In his last film, Steve Reeves played his usual hero number (though a bit too sombre, with no glimpse of humor, as in the adventure films he starred in), doing not too different grimaces and acrobatics as the ones he performed for his incarnations of Romulus, Sir Henry Morgan, Hercules and Sandokan. It was adapted from a novel, and probably the scriptwriters (including Reeves) were too respectful of the original (written, as told by other reviewer, by a specialist in western novels) and took little advantage of the European western film craze of the 1960s. Even in the more serious western dramas (as Leone's "Once Upon a Time in the West"), there were always bizarre elements and even a bit of Brechtian estrangement, making it obvious that it was a foreign concoction turning a classic genre upside down, every now and then revealing something that had not been told in the classic American westerns (although I believe the real revisionist westerns were made by American filmmakers, as Penn, Peckinpah, Altman and Gries). This one plays it straight, and maybe Reeves wanted to do a real western, but it just comes out as an average European western without zest.
16 Reviews
Steve Reeves' unique Spaghetti Western about a revenger against cruel bandits
ma-cortes29 March 2011
Pleasant Spaghetti Western with a Peplum usual , Steve Reeves , as starring and writer . An Italian production full of action , exaggerated characters, shootouts and lots of violence . This is the story of a man with an only obsession ¨Live for kill¨ . For money, for pleasure, for revenge , he doesn't care why he kills or how ¡ ... Some rustlers rob horses from Sturges family . The oldest son named Mike (Steve Reeves ) Sturges (homage to John Sturges ?) and his brother Roy set out in pursuit the thieves . While they are looking for the outlaws Mike sees as the Southern Pacific Railways blows up and they are accused for robbing the cash , being framed by a corrupt sheriff (Dick Palmer , aka Mimmo Palmara ) who executes a ¨Pestaggio¨ against Mike as hitting , punch and kicking . They are incarcerated in Yuma Penitentiary . There Roy doesn't bear the mistreats and humiliations , but Mike gets to getaway and seeks vendetta against nasties . He escapes and sees the atrocity over his family and the Sturges ranch is destroyed , then executes a single-handedly revenge, as he slashes, ravages and murders each person involved in the killing . Mike encounters hints about the bandits in Dragon Pass Coach Station and a box of Niagara dynamite , plus an Abisian Desert Companion bottle , all of them lead his enemies. Mike is relentless in his vendetta , deadly in his violence. The conflict is a simple one between avenger Mike Sturges , and oppressors, nasties bandits commanded by cruel sheriff and his underlings. Then Sturges is submitted a tempestuous trap and is caught and he faces the vicious bandits. Finally , in a coach station takes place a deadly showdown between Mike and his enemies .
It's an exciting western all'Italiana with breathtaking showdown between the protagonist Steve Reeves against the heartless Dick Palmer and his merciless gunfighters . Steve is fine, he runs , ravages the screen, shoots, hit and run and kills but also receives violent knocks , punches , kicks and wounds . In the film premiere attained bit success , nowadays is best valued and I think it turns out to be an acceptable Spaghetti Western. Steve Reeves played ¨Hercules¨ and ¨Hercules¨ and ¨Hercules and Queen of Lydia¨ and many others muscle-men epics . He also acted in adventure genre as ¨Sandokan¨, swashbuckling as ¨Morgan the pirate¨ and fantasy as ¨The thief of Bagdag¨ . Reeves was almost retired when starred and wrote ¨ Viovo per la tua morte¨, unfortunately for Mr. Universe the picture was a failure . His riding scenes were usually carried out by the habitual stunt and double Giovanni Cianfriglia or Ken Wood . Frustrated Steve Reeves returned US and nothing more else , as he retired in his ranch . The secondary Nello Pazzafini as a cruelly warden role is terrific , he bears a hysterical and mocking smile , subsequently the would play similar characters .In the picture appears ordinary secondaries from Spaghetti as Gino Lollobrigida (or Lee Burton , Gina Lollobrigida's brother) , Ivan Scratuglia , Franco Fantasia , Enzo Fiermonte , Spartaco Conversi , and the Eurotrash goddess Rosalba Neri , and also uncredited Aldo Sambrell as a brutal bounty hunter . The film packs violence , gun-play , explosion, high body-count and it's fast moving and quite entertaining. There is plenty of action in the movie , guaranteeing some shootouts or stunts every few minutes. There are many fine technicians and nice assistants as Remo De Angelis , habitual master of arms and stunts in numerous Spaghetti Western . Good production design creating an excellent scenario with luminous outdoors , dirty and rocky landscapes under a glimmer sun and a fine set on the town . The musician Carlo Savina, composes a nice soundtrack and well conducted ; it's full of guttural sounds, sensible songs and a haunting musical leitmotif . Catching song at the beginning and ending titled ¨Go West young man¨ by Powell and Savina . Striking cinematography by Enzo Barboni - Trinity and Bambino film's director- with negative well processed and perfect remastering . Interior filmed at Elios Studios and outdoor sequences filmed in Spanish outdoors located in Almeria , Spain.
Camilo Bazzoni's direction -under a pseudonym named Alex Burks , an usual cameraman- is middlingly crafted , here he's less thought-provoking and broody and more inclined toward violence and too much action , though he's an expert on cinematography . Rating : 5 acceptable and passable . The picture will appeal to Spaghetti Western fans.
It's an exciting western all'Italiana with breathtaking showdown between the protagonist Steve Reeves against the heartless Dick Palmer and his merciless gunfighters . Steve is fine, he runs , ravages the screen, shoots, hit and run and kills but also receives violent knocks , punches , kicks and wounds . In the film premiere attained bit success , nowadays is best valued and I think it turns out to be an acceptable Spaghetti Western. Steve Reeves played ¨Hercules¨ and ¨Hercules¨ and ¨Hercules and Queen of Lydia¨ and many others muscle-men epics . He also acted in adventure genre as ¨Sandokan¨, swashbuckling as ¨Morgan the pirate¨ and fantasy as ¨The thief of Bagdag¨ . Reeves was almost retired when starred and wrote ¨ Viovo per la tua morte¨, unfortunately for Mr. Universe the picture was a failure . His riding scenes were usually carried out by the habitual stunt and double Giovanni Cianfriglia or Ken Wood . Frustrated Steve Reeves returned US and nothing more else , as he retired in his ranch . The secondary Nello Pazzafini as a cruelly warden role is terrific , he bears a hysterical and mocking smile , subsequently the would play similar characters .In the picture appears ordinary secondaries from Spaghetti as Gino Lollobrigida (or Lee Burton , Gina Lollobrigida's brother) , Ivan Scratuglia , Franco Fantasia , Enzo Fiermonte , Spartaco Conversi , and the Eurotrash goddess Rosalba Neri , and also uncredited Aldo Sambrell as a brutal bounty hunter . The film packs violence , gun-play , explosion, high body-count and it's fast moving and quite entertaining. There is plenty of action in the movie , guaranteeing some shootouts or stunts every few minutes. There are many fine technicians and nice assistants as Remo De Angelis , habitual master of arms and stunts in numerous Spaghetti Western . Good production design creating an excellent scenario with luminous outdoors , dirty and rocky landscapes under a glimmer sun and a fine set on the town . The musician Carlo Savina, composes a nice soundtrack and well conducted ; it's full of guttural sounds, sensible songs and a haunting musical leitmotif . Catching song at the beginning and ending titled ¨Go West young man¨ by Powell and Savina . Striking cinematography by Enzo Barboni - Trinity and Bambino film's director- with negative well processed and perfect remastering . Interior filmed at Elios Studios and outdoor sequences filmed in Spanish outdoors located in Almeria , Spain.
Camilo Bazzoni's direction -under a pseudonym named Alex Burks , an usual cameraman- is middlingly crafted , here he's less thought-provoking and broody and more inclined toward violence and too much action , though he's an expert on cinematography . Rating : 5 acceptable and passable . The picture will appeal to Spaghetti Western fans.
Steve Reeves could do it all!
heybhc18 March 2009
Steve Reeves only made one spaghetti western, but it's a good one. VIVO PER LA TUA MORTE was made in 1968, a golden year for the Italian Western, and many of the genre's favorite sons appear in this tale of revenge and redemption, among them Aldo Sambrell, Nello Pazzafini, Spartaco Conversi, and Silvana Bacci. Reeves makes a good western hero, losing his shirt at times to give us a glimpse of his splendid physique; at age 42 he was still in great shape and spends lots of his screen time running, jumping, engaging in fist fights and carrying on like a much younger man. The film's depiction of Yuma Territorial Prison is good also, replicating the feel of the prison remarkably well. A very minor knock is that the pistols are of the John Woo variety, shooting fifteen or sixteen times as needed, particularly noticeable in the prison break. The music by Carlo Savina is outstanding, but that's as usual for this genre. A lesser gem, in a nice package from Wild East including an interview with Mimmo Palmera.
The Grand Finale of Steve Reeves
DarthBill4 December 2011
Warning: Spoilers
PLOT: Rancher Mike Sturges (Steve Reeves, the late body builder best remembered for starting the sword & sandal craze by starring in "Hercules" and "Hercules Unchained") and his younger brother Roy are framed for a train robbery they didn't commit and sent the brutal Yuma prison without a trial. There, Roy is tortured and eventually beaten to death by a sadistic guard (are there any other kind in movies like this?). Enraged, Mike escapes during a prison break out, kills the guard who killed his brother and sets out to exact a similar revenge on the criminals who tore his life apart.
An accomplished horse rider, Steve Reeves had always liked westerns - as most people of his generation no doubt did - and when he got into the movie business he naturally wanted to make one (legend has it he was offered the role of The Man With No Name in "A Fistful of Dollars", which helped make a cinematic icon out of then TV star Clint Eastwood - but turned it down because he found the script too violent and was skeptical of Italian knowledge of America's "Old West"), and finally did with this, his last film, which he also co-wrote. Though only in his early 40s, meaning he could have hung around and made more spaghetti westerns as his pal and fellow athlete the late Gordon Scott did, Reeves had injured his shoulder during a chariot accident on a previous film and stunt work in between that accident and "A Long Ride From Hell" only aggravated it and would cause him problems later in life regarding his work out regime (Reeves did his own stunts since there were no Italian stunt men big enough to double for him). Since the injury made being an action star, even a B-movie action star, impractical, Reeves opted to bow out from the game and spent the remainder of his life living quietly in California, where he managed a horse ranch.
As for the film itself, it's a fairly grim, gritty and dark story, in contrast to the mythological fantasy adventure films Reeves was best known for. You wouldn't think Reeves was suffering from a bad shoulder watching him in the film though, as he batters his way through villains and proved himself to be surprisingly nimble for a guy who stood 6'1" and weighed over 200 lbs of solid muscle. Though dubbed again, Reeves dominates every scene he's in by sheer virtue of his physical presence and steely blue eyes.
All in all, a must for fans of Reeves and spaghetti westerns in general.
An accomplished horse rider, Steve Reeves had always liked westerns - as most people of his generation no doubt did - and when he got into the movie business he naturally wanted to make one (legend has it he was offered the role of The Man With No Name in "A Fistful of Dollars", which helped make a cinematic icon out of then TV star Clint Eastwood - but turned it down because he found the script too violent and was skeptical of Italian knowledge of America's "Old West"), and finally did with this, his last film, which he also co-wrote. Though only in his early 40s, meaning he could have hung around and made more spaghetti westerns as his pal and fellow athlete the late Gordon Scott did, Reeves had injured his shoulder during a chariot accident on a previous film and stunt work in between that accident and "A Long Ride From Hell" only aggravated it and would cause him problems later in life regarding his work out regime (Reeves did his own stunts since there were no Italian stunt men big enough to double for him). Since the injury made being an action star, even a B-movie action star, impractical, Reeves opted to bow out from the game and spent the remainder of his life living quietly in California, where he managed a horse ranch.
As for the film itself, it's a fairly grim, gritty and dark story, in contrast to the mythological fantasy adventure films Reeves was best known for. You wouldn't think Reeves was suffering from a bad shoulder watching him in the film though, as he batters his way through villains and proved himself to be surprisingly nimble for a guy who stood 6'1" and weighed over 200 lbs of solid muscle. Though dubbed again, Reeves dominates every scene he's in by sheer virtue of his physical presence and steely blue eyes.
All in all, a must for fans of Reeves and spaghetti westerns in general.
Substance over style
dinky-43 September 2002
While this is one of the better "spaghetti westerns" from the 1960s, it is little known in this country despite the presence of Steve Reeves in the starring role. Reeves' looks and presence here indicate that he could have had a post-Hercules career in the movies and it's both sad and puzzling that this career never evolved.
The movie itself lacks the flamboyant, even operatic style one often associates with these westerns, but unlike some of its competitors, this has a solid, well-constructed script which effectively uses the "revenge" theme without any digressions or detours. By some standards, this movie might even be labeled "minimalist!"
There is one missed opportunity, however. Reeves spends an entire reel laboring on a rock pile in one of those primitive, scorching-hot desert prisons manned by sadistic guards who are quick to dish out brutal punishments. (One is reminded of "Hellgate" or "There Was a Crooked Man.") He sometimes works with his shirt off -- giving us a look at that glorious, suntanned, sweat-streaked torso -- and he's sometimes given a punch or a kick or a shove. However, there's no scene of Reeves being tied to a post and given a savage flogging across his bare back. Since Reeves had one of those born-to-be-whipped bodies, it's unfortunate the makers of this movie didn't take advantage of this resource.
The movie itself lacks the flamboyant, even operatic style one often associates with these westerns, but unlike some of its competitors, this has a solid, well-constructed script which effectively uses the "revenge" theme without any digressions or detours. By some standards, this movie might even be labeled "minimalist!"
There is one missed opportunity, however. Reeves spends an entire reel laboring on a rock pile in one of those primitive, scorching-hot desert prisons manned by sadistic guards who are quick to dish out brutal punishments. (One is reminded of "Hellgate" or "There Was a Crooked Man.") He sometimes works with his shirt off -- giving us a look at that glorious, suntanned, sweat-streaked torso -- and he's sometimes given a punch or a kick or a shove. However, there's no scene of Reeves being tied to a post and given a savage flogging across his bare back. Since Reeves had one of those born-to-be-whipped bodies, it's unfortunate the makers of this movie didn't take advantage of this resource.
The last time for Hercules, Reeves makes us a unusual offering !!!
elo-equipamentos8 July 2019
Usual western spaguetti played by the unforgetable Steve Reeves, already stigmatized character on those Peplum and Sandals pictures from the glorious past years, now Steve Reeves tries out on western proves that he can makes easily another genre, also allowed to us a strange offering, the plot is average also commonplace, framed in a train robbery he and his young brother were sent to the jail at impregnable fortress Yuma, there was a riot and he escapes, but his brother didn't make and the revenge just began, if we consider it as last picture of Reeves, we must be carefully, actually he was the great Hercules, so demands some kind of assessment, in fact I really love those magnificent epics, this western for Italian standard is plentiful acceptable and Reeves makes the best he could and quite enjoyable job indeed, due he wounded his shoulders previously he had to quit to make pictures unfortunately, meanwhile it wasn't a great picture, it's just the final movie of the great and legendary Steve Reeves, the good news is about the DVD, was fully restored!!!
Resume:
First watch: 2019 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 6.25
Resume:
First watch: 2019 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 6.25
Steve Reeves last film and only western
coltras359 May 2023
Starts with a subplot of stolen cattle that is mainly used to bring Steve Reeves and his younger brother near the place of a train robbery, and Wayne Preston, an old friend of Reeves who's about to betray their friendship, appears. Reeves and his brother are framed for the robbery and sent to the hell of Yuma State Penitentiary. Reeves first refuses to take part in an escape plan, but changes his mind after his brother is killed by a sadistic warden. When the warden starts provoking him with his brother's death, he attacks the man, and subsequently uses the turmoil to escape and go after the men who have ruined his life.
Striking scenery and the horse raid got me interested, and it gets better with the appearance of Wayne Preston, and the train raid - the interest remain during Yuma prison camp scene, which thankfully is not drawn out too long. Nello Pazzafini as the warden from hell is a guy you would love to get his just desserts and Steve Reeves, in his only western role unfortunately, does just that in a well-staged and tough fight in a house. The camerawork quite inventive, artistic at times with loads of scenes shot into the sun. There's plenty of edgy action, chases and a shootout set in a mine-shaft. It's well-paced, lean, mean and entertaining, though a little violent and grim. It's adapted from a western novel by Gordon Shirreffs, called The Judas Gun. No wonder it's a good story as Shirreffs has written many good books. It's a pity that Steve Reeves didn't do more westerns as he is fits the genre like a glove.
Striking scenery and the horse raid got me interested, and it gets better with the appearance of Wayne Preston, and the train raid - the interest remain during Yuma prison camp scene, which thankfully is not drawn out too long. Nello Pazzafini as the warden from hell is a guy you would love to get his just desserts and Steve Reeves, in his only western role unfortunately, does just that in a well-staged and tough fight in a house. The camerawork quite inventive, artistic at times with loads of scenes shot into the sun. There's plenty of edgy action, chases and a shootout set in a mine-shaft. It's well-paced, lean, mean and entertaining, though a little violent and grim. It's adapted from a western novel by Gordon Shirreffs, called The Judas Gun. No wonder it's a good story as Shirreffs has written many good books. It's a pity that Steve Reeves didn't do more westerns as he is fits the genre like a glove.
An Okay Spaghetti Western
Uriah4326 May 2021
Having recently lost his herd of wild horses to some rustlers a cowboy by the name of "Mike Sturges" (Steve Reeves) rides out to where his men were ambushed in an attempt to get them back. Riding with him is his brother "Roy Sturgis" (Giovanni Ivan Scratuglia) and another man named "Bobcat Bates" (Spartaco Conversi). However, they accidentally stumble upon a train robbery in progress and as a result Bobcat is killed and both Mike and Roy are falsely charged as accessories and sent to the notorious prison in Yuma, Arizona. While there they are brutally abused to the point that Mike becomes intent upon killing everyone responsible upon his escape. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was an okay Spaghetti western which had a decent plot and plenty of action. That said, the acting wasn't great and the script could have also used a bit of improvement but other than that I thought it was good enough for the time spent and I have rated it accordingly. Average.
Spaghetti Western with Steve REEVES
ZeddaZogenau27 December 2023
Four years after his appearance as Sandokan, Steve REEVES (1926-2000) returned in front of the cameras again, this time in a spaghetti western. Unfortunately, this was REEVES' last screen appearance, even though the film was really good.
Together with his brother Roy (Giovanni Ivan SCRATUGLIA), Mike Sturgis (Steve REEVES) runs a horse breeding business in Arizona. When they are attacked, they want revenge on the perpetrators. In doing so, they get involved in an even worse matter, in which the railway boss (Wayde PRESTON) and the sheriff (Mimmo PALMARA) also have their fingers in the game. Mike and his little brother end up in the notorious Yuma State Prison, which only the hunky Mike survives. Now the day of revenge has finally come...
Decent spaghetti western by Camillo BAZZONI, who knows how to tell his story in a straightforward manner. Mimmo PALMARA and Steve REEVES had known each other since the legendary Hercules films from 1958 and 1959, which marked the beginning of the rise and financial success (especially in N-America) of the Roman Cinecitta.
Together with his brother Roy (Giovanni Ivan SCRATUGLIA), Mike Sturgis (Steve REEVES) runs a horse breeding business in Arizona. When they are attacked, they want revenge on the perpetrators. In doing so, they get involved in an even worse matter, in which the railway boss (Wayde PRESTON) and the sheriff (Mimmo PALMARA) also have their fingers in the game. Mike and his little brother end up in the notorious Yuma State Prison, which only the hunky Mike survives. Now the day of revenge has finally come...
Decent spaghetti western by Camillo BAZZONI, who knows how to tell his story in a straightforward manner. Mimmo PALMARA and Steve REEVES had known each other since the legendary Hercules films from 1958 and 1959, which marked the beginning of the rise and financial success (especially in N-America) of the Roman Cinecitta.
Bad Western
thebushwacker11 October 2021
Steve Reeves has got to be the most famous bad actor of all time. And this movie is worse than most of his stuff. The acting is terrible. The directing is awful. The photography stinks. The sound effects are bad. The story is badly written, and confusing. Only good thing is the spaghetti music. // The Bushwacker 10/10/2021.
Great Spaghetti !!
JoshsDad21 February 2006
I saw this recently for the first time. Reeves is great in his final film, what a shame he was unable to continue making films because of an injury. He looks good and acts well in this revenge story which is head and (very broad) shoulders above of most of the post 66 Italian western output. Reeves could have been one of the great western stars but it wasn't to be. A glimpse of what he could have achieved can been found in such films as 'Sandokan' and 'Morgan the Pirate', non-sandal films that were great fun. I was glad to discover that his post-movie life was a success and that he was a happy and wealthy man. He is much missed by his fans.
Steve Reeves' last movie let him ride off into the sunset in class.
Rabbit-377 September 1999
Great movie that's been down played and over looked for years. Reeves was born to make Westerns. If you loved his "Sword and Sandal" films this one won't let you down. Cool action, great shoot outs and that classic build that put's his contemporaries to shame. On the other hand, if you like the Westerns that were coming out of Italy at the time, you've got to check this one out. Not going to go so far as to say he rivals Eastwood but Reeves is heads above most of the guys who tried their hands in the genre. Best of all it shows off Revee's horse riding skills that were only hinted to in the "Hercules" type films. Very hard to find on tape but well worth the effort once you get your hands on a copy.
hercules turns out be the spaghetti western heroes !!!
Majid-Hamid22 March 2012
Good gracious!!! Steve Reeves in a western movie??? It's really hard to find this movie on DVD, i need to wait for a long long time to get a chance to watch this movie. Luckily i found it on You Tube and download this as well. Honestly, I'm not disappointed after watching it! Steve Reeves came up with his final movie and quit acting after this movie, i wonder why??? The way he acted in a cowboy movie was surprisingly good and he could turn out to be a lot better if he further his career. It's too bad he quit earlier..I wish he acted more in spaghetti western movies..he could be as popular as Franco Nero or Lee Van Cleef! A Long Ride From Hell is just one of the best western movies i have seen so far. In my opinion, this one surpasses Django and The Great Silence. I just thought that A Long Ride From Hell is better.
10/10 stars (excellent)
10/10 stars (excellent)
Steve Reeves' Ride into the Sunset
zardoz-1312 July 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Peplum bodybuilding sensation Steve Reeves of "Hercules" fame concluded his cinematic career with "Suicide Commandos" director Camilla Bazzoni's "A Long Ride From Hell," a thoroughly conventional but wholly cynical Spaghetti western penned by Reeves and co-scenarist Roberto Natale of "Kill, Baby... Kill!" from veteran American western novelist Gordon D. Shirreffs' book "The Judas Gun." Lensed on location in Spain by future "Trinity" helmer Enzo Barboni, "A Long Ride from Hell" is a visual treat, especially the nocturnal scenes. Unfortunately, Bazzoni lacks an eye for pictorial detail and composition. This low-budget oater looks like it was shot very quickly and the writers eliminated certain scenes, like a courthouse scene, to accelerate the pace. Bazzoni doesn't stage the shoot-outs with any sense of verve like either Sergio Leone or Gianfranco Parolini. Carlo Savina's music sounds like a left-over score from his sword and sandal features, but the theme song is rather catchy. Mind you, Steve Reeves looks like he was born to wear a six-gun and Stetson, but clean-shaven as he remains throughout the film, he never looks like a traditional Spaghetti western protagonist. Meanwhile, mustached Wade Preston makes an evil adversary, with Spaghetti western stalwart Aldo Sambrell of "Navajo Joe" fleshing out the cast of this 85 minute horse opera.
Cast as rancher Mike Sturges, Steve Reeves learns that his herd of horses have been stolen and most of his riders killed. Tracy survives the ambush and makes it back to alert Mike about the theft of horseflesh. Mike rides out with his kid brother Roy (Franco Fantasia of "Hercules, Samson & Ulysses," and their ranch hand Bobcat Bates (Mario Maranzana of "The Nephews of Zorro") to recover the stolen horses because they have their fortune tied up in them. They ride to the farthest water hole at Dragoon Springs and camp. During the night, a stranger enters their camp. Mike recognizes Marlin Mayner (Wade Preston of "A Man Called Sledge") and Marlin warns them that they are sleeping on the right of way of the Southern Pacific Railroad. Marlin lies that he serves as a Southern Pacific investigator. He explains to Mike that the railroad is uneasy with drifters encroaching on it land since several robberies have occurred. Moreover, he points out to Mike that the ex-convict turn ranch hand Bobcat Bates would arose the suspicions of any lawman. As it turns out, Marlin was the dastard that arranged the ambush of Mike's horse herd, but Mike doesn't know this at this point. After Marlin leaves, Mike rides out to investigate. An unknown assailants floats a lariat over Mike's head, pulls him off his horse, and shoots him in the leg.
Meanwhile, the Southern Pacific train pulls up the water tower at night to replenish the boiler of the locomotive. Marlin's outlaws open fire and pour a barrage of lead into the train. They wipe out all the guards and then dynamite the boxcar containing the loot. They make off with $80-thousand in gold coin. The authorities, Sheriff Max Freeman (Mimmo Palmara of "Bullets Don't Argue") arrive not long afterward and question Mike about the robbery. Savagely, he tries to beat any information out of Mike. As it turns out, the evidence is incriminating because Bobcat's dead body has been found near the railroad tracks. Later, despite a courtroom scene that was never shot, Mike and his brother Roy wind up in the infamous Yuma Prison. The scenes showing Mike smashing rocks in a quarry is the first time that Reeves bares his Mr. Universe chest. An evil Prison supervisor tortures Roy and kills him. Mike takes advantage of a prison riot to break out of Yuma. Eventually, he tracks down the villains, wipes them out and returns the $80-thousand that Marlin had buried in a safe place.
A sturdy, standard-issue Spaghetti western, "A Long Ride from Hell" benefits from Enzio Barboni's atmospheric cinematography as well as combined star power of Reeves and Preston make it worth watching.
Cast as rancher Mike Sturges, Steve Reeves learns that his herd of horses have been stolen and most of his riders killed. Tracy survives the ambush and makes it back to alert Mike about the theft of horseflesh. Mike rides out with his kid brother Roy (Franco Fantasia of "Hercules, Samson & Ulysses," and their ranch hand Bobcat Bates (Mario Maranzana of "The Nephews of Zorro") to recover the stolen horses because they have their fortune tied up in them. They ride to the farthest water hole at Dragoon Springs and camp. During the night, a stranger enters their camp. Mike recognizes Marlin Mayner (Wade Preston of "A Man Called Sledge") and Marlin warns them that they are sleeping on the right of way of the Southern Pacific Railroad. Marlin lies that he serves as a Southern Pacific investigator. He explains to Mike that the railroad is uneasy with drifters encroaching on it land since several robberies have occurred. Moreover, he points out to Mike that the ex-convict turn ranch hand Bobcat Bates would arose the suspicions of any lawman. As it turns out, Marlin was the dastard that arranged the ambush of Mike's horse herd, but Mike doesn't know this at this point. After Marlin leaves, Mike rides out to investigate. An unknown assailants floats a lariat over Mike's head, pulls him off his horse, and shoots him in the leg.
Meanwhile, the Southern Pacific train pulls up the water tower at night to replenish the boiler of the locomotive. Marlin's outlaws open fire and pour a barrage of lead into the train. They wipe out all the guards and then dynamite the boxcar containing the loot. They make off with $80-thousand in gold coin. The authorities, Sheriff Max Freeman (Mimmo Palmara of "Bullets Don't Argue") arrive not long afterward and question Mike about the robbery. Savagely, he tries to beat any information out of Mike. As it turns out, the evidence is incriminating because Bobcat's dead body has been found near the railroad tracks. Later, despite a courtroom scene that was never shot, Mike and his brother Roy wind up in the infamous Yuma Prison. The scenes showing Mike smashing rocks in a quarry is the first time that Reeves bares his Mr. Universe chest. An evil Prison supervisor tortures Roy and kills him. Mike takes advantage of a prison riot to break out of Yuma. Eventually, he tracks down the villains, wipes them out and returns the $80-thousand that Marlin had buried in a safe place.
A sturdy, standard-issue Spaghetti western, "A Long Ride from Hell" benefits from Enzio Barboni's atmospheric cinematography as well as combined star power of Reeves and Preston make it worth watching.
TOO LATE TO THE PARTY
larryanderson20 March 2023
All Steve Reeves fans anticipated the release of A LONG RIDE FROM HELL in 1970. Unfortunately it was hard to find as it had LIMITED release. It was seen as "just another Spaghetti Western" like so many released in the 6 years before it. Steve Reeves bought the rights to the movie book and helped write the script and was counting on it's success. Unfortunately the world only saw Steve Reeves as the movie HERCULES and had trouble accepting him in a Western role. I first saw the film on video and enjoyed it. It is too bad that it wasn't made years earlier. Reeves was great in the lead role and the supporting cast displayed believable characters.
Steve Reeves was so dedicated to the authenticity of this movie, he flew to Yuma, Arizona and photographed the old prison there and then had it duplicated in Spain for this movie. Now that is dedication.
It is now on Y/T f or you to enjoy.
Steve Reeves was so dedicated to the authenticity of this movie, he flew to Yuma, Arizona and photographed the old prison there and then had it duplicated in Spain for this movie. Now that is dedication.
It is now on Y/T f or you to enjoy.
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