In the beginning of the 20th. century Italian actor Guido Guidi, more enthusiastic than talented, and his ensemble tour Texas. The mysterious and obviously rich Peppino Garibaldi gives them an offer, they can’t deny: For a large amount of dough they should play “Richard III.” in the Mexican town Vera Cruz. But Peppino is not really interested in cultural affairs: He supports “La Revolución” and “General” Carasco, who utilizes the feastful premiere of “Richard III.” to raid Vera Cruz for Comandante Zapata. But shortly after the Mexican Army shows up with some canons in tow to sort things out. Guidi and Padre Albino, Italian like him, succeed to flee and save Carasco accidentially from the firing squad. Whereas the latter coninues his revolutionary fight, Guidi and Albino start an odyssey through the struggling Mexico, which lets them fall one time in the hands of Carasco the other time in those of Herrera or even in the clutches of “hand-taking” bandidos.
Acting
Gassman and Villaggio's panicked Italian energy in cowboy hell
Direction
Corbucci weaponizing Shakespeare as revolutionary misdirection
Practical Effects
Genuine chaos of staging a play during actual cannon fire
Director
Sergio Corbucci
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Corbucci made this between Django and The Great Silence, basically sneaking commedia dell'arte into his Western obsession. Italian audiences in '72 would've caught the Richard III parallels to Mussolini's theatrical dictatorship.
Gassman and Villaggio were massive stars in Italy; this was their only Western together. Villaggio allegedly kept breaking character to ask Corbucci why anyone was still filming after the first explosion.
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