Twenty Paces to Death (1970)

The story of Mestizo, a young mixed race man who fells in love with a white girl. In order to gain his happiness he must fight against the racial prejudices and a gang of ferocious outlaws.

Directors:

Manuel Esteba (as Ted Mulligan), Antonio Mollica (as Ted Mulligan)

Writers:

Lou Carrigan (novel), Ignacio F. Iquino (screenplay)

Stars:

Dean Reed, Alberto Farnese, Patty Shepard

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dean Reed	...	Mestizo
Alberto Farnese	...	Aleck Kellaway (as Albert Farley)
Patty Shepard	...	Deborah
Luis Induni
Maria Pia Conte	...	Hazel (as Maria Pia Gian)
Marta May	...	(as Mary May)
Tony Chandler
César Ojinaga	...	Clegg
Alejandro Ulloa
Gustavo Re	...	Eugene
Ignasi Abadal	...	Cedric Whitefield (as José Ignacio Abadal)
Gaspar 'Indio' González
Elena Pironti
Fernando Rubio
Antonio Molino Rojo	...	(as Antonio Rojo)

Storyline

The story of Mestizo, a young mixed race man who fells in love with a white girl. In order to gain his happiness he must fight against the racial prejudices and a gang of ferocious outlaws.

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Plot Keywords:

bar shootout | street shootout | 

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Genres:

Western

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Details

Country:

Spain Italy

Language:

Spanish

Release Date:

9 April 1970 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Twenty Paces to Death

Filming Locations:

Fraga, Huesca, Aragón, Spain

Company Credits

Production Co:

Admiral International Films,I.F.I.S.A.,Ignacio Ferrés Iquino (IFISA)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

User Reviews

A Paella/Butifarra/Spaghetti Western in short budget with noisy action , thrills , shootouts and vendettas

Entertaining though embarrassing Macarroni or Gazpacho Western with plenty of movement , crossfire , brawls , double-crosses and loads of shots . The film is set in Appomattox , 1865 , after the Battle of Palmito Ranch , it is commonly regarded as the final land battle of the war and subsequently the signing of the surrender . This event triggered a series of surrenders across the South , signaling the end of the war. The story of Alec Kellaway (Alberto Farnese) who returns from war and he meets Mestizo (Dean Reed) , a young mixed race man who is saved . Later on , Alec adopts to him and carries at home . But then , Mestizo falls in love with a white girl who results to be Kellaway's daughter (Patty Shepard) and things go wrong . In order to gain his tranquility he must fight against the racial prejudices and a bunch of ferocious bandits led by Clegg (César Ojinaga) and henchmen .

¨Twenty paces to death¨ is just an inferior Tortilla Western filled with go riding , fights and duels , though mostly developing in poor scenarios . Middling screenplay by the prolific Spanish author of Western and Sci-Fi pulps, Lou Carrigan , sometimes under the alternate pseudonym "Walter Carrigan" who wrote other Butifarra western as "Stagecoach of the Condemned" , ¨And the Crows Will Dig Your Grave" and "Four Candles for Garringo". Here appear important main and secondary actors from Spaghetti/Tortilla or Paella Western that give mediocre interpretations . It is a Spanish made western that came to the big screen when the top time of the genre was falling down . In fact , the late sixties and 'seventies' is not the best time to find out good spaghetti westerns . It's a Spanish/Italian realization , two country co-production but is clearly dominated by the Spanish contingent and the traditional leanings of the Italian producers of the time have their stamp on the entire proceedings . But this one is pretty bad with some exciting moments , it drags at times , balancing in ups and downs ; turning out to be entertaining enough , but below average . The movie contains typical particularities Spaghetti , as is full of fury , sadism , bloodbaths , and close-ups of grime-encrusted faces . It does not follow utterly the typical paths of the European western wave around seventies , it lacks both the sarcasm and the Eastwood type of antihero . Early deceased Dean Reed gives a subdued performance but lousy acting , as a two-fisted but upright mestizo . Here playing a tough young become into a terrible avenger when his protectors are wrongly murdered . Dean plays as a relentless half-breed young using his arc and arrows , a violent young who seeks justice , an usual plot in Spaghetti western . Dean was a successful singer and activist . His politics moved to the left but he never joined the Communist party . He was deported from Argentina in 1966 and ended up in Rome , where he made "spaghetti westerns" , such as : ¨Adios Sabata¨, "Buckaroo: The Winchester Does Not Forgive" , "God Made Them... I Kill Them" , "Challenge of the Golden Fist" , "Robin Hood, Arrows, Beans and Karate" for several years . He continually got into trouble with US State Department for protesting Vietnam War and attending International Peace Conferences . He moved to East Germany (GDR) in 1973, made numerous albums, starred in several films such as : ¨Sing cowboy sing¨, ¨Blutsbruder¨ , ¨Kit and Co¨ and wrote and directed his own . But in 1986 , Dean Reed's body was found in the lake near his home outside of East Berlin . Many close to him suspected suicide ; his family and friends in America believed he was murdered . Furthermore , here shows up a largely secondary cast , plenty with Spanish/Italian secondaries , all of them ordinary in Chorizo/Pepperone western such as : Maria Pia Conte , Alejandro Ulloa , Antonio Molino Rojo , Indio Gonzalez , Gustavo Re , among others .

Worn-out and faded cinematography by Antonio L Ballesteros , adding inadequate exteriors shot in unsuitable Spanish landscapes . Mostly filmed in atmospheric though poor scenarios on location in Fraga , (Huesca) , similar to Almeria , Natural Park of Montseny , Bigas , and a Western village located in ¨Spugles De Llobregat¨ built by Balcazar Productions and in studios Rome, Lazio, Italy . In these places were shot a great number of Westerns by Catalonian filmmakers as Juan Bosch , Jose Maria Zabalza , Alfonso Balcazar , Juan Jose Balcazar and others . Incoherent and inappropriate musical score by Enrique Escobar , Iquino's ordinary . The film was middlingly produced by Ignacio F. Iquino (IFI) that financed lots of Westerns . Most of them starred by Richard Harrison , Jorge Martin or George Martin , Luis Davila , Daniel Martin , Dean Reed , or Robert Woods . The motion picture was lousily co-directed by Manuel Esteba and Antonio Mollica , including a lot of flaws , gaps and failures . They managed to make a fluid though absurd Western and filled with thrills , gun-play , attacks , and shots , but inferior and in low budget . Esteba was a Spanish craftsman , writing and directing ; working from the 60s in all kind of genres and B movies . Esteba wrote , directed and was Second Unit Director or Assistant Director of various films , especially Terror : ¨Sexo Sangriento¨, ¨Espectro¨, ¨Horror story¨ ; Softcore : ¨Trampa Sexual , ¨Situación Limite¨ ; comedy : ¨El E.T.E. y el Oto¨, Kalatrava Contra Imperio De Karate¨, and Western : "You Are a Traitor and I'll Kill You!" and this ¨20 Pasos Para Muerte¨ . While Antonio Mollica or Ted Mulligan only directed tree films : ¨Nato Per Uccidere¨ or ¨Born to kill¨, ¨El Corsario¨ and this one.