Clint the Stranger (1967)

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

This is a Paella/Ravioli Western about a classic theme , the usual confrontation between cattlemen and homesteaders . A strange and weary cowboy named Clint comes to defense peasants in their struggle against the nasty owners , as the gunfighter fighting to stifle the conflicts between homesteaders and cattlemen who hire hired hands . Clint Harrison (Jorge Martin) is a gunman who goes back to his little town he leaved years earlier to find that his mother and son have moved away to get away from his bad reputation . In order to make amends he tracks his family down and ends up in the middle of a war between a humble farmers as McKinley (Beni Deus) and a wealthy rancher called Walter Shannon (Walter Barnes) alongside his sons Don (Pinkas Braun) and Dave Shannon (Paolo Gozlino) and hoodlums (Fernando Sancho) who wish to get his hands on their lands even if it means murdering . Even though Clint promises his spouse (Marianne Koch of A fistful of dollars) to never use his gun again he is forced to when the rancher's hoodlums begin killing the farmers in a series of violent shootouts.Acceptable and watchable tortilla Western in which a drifter resolves a conflict between a bunch of settlers and wealthy owner . Well crafted and passable Western realized in traditional style with an interesting screenplay written by Jose Antonio De La Loma and the same filmmaker Alfonso Balcazar , including memorable dialogue and some phrases in ¨Shane¨ style . Italian-Spanish-German co-production full of familiar drama , action , exaggerated characters, crossfire and lots of shots . The film packs father-son relationship , violence , shootouts , high body-count and and results to be quite entertaining . It's a middle-budget film with good actors , technicians, production values and pleasing results . There is plenty of action in the movie , guaranteeing some shoot'em up or stunts every few minutes . It's an exciting western with breathtaking showdown between the starring Jorge Martin and his enemies Paolo Gozlino and Fernando Sancho . Acceptable acting by Jorge , ¨George¨ , Martin as a gunslinger that has been running from vengeful foes for years. The film is well starred by Spaghetti star as the Spanish George Martin who worked much for Alfonso Balcazar's factory such as ¨Clint the strange¨, ¨The return the Clint¨, ¨Oeste Nevada Joe¨, Thompson 1880¨ , ¨Taste of killing¨, ¨A pistol for Ringo and ¨The return of Ringo¨ . Furthermore , appears ordinary secondary of Spaghetti/Paella Western as Spanish players : Beni Deus , Miguel De La Riva , Xan Das Bolas ,Gustavo Re , Luis Barboo , as Italian actors : Renato Baldini , Paolo Gozlino , Remo De Angelis and many others . Special appearance by Spaghetti idol , Fernando Sancho as a cruelly baddie role as Mexican bandit is terrific , subsequently the would play similar role in other Spaghetti . The picture well photographed by Victor Monreal , though is necessary a fine remastering because the film-copy is washed-out . Mostly filmed in sweeping scenarios on location in Aragon Pyrinees , Lerida, and a Western village located in ¨Splugues De Llobregat¨ , it resulted to be the location where were shot lots of Western produced and directed by Catalan people as Alfonso Balcazar , J.J. Balcazar , Jose Antonio De La Loma , Juan Bosch, Ignacio F. Iquino and Julio Buchs , among others , because Almeria was too far and the landscapes bear remarkable resemblance . There are many fine technicians and nice assistant direction and excellent production design by the usual Juan Albert Soler , he creates a good scenario . Very enjoyable musical score by Nora Orlandi , including catching songs .This motion picture also titled "Clint the Nevada's Loner" - USA , "Clint the Stranger" or ¨Nevada Clint¨was professionally directed by Alfonso Balcazar who managed to make a fluid , witty and agreeable SW . Allfonso alongside his brother Juan Jose Balcazar produced and directed a lot of Chorizo or Butifarra Western , most of them starred by Jorge Martin or Robert Woods ; such as 1972 The return of Clint , 1972 Judas... ¡Toma Monedas! , 1968 Sartana no Perdone or Sonora , 1967 With Death on Your Back, 1966 Dinamita Jim , 1965 Doc, Manos de Plata , 1965 Viva Carrancho , 1965 Five Thousand Dollars on One Ace .

Some of the previous posters have mentioned that this movie gets some inspiration from the American western "Shane". The final sequence of this movie certainly copies the ending of "Shane", but other than that the movie goes its own way. Though the way it goes - a tale about a ruthless rancher squeezing his neighbors out of the way - will seem quite familiar to many western fans. The movie does have a couple of good action sequences - a saloon fistfight and an explosive gun battle in the city streets. What's unusual about this western is how more American it feels than your typical spaghetti western, from its direction to its music. But in the end, if you don't mind seeing this familiar story again, you will probably get some enjoyment from this western.

Former gunfighter Clint (George Martin) returns to his wife and young son's farm, where he's taken back if he takes a vow of non-violence. However, trying to conform to his wife's standards starts to lose him the affection of his son, after he's forced to back down in the face of a nasty cattle baron and his goons, including familiar face Fernando Sancho.A Spanish/German/Italian co-production, shot in Germany, this tries a bit harder than the average spaghetti western to replicate the look and feel of it's traditional American counterpart. This certainly looks more like the American west than other European westerns I've seen.As mentioned before, Clint The Stranger borrows it's plot pretty much verbatim from Shane. This is quite reminiscent also of 1950's The Gunfighter, with Gregory Peck.This is a decent and somewhat believable movie, but Clint's wife's stubborn stance against violence is pretty hard to take, considering the shenanigans of the films villains!Four years later George Martin reprised his role and directed an equally alright remake/sequel that more easily fit the mold of the spaghetti western.

This rather American-looking spaghetti western has an unusually large German contingent in the cast; Pinkas Braun as the crippled brother, Gerhard Riedmann as the devoted neighbor, and of course the lovely Marianne Koch (A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS) as Julie, Clint's distant wife. Also, it looks as if it was filmed in Bavaria, standing in for Wyoming. In keeping with its SHANE roots, George Martin (very good here) is Clint, a notorious gunslinger, trouble following him everywhere. All he wants is to settle down with his wife and son (who doesn't remember him), but he rides into a range war. The Shannons, led by pa Walter Barnes and their foreman, the great Fernando Sancho, want the valley for their grazing herds. The farmers and small ranchers don't want to leave. Sound familiar? Into this scenario rides Clint, promising his wife he will leave the violent life behind. Complications ensue. This one's pretty good. Wild East has put together two prints, and some of the lines of dialogue here are in German, subtitled in English. The print is nicely widescreen, if not the exact o.a.r., and a nice picture gallery of posters of the film round out the package. This one is especially recommended to the fan of pasta oaters, but all western fans should get a kick out of this winner.