China 9, Liberty 37 (1978)

The railroad hires a condemned killer to murder an uncooperative rancher but the assassin fails to deliver, prompting the railroad men to go after him instead.

Directors:

Monte Hellman, Tony Brandt

Writers:

Jerry Harvey (story and screenplay), Douglas Venturelli (story and screenplay)

Stars:

Jenny Agutter, Warren Oates, Fabio Testi

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Warren Oates	...	Matthew Sebanek
Fabio Testi	...	Clayton Drumm
Jenny Agutter	...	Catherine Sebanek
Sam Peckinpah	...	Wilbur Olsen, Dime Novelist
Isabel Mestres	...	Barbara, Virgil's Wife
Gianrico Tondinelli	...	Johnny Sebanek
Franco Interlenghi	...	Hank Sebanek
Charly Bravo	...	Duke, Barbara's Brother (as Carlos Bravo)
Paco Benlloch	...	Virgil Sebanek
Sydney Lassick	...	Sheriff's friend
Richard C. Adams	...	Sheriff
Natalia Kim	...	Cassie
Ivonne Sentis	...	Prostitute (as Yvonne Sentis)
Romano Puppo	...	Zeb / Zeb's brother
Luis Prendes	...	Williams

Storyline

Condemned gunman Clayton is given a last minute reprieve on condition he murders rancher Matthew for a railway company. Visiting Matthew's ranch, Clayton is unable to bring himself to kill Matthew and leaves, but Matthew's wife, Catherine, believing she has killed Matthew during an argument joins Clayton. Matthew, still alive, and mad as hell joins Clayton's equally angered employers to hunt down the pair

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Plot Keywords:

ranch | dead body | old west | hired killer | railroad company | 

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Taglines:

The deadliest crossroad.

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Genres:

Romance | Western

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

Italy Spain

Language:

Italian English

Release Date:

4 August 1978 (Italy)

Also Known As:

China 9, Liberty 37

Filming Locations:

Almería, Andalucía, Spain

Company Credits

Production Co:

Aspa Producciones, Compagnia Europea Cinematografica

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

One of the last spaghetti westerns filmed in Almeria.

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Goofs

When Catherine initially stabs Mathew, she stabs him on his left side, the blade is horizontal. After the cut, the blade is vertical sticking out of the center of Mathew's upper back.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Gallows Observer: Pretty sight, no more Japanese.

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Crazy Credits

After the end credits, a title gives the dedication "To my father".

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Connections

Featured in Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession (2004)

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Soundtracks

Master McGrath
(uncredited)
19th century Irish ballad
Performed by Jenny Agutter

User Reviews

"This day hasn't turned out well"

This one comes very late in the Spaghetti Western timeline, is directed by an American, and plays out like a love story. It's different to say the least.

Fabio Testi is Clayton, a condemned man who is reprieved at the last minute, as long as he tracks down Warren Oates and kills him. Oates used to work for the Railroad and they don't like loose ends, so Clayton has to take him out. A problem arises in the form of Jenny Agutter, Warren's much younger, hot wife whom Clayton first spies skinny dipping. Clayton shacks up at the Oates/Agutter household under the pretence that he's passing through, but Oates is no fool, and Agutter starts making goo-goo eyes at the hunky Clayton.

Not a shot is fired in anger for the first fifty minutes of this film, as Clayton decides he can't kill Oates by he can get it on with Agutter, which leads to Oates attacked her and Agutter retaliating in a surprisingly violent way (she stabs him in the back and brains him with a rolling pin). Clayton and Agutter think Oates is dead and they can be a couple, but Oates wakes up and gathers his numerous brothers for some revenge...as does the Railroad when they find out Oates isn't dead...

As this is a late era Spaghetti Western, the pacing isn't exactly full throttle, but I was surprised to see that the violence was very realistic - people get shot and fall over instead of clutching themselves and spinning around the place, and the violence is very abrupt and sudden, like the accidental shooting of a hooker through a window or two corpses being shot over and over again.

Plus, Testi stands out as the lightening fast Clayton, made weak through his love for Agutter. Apart from her dodgy Irish accent, Agutter does well too and spends a lot of time naked with Testi (I actually gave birth to Testi's child just by watching this film!). Warren Oates stands out too, with his mumbly, tired character.

This must be one of the very last Spaghetti Westerns, and it's worth tracking down if you can find an uncut version of it. Sam Peckinpah makes a surreal cameo too, just to add to the sense of weirdness.