Adiós, Sabata **** (1970, Yul Brynner, Dean Reed, Ignazio Spalla) – Classic Movie Review 9111

Director Gianfranco Parolini’s outstanding 1970 Italian Spaghetti Western film Adiós, Sabata [Indio Black, sai che ti dico: Sei un gran figlio di…] is the second film in Parolini’s Sabata Trilogy, with Yul Brynner replacing Lee Van Cleef, who stars in the first and third films, Sabata (1969) and Return of Sabata (1971).

Brynner plays master gunslinger Sabata/ Indio Black, who is hired by guerrilla leader Señor Ocaño (Franco Fantasia) to help a band of Mexican revolutionaries steal a wagon-load of gold from the Austrian army during the rule of Maximilian I of Mexico (1864-1867). But when Sabata and his partners Escudo (Ignazio Spalla) and Ballantine (Dean Reed) find the wagon is full of sand, Sabata sets out to steal the gold back again from Austrian Colonel Skimmel (Gérard Herter).

The ambitious and successful story and screenplay are by Renato Izzo and Gianfranco Parolini.

The original Italian title Indio Black, sai che ti dico: Sei un gran figlio di… translates literally as Indio Black, you know what I’m going to tell you… You’re a big son of a… As can be deduced from the original title, this was not originally a Sabata film. Brynner plays Indio Black but the title and his character name were changed for the international release as Adiós, Sabata to cash in on the success of Sabata (1969).

Also in the cast are Sal Borgese as Septiembre, Turam Quibo [billed as Joseph P Persaud] as Gitano [Spanish for Gypsy], Andrea Scotti as José, Gianni Rizzo as Folgen, Salvatore Billa as Manuel, Massimo Carocci as Juan de los Angeles, Omar Bonaro as Jesus, Luciano Casamonica as Juanito, Vittorio Fanfoni as barman, Bruno Corazzari as Hertz, Vitti Caronia as First Lieutenant Stejar, Franco Marletta as Mexican, Lina Franchi Mexican woman, Antonio Gradoli Major Matternich, Giuseppe Castellano [as Thomas Kerr] as Graduato, Federico Boido [as Rick Boyd] as Geroll, Giovanni Siragusa [as Johnny Nation] as Perdido, Andrea Aurelli as Adjutant Ocaño, Calisto Calisti as Chief Eagle Pass, Thomas Rudy as Cortejo, Furio Pellerani as Garcia, Stefano Rizzo as Mexican revolutionary, Nieves Navarro [as Susan Scott] as saloon singer, Giovanni Cianfriglia [as Ken Wood] as Austrian agent, Angel Alvarez as bounty hunter agency manager, Furio Meniconi as Murdock, José Galera Balazote as runt, Elio Angelucci as bearded villager, José Canalejas as duel observer, and Fortunato Arena as duel observer.

Adiós, Sabata [Indio Black, sai che ti dico: Sei un gran figlio di…] runs 104 minutes, is made by Produzioni Europee Associati, is released by Produzioni Europee Associati (1970) (Italy) and United Artists (1971) (US) (UK) (dubbed), is shot in Technicolor and Techniscope by Sandro Mancori, is written by Renato Izzo and Gianfranco Parolini, is produced by Alberto Grimaldi, and scored by Bruno Nicolai.

Quentin Tarantino picked it for the first Quentin Tarantino Film Fest in Austin, Texas, 1996.

It is followed by Return of Sabata (1971), with Wanted Sabata (1970) a spin-off part of the Sabata franchise.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 9111

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