.

The very sadly missed David Warbeck here puts in one of his most memorable performances as the war weary Captain Morris, who accepts a seemingly suicidal mission deep behind Vietnamese enemy lines. Also along for the ride are B-movie favourites Tony King, Bobby Rhodes, and in a typically memorable performance, the wonderful John Steiner. Regular fans of Italian B movies will also delight to spot the likes of Massimo Vanni and Luciano Piggozi (sans his beard!)

Whilst it will likely be best remembered to most fans for it's gore drenched and superbly rendered action sequences, the film actually works on multiple levels to entertain, including some highly amusing dialogue and interaction between the protagonists.

Finally, special mention must go to the surprisingly poignant and ambiguous ending in this as a heartfelt anti-war song plays over the end credits.

Superb stuff and undoubtedly one of, if not Margheriti's best work.