‘The fastest gun in the West joins with the most brutal hands in the East!’
The Stranger and the Gunfighter is a 1974 comedic martial arts Western hybrid film about a Chinese fighter and a gunslinger who join forces. Also known as Blood Money
Directed by Antonio Margheriti [as Anthony M. Dawson] (Alien from the Deep; Yor; Cannibal Apocalypse; Seven Deaths in the Cat’s Eyes; The Long Hair of Death; Castle of Blood) from a screenplay co-written by Barth Jules Sussman and Miguel de Echarri. Produced by Gustave M. Berne, Carlo Ponti and Run Run Shaw.
The Hong Kong-Italian-Spanish co-production stars Lee Van Cleef, Lo Lieh, Patty Shepard, Femi Benussi, Karen Yeh, Julián Ugarte and Erika Blanc.
The soundtrack score was composed by Carlo Savina (The Killer Reserved Nine Seats; Lisa and the Devil; The Legend of Blood Castle; Naked You Die; Fangs of the Living Dead).
Reviews:
” …a fun-filled genre mash-up: a gritty western with an anti-hero as the lead and a kung-fu thrill fest featuring fights aplenty […] the real fun starts once Dakota and Ho Chiang join forces, leading to an exciting grand finale that’s sure to satisfy fans of both genres.” 2,500 Movies Challenge
” …the film is more of a spaghetti western as opposed to a kung fu film. Even with the mish-mash of these two genres he [Antonio Margheriti] is still as able to wonderfully craft humorous sequences that really got me openly to laugh […] I’m not a huge fan of spaghetti western comedies but the comedy touches he provides here work well.” Blood Brothers
“Lieh blends impressive martial-arts abilities with childlike sweetness, while Van Cleef ably personifies a brute whose boastfulness often exceeds his skills. While not necessarily a standout amid the small subgenre of martial arts Westerns […] The Stranger and the Gunfighter offers a pleasant sampler platter of sensations from two popular genres.” Every 70s Movie
“The storyline is embarrassing and absurd but has its agreeable moments here and there. The violence isn’t crude but slight and predominates the comedy. Lee Van Cleef is very old and with a wig, his interpretation is wooden and graceless…” Ma Cortes
“The action offerings of the film are quite slim, limited to a few quick fights and some gunplay. The choreography of the martial arts is really weak, so even when Lo Lieh gets to throw some kicks it’s far from anything you’re interested in seeing. Less critical fans will likely enjoy it anyway.” Silver Emulsion Film Reviews
Cast and characters:
Lee Van Cleef … Dakota
Lieh Lo/Lo Lieh … Ho Chiang
Patty Shepard … Russian mistress/Her twin-sister
Femi Benussi … Italian mistress
Karen Yeh … Chinese mistress
Julián Ugarte … Yancey Hobbitt
Erika Blanc … American mistress
Tung-Kua Ai … Uncle Wang
Barta Barri … Sheriff
Agustín Bescos … Train Porter
Shen Chan … Warlord’s Commanding Officer
Ping Chen … Wang’s sister
Miao Ching … Mr Wang
Gene Collins … Fight Promoter
Paul Costello … Wang’s Lawyer
Manuel de Blas … Joint Owner
Hung Lu … Madam Wang
Ricardo Palacios … Calico
Goyo Peralta … Indio
George Rigaud … Lord Barclay
Claudio Ruffini … Gunman
For the trailer, YouTube review and free-to-watch online link visit page 2
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