Adiós gringo

Adiós gringo
Italian theatrical release poster
Directed by	Giorgio Stegani
Screenplay by	Giorgio Stegani José Luis Jerez Michèle Villerot^[1]
Story by	Giorgio Stegani^[1]
Starring	Giuliano Gemma Ida Galli Nello Pazzafini Roberto Camardiel Pierre Cressoy
Cinematography	Francisco Sempere^[1]
Edited by	Jacqueline Brachet^[1]
Music by	Benedetto Ghiglia^[1]
Production companies	Dorica Film Explorer Film '58 Fono Roma, Coop Trébol Films Films Corona^[1]
Distributed by	Euro International Films^[1]
Release date	December 1965 (1965-12) ^[2]
Countries	Italy France Spain^[3]^[4]
Box office	$2.1 million (Italy)^[2]

Adiós gringo is a 1965 colour^[5] Spaghetti Western film directed by Giorgio Stegani. It stars Giuliano Gemma and was co produced between Italy, Spain and France. A major success in Italy, it was the 4th highest grossing Italian picture of the year.^[6]^[2]

Plot

Brett Landers, a cowboy, buys cattle from his friend Gil Clawson for his ranch but gets falsely accused of theft. In self-defense, he kills his accuser and faces a lynch mob. Escaping with his gun, Brett vows to return and find the real thief. On his journey, he encounters Lucy, a girl kidnapped and tortured during a stagecoach attack.

Despite helping Lucy, Brett faces suspicion in the nearest town as the real culprits are still at large. Lucy identifies the thieves, including Gil Clawson. One of them, Avery Ranchester, is the son of influential Clayton Ranchester. The trio tries to silence Lucy, kidnapping Brett to stage an escape. Brett escapes, kills one bandit, and flees with Lucy.

Back in town, Clayton Ranchester turns the crowd against Brett. With help from the sheriff and town doctor, Brett and Lucy escape, sparking a mountain manhunt. Lucy, forced to kill Gil, loses the only witness to clear Brett. Brett captures Avery, who still has stolen money. Lucy accuses Avery of her torment, leading to Brett's exoneration from cattle theft.

Cast

Giuliano Gemma as Brent Landers
Evelyn Stewart as Lucy Tillson
Nello Pazzafini as Gil Clawson
Pierre Cressoy as Clayton Ranchester
Germano Longo as Stan Clevenger
Massimo Righi as Avery Ranchester
Robert Camardiel as Dr. Barfield
Francisco Brana as Ranchester cowboy
Osiride Peverello as Ranchester cowboy
Jesús Puente as Sheriff Tex Slaughter
Monique Saint Claire as Maude Clevenger

Release

Adiós gringo was released in 1965.^[3] On its domestic release in Italy, Adiós gringo was the fourth highest-grossing film of the year.^[7] "Byro." commented on the audience reaction to the film at a 22nd street grind house screening in New York which was laughing at the film more than enjoying it.^[7]

Reception

From contemporary reviews, Stuart Byron of Variety stated the film was the "perhaps the most implausible and contrived" of Italian Westerns.^[7]

V. Bassoli in "L'Avvenire d'Italia" in February 1966 wrote that the director "had made the best of the elements he had at hand, creating a film perhaps a little harsh but full of emotions and findings, making thus a good use of Harry Wittington’s novel".^[5]

References

Footnotes

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g "Adios gringo" (in Italian). Archiviodelcinemaitaliano.it. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Top Italian Film Grossers". Variety. October 11, 1967. p. 33.
^ ^a ^b Grant 2011, p. 436.
^ Grant 2011, p. 437.
^ ^a ^b Adios Gringo (in Italian), retrieved 2023-04-18
^ Weisser 2005, p. 7.
^ ^a ^b ^c Byron (January 31, 1968). "Film Reviews". Variety. p. 23.

Sources

Grant, Kevin (2011). Any Gun Can Play. Fab Press. ISBN 9781903254615.
Weisser, Thomas (2005). Spaghetti Westerns--the Good, the Bad and the Violent: A Comprehensive, Illustrated Filmography of 558 Eurowesterns and Their Personnel, 1961-1977. McFarland. p. 7. ISBN 978-0-7864-2442-9.