This is not a bad little movie, of a certain 'style' that was popular when it was made.It's loud - and violent - at times, but there-in lies a heart and whilst neither (Franco) Nero or (Anthony) Quinn show us their inner feelings, rather like a lesser Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid, there is a sort of loyal, strange chemistry between them, that like the best of friendships, work for reasons only known to them.Unlike 'B' westerns of 20 years earlier, that almost tried too hard to get the most out of their tiny budget/bad script/untalented actor, director etc, Deaf Ears... doesn't, it just gets on with it, which is nice as we can relax and let it unfold.Erastus 'Deaf' Smith (Anthony Quinn) is the deaf mute messenger who is hired by General Sam Houston to infiltrate a rebel faction that are trying to stop Texas becoming part of the U.S. His friend, Johnny Eras (Nero) comes to assist him with his mission.There's the usual womanising in the cat-house that helps beef up both the lead's manliness and the male viewing numbers is there as is blowing things up.Though the film is also known as the bland 'Los Amigos', it's often and usually goes by this far more intriguing one. I saw it on TCM (Turner Classic Movies). It says on the Radio Times website that it was in Italian, but it was not, though in hindsight I'm sure it was dubbed - and Quinn, who is multi-lingual, doesn't speak, of course. The ending and its music is quite a strange enigma, mind you.If you're after a good, standard, straight western, I'd dither at recommending it, but if you do like your spaghetti westerns, with some sauce, then go for it.

Whenever you have a lively Franco Nero (or his clone Terence Hill) in a western you've got one thing in your favor already. But that's the only thing in this film's favor. Otherwise you have the flat dubbing, tinny and wretched music scoring, and predictably imbecilic action scenes typical of these spaghetti westerns. First of all, Anthony Quinn plays a deaf mute, a casting decision on the far side of stupidity (although obvious that his name would lend box office value). An actor of such ebullience and renown for his growling/shouting presence is reduced to pantomime. It takes you right out of the film in every scene because you keep expecting that famous voice to come bursting out any moment. And then there is co-star Tiffin who plays a likable character but her voice is mostly shrill. Better if SHE had been the mute. And the rest of the cast is the usual standard issue Italians-on-the-range from central casting in Rome. The script is also standard issue (with the exception of the deaf-mute angle) so we get parts of 'Duck You Sucker/A Fistful of Dynamite' and a Gatling gun finale ala 'The Wild Bunch.' The finale is especially bad since a platoon of gunslingers blast away at Gatling gun-wielding Quinn with no discernible effect, as if the act of using such a gun makes you impervious to all lead fired in your direction. Then there is the hideous music score that features two absurdly dated songs: one during the opening credits that sounds like a TV commercial jingle for hair spray, and a second one in the middle so derivative of Burt Bacharach that it's lawsuit-worthy. Needless to say, it's a tortured viewing experience to watch a western set in Texas in 1836 that is almost completely cast with Italians and features soft pop tunes from 1972. And how can you think of this film at all without scratching your head at the incredibly bizarre freeze-frame at the very end? What in blazes were the director/writer/powers-that-be thinking with that shot of Nero screaming in what should have been a sweet-to-bittersweet final moment? All it needed was horror music. Yeesh!

I like the above comment: "Watchable if not recommended". I just saw it on TV as "Deaf Smith and Johnny Ears". It breaks my heart that AMC didn't show the full credits as I am haunted by the music and cannot identify the tune.Erastus "Deaf" Smith was actually a soldier in Houston's army and was distinguished for destroying a bridge that cut of Santa Ana's retreat at the battle of San Jacinto. The movie, of course, is pure fiction with no historical basis.Anthony Quinn has always been one of my favorites and it pleases me that a Mexican actor has found such worldwide success. His AMC interview is well worth a watch.

The plot of this movie and the characters may be a little bit suspect but the photography is brilliant and, to add to the appeal, so was the music which was written by a name that I have never heard of before i.e. Daniele Patucchi. Soundtrack collectors like myself may be interested to know that the main themes are available on a CD entitled "Wanted - Dead or Alive". catalogue No. CVS 900-020. I enclose the number as it is an Italian CD but if I found it in Australia you can guarantee that it is more readily available elsewhere.Anthony Quinn and Franco Nero, who have appeared together in other productions, have this rapport between them that is so obvious. See this movie! Don't analyse it. Just sit back and enjoy it!