$1000
on the Black is the first Sartana movie.
Fans of the series may be taken aback by the fact Sartana is actually
the villain in this one, and he’s a pretty nasty customer too. Despite that, Gianni Garko is so great in the
role that it’s easy to see why he was brought back time and again. Garko’s intense performance helps to make
this one of the better films in the Sartana series, even if he is playing the bad guy.
Johnny
(Anthony Steffen) gets out of jail for a murder he didn’t commit. He returns home to even the score with his brother,
Sartana, the real culprit. Johnny learns
that while he was away, Sartana and his unruly gang have been going from town
to town pillaging their wealth in exchange for his “protection”. With the help of his mute sidekick Jerry (Roberto
Miali), Johnny aims to get revenge on his brother and put a stop to his reign
of terror.
$1000
on the Black is fun for fans of Spaghetti Westerns because of its strict
adherence to the formula. The hero has a
cool theme song, tries to help a beautiful woman (in this case, Erika Blanc)
imprisoned against her will by the villain, and gets beat up by his gang of
goons for his trouble. Casual viewers
may find all of this a tad too familiar, but the director Alberto (Seven
Dollars to Kill) Cardone) gives the proceedings a sense of style, so the
clichés still have a bit of life to them.
One thing in particular that makes the flick stand out from the rest of
the pack is the complicated subplot with Sartana’s hateful mother who kinda
enjoys the fact her boys are always at each other’s throats.
Oh,
and despite the title, there isn’t a roulette wheel in sight.
AKA: Johnny Texas.
AKA: Blood at Sundown. AKA:
Sartana.
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