Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Chen Lee | ... | Shanghai Joe / Chin Hao | |
Klaus Kinski | ... | Scalper Jack | |
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Carla Romanelli | ... | Cristina |
Gordon Mitchell | ... | Burying Sam | |
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Katsutoshi Mikuriya | ... | Mikuja |
Robert Hundar | ... | Pedro, The Cannibal | |
Giacomo Rossi Stuart | ... | Tricky the Gambler | |
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Piero Lulli | ... | Stanley Spencer |
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Umberto D'Orsi | ... | Poker player |
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Lorenzo Fineschi | ... | Cowboy |
Federico Boido | ... | Slim (as Rick Boyd) | |
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Dante Maggio | ... | Doctor |
Carla Mancini | ... | Conchita | |
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Luigi Antonio Guerra | ... | Spencer Friend |
Andrea Aureli | ... | Sheriff Andy Corrotto |
A Chinese immigrant named Chin How lands in a small Texas town inhabited by hard-nosed cowboys who don't take kindly to outsiders. The town folk soon realize that Chin is no ordinary drifter and he quickly gains a reputation for his unbeatable fighting skills. When word of Chin's skills spread to Stanley Spencer, the owner of the states largest cattle ranch, Chin lands a job working for Spencer as a fellow cowboy. Friend soon becomes foe when Chin realizes he is working for a cattle smuggler bent on brutalising Mexican farmers and anyone else who stands in his way. Written by Alan Smithee
In 1882, spunky Chinese man Shanghai Joe hops atop a stagecoach from San Francisco (subtitle says St. Francisco!) to Texas in order to become a cowboy and ends up having to defend himself against a seemingly endless stream of trash-talking rednecks.
Soon Joe runs afoul of a group of nasty human smugglers who send four colorful hired killers to do him in, including Gordon Mitchell, a cannibal, and scalp-collector Klaus Kinski!
Coming out on the heels of the hit television show "Kung Fu", The Fighting Fists Of Shanghai Joe is a lot better than it's Italian knock-off status would suggest.
It's almost all non-stop action with loads of flying fists and flying lead. Blood, a bit of gore, and a great Ennio Morricone sounding score by Bruno Nicolai all fit the comic book nature of the film quite nicely!
In the title role, Chen Lee is really good and should have been in more movies than he was.