Blindman (1972)

Gripping story with well-crafted characters

An absolute waste of money

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Tony Anthony, also credited with the story and as a screenwriter on this one, is the title character, a gunslinger who's determined to fulfill a contract. His job was to deliver 50 mail order brides to a bunch of miners in Texas, but his partners screwed him over, and the ladies ended up in the clutches of villains led by Domingo (Lloyd Battista).This is a respectable effort to put a Spaghetti Western spin on the well regarded series of "Zatoichi" films from Japan. It gives us a hero who's tough but not a superhero. He must take his share of lumps, and doesn't always have the upper hand over the bad guys. Directed by Ferdinando Baldi, "Blindman" is effectively violent, but doesn't get truly bloody all that often. It *does* have a substantial amount of sex, more so than some Italian oaters, and some of the ladies do get naked. The film also has a fairly good sense of humor, but here the style tends to trump the story. It's wonderfully shot in widescreen and features an appealing Morricone- esque soundtrack composed by the talented Stelvio Cipriani. It's hard-edged at times, with generally well handled action sequences.Anthony is a reasonably engaging but noticeably low key hero, often to be seen with a smile on his face. The other star attraction is none other than Ringo Starr, cast as a slimy, very scruffy Mexican bandido with a soft spot for the lovely Pilar (Agneta Eckemyr), and Ringo's pretty good, although it's mildly distracting that he, like so many other actors here, is dubbed. Battista is an enjoyably flamboyant heavy, although it's Raf Baldassarre that tends to steal the show with a hearty, hilarious portrayal as "El General".Anybody who digs the Spaghetti Western genre should have a pretty good time with this one. The finale, a confrontation in a windswept desert cemetery, is especially neat.Seven out of 10.

Paid to deliver fifty mail-order brides for fifty miners, blind mercenary Tony Anthony finds himself double-crossed by his partner, who takes the women to Mexico and sells them to a grungy slaver and his lovesick brother Ringo Starr(!), leading to a dangerous back-and-forth between the blindman and the bandits.Fast, amusing, and with some genuinely funny moments, this is like a live action comic book. Despite the subject matter and flippant tone, this avoids becoming (too) silly, like a few of director Fernando Baldi's other over-the-top spaghetti westerns.Writer, producer, star Tony Anthony delivers an eccentric, low-key performance that matches the subdued one by second-billed, top-draw Ringo Starr, who let their manic co-stars do all the heavy lifting, energy-wise.Violent, politically incorrect, and surprisingly sexist, this may not be fine art or, "...more popular than Jesus Christ." (hee-hee), though it's a minor cult classic thanks to it's similarities to the Japanese Zatoichi series and the presence of Starr, still looking as he did on the covers of the last few Beatles records. We love you yeah, yeah, yeah, yeaaaah!

The most noticeable thing about Ferdinando Baldi's "Blindman" is that Ringo Starr plays a supporting role in it. Yes, the annular member of the Beatles appears in a spaghetti western...with his voice dubbed! It's more than a little jarring to hear the man who sang "Yellow Submarine" and "Octopus's Garden" have a neutral accent.But anyway, it's an OK movie, not great. Tony Anthony plays a man hired to deliver fifty brides to the miners, but the brides get kidnapped and so he has to take charge. It's got a lot of the things that we can expect in a spaghetti western, along with a few things that wouldn't have been acceptable just a few years earlier. It's a fairly interesting flick, partly to see the most famous drummer in the world play a bandit, but mostly just to see this lesser known entry in the genre. Good times.PS: Producer Saul Swimmer also co-produced the documentary "Let It Be" and directed the documentary about George Harrison's Concert for Bangladesh. In other words, this is one spaghetti western that's all about the Fab Four.

"Blindman"starring Tony Anthony and Ringo Starr is what I consider a special Spaghetti Western movie.Just when you thought you've seen them all,here is one with a twist,and quite entertaining as well!The movie takes you on this journey that enthralls you directly to the plot as it starts.A long-coated blind man is riding a seeing-eye horse out of the desolate Texas plains toward you.He's angry,ruthless and deadly.He's desperately after something.That something happens to be fifty beautiful mail-order brides that he was contracted to deliver to Texas.The women were purchased by miners,yet they ended up in Mexico.They were stolen by a partner Blindman trusted,who in turn sold them to an unsavory gang of bandits,all of whom has their own dishonorable agenda for the women.Now Blindman wants his fifty women,vengeance and paycheck!He deals out his own brand of justice,using his fine-tuned gift for sound and feel/depth-memory to unleash the bullets and the dynamite.The movie is action packed,exciting,violent,interesting and fun!There's carnage,nudity,and mass assault scenes that give this movie a bold and raw,yet fascinating cinematic appeal.It's a definite must-see for all Spaghetti Genre Western fans.Although some may find the plot absurd,the movie successfully takes on a life of its own.It's truly a movie to be enjoyed for what it is--entertainment.Tony Anthony(portraying Blindman)is convincing,with some of the best and funniest script lines of any Western movie I've seen.Ringo Starr(Candy)is well acted,blending in so tastefully as the quintessential bad guy.A good supporting cast fuels the engine for the movie,while the soundtrack-dynamics are true to form.What I find intriguing about this movie is that it speaks volumes about the will and perseverance of the human spirit."Blindman" is what I consider a truly collectible Western Film!