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IMDbPro

Alive or Preferably Dead

Original title: Vivi o preferibilmente morti
  • 19691969
  • PGPG
  • 1h 43m
IMDb RATING
5.2/10
368
YOUR RATING
Alive or Preferably Dead (1969)
  • Action
  • Comedy
  • Western
Two brothers, Monty and Ted, will inherit $300,000 if they manage to live together for six months.Two brothers, Monty and Ted, will inherit $300,000 if they manage to live together for six months.Two brothers, Monty and Ted, will inherit $300,000 if they manage to live together for six months.
IMDb RATING
5.2/10
368
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Duccio Tessari
  • Writers
    • Ennio Flaiano(story)
    • Giorgio Salvioni
    • Duccio Tessari
  • Stars
    • Giuliano Gemma
    • Nino Benvenuti
    • Cris Huerta
Top credits
  • Director
    • Duccio Tessari
  • Writers
    • Ennio Flaiano(story)
    • Giorgio Salvioni
    • Duccio Tessari
  • Stars
    • Giuliano Gemma
    • Nino Benvenuti
    • Cris Huerta
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 10User reviews
    • 12Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos7

    Alive or Preferably Dead (1969)
    Alive or Preferably Dead (1969)
    Nino Benvenuti and Giuliano Gemma in Alive or Preferably Dead (1969)
    Giuliano Gemma and Sydne Rome in Alive or Preferably Dead (1969)
    Nino Benvenuti and Giuliano Gemma in Alive or Preferably Dead (1969)
    Nino Benvenuti and Giuliano Gemma in Alive or Preferably Dead (1969)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Giuliano Gemma
    Giuliano Gemma
    • Monty Mulliganas Monty Mulligan
    Nino Benvenuti
    • Ted Mulliganas Ted Mulligan
    Cris Huerta
    • James 'Bad Jim' Williamsas James 'Bad Jim' Williams
    Antonio Casas
    Antonio Casas
    • Mr. Barnesas Mr. Barnes
    Julio Peña
    Julio Peña
    • Doctoras Doctor
    George Rigaud
    George Rigaud
    • Mr. Scottas Mr. Scott
    Arturo Pallandino
      Brizio Montinaro
      Brizio Montinaro
      Sydne Rome
      Sydne Rome
      • Rossella Scottas Rossella Scott
      Rafael Albaicín
      • Cowboy on the Trainas Cowboy on the Train
      • (uncredited)
      Simón Arriaga
      • Bad Jim's Henchmanas Bad Jim's Henchman
      • (uncredited)
      Luis Barboo
      Luis Barboo
      • Cowboy on the Trainas Cowboy on the Train
      • (uncredited)
      Agustín Bescos
      • Dinner Guestas Dinner Guest
      • (uncredited)
      José Canalejas
      José Canalejas
      • Cowboy on the Trainas Cowboy on the Train
      • (uncredited)
      Álvaro de Luna
      Álvaro de Luna
      • Bad Jim's Henchmanas Bad Jim's Henchman
      • (uncredited)
      Miguel del Castillo
      • Old Townsmanas Old Townsman
      • (uncredited)
      Víctor Israel
      Víctor Israel
      • Mayor's Supporteras Mayor's Supporter
      • (uncredited)
      Juan Olaguivel
      • Blind Conmanas Blind Conman
      • (uncredited)
      • Director
        • Duccio Tessari
      • Writers
        • Ennio Flaiano(story) (screenplay)
        • Giorgio Salvioni
        • Duccio Tessari
      • All cast & crew
      • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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      Storyline

      Edit

      Did you know

      Edit
      • Trivia
        The U.S. dubbed version, Alive or preferably dead, was promoted as "Sundance Cassidy and Butch the Kid", a rip-off of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), and the director and top actors were billed with English names re-sounding those of American the same film: Giuliano Gemma as John Wade; Nino Benvenuti as Robert Neuman; Sydne Rome as Karen Blake; director Duccio Tessari as Arthur Pitt.
      • Quotes

        Rossella Scott: [to a sweaty, bare-chested Ted Mulligan] The way you swing that ax does all sorts of funny things to me.

      • Alternate versions
        US version titled "Sundance and the Kid" was cut by 25 minutes, and changed all credits to bogus Anglo pseudonyms.
      • Soundtracks
        Monty and Ted
        (uncredited)

        Sung by John Ireson and Wayne Parham

      User reviews10

      Review
      Top review
      5/10
      Hilarious and sympathetic but average Spaghetti/Paella Western co-produced by Italy/Spain
      This Chorizo/Pasta Western displays noisy action , thrills , stirring adventures , shoot'em up , slapdash , and results to be pretty amusing . Two brothers , Monty (Giuliano Gemma) and Ted (Nino Benvenutti) , will inherit $300,000 from the valuable inheritance of their deceased uncle if they manage to live together for six months . This is an amusing film including booze , banks & broads! . The roguish brothers have their hands in everything , but especially on a beautiful young (Sidney Rome) who is kidnapped , she is daughter of a banker (Jorge Rigaud) to pay a huge rescue . Meanwhile , the funny couple helped by Barnds (Antonio Casas) carry out bank hold-up , assault stagecoaches , take on their nasty enemy Jim (Cris Huerta) and hoodlums (Alvaro De Luna , Simón Arriaga , Dan Van Husen , José Canalejas , among others) .

      This amusing , engaging movie is crammed of fist-fights , punches , kicks , moving stunt-work , colorful outdoors and lots of humor . ¨Alive and preferably dead" or "Sundance Cassidy and Butch the Kid" is just a mildly amusing action comedy Western , about on the level of a lesser Bambino/Bud Spencer - Tritinity/Terence Hill movie . Giuliano Gemma is top-notch as a likable freewheeling rogue , meanwhile taking on an ominous villain , Chris Huerta . This is a nice and funny juvenile story for Giuliano Gemma fans , as he's delightful and attractive . It packs action , fist-play , slapdash , humor with tongue-in-cheek and is quite bemusing . This is an acceptable S.W. full of action , shootouts , fist-play and some touches of humor in charge of Giuliano Gemma/Monty Mulligan and Nino Benvenuti/Ted Mulligan characters . They are very fine , they ravage the screen , they jump , bounds and leaps , hit and run ; plus , lots of jokes , laughs , they are a complete show , delivering a nice chemical . Gemma starred several films of all kinds of genres as ¨Master touch¨ with Kirk Douglas , ¨Stay away¨ with Amidou , as well as ¨Africa Express¨ and ¨Safari Express¨with Ursula Andress and with similar artist and technician team , but especially Westerns as ¨Arizona Colt¨ with Fernando Sancho and Nello Pazzafini and ¨California ¨ with William Berger and Romano Puppo . This release ¨Vivi or Preferibilmente Morti (original title)¨ or ¨Alive or preferably dead¨ has some cool moments and a great number of hilarious scenes , adding a wonderful Sidney Rome as the kidnapped lady in mystery . The film isn't always good , sometimes is fresh and diverting and on a couple of memorable occasions , it's frankly delicious . The movie displays innumerable laughs , jokes and slapstick . In this very mild entertainment picture appears usual secondaries seen in several Spaghetti/Tortilla Westerns , many of them uncredited in brief appearances , such as : Antonio Casas , Julio Peña , Alvaro De Luna , José Canalejas , Simón Arriaga ,Luis Barboo , Victor Israel , Dan van Husen , Julio Pérez Tabernero , Miguel Del Castillo , Rafael Albaicin and special mention for the fatty Chris Huerta . It's a co-production Spanish-Italian and , of course , shot on location in Manzanares Del Real , La Pedriza , Colmenar Viejo and Madrid surroundings , that is well photographed in Eastmancolor by Manuel Rojas , though a perfect remastering is necessary because of the film-copy is washed-out . There are many fine technicians and professional assistant direction and decent production design by Antonio Cortés , a magnificent scenario on the villages , ranch , an spectacular assault on a train and barren outdoors , dirty landscapes under a glimmer sun and fine sets . The musician Gianni Ferrio -Spaghetti Western's usual-, composes an agreeable soundtrack and well conducted and splendid leitmotif ; it's full of enjoyable sounds and lively score , including catching ballads .

      The motion picture written by Ennio Flaiano was middlingly directed by Duccio Tessari . This Italian writer/filmmaker Duccio Tessari so consistently mixed the good with the mediocre that it became quite impossible to know what to expect from him next . He wrote several Westerns as ¨A fistful of dollars ¨, ¨A train to Durango¨ , ¨Seven guns for McGregor¨ , ¨The return of McGregor¨ . He directed five Westerns with abundant touches of humor as ¨Vivi o Preferibilment Morti¨, ¨Don't turn the other cheek¨ and ¨Zorro¨ with Alain Delon and , of course , ¨Ringo¨ and sequel ¨The return of Ringo¨ at his best , mostly starred with his fetish actor Giuliano Gemma . This is a passable entertaining juvenile that will appeal to Italian comedy buffs . Rating : Average , only for Giuliano Gemma and Spaghetti/Paella Western fans.
      helpful•3
      0
      • ma-cortes
      • Mar 25, 2017

      Details

      Edit
      • Release date
        • September 17, 1969 (Italy)
      • Countries of origin
        • Italy
        • Spain
      • Language
        • Italian
      • Also known as
        • Sundance and the Kid
      • Filming locations
        • Cinecittà, Roma, Italy
      • Production companies
        • Ultra Film
        • Ultra Film
        • Compagnia Generale Finanziaria Cinematografica
      • See more company credits at IMDbPro

      Technical specs

      Edit
      • Runtime
        1 hour 43 minutes
      • Sound mix
        • Mono
      • Aspect ratio
        • 1.66 : 1

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