Aldo Sambrell Movies
Spanish supporting and occasional leading actor Aldo Sambrell is primarily associated with spaghetti Westerns of the '60s. In those films, he generally played a gunslinger. He was born Alfredo Sanchez Brell but over the course of his career he used the following names: Aldo Brell, Alfred S. Brell, Aldo San Brell, Aldo Sanbrel, and Aldo Sanbrell. He made his directorial debut as Alfred S. Brell with La Ultima Jugada (1974). Sambrell produced his first film, Hammam, in 1997. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
By the time Sergio Leone made this film, Italians had already produced about 20 films ironically labelled "spaghetti westerns." Leone approached the genre with great love and humor. Although the plot was admittedly borrowed from Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo (1961), Leone managed to create a work of his own that would serve as a model for many films to come. Clint Eastwood plays a cynical gunfighter who comes to a small border town and offers his services to two rivaling gangs. Neither gang is aware of his double play, and each thinks it is using him, but the stranger will outwit them both. The picture was the first installment in a cycle commonly known as the "Dollars" trilogy. Later, United Artists, who distributed it in the U.S., coined another term for it: the "Man With No Name" trilogy. While not as impressive as its follow-ups For a Few Dollars More (1965) and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966), A Fistful of Dollars contains all of Leone's eventual trademarks: taciturn characters, precise framing, extreme close-ups, and the haunting music of Ennio Morricone. Not released in the U.S. until 1967 due to copyright problems, the film was decisive in both Clint Eastwood's career and the recognition of the Italian western. ~ Yuri German, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Clint Eastwood, Marianne Koch, (more)
This pulse-pounding follow-up to Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars brings back Clint Eastwood as the serape-clad, cigar-chewing "Man With No Name." Engaged in an ongoing battle with bounty hunter Col. Douglas Mortimer (Lee Van Cleef), the Man joins forces with his enemy to capture homicidal bandit Indio (Gian Maria Volontè). Both the Eastwood and Van Cleef characters are given understandable motivations for their bloodletting tendencies, something that was lacking in A Fistful of Dollars. In both films, however, the violence is raw and uninhibited -- and in many ways, curiously poetic. Leone's tense, tight close-ups, pregnant pauses, and significant silences have since been absorbed into the standard spaghetti Western lexicon; likewise, Ennio Morricone's haunting musical score has been endlessly imitated and parodied. For a Few Dollars More was originally titled Per Qualche Dollaro in Più; it would be followed by the last and best of the Man with No Name trilogy, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, (more)
- 1965
In this western, a gambler wins a big Mexican ranch and decides to herd all of the cattle upon it into Texas. The crook enlists the aide of a few Mexicans, but they don't realize he plans to cheat them. En route, the cattle drivers are ambushed by banditos. They survive, but during the course of the struggle, the cattle hands learn the truth and ensure that justice gets served. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alex Nicol, Dick Bentley, (more)
- 1965
The marriage of a princess to a powerful prince will bring peace, but the princess' brother takes the offer back. ~ All Movie Guide
In this western, a former lawman forces a corrupt outlaw to relinquish his hold upon an innocent town. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Audie Murphy, Broderick Crawford, (more)
In this wartime melodrama, Lieutenant Colonel Raspeguy (Anthony Quinn) is a French peasant who has worked his way up the military ladder during the French involvement in Indochina. Sent to Algeria, Raspeguy must mold a group of raw recruits into a competent fighting unit. He calls on Esclavier (Alain Delon), his sensitive assistant who eventually deserts the military out of frustration over the pointlessness of war. Raspeguy's other assistant is Boisfeuras (Maurice Ronet), the affable officer whose outside demeanor hides the heart of a vicious killer who loves the bloodlust of battle. Raspeguy takes up with Countess De Clairefons (Michele Morgan), the widow of a respected general. She promises Raspeguy she will marry him if he comes back from the conflict as a general. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Quinn, Alain Delon, (more)
- 1966
- R
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In the last and the best installment of his so-called "Dollars" trilogy of Sergio Leone-directed "spaghetti westerns," Clint Eastwood reprised the role of a taciturn, enigmatic loner. Here he searches for a cache of stolen gold against rivals the Bad (Lee Van Cleef), a ruthless bounty hunter, and the Ugly (Eli Wallach), a Mexican bandit. Though dubbed "the Good," Eastwood's character is not much better than his opponents -- he is just smarter and shoots faster. The film's title reveals its ironic attitude toward the canonized heroes of the classical western. "The real West was the world of violence, fear, and brutal instincts," claimed Leone. "In pursuit of profit there is no such thing as good and evil, generosity or deviousness; everything depends on chance, and not the best wins but the luckiest." Immensely entertaining and beautifully shot in Techniscope by Tonino Delli Colli, the movie is a virtually definitive "spaghetti western," rivaled only by Leone's own Once Upon a Time in the West (1968). The main musical theme by Ennio Morricone hit #1 on the British pop charts. Originally released in Italy at 177 minutes, the movie was later cut for its international release. ~ Yuri German, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, (more)
- 1966
In this western set during 1877 along the Mexican-American border, outlaws attack a stagecoach and find themselves defeated by an ace gunman with a hatred for evil-doers. The gunman decides to take off after the group leader, but the good guy shootist is hit while defending a beleaguered rancher from Mexican banditos. Later the rancher's daughter and the gunman fall in love. The gunslinger and a bounty hunter take off after the outlaw. Unfortunately, when push comes to shove, the outlaw refuses to fight without the gunman because he cannot bear to kill his own son. This does not stop the gunman's partner from taking a shot; the outlaw is wounded, causing his son to rally to his aid, and the gunslinger rides back to keep the banditos from stealing the ranch. They are finally stopped but not before the bandito leader and the outlaw fatally shoot each other. Afterwards, the gunman gives up shooting and begins leading a pacifistic life with his new bride. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Russ Tamblyn, James Philbrook, (more)
This amusing spaghetti western from prolific director Alfonso Balcazar is set during the American Civil War. Luis Davila stars as Dynamite Jim, a Northern spy smuggling Mexican gold through Rebel territory to an Iowa fort. Jim's journey includes betrayal by a greedy cohort (Fernando Sancho), a showdown with an evil bandit (Aldo Sambrell), and other standard encounters, well-photographed by Victor Monreal. Cult-film fans will be pleased by the lovely Rosalba Neri (as a dancehall floozy) and amused by a particularly ludicrous soundtrack by Nico Fidenco. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Luis Davila, Fernando Sancho, (more)
- 1967
This bloody spaghetti western (filmed entirely in Spain) tells the tale of how an Indian (Burt Reynolds), whose entire tribe was slain by Anglo outlaws, gets gruesome revenge upon them. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Burt Reynolds, Nicoletta Machiavelli, (more)
In this spaghetti Western, Joseph Cotten stars as Jonas, an ex-Confederate soldier who robs a Union freight train in order to re-ignite the Civil War. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joseph Cotten, Norma Bengell, (more)
It is early in the 20th century, and an American traveler has come to Mexico at just the wrong time to continue living a peaceful life, for the Revolution has begun and he quickly finds himself in the thick of it. At first, he is right in the middle between government troops and the revolutionaries and bandidos as they attack a train. Later, he finds himself among the decidedly scruffy-looking revolutionaries and even finds some romantic interest in a hot-tempered girl who is among them. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gian Maria Volontè, Lou Castel, (more)
- 1967
In this high-seas adventure, framed by the Napoleonic War, a pirate is sponsored by the government to save those living on the captured islands. In his spare time, he has a romantic fling, and tries to save his fiancee from villains. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gérard Barray, Antonella Lualdi, (more)
- 1967
- R
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Clay McCord (Alex Cord) is a former outlaw determined to live the life of a law-abiding citizen. Colby (Arthur Kennedy) is the town marshall who keeps law and order. Not far from the peaceful town is a haven for criminals led by Kraut (Mario Brega), a trigger happy outlaw who welcomes those who are wanted by the law. McCord worries that he may have the epilepsy that plagued his father and hastened his demise. He battles the sadistic gunman while hoping for a pardon from the sympathetic governor (Robert Ryan). He also falls for the lovely Laurinda (Nicoletta Machiavelli) as he walks between the two worlds of the law and the lawless in this action-packed and often bloody western adventure. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alex Cord, Arthur Kennedy, (more)
- 1967
A lawmen who is sworn to bring a rebel to justice finds himself developing a great respect and admiration for his quarry in this period drama. In the 1920s, the British Raj still rule India, and Freddy Young (Trevor Howard) is a English police officer whose duty is to keep order among the native Bhantas. While Young believes in his heart that the people of India should be free to determine their own political destiny, he is forced by his occupation to uphold British law. However, not all the Bhantas willingly follow the commands of the British, and Sultan (Yul Brynner) is an Indian determined to lead his people to freedom from colonial tyranny. Young is instructed to find and capture Sultan, but while his superiors indicate that they would not be upset if Sultan were to meet with an accident, Young is impressed by the courage and intelligence of his adversary, and he is determined to bring him back alive. Young eventually infiltrates Sultan's camp and pleads with the leader to give himself up before more bloodthirsty British forces storm his compound. The Long Duel's supporting cast includes Edward Fox and Charlotte Rampling, in roles that predated their rise to stardom. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Yul Brynner, Trevor Howard, (more)
- 1967
A prominent professor is abducted by a demented devil of a man who forces the scientist to place a superior brain into his head in this Italian sci-fi outing. Fortunately for the scientist, his daughter has enlisted the aid of a handsome hero to help her find him before it is too late. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1967
This Italian western contains subtle political undertones as it chronicles the exploits of a tubercular history professor who journeys to the American Southwest to recuperate. There he becomes fascinated by an outlaw who befriends him. The intelligent prof uses his brains to assist the outlaw. Violence ensues until the prof kills the outlaw who has been oppressing and taking advantage of him. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Lyedecker (Jim Brown) is the Arizona lawman who travels to Mexico in search of Yaqui Joe (Burt Reynolds). Joe has made an illegal withdrawal of $6,000 from the band in Phoenix to help finance his tribes's uprising against the Mexican government. Sarita (Raquel Welch) is the local woman who is friendly towards the Indian leaders. Both men are tracked by General Verdugo (Fernando Lamas), the career-minded military man who realizes a victory could boost his station in high-society and politics. Also on hand is the American railroad agent Grimes (Dan O'Herlihy). The battle ensues between the Indians and the government troops as Lyedecker and Joe form a temporary alliance to survive. They are captured by the troops, but the Indians instead of the calvary come to the rescue in this routine western taken from a novel by Robert MacLeod. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jim Brown, Raquel Welch, (more)
- 1971
The Mexican Guns of the Revolution alternates between tension and all-out violence. It's a tight contest, but violence finally wins out towards the end. Ernest Borgnine plays a ruthless provincial governor who tyannizes a sizeable piece of Mexican territory. He is challenged by an outwardly mild-mannered priest, played by Padre Humberto Almazan. The cat-and-mouse between good guy and villain is the best thing about the picture. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Padre Humberto Almazan, Ernest Borgnine, (more)
- 1971
- PG
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This action adventure is based on Jules Verne's The Light at the Edge of the World. It takes place in 1865 on the chilly tip of Argentina in a lighthouse set up to guide ships around the extremely dangerous and turbulent waters of Cape Horn. The lighthouse keeper (Fernando Rey) and his assistant go out to investigate when a strange sailing ship comes too near to the island the lighthouse is on. Denton (Kirk Douglas), the lighthouse keeper's North American apprentice, is left behind. For their pains, the lighthouse keeper and his assistant are killed, and Kongre (Yul Brynner), the ship's pirate captain, goes to the lighthouse and captures Denton. Kongre shuts down the real lighthouse and sets up a false one so that his pirates can prey on the busy ships that must pass nearby. Denton, set loose by his captors on a nearby island, eventually begins to fight back. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kirk Douglas, Yul Brynner, (more)
A priest--a former revolutionary--finds himself the target of a manhunt in a small Mexican town. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Telly Savalas, Martin Landau, (more)
- 1972
- R
The Man Called Noon is a western about a man who is called "Noon" (Richard Crenna) because he has amnesia and has no other name. As he searches for his identity, it becomes clear that he is on a mission to avenge the deaths of his wife and child. His quest is furthered by the outlaw Rimes (Stephen Boyd) and he receives comfort from a lady named Fan (Rosanna Schiaffino). The villain proves to be Judge Niland (Farley Granger), and the trio go to extraordinary lengths to put him out of action. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Crenna, Stephen Boyd, (more)
A Mexican revolutionary offers four marauding outlaws a million bucks to destroy an arsenal owned by the Mexican army. The arsenal gets blasted, but the million bucks doesn't get delivered in this "outsmart the outsmarters" and "double-cross the double-crossers" western saga. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lee Van Cleef, Gina Lollobrigida, (more)
