The Hellbenders [I Crudeli] ** (1967, Joseph Cotten, Norma Bengell, Julián Mateos, Gino Pernice, Ángel Aranda) – Classic Movie Review 13,397

Sergio Corbucci’s 1967 spaghetti Western film The Hellbenders [I Crudeli] stars Joseph Cotten as a fanatical former Confederate officer determined to reorganise the Southern Army and defeat the Union.

Italian director Sergio Corbucci’s 1967 spaghetti Western film The Hellbenders [I Crudeli] stars Joseph Cotten, Norma Bengell, Julián Mateos, Gino Pernice and Ángel Aranda.

Director Sergio Corbucci’s 1967 film The Hellbenders [I Crudeli] stars Joseph Cotten as Colonel Jonas, a fanatical one-time officer who fought for the Confederate side and led a regiment called the Hellbenders in the US Civil War, now trying to stir up support for his old cause financed by stolen Union funds.

He and his sons Ben (Julián Mateos), Nat (Ángel Aranda) and Jeff (Gino Pernice) massacre Union soldiers transporting banknotes and conceals the loot in a coffin supposedly of a dead Confederate officer. Ben persuades saloon hostess and professional gambler Claire (Norma Bengell) to pretend to be the officer’s widow, and they fall in love.

Sergio Corbucci is a name to conjure with but this is largely an indifferent Italian Spanish spaghetti Western, though it is well set up and competently made, with quite stylish direction, and the dark and brutal tone Corbucci was known for.

Cotten is a strong and powerful presence as the cold blooded fanatic, very much the star of the show, while Norma Bengell (Claire), Julián Mateos (son Ben), Aldo Sambrell as Mexican outlaw Pedro, and Al Mulock as the tricky beggar are all good.

There is some fair fighting and Ennio Morricone’s score is an asset, and so is Enzo Barboni’s colourful cinematography in Eastmancolor. But the rest of the acting is fairly poor and the film is rather low on excitement and story-telling drive.

Understandably, it got lost in the glut of spaghetti Westerns at the time, but, as with the once forgotten The Great Silence (1968), it may be worth another look, and a re-evaluation. Ah, yes, it was selected by Quentin Tarantino for the first Quentin Tarantino Film Fest in Austin, Texas, in 1996, prompting a new attentive audience.

It is mainly shot at Almería, Andalucía, Spain, but with other shooting in Spain and the studio at Cinecittà Studios, in Rome.

Dubbed for the international market.

The original Italian title translates as The Cruel Ones.

It was released in Italy in February 1967 and in Spain in November 1967.

Sergio Corbucci got props and costumes from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, including the hearse.

Alfred Mulock Rogers (June 30, 1926 – May 1968),

Canadian character actor Al Mulock died by suicide by jumping from his hotel room, wearing his cowboy costume, in Guadix, Granada, Spain, in May 1968, while filming for Once Upon a Time in the West, aged 41. Before he was taken away in the ambulance, director Sergio Leone shouted: ‘Get the costume, we need the costume.’

The cast

The cast are Joseph Cotten as Colonel Jonas, Norma Bengell as Claire, Julián Mateos as Ben, Gino Pernice as Jeff, Ángel Aranda as Nat, Claudio Gora as the Reverend Pierce, María Martín as Kitty, Aldo Sambrell as Pedro, Al Mulock as The Beggar, Enio Girolami as Lieutenant Soublette, Julio Peña as Sergeant Tolt, José Nieto as Sheriff, Claudio Scarchilli as Indian Chief, Álvaro de Luna as Bixby, and Rafael Vaquero as Tyler.

The Hellbenders [I Crudeli] is directed by Sergio Corbucci, runs 92 minutes, is made by Alba Cinematografica, PEFSA and Tecisa Film, is released by Embassy Pictures (US 1967, dubbed) and AVCO Embassy (UK, 1968, dubbed), is written by Albert Band (story), Ugo Libertore (story and screenplay), José Guitérrez Maesso (screenplay), Virgil C Gerlach (original treatment) and Lewis Garfinkle (additional dialogue), is shot in Eastmancolor by Enzo Barboni, is produced by Albert Band, is scored by Ennio Morricone, and designed by Jaime Pérez Cubero.

Sergio Corbucci (6 December 1926 – 1 December 1990)

Sergio Corbucci (6 December 1926 – 1 December 1990) was one of the main film-makers of Spaghetti Westerns, including the original Django (1966), Ringo and his Golden Pistol [Johnny Oro] (1966), Navajo Joe (1966), The Great Silence (1968), The Mercenary (1968), and Compañeros (1970). as well as The Specialists (1969) with Johnny Hallyday, Sonny and Jed (1972), with Tomas Milian, Susan George and Telly Savalas, and The White the Yellow and the Black (1975), with Milian and Eli Wallach.

© Derek Winnert 2025 – Classic Movie Review 13,397

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