A TOWN CALLED BASTARD/ A TOWN CALLED HELL

UK/ Spain, 1971, 95 minutes, Colour.
Robert Shaw, Stella Stevens, Martin Landau, Telly Savalas, Fernando Rey, Michael Craig, Dudley Sutton, Al Letieri.
Directed by Robert Parrish.

In late 1960s, so many Italian westerns were filmed in Spain, rugged territory for stories of the American West, full of violence, but a genre in itself called “spaghetti westerns�. They were very popular all around the world and production flourished.

This is a 1971 British-Spanish? attempt at making a spaghetti Western. It was filmed in Spain in the same kind of territory. And the plot was fairly similar to the Italian films, this one employing a number of the Italian character actors.

The setting is a very hard town, with the English title including lasted. At the time, this was too much for American audiences and the film was renamed A Town Called Hell.

The film opens in the late 19th century with a raid by rebels on a Mexican town, everybody massacred, including those gathered in the church with the priest. The head of the rebels is called Agila. Seen at the head of the rebels and central to the shootings is Robert Shaw.

The action moves forward 10 years. Robert Shaw now appears as the local priest, seemingly living with a woman, not against a flask of whiskey, wearing a Franciscan robe and cord but dishevelledly. He has authority in the town. However, Telly Savalas is Don Carlos, who also rules the town, sitting barechested, holding court with his friends, shooting at the church bell to summon the priest.

At the same time, Stella Stevens appears as a grieving widow for someone who killed her husband 10 years earlier. She is travelling in a coach, sleeping in a coffin which is intended for the murderer of her husband. She has a huge amount of gold to pay for information. Her driver is allegedly deaf-mute, played by Dudley Sutton.

The first half of the film is the woman’s enquiry, various people coming forward, one of his henchman accusing Don Carlos who is then strung up and killed. An old woman reveals the name of the head of the rebels, Agila.

A colonel arrives in the town, played by Martin Landau. He is also interested in getting Agila, has discussions with the priest, interrogates and executes some of the townspeople.

The film then goes into flashback, a scene of banqueting, music and dancing, this leads to the presentation of another massacre, rebels attacking, Robert Shaw seen as Agila in the lead. However, he has had a clash with a spy but let him go. The spy returns to the town to give information to the general about the impending attack.

Back to 1905 and a blind man comes forward touching the priest’s face and identifying him as Agila. Then there is a buildup to the final confrontation and shootings – with the widow, somewhat disbelieving, driving away.

All the ingredients of a spaghetti Western but this time directed by American Robert Parrish. Robert Shaw had already been seen as the villain in From Russia with Love as well as Henry VIII in A Man for All Seasons. He was soon to appear in Jaws. Telly Savals was popular on television as a lollipop eating detective, Kojak. Martin Landau was to receive an Oscar almost 25 years later for portraying Bela Lugosi in Tim Burton’s Ed Wood. Michael Craig, popular in English films, was to migrate to Australia and worked there.