Friday, November 25, 2016

Keoma's 40th Anniversary Premier!



November 25th marks the 40th Anniversary of the Italian premier of Enzo Castellari’s “Keoma”. One of the last significant Euro-western films. The story revolves around a half-breed Indian, who returns to his native country after having fought in the Civil War. Unfortunately the situation is much changed: the town is in the hands of the evil Caldwell and everyone is against him except his stepfather and an old Negro friend named George. With the help of both the as Keoma tries to return things as they were before his departure, but he must face-off with his stepbrothers. A situation that hasn’t changed since their childhood as Keoma has never been accepted by them and they’ve always felt he was loved by their father more then they were.

A celebration of the film and its 40th anniversary was held in Turin, Italy on February 16th with a showing of the film followed by a question and answer session.


After the Civil War, ex- Union soldier Keoma Shannon, part-Indian and part-white, returns to his home town to find his half-brothers in alliance with a petty tyrant named Caldwell. Caldwell and his gang rule over the town with an iron fist. With the help of his father and George, an old Black friend, he vows revenge. Keoma also shows compassion when he saves a pregnant woman from a group sent by Caldwell's group to be quarantined in a mine camp full of plague victims. Keoma is constantly visited by the apparition of an older woman ("The Witch") who saved him during the massacre of an Indian camp.


Keoma - Italian title
Mon nom est Keoma - Italian title
Keoma il vendicatore - Italian title
Keoma - Brazilian title
Caramba! - Finnish title
Caramba - paholainen kannoilla - Finnish title
Keoma - Melodie des Sterbens - German title
Keoma Ein Mann wie ein Tornado - German title
Keoma - Das Lied des Todes - German title
Coolman Keoma - German title
Keoma - Greek title
Med Satan i hälarna - Swedish title
Keoma - han kom för att hämnas - Swedish title
Keoma - Turkish title
The Violent Breed - English title
Django Rides Again - English title
Django’s Great Return - U.S.A. title
Desperado - U.S.A. title
Keoma the Avenger - U.S.A. title

A 1975 Italian production [Uranos Cinematografica (Rome)]
Producer: Manolo Bolognini
Director: Enzo G. Castellari (Enzo Girolami)
Story: Luigi Montefiore
Screenplay: Mino Roli (Emminio Pontiroli), Nico Ducci, Luigi Montefiore, Enzo G. Castellari (Enzo Girolami)
Dialogue: Nick Alexander [English]
Cinematography: Aiace Parolin [Eastmancolor, Techniscope]
Music: Guido & Maurizio De Angelis
Songs: “Keoma” sung by Sybl and Guy (Susan Duncan Smith & Cesare De Natale), “In Front of My Desperation” sung by Guy (Cesare De Natale)
Running time: 105 minutes

Cast:
Keoma Shannon - Franco Nero (Francesco Sparanero)
Lisa - Olga Karlatos (Olga Vlassopoulos)
George - Woody Strode (Woodrow Strode)
William Shannon - William Berger (Wilhelm Berger)
Caldwell - Donald O’Brien (Donal O’Brien)
Butch Shannon - Orso Maria Guerrini
Lenny Shannon - Antonio Marsina
Cham/Sam Shannon - John Loffredo
doctor - Leon Lenoir (Leopoldo Scavino)
‘The Witch’ - Gabriella Giacobbe
Confederate soldiers - Wolfgang Soldati, Massimo Vanni
brothel owner - Victoria Zinny
Caldwell henchmen - Ken Wood (Giovanni Cianfriglia), Domenico Cianfriglia, Arnaldo Dell Acqua, Roberto Dell Acqua, Angelo Ragusa, Riccardo Pizzuti
plague victim - Pierangelo Civera
saloon patron - Sergio Ruggeri
with: Alfio Caltabiano

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