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ADIOS GRINGO (1965)
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars
This is the only other Western movie adapted from a novel by Harry Whittington besides FRONTIER CRUCIBLE, the one I’m currently directing from his book DESERT STAKE-OUT. And I like this one for same reason fans of spaghetti westerns most likely won’t.
It isn’t stylized. It isn’t over the top. It’s a European shot at the traditional 50s style of Budd Boetticher and Delmer Daves. Director Giorgio Stegani (working under a pseudonym?) can’t live up to those examples but his attempt is admirable. I appreciate the straight-forward lack of indulgence in ADIOS GRINGO. Its backbone is clearly the Whittington source material, a simple but intriguing plot about good men accused of being cattle thieves, abused women, and frontier politics. The film’s acting may be its greatest weakness. There are decent performances but the dubbing really hurts even the best of them.
The finale is strong, pitting the hero and the lady against an army of hired guns. There was a point where I thought things might get very bleak and the movie wouldn’t make me feel that way if it wasn’t working well.
Watched on Tubi.
