Gary Maguire, professional name Hurricane West, is a a trick shot artist traveling with a small circus. He is quite adept at handling setups with his two gun rig. He is idolised by a young boy called Tony Murphy( Marco Stefanelli), whose father had been murdered by a masked gunman a few years before during a raid on the family ranch, and is now raised by foster parents. Just before his father was murdered, he'd hidden a box with $30,000 dollars and told Tony it was his. No one else knew where it was hidden.
Gary Maguire has his own troubles - he might be adept with a gun but not when facing an opponent. Which brings up a psychological block in him dating back to his childhood. When practicing twirling his guns, one goes off and stampedes a herd of cattle, taking the life of his older brother. His father was so infuriated he struck him across the neck, leaving a livid scar there. Since then he freezes up when confronted by real violence.
A bank robbery happens and Gary is recuited for the posse. When they find the robbers splitting the money, the Sheriff goes to fetch the posse, leaving Gary to watch over them. He sees the leader, Roy Elroy(Giovanni Cianfriglia, billed as Ken Wood) shoot them all down, leaving with the money. Gary hides fearfully as all that happens. When he's credited with killing the five, he's too ashamed to admit the truth and becomes the toast of the town.
Roy humiliates him consistently causing him to quit the circus and turn to drink. Young Tony wants him to help get his ranch back. He's overheard by a prostitute telling Gary about the hidden thirty thousand and goes straight to the man who's murdered the boy's father, a crooked rancher named Coleman(Richard Wyler). The boy is taken by Elroy, who works for Coleman, and is to be tortured for the hidden fortune.
Can Gary overcome his fear and save the boy? You will have to watch to find out!
Two Guns and a Coward is a little different than the average spaghetti westerns mainly due to the ideas of a link between gun violence and masculinity, cowardice, childhood trauma and selfless loyalty. Such ideas aren't usually explored in spaghetti westerns where the hero is indestructible as he mows down five guys with his six gun. Here, the excellent Anthony Steffen plays a trick shot artist who suffered from childhood trauma and the nerves gets the best of him. His character is quite relatable and not just some superhero. Interesting bit is how he overcomes his problem with the help of others.
Not loaded with action yet it is quite engaging and the circus background adds a certain flavour and the ending has the usual gunplay with the circus people helping Steffen take care of the varmints. Also different is the outcome at the end - the gunman who humiliated Steffen gets the same treatment but he's let go. Usually there would be a showdown and he would be six feet under.
