Acquasanta Joe ** (1971, Lincoln Tate, Ty Hardin, Richard Harrison, Silvia Monelli) – Classic Movie Review 10,129

Director Mario Gariazzo’s typically violent, though slightly below-average 1971 spaghetti Western film Acquasanta Joe [Holy Water Joe] stars Lincoln Tate as bounty hunter Acquanasta Joe who goes after the gang of ex-civil war soldier outlaws, led by Colonel Jeff Donovan (Ty Hardin), who committed a bank heist with a stolen cannon and robbed him of his life-savings booty stashed there.

Joe sets out to find Charlie Bennett (Richard Harrison), one of their double-crossing men who took off with some of the money, and brings him to Donovan, hoping to cash in on the army’s reward for Donovan and his men.

Richard Harrison was born on May 26, 1935 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Acquasanta Joe is trying to follow in the cowboy bootsteps of Sergio Leone but with little sense of style or coherence as a story, but nevertheless with some stylish photography (by Franco Villa), an effective score (by Marcello Giombini) and some strong action scenes to recommend it. Harrison comes off best of the three leads. There is enough double dealing and gunplay to keep spaghetti Western fans watching.

Also in the cast are Silvia Monelli, Giulio Baraghini, Pietro Ceccarelli, Mario Novelli, Fedele Gentile, Tuccio Musumeci and Alfredo Rizzo.

Acquasanta Joe is directed by Mario Gariazzo, runs 103 minutes, is made by Cineproduzioni Daunia 70, is released by Daunia, is written by Mario Gariazzo and Ferdinando Poggi, is shot in Eastmancolor by Franco Villa, is produced by Mario Gariazzo and Armando Novelli (executive producer), is scored by Marcello Giombini, with production designs by Mauro Vigneti.

The hero is called Holy Water Joe to differentiate him from his father Fire Water Joe!

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,129

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