"Any Gun Can Play" director Enzo G. Castellari's lightweight derivative Spaghetti western "One Dollar Too Many" amounts to an uneven but amoral comedy of errors about three unscrupulous hombres and their quest for $400-thousand that two of them stole from a bank. A destitute Mexican outlaw, a Shakespearean confidence artist with mutton chops, and a professional gambler chase each other around the old Southwest for this bundle of loot. Along the way, they tangle with a trigger-happy gang of Mexican bandits as well as the U.S. Cavalry. Although scores of men bite the dust in one showdown after another, these casualties are largely bit players who have no lines. Indeed, most of this giddy horse opera consists of acrobatics and chases with one character temporarily outsmarting the other two. "Boot Hill" composer Carlo Rustichelli underlines the obvious humor with a zany orchestral score, while "Seven Guns for the MacGregors" lenser Alejandro Ulloa provides some interesting photography. "Check out the imaginative way that Castellari and Ulloa introduce the calculating Frank Wolff character.
The action opens dramatically enough in the bank of Jacksonville with for men scrutinizing a strongbox which contains $400-thousand. Three of these men arm themselves heavily with two guns apiece because they fear trouble may lie ahead. They hide the strongbox in a secret compartment in the floor of the stagecoach and then swing the four-horse drawn vehicle around to the front to load up passengers. The Careys, an older couple that consists of a milquetoast man and his bossy battle-axe of a wife, board the vehicle. Castellari never tires of this running joke and pays it off at fadeout. Mrs. Carey doesn't trust her husband Jeremiah so she always sits between him and any women. At the last minute, as the stagecoach is wheeling out of town, the driver halts for a reverend, Edwin Kean (Frank Wolff of "A Stranger in Town"), who requests they take two books to a colleague in the town of Springwood. Kean has concealed explosives with a timer in two hollowed-out books. The driver stuffs the books into the mail pouch. As the coach rattles its way across the rugged terrain, they encounter what appears to be a dead man in their way. When the stagecoach guard checks out the body, a gang of outlaws atop a mountain opens fire. Happy-go-luck outlaw Moses Lang (Antonio Sabato of "Hate for Hate") wields four six-guns, two revolvers attached to each other in pairs, and blasts away at the stagecoach. He also uses fireworks attached to other rifles to fool the stagecoach driver that he is more than one person. Moses orders them to drop the mail pouch. Moses lets the stagecoach head on for Springwood. Not far away, Kean keeps track of time. Moses counts out several dollars and throws away the books. Imagine his surprise when those books explode! Kean finds Moses unconscious on the trail. Kean takes Moses hostage at gun point and tries to hang him. Moses convinces Kean to spare his life so they can rob the West National Bank in Springwood where the money is bound.
Between the time that Moses and Kean arrive in Springwood, Castellari cross-cuts to a poker game and introduces a man with a mustache, a Southern drawl, and a derringer that contains a music box in its handle. The gambler defeats everybody and shoots a disgruntled cheater. The only complication for Clay (John Saxon of "Joe Kidd") is that he has won $130, 500.00 in several IOUs. Clay must now wait, however, for the bank to open before he can cash them. Meanwhile, Moses sneaks into the bank by climbing down a well at the nearby stable and breaking through the floor. "I'm sure you understand my intentions are good," Moses surprises a cashier after the latter has opened the safe. Cleaning out the vault, Moses jams the loot into a pair of saddle bags. Disguised as a priest, Edwin acts as his accomplice. Edwin is thwarted when a grieving family demands he officiate a funeral. Moses escapes with the loot while Edwin is attending to the funeral. The sheriff catches Edwin in the stable with Clay and traps the stable. Moses and Edwin set the stable aflame and ride out. Clay pursues them. Eventually, Moses takes refuge with his feisty girlfriend, Rosario (Agata Flori of "Operation Kid Brother"), and she hides the loot beneath her dress and pretends to appear pregnant. Rosario hitches up a wagon and drives out of town to see her parents. Clay follows her. Naturally, Rosario's father leaps to the wrong conclusion when he sees his daughter, while her mother breaks out her wedding dress. Rosario's many brothers assemble and her notorious uncle, the pistol-packing Garrito (Leo Anchóriz of "Up the MacGregors") shows up with his bandit gang. Moses cuts Garrito and his gang in on the scheme briefly before they encounter the Cavalry.
Unfortunately, "One Dollar Too Many" veers erratically between dramatic life & death predicaments and farce. One scene in a bakery degenerates into sheer slapstick with loaves of bread and flour flying in the air Although he appeared primarily in crime thrillers and horror chillers, Saxon makes a change of pace with this western comedy. Meantime, Wolff evokes chuckles with his Shakespearean funeral oration that has everybody scratching their heads. Predictably, the shallow but surprise-laden screenplay by "Fort Yuma Gold" scenarist Augusto Finocchi, "Ten Little Indians" scribe Enrique Llovet, "The Worst Secret Agents" scripter Vittorio Metz, and "Seven Women for the MacGregors" writer José María Rodríguez relies on repetitious frivolity that is ultimately forgettable. The characters remain sketchy stereotypes. In fact, our anti-heroic heroes get away with the loot! Long before his 90 minutes has elapsed, Castellari and his scenarists have worn out their welcome with this essentially harmless nonsense. He made "One Dollar Too Many" after he helmed "Seven Winchesters for a Massacre" and "Johnny Hamlet." One Dollar Too Many" lacks not only a sense of irony but also closure.
The action opens dramatically enough in the bank of Jacksonville with for men scrutinizing a strongbox which contains $400-thousand. Three of these men arm themselves heavily with two guns apiece because they fear trouble may lie ahead. They hide the strongbox in a secret compartment in the floor of the stagecoach and then swing the four-horse drawn vehicle around to the front to load up passengers. The Careys, an older couple that consists of a milquetoast man and his bossy battle-axe of a wife, board the vehicle. Castellari never tires of this running joke and pays it off at fadeout. Mrs. Carey doesn't trust her husband Jeremiah so she always sits between him and any women. At the last minute, as the stagecoach is wheeling out of town, the driver halts for a reverend, Edwin Kean (Frank Wolff of "A Stranger in Town"), who requests they take two books to a colleague in the town of Springwood. Kean has concealed explosives with a timer in two hollowed-out books. The driver stuffs the books into the mail pouch. As the coach rattles its way across the rugged terrain, they encounter what appears to be a dead man in their way. When the stagecoach guard checks out the body, a gang of outlaws atop a mountain opens fire. Happy-go-luck outlaw Moses Lang (Antonio Sabato of "Hate for Hate") wields four six-guns, two revolvers attached to each other in pairs, and blasts away at the stagecoach. He also uses fireworks attached to other rifles to fool the stagecoach driver that he is more than one person. Moses orders them to drop the mail pouch. Moses lets the stagecoach head on for Springwood. Not far away, Kean keeps track of time. Moses counts out several dollars and throws away the books. Imagine his surprise when those books explode! Kean finds Moses unconscious on the trail. Kean takes Moses hostage at gun point and tries to hang him. Moses convinces Kean to spare his life so they can rob the West National Bank in Springwood where the money is bound.
Between the time that Moses and Kean arrive in Springwood, Castellari cross-cuts to a poker game and introduces a man with a mustache, a Southern drawl, and a derringer that contains a music box in its handle. The gambler defeats everybody and shoots a disgruntled cheater. The only complication for Clay (John Saxon of "Joe Kidd") is that he has won $130, 500.00 in several IOUs. Clay must now wait, however, for the bank to open before he can cash them. Meanwhile, Moses sneaks into the bank by climbing down a well at the nearby stable and breaking through the floor. "I'm sure you understand my intentions are good," Moses surprises a cashier after the latter has opened the safe. Cleaning out the vault, Moses jams the loot into a pair of saddle bags. Disguised as a priest, Edwin acts as his accomplice. Edwin is thwarted when a grieving family demands he officiate a funeral. Moses escapes with the loot while Edwin is attending to the funeral. The sheriff catches Edwin in the stable with Clay and traps the stable. Moses and Edwin set the stable aflame and ride out. Clay pursues them. Eventually, Moses takes refuge with his feisty girlfriend, Rosario (Agata Flori of "Operation Kid Brother"), and she hides the loot beneath her dress and pretends to appear pregnant. Rosario hitches up a wagon and drives out of town to see her parents. Clay follows her. Naturally, Rosario's father leaps to the wrong conclusion when he sees his daughter, while her mother breaks out her wedding dress. Rosario's many brothers assemble and her notorious uncle, the pistol-packing Garrito (Leo Anchóriz of "Up the MacGregors") shows up with his bandit gang. Moses cuts Garrito and his gang in on the scheme briefly before they encounter the Cavalry.
Unfortunately, "One Dollar Too Many" veers erratically between dramatic life & death predicaments and farce. One scene in a bakery degenerates into sheer slapstick with loaves of bread and flour flying in the air Although he appeared primarily in crime thrillers and horror chillers, Saxon makes a change of pace with this western comedy. Meantime, Wolff evokes chuckles with his Shakespearean funeral oration that has everybody scratching their heads. Predictably, the shallow but surprise-laden screenplay by "Fort Yuma Gold" scenarist Augusto Finocchi, "Ten Little Indians" scribe Enrique Llovet, "The Worst Secret Agents" scripter Vittorio Metz, and "Seven Women for the MacGregors" writer José María Rodríguez relies on repetitious frivolity that is ultimately forgettable. The characters remain sketchy stereotypes. In fact, our anti-heroic heroes get away with the loot! Long before his 90 minutes has elapsed, Castellari and his scenarists have worn out their welcome with this essentially harmless nonsense. He made "One Dollar Too Many" after he helmed "Seven Winchesters for a Massacre" and "Johnny Hamlet." One Dollar Too Many" lacks not only a sense of irony but also closure.
