Gunfighters of Casa Grande

Joe Daylight , notorious gunfighter and cattle thief, is planning his biggest scheme. With cattle prices at an all-time high after the American Civil War he plans to rustle not one but several of the giant herds roaming the vast ranches of south-west California. He rounds up a gang of outlaws and the first ranch they decide to attack is the Casa Grande

Gunfighters of Casa Grande, a US-Paella western, features no facial closeup of sweaty faces, with flies climbing up the nostrils, characters dressed in grimy bell bottoms and five men getting shot like tin cans by one man as prevalent in Spaghetti westerns but that's because this 1964 western shot in Spain predates Spaghetti western craze as started by Sergio Leone. Gunfighters of Casa Grande has more in common with traditional westerns - it's a simple tale, told in a well-made and efficient manner. There's some decent action, but it's the characters and their motivations that are the focal part. The most interesting character is played by Alex Nicol as an ambitious heel who is the lead actor - the fact that the second in command, a philosophical man known as Traveller, turns out to be the hero makes an interesting twist. Actually adds something to the story, giving it a different texture. Pity this western is criticised - I think unfairly. It's quite engaging and has good dialogue and performances.