MORE DEAD THAN ALIVE

US, 1968, 101 minutes, Colour.
Clint Walker, Vincent Price, Ann Francis, Paul Hampton.
Directed by Robert Sparr.

More Dead Than Alive is an unusual western, appearing at a time when westerns were in decline except for those made on the European continent, especially the spaghetti westerns. This film resembles those.

Clint Walker, a sturdy veteran of many westerns, plays a killer released from jail after eighteen years but unable to get a job with people wanting revenge on him for his crimes. He then stars as a shooter in a travelling shooting show managed by, of all people, Vincent Price in the west. Ann Francis appears as a love interest. Paul Hampton, the singer and songwriter (who also appeared in some Australian productions including Dimboola and The Road to Nhill) appears as the young shooting expert.

The film has the atmosphere of the old west, many of the themes, especially violence and vengeance – and is strong, because of its cast, on human drama and interactions.

1. The significance and tone of the title? Expectations from the title and the western? The title Indicating themes? The ironies implicit in the title?

2. How well was the western atmosphere conveyed* colour, music, stylish photography and editing?

3. How successful a western was this? The use of the elements of western plots, themes? How good an achievement as a specialised western?

4. Comment on the complexity of the plot. How did it keep audience interest? The irony and shock of the ending?

5. The importance of establishing a prison atmosphere at the beginning? The harshness, executions, escape? The detailed attention to the prison life? Interest in the characters? Emotional response to them? Santi and his escaping? Cain and his preventing it?

6. The establishing of the theme of vengeance? How well was this illustrated, especially in the pursuit and violence towards Cain? The preparation for the unexpected vengeance at the end? How successful a revenge western?

7. How sympathetic was Cain as hero? A killer who had paid for his crime and who was redeemed? How sincere was his reform? His preventing the prison escape? His victimization by Santi? His trying to re-establish himself in the harsh west? His work as a coach driver, the violence he suffered? Finding Monica in the west and her helping him? His involvement with Ruffalo? Refusing to become involved in the sideshow? Then depending on him? The inevitability of jealousy on the part of Billy? The yearning for a happy life? The possibility of settling down? The unexpected happiness being cut short? What insight into a man of the west?

8. How credible a heroine was Monica? Her helping of Cain? Supporting him? Her pain at the end of the film?

9. How interesting was the presentation of Ruffalo and an eccentric man of the west? His sideshow, playing on the expectations of violence? Commercialising the traits of the west? The eccentricities of his character and manner? His disregard of Billy? His friendship and yet exploiting of Cain? The violence of his death?

10. How conventional a hysterical gunslinger was Billy? The reasons for his fanaticism and violence? Insight into the madness of the violent west?

11. Santi and the typical gunslinger? The ugliness of a vengeful man of the west# the lawless man?

12. The film's focus on the gun and its commentary on the place of the gun in the west? The film's comment on violence and death, and the traditional shootouts?

13. The contribution of the minor characters to the atmosphere of the west, for example, Sheree Carson?

14. The peaceful west that was possible after the lawlessness? And yet the peacefulness cut short by Karma?

15. How well did the film deal with the themes of the west, violence, law and order and survival?