Return of Sabata *** (1971, Lee Van Cleef, Reiner Schöne, Giampiero Albertini, Ignazio Spalla, Annabella Incontrera) – Classic Movie Review 9112

‘He’s Judge… Jury… Executioner!’

Director Gianfranco Parolini [Frank Kramer]’s 1971 Spaghetti Western film Return of Sabata [È tornato Sabata… hai chiuso un’altra volta!] (which translates as ‘Sabata is back… you’re finished again’) is the third and final film in The Sabata Trilogy.

It features the welcome return of Lee Van Cleef as the title character, which he had played in the 1969 first film, Sabata, but was replaced by Yul Brynner in the second film, Adiós, Sabata, though that was not originally a Sabata film.

This genuine follow-up has master gunslinger Sabata arriving in Hobsonville, a town owned by mean robber baron businessman Joe McIntock (Giampiero Albertini), who is taxing the townsfolk exorbitantly. Sabata unites forces with saloon owner Clyde the Lieutenant, (Reiner Schöne), two acrobats, Angel (Aldo Canti aka Nick Jordan) and Bionda (Vassili Karis aka Karis Vassili), and old rogue Bronco (Ignazio Spalla aka Pedro Sanchez). Sabata gets involved with gorgeous saloon girl Maggie Annabella Incontrera).

It is inventively written by Renato Izzo and Gianfranco Parolini. It was filmed in the Dino De Laurentiis Cinematografica Studios, Rome; in Elios Film Studios; and in Croatia. The performances by the good cast, production by Alberto Grimaldi, cinematography (Sandro Mancori), score (Marcello Giombini) and direction are all of a high level, first rate for a Spaghetti Western.

Despite that, mysteriously, and unfairly, Return of Sabata is listed in the 1978 book The Fifty Worst Films of All Time (and how they got that way) by Harry Medved and Randy Lowell.

Also in the cast are Reiner Schöne as Clyde, Giampiero Albertini as Joe McIntock, Ignazio Spalla [billed as Pedro Sanchez] as Bronco, Annabella Incontrera as Maggie, Jacqueline Alexandre as Jackie McIntock, Vassili Karis [billed as Karis Vassili] as Bionda the acrobat, Aldo Canti [billed as Nick Jordan] as Angel the acrobat, Franco Fantasia as circus owner and Gianni Rizzo as Jeremy Sweeney.

Return of Sabata was released in Italy on 3 September 1971 and 9 August 1972 in the US.

It follows Sabata (1969) and Adiós, Sabata (1970), with Wanted Sabata (1970) a spin-off part of the Sabata franchise.

Sabata is referred to as a nine-fingered man in the title song composed by Marcello Giombini and sung by Alessandro Alessandroni over the opening credits. Van Cleef was missing a portion of a middle finger after an accident building a playhouse for his daughter.

Unlike in the film, the Confederacy never issued Military Medals.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 9112

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