A River of Dollars was released in the U.S. as The Hills Run Red. It was directed by Carlo Lizzani (Crazy Joe) and shot at the Dino De Laurentiis Studios in Rome and in the newly constructed Western town set at Dinocitta.
After the Civil War, Ken Seagull (Nando Gazzolo, who narrated Black Sunday) and Jerry Brewster (Thomas Hunter*, Death Walks in Laredo) have stolen a wagon full of money before the law closes in. They cards to see who will take the fall and Jerry stays behind and gets sent to the brig for five years.
As he returns home, he learns that Seagull never helped his wife and child, which explains why his home is deserted. Even worse, when his villainous ex-partner sends a gang to kill him off. He's helped by Winnie Getz (Dan Duryea, The Burglar), who tells Seagull that he's killed Brewster, who goes along with this plan and takes the name Jim Houston.
Seagull had a very similar plan, as he's now known as Ken Milton, and has hired a crazed killer named Garcia Mendez (Henry Silva). And oh yeah - Seagull killed our hero's wife and had his son think that he was an orphan. Someone is gonna pay and that somebody is named Seagull. Or Milton.
This is a perfectly serviceable Italian western, livened up by Silva, who is always a great bad guy.
*This role was intended for Burt Reynolds.
After the Civil War, Ken Seagull (Nando Gazzolo, who narrated Black Sunday) and Jerry Brewster (Thomas Hunter*, Death Walks in Laredo) have stolen a wagon full of money before the law closes in. They cards to see who will take the fall and Jerry stays behind and gets sent to the brig for five years.
As he returns home, he learns that Seagull never helped his wife and child, which explains why his home is deserted. Even worse, when his villainous ex-partner sends a gang to kill him off. He's helped by Winnie Getz (Dan Duryea, The Burglar), who tells Seagull that he's killed Brewster, who goes along with this plan and takes the name Jim Houston.
Seagull had a very similar plan, as he's now known as Ken Milton, and has hired a crazed killer named Garcia Mendez (Henry Silva). And oh yeah - Seagull killed our hero's wife and had his son think that he was an orphan. Someone is gonna pay and that somebody is named Seagull. Or Milton.
This is a perfectly serviceable Italian western, livened up by Silva, who is always a great bad guy.
*This role was intended for Burt Reynolds.