Doc, Hands of Steel (1965)

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Director:

Alfonso Balcázar

Writers:

Alfonso Balcázar (screenplay), Alfonso Balcázar (story)

Stars:

Carl Möhner, Luis Dávila, Fernando Sancho

Cast

Credited cast:
Carl Möhner	...	Doc MacGregor (as Karl Möhner)
Luis Dávila	...	Slade Carroll
Fernando Sancho	...	Pablo Reyes
Gloria Milland	...	Norma O'Connor
Loris Loddi	...	Bob
Óscar Pellicer	...	Brogas Nephew
Umberto Raho	...	Mayor Brogas
Irene Mir
Pedro Gil
Daniela Igliozzi	...	Cantina Waitress (as Daniela Gouzzi)
Juanita Espín
Carlos Ronda	...	Old Doctor
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Franco Balducci	...	Sheriff
Dario De Grassi
Evar Maran

Storyline

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Genres:

Western

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Details

Country:

Italy Spain

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

3 December 1965 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Doc, Hands of Steel

Filming Locations:

Fraga, Huesca, Aragón, Spain

Company Credits

Production Co:

Balcázar Producciones Cinematográficas,Flora Film,West Film

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Edited into Spaghetti Western Trailer Show (2007)

User Reviews

Mediocre Paella/Spaghetti Western co-produced by Spain/Italy , being regularly directed by Alfonso Balcazar

Arizona, 1887 . In the beginning we are then introduced to our stalwart hero , a card player named Doc MacGregor (Carl Mohner as Karl Möhner) who is relentlessly pursued by ambitious bounty hunters . When Doc is riding he meets a dead man , and as he replaces the identity of a legendary gunslinger . Doc along with the bounty hunter Slade Carroll (Luis Dávila) arrive in a town where Doc is mistaken for sheriff Kitchener , as taking his identity Doc becomes the city Marshall and Slade as deputy . Along the way , they face off tramplers and a famous Mexican outlaw called Pablo Reyes (Fernando Sancho) . Doc MacGregor is actually a surgeon and at the end he heals a sympathetic boy (Loris Loddi) . Doc and Slade suffer double-crosses , attacks , betrayal by a corrupt Mayor (Umberto Raho) as well as a lot of twists and turns until a final assault on the town .

This "L'uomo Dalla Pistola D'Oro" , also titled "Doc, Hands of Steel" , or "Man with the Golden Pistol" or "The Man Who Came to Kill" or "El Pistolero De Oro" results to be a so-so tortilla/Pasta Western in which two drifters arrive in a little town to resolve conflicts among nasty robbers and corrupt authority . All in all , this film is predominantly a Spanish film rather than an Italian one . It's a two country co-production but is clearly dominated by the Spanish contingent and the traditional leanings of the Spanish producers of the time have their stamp on the entire proceedings . The Spanish westerns of this era were far more likely to try and emulate their American source material than cultivate a distinctive style of their own the way the Italians were doing but their product , though if you like westerns remains lightly watchable , but also it turns out to be middling . Mediocre Butifarra Western realized in traditional style with a screenplay written by Giovanni Simonelli , José Antonio De La Loma and Alfonso Balcázar himself , including boring dialogue , silly situations , plot twists and turns . Italian-Spanish co-production filmed in Catalunya , full of familiar faces , action , exaggerated characters , crossfire and lots of shots and fights . The film packs thrills , shootouts , brawls , and results to be entertaining but very mediocre . It's a middle-budget film with ordinary actors , technicians , decent production values and average results . There is plenty of action in the movie , guaranteeing some shoot'em up or stunts every few minutes . It's an exciting western with breathtaking showdown between protagonists , Carl Mohner and Luis Davila , against their enemies , adding some thrilling scenes at the ending . It stars Carl Möhner (1921–2005) who performed other Westerns as ¨30 Winchesters for El Diablo" or "Gold Train" , but also acted in thrillers and dramas as ¨Babysitter¨, ¨It takes a thief¨, ¨The last bridge¨, ¨Cave of the living dead¨, ¨Sink the Bismark¨ and his greatest hit was ¨Rififi¨ . Co-stars Luis Davila who takes on a band of crooks , unethical Mayor & his gang . Davila starred during the sixties and seventies several action films as well as Chorizo or Paella Western such as ¨Relevo para pistolero¨, "Dynamite Jim" , ¨Viva Carrancho¨, ¨Tumba para Forajido¨ and "Pancho Villa" , some of them directed by Alfonso Balcazar . The cast and support cast are passable . Furthermore , there appears ordinary secondaries of Spaghetti/Paella Western , as Spanish/Italian players : Gloria Milland as a beautiful widow , Óscar Pellicer , Umberto Raho and the little boy Loris Loddi . And , of course, the great Fernando Sancho in his usual role as a Mexican outlaw , as he is terrific , he subsequently would play similar roles in other Spaghettis . Atmospheric cinematography by Mario Capriotti in Scope and Eastmancolor . Being regularly photographed and necessary a fine remastering because the film-copy is washed-out .

The picture mostly filmed in atmospheric scenarios on location in Fraga , (Huesca) , similar to Almeria , and a Western village located in ¨Spugles De Llobregat¨ , it resulted to be the locations where were shot lots of Westerns produced and directed by Catalan people as Alfonso Balcazar , J.J. Balcazar , José Antonio De La Loma , Juán Bosch , Juán Xiol , Manuel Esteba , Ignacio F. Iquino , and Julio Buchs , among others , because Almeria was too far and the Fraga landscapes bear remarkable resemblance . There are many fine technicians and nice assistant direction and adequate production design by the usual Juan Albert Soler , he creates an acceptable scenario . And evocative musical score by Angelo Francesco Lavagnino.

This motion picture was middlingly directed by Alfonso Balcazar , and with no originality ; he managed to make a fluid and filled with punches as well as gun-play , though mediocre . Alfonso often uses pseudonym Al Bagran . Alfonso alongside his brothers Juan Jose Balcazar and Francisco Balcázar produced and directed a lot of Chorizo or Butifarra Western , most of them starred by Jorge Martin or George Martin , Luis Davila , Daniel Martin or Robert Woods ; such as 1972 The return of Clint , 1972 Judas... ¡Toma Monedas! , 1968 Sartana no Perdone or Sonora , 1967 With Death on Your Back, 1966 Dinamita Jim , 1965 Doc , Manos De Plata , 1965 Viva Carrancho , 1965 Five Thousand Dollars on One Ace . Rating : 4.5/10 . Average