Bad Man’s River [El hombre de Río Malo] ** (1971, Lee Van Cleef, Gina Lollobrigida, James Mason) – Classic Movie Review 11,626

‘A HAWK… A VULTURE… and A DOVE… All circling for the biggest haul in the WEST!!’

Co-writer/ director Eugenio Martin’s jokey 1971 European comedy Spaghetti Western film Bad Man’s River [El hombre de Río Malo] tells a story about Roy King (Lee Van Cleef)’s band of outlaws carrying out a plot, hatched by wily villain Montero (James Mason) and beautiful Alicia (Gina Lollobrigida), to attack a Mexican state arms stronghold containing a fistful of dollars. Roy has already been double-crossed by Alicia, who ran off with all of the money after his gang robbed a bank.

It would be better without the tepid comedy elements, but at least Van Cleef is steady in the saddle and Lollobrigida (along with Mason another surprise cast member) makes a worthy opponent. If Van Cleef is in his element, a lost-looking Mason is wasted as the movie’s villain.

Bad Man’s River (Italian: E continuavano a fregarsi il milione di dollari) (Spanish: El hombre de Río Malo) runs 92 minutes and the cut version runs at 90 minutes.

Also notable in the cast are Simón Andreu, Diana Lorys, John Garko, Aldo Sambrell, Jess Hahn, Daniel Martin, and Luis Rivera.

Screenplay: Philip Yordan and Eugenio Martín.

The soundtrack is composed by Tony Duhig, Peter Jonfield, Glyn Havard and Waldo de los Ríos.

Bad Man’s River is really a paella Western film. It is filmed at Colmenar Viejo, Madrid, Spain; La Mancha, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain; and in the studio at Estudios Madrid Film, Madrid, Spain. It is an Italy, France, Spain co-production, made by International Apollo Films, Les Productions Jacques Roitfeld and Zurbano Films.

Spanish actor Aldo Sambrell [Alfredo Sánchez Brell (23 February 1931 – 10 July 2010) appeared in over 150 films between 1961 and 1996.

An unimpressed Mason recalled: ‘When shooting a Western in Spain, one should not say to oneself “Never mind, no one is going to see it” because that will be just the film that the Rank Organisation will choose to release in England!’ And, yes, it was released in UK cinemas by the Rank Organisation in 1971.

Gina LOLLOBRIGIDA in Trapeze (1956).

Allegedly Van Cleef and Lollobrigida (perhaps unimpressed by her pay of $50,000, which she considered a comedown) were said to be troublesome during the shoot. Mason seemed like he was going to be troublesome, but was not. Two days before filming was due to start, producer Bernard Gordon had not heard from Mason. He finally got him on the phone and arranged to meet him at Madrid airport. When Mason arrived, he was virtually unrecognizable, having decided to live the alternative lifestyle of early 1970s counterculture. Gordon got him into costume and found him to be one of the most co-operative actors he had ever worked with.

The cast are Lee Van Cleef as Roy King, Gina Lollobrigida as Alicia King, James Mason as Montero, Simón Andreu as Angel Santos. Gianni Garko as Ed Pace, Diana Lorys as Dolores, Sergio Fantoni as Colonel Enrique Fierro, Aldo Sambrell as Canales, Jess Hahn as Tom Odie, Daniel Martín as Falso Montero, Luis Rivera as Orozco, Lone Fleming as Conchita, Eduardo Fajardo as General Duarte, and José Manuel Martín as Mexican Soldier.

Luigia [Gina] Lollobrigida (born 4 July 1927).

Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,626

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