''Tedeum'' (internationally released as ''Sting of the West'', ''Father Jackleg'' and ''Con Men'') is a

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using mean solar tim ...

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 ...

Spaghetti Western film directed by Enzo G. Castellari. The title role was initially offered to

Tomas Milian Tomas Milian (born Tomás Quintín Rodríguez-Varona Milián Salinas de la Fé y Álvarez de la Campa; 3 March 1933 – 22 March 2017) was a Cuban-born actor and singer with American and Italian citizenship, known for the emotional intensity and ...

, who eventually refused.

Plot

Tedeum and his parents and granddad are all con men travelling around in a sailboat on wheels. When he inherits a mine from another well-known con man he assumes that it is false and tries to sell it. His first attempts turns out to be at the Texas’ sheriff convention and he has to escape together with another con man who is disguised as a monk. However, the mine does in fact exist, and the big boss Grant is out for it, though his confrontations with Tedeum usually ends in him losing his pants. Two female con men, the strong Betty and the beautiful Wendy, also get involved. In the end we find Grant, Tedeum, the monk and Tedeum's father as inmates of Laredo prison – because the mine lies right under it!

Cast

Jack Palance Jack Palance ( ; born Volodymyr Palahniuk ( uk, Володимир Палагню́к); February 18, 1919 – November 10, 2006) was an American actor known for playing tough guys and villains. He was nominated for three Academy Awards, all fo ...

as Buck Santini/Father Jackleg *

Giancarlo Prete Giancarlo Prete (5 February 1943 – 9 March 2001) was an Italian actor. After he worked in the cinema Cinema may refer to: Film * Cinematography, the art of motion-picture photography * Film or movie, a series of still images that create t ...

as Tedeum (as Timothy Brent) *

Lionel Stander Lionel Jay Stander (January 11, 1908 – November 30, 1994) was an American actor in films, radio, theater and television. He is best remembered for his role as majordomo Max on the 1980s mystery television series '' Hart to Hart''. Early ...

as Stinky Manure *

Francesca Romana Coluzzi Francesca Romana Coluzzi (20 May 1943 – 15 July 2009) was an Italian actress. A respected dramatic actress on stage, she is probably best known for her roles in the commedia sexy all'italiana. Life and career Born in Tirana, Albania of Italia ...

as Betty Brown * Riccardo Garrone as Sheriff * Maria Vico as Ma Manure *

Eduardo Fajardo Eduardo Martínez Fajardo (14 August 1924 – 4 July 2019) was a Spanish film actor born in Meis (Pontevedra), Spain. He appeared in 183 films, 75 plays and made 2,000 television appearances between 1947 and 2002. Biography He was born in ...

as Mr. Grant *

Renzo Palmer Renzo Palmer (20 December 1929 – 4 June 1988) was an Italian film, television and stage actor. He appeared in more than 60 films between 1957 and 1988. Life and career Born in Milan as Lorenzo Bigatti, Palmer was the adopted son of the ...

as Rags Manure * Mabel Karin as Wendy Brown

Reception

In his investigation of narrative structures in Spaghetti Western films, Fridlund describes ''Sting of the West'' as one of the most hardcore followers of

They Call Me Trinity ''They Call Me Trinity'' ( it, Lo chiamavano Trinità...) is a 1970 Italian Spaghetti Western comedy film written and directed by Enzo Barboni (under the pseudonym of E.B. Clucher) and produced by Italo Zingarelli. The film stars Terence Hill an ...

and

Trinity Is Still My Name ''Trinity Is Still My Name'' ( it, ...continuavano a chiamarlo Trinità, lit. "...they kept calling him Trinity") is a 1971 Italian Spaghetti Western comedy film directed by Enzo Barboni. Starring Terence Hill and Bud Spencer, it is a sequel ...

in its employment of smell and gluttony jokes, con men (and women), (fake) religion and low comedy.Fridlund, Bert: ''The Spaghetti Western. A Thematic Analysis''. Jefferson, NC and London: McFarland & Company Inc., 2006 pp. 232-45.

References

External links

* 1972 films Films directed by Enzo G. Castellari Spaghetti Western films 1972 Western (genre) films Films scored by Guido & Maurizio De Angelis Films shot in Almería 1970s Italian films {{1970s-Italy-film-stub