''The Forgotten Pistolero'' (

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

: ''Il pistolero dell'Ave Maria'', lit. "The Gunman of Hail Mary") is 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 ...

film co-written and directed by

Ferdinando Baldi Ferdinando Baldi (19 May 1917 – 12 September 2007) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. Biography Baldi was born in Cava de' Tirreni, Salerno, on 19 May 1917. His early film work began in Italy in the early 1950s with films s ...

. The film is a western adaptation of the

Greek myth A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the lives and activities of ...

Orestes In Greek mythology, Orestes or Orestis (; grc-gre, Ὀρέστης ) was the son of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon, and the brother of Electra. He is the subject of several Ancient Greek plays and of various myths connected with his madness and ...

, subject of three famous drama-plays by

Aeschylus Aeschylus (, ; grc-gre, Αἰσχύλος ; c. 525/524 – c. 456/455 BC) was an ancient Greek tragedian, and is often described as the father of tragedy. Academic knowledge of the genre begins with his work, and understanding of earlier Greek ...

Sophocles Sophocles (; grc, Σοφοκλῆς, , Sophoklễs; 497/6 – winter 406/5 BC)Sommerstein (2002), p. 41. is one of three ancient Greek tragedians, at least one of whose plays has survived in full. His first plays were written later than, or co ...

and

Euripides Euripides (; grc, Εὐριπίδης, Eurīpídēs, ; ) was a tragedian Tragedy (from the grc-gre, τραγῳδία, ''tragōidia'', ''tragōidia'') is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful e ...

. Ulrich P. Bruckner puts it among the "most interesting and most touching Spaghetti Westerns of the late sixties".

Plot

When he returns home from war the Mexican

general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

Juan Carrasco is killed by the lover of his wife Anna and by Anna as well. The victim's children run away with their nanny but fifteen years later they come back for revenge. Anna and Tomas want to have them killed but their henchmen failed to do so. It turns out that Anna is not the real mother of the dead general's children.

Cast

Leonard Mann Leonard Mann (15 November 1895 – 29 April 1981) was an Australian poet, and novelist. Life He served in the Australian Imperial Force during World War I, and with the Department of Aircraft Production in World War II. He was, in Septembe ...

as Sebastian Carrasco *

Luciana Paluzzi Luciana Paluzzi (born 10 June 1937) is an Italian actress. She is perhaps best known for playing SPECTRE assassin Fiona Volpe in the fourth James Bond film, '' Thunderball'', but she had important roles in notable films of the 1960s and 1970s in ...

as Anna Carrasco *

Peter Martell Pietro Martellanza (30 September 1938 – 1 February 2010), best known as Peter Martell, was an Italian film actor who had numerous bigger roles in Spaghetti westerns. Sometimes he was credited as Pete Martell or Peter Martel. Born in Bolzano, h ...

as Rafael Garcia *

Alberto de Mendoza Alberto Manuel Rodríguez-Gallego González de Mendoza (21 January 1923 – 12 December 2011) was an Argentine film actor who appeared in some 114 films between 1930 and 2005, spanning eight decades. A lifelong figure in Argentine films, De Mendo ...

Tomas Tomas may refer to: People * Tomás (given name), a Spanish, Portuguese, and Gaelic given name * Tomas (given name), a Swedish, Dutch, and Lithuanian given name * Tomáš, a Czech and Slovak given name * Tomas (surname), a French and Croatian su ...

Pilar Velázquez Pilar Velázquez (born 13 February 1946) is a Spanish actress. Born as María del Pilar Velázquez Llorente in Madrid, she made her debut in 1964 at the Teatro Español, with the drama ''Caminos de Damasco''. Between 1966 and 1977 she starred in ...

as Isabella Carrasco *

Piero Lulli Piero Lulli (1 February 1923 – 23 June 1991) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 111 films between 1942 and 1977. He was the brother of actor Folco Lulli. Selected filmography * ''A Pilot Returns'' (1942) - De Santis * '' Love Stor ...

as Francisco *

Luciano Rossi Luciano Rossi (28 November 1934 – 29 May 2005) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 67 films between 1966 and 1987. He was born and died in Rome, Italy. Partial filmography * ''Ten Italians for One German'' (1962) - German Soldier ...

as Juanito * José Suárez as General Juan Carrasco * Barbara Nelly as Conchita *

Enzo Fiermonte Enzo Fiermonte (17 July 1908 – 22 March 1993), sometimes credited as William Bird, was an Italian actor and boxer. Early life Vincenzo "Enzo" Fiermonte was born on 17 July 1908 in Casamassima, a rural village near Bari, in southern Italy to D ...

as Friar *

José Manuel Martín José Manuel Martín Pérez (born 24 May 1924) is a Spanish retired film and television actor, radio broadcaster, and screenwriter. He was a popular character actor in Spanish cinema during the 1950s and 60s, best remembered for playing villaino ...

as Miguel

Releases

Wild East Productions released this on a limited edition DVD in 2007 with ''

The Unholy Four ''A Stranger Came Home'' is a 1954 British film noir directed by Terence Fisher and starring Paulette Goddard, William Sylvester and Patrick Holt. The film was produced by Hammer Films at Bray Studios with sets designed by the art director ...

''.

References

External links

* 1969 films Films based on works by Euripides Spaghetti Western films 1969 Western (genre) films Films directed by Ferdinando Baldi Films with screenplays by Vincenzo Cerami Films shot in Almería Films scored by Roberto Pregadio Modern adaptations of works by Euripides Works based on Agamemnon (Aeschylus play) Works based on The Libation Bearers Modern adaptations of works by Aeschylus Films based on works by Aeschylus 1960s Italian films {{1960s-Western-film-stub

Plot

Cast

Releases

See also

References

External links