Argentine actor George Hilton made two Spaghetti western comedies where he played an enigmatic, swift-shooting stranger known as Alleluja who helps Mexican revolutionaries in their struggle against the domination of the Emperor Maximilian. Director Giuliano Carnimeo, who adopted the name Anthony Ascot, helmed both these frivolous shoot'em ups with high body counts. Comparably, "Guns for Dollars" surpasses "Return of Halleluja" with hilarity galore, but "Return" duplicates the formula with all its entertaining twists and turns. The imaginative Tito Capri wrote "Guns for Dollars," also known as "They Call Me Hallelujah," while Capri co-wrote the sequel with "The Italian Connection" scenarist Ingo Hermes and "Any Gun Can Play" scribe Giovanni Simonelli who provided the story idea. These two oaters have the darkly clad Alleluja selling his services to self-proclaimed Mexican revolutionary leader General Manuel Ramirez (Roberto Camardiel of "Seven Pistols for a Massacre") to thwart Maximilian's aims. Virtually all Spaghetti westerns belong to one of three Sergio's. First, Sergio Leone made serious westerns about death and dying. Second, Sergio Corbucci specialized in comic Spaghetti westerns. Third, Sergio Sollima made Spaghetti westerns with disenfranchised peon heroes. "Gun for Dollars" amounts to more a Sergio Leone western with lots of Sergio Corbucci comedy."Guns for Dollars" opens with a suspenseful execution scene. The imperialist villains are about to put not only the General but also the Priest, Victoriano Pacico (Aldo Barberito of "Shoot the Living and Pray for the Dead") along with many others against a wall and shoot them. Carnimeo relies on composer Stelvio Cipriani's drum roll music to heighten the suspense and tension. Cipriani's orchestral soundtrack is lively, buoyant material. At some point in their march to the site of execution, Carnimeo frames the action through the arch of a Senger sewing machine. This tongue-in-cheek reference to a Singer sewing machine is clever. What proves to be even more clever but clearly far-fetched is that the stranger Alleluja has modified this sewing machine so that it spits out lead as if it were a Gatling gun! He wipes out the execution squad and agrees to ride off on a quest for General Ramirez to a nearby monastery where a gang of outlaws masquerading as monks have stolen a black satchel stuffed with rare, valuable stones worth over a million pesos. At one point, during the opening sequence, the Senger jams on Alleluja, and he complains, "Shucks, the next thing you know the machine will be sewing bullets and shooting thread." Later, Alleluja must contend with an acrobatic Russian, Grand Duke Alexey Wissayolovich Kropotkin (Charles Southwood of "Roy Colt and Winchester Jack"), who also wants to recover the jewels, too. When the filmmakers introduce Kropotkin, he is decked out in a long, white Cossack tunic, with a sword. These two Hellions must deal with another competitor, Sister Anna Lee (Agata Flori of "Operation Kid Brother"), and she proves to be just as slippery as they are. If nimble Spaghetti western comedies are your taste, you won't find a better example than "Guns for Dollars." "Stranger Returns" composer Stelvio Cipriani provides a catchy, memorable orchestral soundtrack that enlivens the action.

How did Mexico get Revolvers before the US Army in the Civil War? Maximillian's reign in Mexico ended just before the Start of the American Civil War. Amazing. The Revolver was Brand new Technology at the Start of the Civil War. However the Acting was Theatrical. First guns were a powder Charge and pellet, the Movie Shows a rapid firing revolver which was not introduced until the early 1870's. In 1847 appeared the First Colt Revolvers used by the Texas Rangers. But it was not a "Fan" firing revolver seen in the Movie. The War against the Comanche's an early version of the Revolver was used but it was hammer-less thus incapable of fan Firing.Ed The C

until Mr. Tarantino recently included this film in his recent 'festival-of-classics', i thought only my family knew of it. i happened upon it on late-nite KTLA TV, and as my true San Diego mansion was 120 miles from LA, my 'hill-top' location, still allowed me to record it, on Beta-Max. i have seen this termed 'trash'. 'Shame, Shame, come back Shame! this, as 'Any Gun Can Play'('Kookie's best performance)is not your usual 'pasta-western'. no Leonie 'dark-side'--rather trenchant humor, and very-oddly, a rather strong link to modern physics. What??? the theme of 'perceptor-as-creator' is the 'base' for many scenes. those unaware of this line of 'quantum-physics' simply will see what sometimes appears as absurd, actually agrees with same. 'i pity the poor fool'--- i Love 16mm 'hand-held' photo-tech, and as both fixed, or 'hand-held', this unknown masterpiece blows-away the typical American camera-work. in fact, one may pause Any frame and observe a bit of Absolute Superb 'Modern-Impressionism', that should grace any Great museum---the colors, balance--Perfect. Captivating. This film-art 'nails' any cognizant viewer from opening scenes on--'Performance-wise'? one must remember this is 'dubbed' to English', so some lines may seem clumsy. yet the characters from the Mexican revolutionary, Russian thief. false Nun, etc. are brilliantly directed. Plot-wise? so it's the old 'gunslinger's-riches-hunt' formula? who cares? this one is Supreme, Breathtaking cinema work, for camera-alone.i was so taken with this, i spent +bucks to reach the 'hidden' producer. and i did. 1st he wanted to know how i found him, as the Italian 'IRS' was haunting him. then he informed me the 'rights' had been sold to an American co., seeking a flop as a tax-shelter--HA! sound like 'The Producers'? he also mentioned this film was a huge success in Europe and South America, yet ignored here, as Hollywood controls distribution.i could say much more---simply put? you wish Art? you have 'The-Eye' of a Fine-Art museum master? Camera-man? you wish to laugh? or learn? i caught this when Tarantino was 'a gleam-in-his-father's-eye'. it deserves a 10---

This is a splendid comic adventure; it is also a 1971 spaghetti western that coming at the tail end of an era was not much seen.While the cast is uniformly good, it is the script that excels. Tino Carpi's writing provides good lines for almost everybody, whether it is the lead HALLELUJAH, his aristocratic rival in arms ALEXEI, or the two parties, trying to cheat them, the Mexican bandit revolutionary RAMIREZ or the American spy disguised as a nun (AGATA FLORI); even the ruthless arms dealer KRANTZ who engineer the theft of the jewels that everyone chases after a motley crew that becomes recognizable, because they are given not only names but personalities (eg. Cookie and his comments about outlaws, going back to Utah; Fortune, and so forth).Uruguay born GEORGE HILTON comes across as a blend of TERENCE HILL; JAMES COBURN, especially when he wears motorcycle goggles in an early sequence, and even HUMPHREY BOGART! The actor credited as CHARLES SOUTHWOOD is an engaging fellow, especially when he does his Cossack schtik.The music by STELVIO CIPRIANI is almost non-stop and adds to the atmosphere.This is a film that will remind you of many other spaghetti westerns, even if those were made later than this: I was reminded of the SABATA films; the TRINITY films especially the second that deals with rogue monks and their monastery; other Mexican revolutionary films all the way back to VIVA ZAPATA; VERA CRUZ (Emperor Maximilian again) and COMPANEROS/MERCENARY, plus the two Leone westerns DUCK YOU SUCKER and then MY NAME IS NOBODY with the shaving sequence. And those are some that come off the top of my head.I watched the video distributed by ACADEMY and could almost believe it was STEREO HIFI as cited on their box, but for the fact that no one was doing that back in 1971. In fact I watched this full frame video on a widescreen TV, in the widescreen mode, and was quite satisfied with the picture quality, confirming the original photography was excellent to begin with.It remains a western that should be seen, therefore be made more available; how nice it would be to see the film on DVD letter boxed, even if it were only in mono!