''Sundance and the Kid'' is ( it, Vivi o, preferibilmente, morti, lit=Alive or Preferably Dead) a 1969
Spaghetti Western
The Spaghetti Western is a broad subgenre of Western films produced in Europe. It emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's film-making style and international box-office success. The term was used by foreign critics because most o ...
comedy
Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...
directed by
Duccio Tessari
Duccio Tessari (11 October 1926 – 6 September 1994) was an Italian director, screenwriter and actor, considered one of the fathers of Spaghetti Westerns.
Born in Genoa
Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian re ...
and starring
Giuliano Gemma
Giuliano Gemma (2 September 1938 – 1 October 2013) was an Italian actor. He is best known internationally for his work in Spaghetti Westerns, particularly for his performances as the title character in Duccio Tessari's ''A Pistol for Ringo'' (1 ...
,
Nino Benvenuti
Giovanni "Nino" Benvenuti (born 26 April 1938) is an Italian former professional boxer and actor. He held world titles in two weight classes, having held the undisputed super-welterweight championship from June 1965 to June 1966 and the undispute ...
, and
Sydne Rome
Sydne Rome (born March 17, 1951) is an American-Italian film actress. Her first name is often misspelled ''Sydney'' or ''Sidney''.
Biography
Born in Akron, Rome grew up in a wealthy, Jewish family in Upper Sandusky, Ohio. Her father was preside ...
. The film was also released under the titles ''Alive or Preferably Dead'' and ''Sundance Cassidy and Butch the Kid''.
Plot
Two estranged brothers, city gambler Monty (Gemma) and Wild West farmer Ted Mulligan (Benvenuti) inherit $300,000 from their late uncle, on condition that they endure to live together for six months. The two start fighting about everything, and trouble begins as soon as Monty arrives in Ted's hometown.
Cast
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Giuliano Gemma
Giuliano Gemma (2 September 1938 – 1 October 2013) was an Italian actor. He is best known internationally for his work in Spaghetti Westerns, particularly for his performances as the title character in Duccio Tessari's ''A Pistol for Ringo'' (1 ...
as Monty Mulligan
*
Nino Benvenuti
Giovanni "Nino" Benvenuti (born 26 April 1938) is an Italian former professional boxer and actor. He held world titles in two weight classes, having held the undisputed super-welterweight championship from June 1965 to June 1966 and the undispute ...
as Ted Mulligan
*
Sydne Rome
Sydne Rome (born March 17, 1951) is an American-Italian film actress. Her first name is often misspelled ''Sydney'' or ''Sidney''.
Biography
Born in Akron, Rome grew up in a wealthy, Jewish family in Upper Sandusky, Ohio. Her father was preside ...
as Rossella Scott
*
Julio Peña
Julio Peña (18 June 1912 - 27 July 1972) was a Spanish actor. He appeared in more than one hundred films from 1930 to 1972. He died on July 27, 1972 aged 60 at Cortijo Blanco in Marbella, where he was resting after appearing in the film ''Horror ...
as Dottore
*
Antonio Casas
Antonio Casas (11 November 1911 – 14 February 1982) was a Spanish footballer turned film actor who appeared in film between 1941 and his death in 1982.
Casas originally began as a footballer for Atlético Madrid, but entered film in 1941 and ...
as Barnds
*
Cris Huerta
Crisanto Huerta Brieva (26 January 1935 – 28 November 2004), better known as Cris Huerta, was a Portuguese actor. He was sometimes credited as Chris Huerta.
Life and career
Born in Lisbon, Huerta grew up in Madrid and he studied economics b ...
as Jim
*
as Mr. Scott
*
Dan van Husen
Dan van Husen (30 April 1945 – 31 May 2020) was a German actor. He started his career in the 1960s, playing in a number of Spaghetti Westerns (usually he was cast as the bad guy), and also performed in Italian and German films by renowned dire ...
as Ranger
*
Víctor Israel
Víctor Israel born José María Soler Vilanova (13 June 1929 – 19 September 2009) was a Spanish film actor. He appeared in more than 140 films, beginning in 1961. He died on 19 September 2009 aged 80 in Barcelona.
Selected filmography
...
as Mayoral Candidate's Henchman
Release
''Sundance and the Kid'' was first distributed in 1969.
Reception
Bert Fridlund described ''Sundance and the Kid'' as being a forerunner to the ''Trinity'' films series starring
Terence Hill
Terence Hill (born Mario Girotti; 29 March 1939) is an Italian actor, film director, screenwriter and producer. He began his career as a child actor and gained international fame for starring roles in action and comedy films, many with longtim ...
and
Bud Spencer
Carlo Pedersoli (31 October 1929 – 27 June 2016), known professionally as Bud Spencer, was an Italian actor, professional swimmer and water polo player. He was known for action-comedy and Spaghetti Western roles with his long-time film partn ...
which reshaped the Spaghetti Western.
References
Sources
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External links
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{{Duccio Tessari
1969 films
1969 Western (genre) films
1960s buddy films
Spanish Western (genre) films
Spaghetti Western films
Italian buddy films
Films directed by Duccio Tessari
Films about brothers
Films shot in Almería
Films scored by Gianni Ferrio
1960s Italian films