The Man Called Noon ** (1973, Richard Crenna, Stephen Boyd, Rosanna Schiaffino, Farley Granger) – Classic Movie Review 11,676

Director Peter Collinson’s 1973 National General Pictures release film The Man Called Noon [Un hombre llamado Noon] [Lo Chiamavano Mezzogiorno] is a fairly daft, over-familiar Euro-pudding revenge Western adventure, though it has its moments and points of interest. A British, Spanish and Italian co-production, it stars Richard Crenna, Stephen Boyd, Rosanna Schiaffino and Farley Granger.

Based on Louis L’Amour’s 1970 novel, the story is about a gunfighter called Noon (Crenna) suffering from amnesia after being shot, who blasts his memory back in shoot-’em-up fashion on the murderous bandits of Judge Niland (Granger), who is scheming for Noon’s hidden fortune.

Italian film actress Rosanna Schiaffino (25 November 1939 – 17 October 2009) was born in Genoa.

Noon is an amnesiac malingering soldier, self proclaimed as the best gunner in the company, who now tries to figure out who he actually is. Boyd plays dangerous outlaw Rimes, who becomes Noon’s friend and companion, while Rosanna Schiaffino plays woman in peril Fan Davidge who falls for Noon and will help him.

A surprisingly strong cast helps to hold up the sagging script by Scot Finch and Antonio Recoder, and, as a rare British paella Western, it’s not too bad overall. It is filmed in Almería, Andalucía, Spain.

Also in the cast are Patty Shepard as Peg Cullane, Ángel del Pozo as Ben Janish, Howard Ross as Bayles, Aldo Sambrell as Kissling, José Jaspe as Henneker, Carlos Bravo [Charlie Bravo] as Lang and Ricardo Palacios as Brakeman.

The Man Called Noon runs 98 minutes, is made by Euan Lloyd Productions, Frontier Film Productions, Films Montana and Finarco, is released by National General Pictures (1973) (US) and Scotia-Barber (1973) (UK), is written by Scot Finch and Antonio Recoder, is shot by John Cabrera, is produced by Euan Lloyd and Bob Simmons, is scored by Luis Enriquez Bacalov, and is designed by José Maria Tapiador.

Films directed by Peter Collinson: The Penthouse (1967), Up the Junction (1968), The Long Day’s Dying (1968), The Italian Job (1969), You Can’t Win ‘Em All (1970), Fright (1971), Straight On till Morning (1972), Innocent Bystanders (1972), The Man Called Noon (1973), Open Season (1974), And Then There Were None (1974), The Spiral Staircase (1975), Target of an Assassin (1976), The Sell Out (1976), Tomorrow Never Comes (1978), The House on Garibaldi Street (1979), and The Earthling (1980).

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,676

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com

Farley Granger with Hitchcock in Strangers on a Train.

Farley Granger with John Dall in Rope.