Arizona, 1887 . In the beginning we are then introduced to our stalwart hero , a card player named Doc MacGregor (Carl Mohner as Karl Möhner) who is relentlessly pursued by ambitious bounty hunters . When Doc is riding he meets a dead man , and as he replaces the identity of a legendary gunslinger . Doc along with the bounty hunter Slade Carroll (Luis Dávila) arrive in a town where Doc is mistaken for sheriff Kitchener , as taking his identity Doc becomes the city Marshall and Slade as deputy . Along the way , they face off tramplers and a famous Mexican outlaw called Pablo Reyes (Fernando Sancho) . Doc MacGregor is actually a surgeon and at the end he heals a sympathetic boy (Loris Loddi) . Doc and Slade suffer double-crosses , attacks , betrayal by a corrupt Mayor (Umberto Raho) as well as a lot of twists and turns until a final assault on the town .
This "L'uomo Dalla Pistola D'Oro" , also titled "Doc, Hands of Steel" , or "Man with the Golden Pistol" or "The Man Who Came to Kill" or "El Pistolero De Oro" results to be a so-so tortilla/Pasta Western in which two drifters arrive in a little town to resolve conflicts among nasty robbers and corrupt authority . All in all , this film is predominantly a Spanish film rather than an Italian one . It's a two country co-production but is clearly dominated by the Spanish contingent and the traditional leanings of the Spanish producers of the time have their stamp on the entire proceedings . The Spanish westerns of this era were far more likely to try and emulate their American source material than cultivate a distinctive style of their own the way the Italians were doing but their product , though if you like westerns remains lightly watchable , but also it turns out to be middling . Mediocre Butifarra Western realized in traditional style with a screenplay written by Giovanni Simonelli , José Antonio De La Loma and Alfonso Balcázar himself , including boring dialogue , silly situations , plot twists and turns . Italian-Spanish co-production filmed in Catalunya , full of familiar faces , action , exaggerated characters , crossfire and lots of shots and fights . The film packs thrills , shootouts , brawls , and results to be entertaining but very mediocre . It's a middle-budget film with ordinary actors , technicians , decent production values and average 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 protagonists , Carl Mohner and Luis Davila , against their enemies , adding some thrilling scenes at the ending . It stars Carl Möhner (1921–2005) who performed other Westerns as ¨30 Winchesters for El Diablo" or "Gold Train" , but also acted in thrillers and dramas as ¨Babysitter¨, ¨It takes a thief¨, ¨The last bridge¨, ¨Cave of the living dead¨, ¨Sink the Bismark¨ and his greatest hit was ¨Rififi¨ . Co-stars Luis Davila who takes on a band of crooks , unethical Mayor & his gang . Davila starred during the sixties and seventies several action films as well as Chorizo or Paella Western such as ¨Relevo para pistolero¨, "Dynamite Jim" , ¨Viva Carrancho¨, ¨Tumba para Forajido¨ and "Pancho Villa" , some of them directed by Alfonso Balcazar . The cast and support cast are passable . Furthermore , there appears ordinary secondaries of Spaghetti/Paella Western , as Spanish/Italian players : Gloria Milland as a beautiful widow , Óscar Pellicer , Umberto Raho and the little boy Loris Loddi . And , of course, the great Fernando Sancho in his usual role as a Mexican outlaw , as he is terrific , he subsequently would play similar roles in other Spaghettis . Atmospheric cinematography by Mario Capriotti in Scope and Eastmancolor . Being regularly photographed and necessary a fine remastering because the film-copy is washed-out .
The picture mostly filmed in atmospheric scenarios on location in Fraga , (Huesca) , similar to Almeria , and a Western village located in ¨Spugles De Llobregat¨ , it resulted to be the locations where were shot lots of Westerns produced and directed by Catalan people as Alfonso Balcazar , J.J. Balcazar , José Antonio De La Loma , Juán Bosch , Juán Xiol , Manuel Esteba , Ignacio F. Iquino , and Julio Buchs , among others , because Almeria was too far and the Fraga landscapes bear remarkable resemblance . There are many fine technicians and nice assistant direction and adequate production design by the usual Juan Albert Soler , he creates an acceptable scenario . And evocative musical score by Angelo Francesco Lavagnino.
This motion picture was middlingly directed by Alfonso Balcazar , and with no originality ; he managed to make a fluid and filled with punches as well as gun-play , though mediocre . Alfonso often uses pseudonym Al Bagran . Alfonso alongside his brothers Juan Jose Balcazar and Francisco Balcázar produced and directed a lot of Chorizo or Butifarra Western , most of them starred by Jorge Martin or George Martin , Luis Davila , Daniel 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 . Rating : 4.5/10 . Average
