Ace High (1968)

A recently-escaped bandit forms an unlikely alliance with two bounty hunters and an acrobat to get revenge against the people who framed him.

Director:

Giuseppe Colizzi

Writer:

Giuseppe Colizzi (screenplay)

Stars:

Terence Hill, Bud Spencer, Eli Wallach

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Eli Wallach	...	Cacopoulos
Terence Hill	...	Cat Stevens
Brock Peters	...	Thomas
Kevin McCarthy	...	Drake (as Kevin Mc Carthy)
Bud Spencer	...	Hutch Bessy
Livio Lorenzon	...	Paco Rosa
Steffen Zacharias	...	Harold (as Stephen Zacharias)
Tiffany Hoyveld	...	Thomas' Wife
Armando Bandini	...	Bank Cashier
Remo Capitani	...	Cangaceiro
Federico Boido	...	Drake's blond henchman (as Rick Boyd)
Isa Foster	...	Cacopoulos' Woman
Bruno Corazzari	...	Charlie
Dante Cleri	...	Bankier, playing cards with Cacopoulos
Antonietta Fiorito	...	(as Antonietta Fiorito C.S.C.)

Storyline

After Cacopoulos (Eli Wallach) saves himself from being hanged on a false charge, he robs Cat Stevens (Terrence Hill) and Hutch Bessy (Bud Spencer) and steals their horses. This results in Stevens and Bessy becoming unwilling allies in Cacopoulus' revenge against the people who framed him.

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Plot Keywords:

revenge | 19th century | bar shootout | cowboys and outlaws | gunfight | 

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Taglines:

Nobody beats Caco at his own game, because even if you win...you lose!

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Genres:

Comedy | Western

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for western violence

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

3 September 1969 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ace High

Filming Locations:

Elios Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cronocinematografica S.p.a., San Marco

Technical Specs

Runtime:

132 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The second teaming of Terence Hill and Bud Spencer.

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Goofs

When Hutch lifts the hat off of a corpse, the corpse's actor is clearly breathing.

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Quotes

Cacopoulos: [to Drake, after the gunfight] A rope around that fine perfumed neck. Think about it. Not a bad idea, huh? A beautiful rope you can see through the bars of the cell that they'll put you in. A good, strong rope, waiting for ya. Calling to ya.
[to Bankier]
Cacopoulos: Hey, you won't change your mind, huh?
Bankier, playing cards with Cacopoulos: No, I told you. You can count on it.
Cacopoulos: [Looks back up at Drake and smirks] My grandfather used to say...
[He faints onto the Casino floor]

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Connections

Referenced in Once Upon a Time in America (1984)

User Reviews

Delightful Romp

A Leone pasta western without the pretentiousness. Easy going romp of crosses, double crosses, and triple crosses. Wallach is just fine and dandy reprising his Tuco role from GOOD, THE BAD... this time playing an ethnic Greek-Mexican bandit with a Yiddish accent (oy vey) manipulating ol' buddies Hill & Spencer into a scheme to get back at the people who left him out to dry years back. Along the way they pick up acrobat (!) Brock Peters who becomes crucial to their plan. Kevin McCarthy is the target of their wrath. The film concludes with a satisfying round-up. Colizzi directs with a sure hand, even allowing New York method actor Wallach to kvetch for several minutes at a time. No wonder he returned to Italy and Spain from time to time to make these films. No where else would a director allow his star to chew the scenery in such a way. The comedy is not broad or overpowering as most films in this sub-genre tend to be. The characters are uncharacteristically likeable, thanks to the cast. Great scene: revelutionaries mete out rough justice to a town's leaders. Later, our trio, with the help of some greedy peasants retake the town and mete out the same justice to the revolutionaries!!! I've never seen that done in a Euro-western.