zardoz-13 Cameron Mitchell followed several other American actors to Europe in the 1960s and starred in several films, including westerns and sword & sandal sagas. "Django" director Sergio Corbucci cast him as a veteran gunslinger in "Minnesota Clay" who is losing his sight. Nevertheless, Mitchell's Clay remains as fast on the draw and as accurate ever with his six-gun. For the record, "Minnesota Clay" represented Corbucci's first oater to helm after sharing directorial credit with Albert Band on "Grand Canyon Massacre," starring virile Jim Mitchum. Unlike Corbucci's later westerns for which he is better known, including "Django," "Navajo Joe," "The Great Silence," "The Mercenary," and "Companeros," "Minnesota Clay" qualifies as a more conventional sagebrusher in the mold of traditional American model with few of the sudden, nimble reversals of a Spaghetti western. One trope that "Minnesota Clay" adheres to in the Spaghetti western formula is its high body count. Corbucci co-wrote the screenplay with sometime collaborator Adriano Bolzoni. As it turns out, Bolzoni supplied the story for Sergio Leone's "A Fistful of Dollars." Interestingly, when you compare the plots of both "A Fistful of Dollars" and "Minnesota Clay," the similarities are noticeable. The two films resemble Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa's vintage samurai saga "Yojimbo." An outsider rides into a town that two separate fractions are warring to dominate. The chief difference between the two films is that Kurosawa sued Leone for copyright infringement but ignored Corbucci's western."Minnesota Clay," for the most part, resembles a standard-issue American horse opera about a gunfighter searching for redemption. Mitchell is dutifully straight-forward as the quick-draw protagonist who wants to change his life. Clay escapes from a brutal prison camp after he takes the camp's doctor hostage at gunpoint. He rides back to his hometown of Mesa Encantada to find a man, Fox (Georges Rivière of "The Longest Day"), who can clear him of the crime that landed him in the hell-hole of Drunner Prison. When our hero arrives in town, he learns that two rival factions are tangling over the town. First, a villainous American named Fox rules Mesa Encantada like a racketeer and forces the town's merchants into paying astronomical protection fees. Were this not enough, Fox serves as the town's marshal so he controls the law in Mesa Encantade with an iron fist. Nobody in town likes Fox, and everybody would love to see him deposed. Second, a slimy stereotypical Mexican bandit General Domingo Ortiz (Fernando Sancho of "Gunfight at High Noon"), who is as dimwitted as he is gullible, wants to see Fox bite the dirt. He hopes Clay will join him. In the middle of all, two women pursue different aims. First, sweet young Nancy Mulligan (Diana Martín of "Revenge of the Black Knight") who lives just outside of town. She has been told that her father died years ago. One of the movie's revelations is that her father is none other than Minnesota Clay. Corbucci stages a typical American western scene where Nancy struggles to halt a runaway team and Clay rides heroically to her rescue. Second, the treacherous Estella (Ethel Rojo of "Doomed Fort") learns that her treachery doesn't endear her to anybody. She facilitates Clay's escape from Ortiz's camp. Estella informs Ortiz that Clay not only has fled, but he also has stolen Ortiz's box of gold. Surprisingly, Estella has aligned herself with Fox and tells him that Ortiz is heading toward the Mulligan Ranch. Fox assembles his men and rides to the ranch. Meantime, Clay and company knock off high numbers of Ortiz's riders out of their saddles. Ortiz sets fire to the building that our heroes have sought as refuge. The above-average "Minnesota Clay" ranks far down on the list of Corbucci's westerns. But it was a beginning for the gifted Italian. The blind gunfighter premise is novel. Incidentally, the Mesa Encantade town set is the same location that Leone used for San Miguel in "A Fistful of Dollars." Altogether, this Corbucci western contains seeds that foreshadow some of his ideas and techniques in his later westerns.

ironhorse_iv One of the earliest Spaghetti Westerns directed by a pre-Django Sergio Corbucci, this film was indeed, fun to watch and you don't need braille to see that. It's a huge upgrade from his lousy previous film, 1964's Grand Canyon Massacre; a film that doesn't feel like a Spaghetti Western film. Between the time of Grand Canyon Massacre release and the making of Minnesota Clay, a little film call 1964's Fistful of Dollars by Director Sergio Leone came out and change how Italian westerns films would be made. The film would be, more violent, cynical, and have more complex gritty darker story lines. You really see, how much Sergio Leone's film influence the making of this film. The year is 1883, Minnesota Clay (Cameron Mitchell) has just escape from a prison labor Camp. Determined to prove his innocence, he return home to confront the man that framed him, Sheriff Fox (Georges Rivière) whom terrorizing and extorting the town folks for years. Now Minnesota Clay is one fast guy with a gun. Possibly the fastest in the world. Unfortunately he is also slowly losing his eyesight, with his vision now so impaired that one more blow to the face could cause complete loss of sight. To make the conflict worst, Mexican bandits leaded by a man named Gen. Domingo Ortiz (Fernando Sancho) wants to take over the town, no matter whom is the winner. The whole concept of the rivaling gangs (Mexican vs. American) wanting control of a little town, resemble the premise of 1966's "Django" as well as Leone's Fistful Of Dollars in which both were based on Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece 1961's Yojimbo, which in return is based off, the 1929's novel, 'Red Harvest' by author, Dashiell Hammett. The whole idea of a blind man taking on gangs, were taken from the Japanese's Zatoichi's series of films, like 1962's The Tale of Zatoichi & 1962's Zatoichi on the Road. Most of this movie's story ideas, came from director, Robert D. Webb's 1956 hit, 'The Proud Ones' in which the protagonist has to deal with his old nemesis, as well as recurring bouts of blindness. So, the story and plot isn't anything new. Still, the film packs violent shootouts, a really high body-count and action pack scenes. The whole runaway wagon was very entertaining to watch. Lot of crane shots and elaborate pans, truly filling the widescreen frame. You really get the scope of how big the gangs are, with these shots. The acting is pretty good for the most part. Special mention to Fernando Sancho in his ordinary role as the fat Mexican bandit that always fun to watch. George Riviere was alright in the role, but way over shadow by Sancho. He hardly stood out. He clearly isn't in his element in a western context: it would be his only spaghetti western. The women in the film are just beautiful. I have to say, Diana Martin as Nancy was just wonderful. Another was Ethel Rojo as Estella who is as devious as she is beautiful was fun to watch. It was nice to see women have complex roles. There was only one annoying character; that the film could do without, and that's the talkative and clumsy admirer, Andy (Alberto Cevenini). He comes off as a Spaghetti Western version of Jar Jar Binks!! Cameron Mitchell was great in the main role, and you really see his acting chops in the more emotional scenes. While, the acting is good, the whole English dubbing dialogue sounds a bit off. It really didn't match, the lip movement at all. The music score by Piero Piccioni really didn't stand out. Still, it was later featured in the video game 2004's Red Dead Revolver. The stunt work is dangerous in some scenes, the horses & stuntmen really took some awful falls. The movie would influence other films such as 1966's 'An eye for eye¨ by Michael Moore, 1971's 'Blindman' by director Ferdinando Baldi and 1994's ¨Blind Justice¨ by Richard Spence. The movie is a bit aged, but the DVDs out there like the ones from St. Clair Entertainment are in good copies. Due to the low bitrate, there are some smudgy outlines, especially during sideward pans, but colors are vivid and print damage is reduced to some hairs and scratches. The audio is loud and clear, but there are quite a few dropouts. The movie has various endings to this film. Two different versions were made, a shorter one with an unhappy, and one with an added-on happy ending. Some copies of the film, end with Clay lying apparently dead in the street, with Nancy at his side, but in the Italian version, there is a version, where Clays rides off alive and his sight completely restored. The dying ending was a bit off putting. Overall: Watch it yourself, whatever ending you prefer. It's simply a must-see from the early years of the Spaghetti Western.

MARIO GAUCI Corbucci's second Spaghetti Western is an improvement on the first – MASSACRE AT GRAND CANYON (1965) – but still a long way from his best efforts in the genre (namely DJANGO [1966] and THE GREAT SILENCE [1968]). The leading man is Cameron Mitchell, who wisely opted to appear in European films tackling starring roles rather than be stranded in Hollywood playing poor supporting ones; that said, he was also featured in a fine 'B' Western by Monte Hellman – RIDE IN THE WHIRLWIND (1966) – alongside rising star (and screenwriter) Jack Nicholson! The narrative provides many typical Spaghetti Western elements but, as I said, it's an early example yet – so that it lacks the baroque touches inherent in later outings (suffice to compare Corbucci's relatively sober treatment here to the tongue-in-cheek approach to the same concept in the self-explanatory BLINDMAN [1971]!).Here, as in his two better-regarded genre classics, Corbucci gives us a hero – his name probably derives from Jackie Gleason's character, Minnesota Fats, in the pool-room drama THE HUSTLER (1961)! – who has to battle not just the villains but a physical ailment (he's slowly going blind). Besides, he has a daughter who thinks him dead – and he's willing to offer her his protection, while remaining silent about his paternity (only at the climax, when the villain callously exploits his condition by putting the girl in Mitchell's line of fire, does he confess to their kinship!).

marc-366 Now Minnesota Clay is one fast guy with a gun. Possibly the fastest in the world. Unfortunately he is also slowly losing his eyesight, with his vision now so impaired that one more punch could cause complete loss of sight.The movie begins with Clay (Cameron Mitchell) escaping from imprisonment, and intent on getting revenge on the man who set him up. The man in question is Fox (George Riviere), who has appointed himself as the Sheriff of Clay's hometown and abuses this power, with the townsfolk living in terror of his gang. They had initially paid Fox to protect them from bandit Ortiz (played by the ever excellent Fernando Sancho), who himself terrorises the town. In the middle of these two waring parties is Clay's daughter, Nancy, who believes her father is dead, and thinks Clay is merely a local hero. They are reunited, but caught in the crossfire between the two gangs, co-ordinated mischievously by Estella (Ethel Rojo) who is as devious as she is beautiful (and my is she beautiful!).Minnesota Clay is one of the earliest Spaghetti Westerns, directed by a pre-Django Sergio Corbucci. Whilst it is not as captivating or as dark as the films he directed during the Spaghetti boom of 1966-1970, it is still a very enjoyable movie, with the usual sprinkling of injustice that we have come to expect within his films.Mitchell, Sancho and Riviere are captivating throughout, and Rojo could win the heart of any man with her portrayal of Estella (no wonder her character is so able to use those around her so ably). My only complaint would be the vocal overdub on the English soundtrack for the characters of Nancy (drippy) and Andy (who comes over as a Frank Spencer type character - apologies to any non-English readers that may not understand this comparison!). Once you get used to these minor grumbles about the overdub (which, honestly, does not take too long), you can really start to enjoy Minnesota Clay for the highly watchable film that it is.