Review By-Devin Kelly
(1968/Italy)(JOE…CERCATI UN POST PER MORIRE!)
CAST: Jeffrey Hunter, Pascale Petit, Reza Fazeli, Giovanni Pallavicino, Adolfo Lastretti, Nello Pazzafini, Daniela Giordano, Piero Lulli, Serafino Profumo, Umberto Di Grazia, Anthony Blond, Mario Dardanelli, Pietro Ceccarelli
DIRECTOR: Giuliano Carnimeo
PRODUCER: Hugo Fregonese
Atlantis Film
RUNNING TIME: 87 min. 40 seconds
DVD SOURCE: Mill Creek Entertainment (Letterboxed)

One of my very favorite things in life is finding a good Spaghetti Western I’d previously heard little or nothing about. Equally intriguing to me, this one in particular comes to us from a director whose work I’ve already had the pleasure of viewing, on each occasion with wildly unique and entertaining impressions left. The director I’m referring to is the unfairly overlooked Giuliano Carnimeo – known to some by his screen credited moniker, Anthony Ascott. The film this time around is the seldom mentioned, JOE…CERCATI UN POST PER MORIRE! (1968), or as it’s known in North American and British circles – FIND A PLACE TO DIE.

Just one year before his premature death, former 20th Century Fox Hollywood heart throb, Jeffrey Hunter – who once starred by the side of legendary John Wayne in THE SEARCHERS (1956) for director John Ford – would appear here in his final western role for Carnimeo and producer Hugo Fregonese. By the time FIND A PLACE TO DIE rolled around, Hunter was graying and slightly grizzled, but still a capable leading man and screen presence. In the role of Joe Collins for Carnimeo’s film, he’s a journeyman American arms dealer and disgraced U.S. Cavalry officer – isolated and jaded, selling weaponry in grungy and harsh Mexican territory. Miles away from where Joe quietly sits slumped in a seedy saloon, a husband and wife duo – Lisa (Pascale Petit) and Geologist, Paul Martin (Piero Lulli) – fend off gold hungry bandits after newly discovered fortune from a mine in the high Sierras previously thought picked dry. When the husband decides to attempt to ward off the bunch once and for all with blazing sticks of dynamite, the subsequent explosions cause a landslide and Lulli’s character is trapped under a large wooden beam, unable to escape. Naturally, Lisa leaves Paul whiskey and a Winchester and heads for help.

Lisa takes off on a two day quest to find a few good men in a nearby town her husband had told her about, in a desperate attempt to save her man’s life. “Men there’ll do anything to get money,” Paul had warned her. Even knowing she’s headed for rough terrain, Lisa’s love for her husband wins out over all, and she takes off on her white horse, the outcome uncertain. Upon her arrival in the blip on the map known as Nido De Aguila, or “The Eagle’s Nest”, Lisa wanders into the same dusty tavern our man Joe Collins frequents. Of course - following a post- acoustic number and cold reception from resident whore for hire, Juanita (Daniela Giordano) - Lisa sure enough spots Joe as the only American in the place and approaches his table. Explaining the situation, she offers up $2000 in gold for his services – perking up the ears of every greasy bandito in the joint. Unfortunately for her, Collins initially wants none of it. “I’ve had as high as $5000 on my head…and that still isn’t enough to make me wanna risk my skin Mrs. Martin,” the bitter ex-Confederate tells her. He has a change of heart though when he finds out that it’ll take more than one man to complete the mission and free her husband from his plight, which causes Joe to shift tones, possibly out of not wanting anyone to fill their pockets with the loot he could have had. Add to that his so-called “friend” Gomez (Reza Fazeli) coming out of the woodwork and suddenly involving himself and before long, it was inevitable Joe would find himself in the mix. Lisa, Collins and Gomez eventually acquire themselves the assistance of two more men as well – Juanita’s pimp boyfriend who’s quick with a double draw, Paco (Giovanni Pallavicino), and a hulking and clumsy brute of a man called Fernando (Nello Pazzafini). Set for any obstacle that may step in their way – including the possibility of a run in with the dreaded “Chato Gang” – the five set off with maybe not exactly Lisa’s husband’s well being in mind, but more the promised gold and her lovely, curvaceous flesh.

As the road wears on, they happen across yet another individual who’ll eventually accompany them – another friend of Gomez’s and a seemingly concerned man of the cloth – the mysterious Reverend Riley (Adolfo Lastretti). Right away though, Joe seems especially skeptical of the man’s intentions. “We wouldn’t want to take you away from your sacred duties…Reverend,” pipes up Collins. “You see, my sacred duties are where I find them,” The Reverend replies. “I am a wandering missionary, and I also have some skills that might be useful in this errand of yours.” Reluctantly, at Gomez’s urging and based upon Riley’s alleged medical prowess, they bring him on board as the final member. Perhaps, that’s one too many, however. Now with more than a couple of men expecting their palms to be graced with little pouches of gold nuggets following a task successfully completed, a dangerous gang roaming the countryside with bullets designated for this troupe of misfits, and every red-blooded male (maybe with the exception of Hunter’s character) capable of getting a hard on lusting after the pretty Mrs. Martin, there’s bound to be trouble around the next mountain side. Will these men be able to co-exist under one common cause? Who will be the one inevitably greedier than the rest? Can Lisa’s husband survive long enough to see another sunrise? And will they run into the ruthless band known only as “Chato Gang”? FIND A PLACE TO DIE is now more than ever, most certainly available to find out.

While not anywhere near the level of some of the masterpiece westerns from the same year, like the seminal Leone classic, C’ERA UNA VOLTA IL WEST (1968) (ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST), or Sergio Corbucci’s magnificent, IL MERCENARIO (1968) (THE MERCENARY), from the opening zoom out of an unfocused iguana lounging on a rock, onward, the film at the very least was worth the viewing time as a decent European western offering. It’s most definitely a “should have” for fans of Jeff Hunter, as it goes down as a curiosity piece starring role for an actor, perhaps today too rarely mentioned, unknowingly in the last phase of an interesting, up and down, nearly 20 year film career. The second half of the 1960’s saw Hunter take on projects some maybe would even say were below the standards the very capable actor (now at this time into his forties) should be rewarding with his talents – the majority of these coming out of Europe. Nonetheless, many great American actors before and after him ended up in European productions when the well for offers began to run dry Stateside. Hunter was no exception, although perhaps he left himself little choice after turning down the role he only played once, but quite possibly the one he’s most known for – that of Captain Christopher Pike in the original Star Trek pilot (the very famous episode titled “The Cage”). The story goes that at the time, Hunter’s wife protested against the actor taking the role of the Captain of the Enterprise due to the gig, according to her, not paying Jeff enough. Who knows how it would have changed the course of time (and career of William Shatner for that matter!), but as a result, instead Jeffrey Hunter (obviously not having that proverbial crystal ball in those days enabling him to see what a massive favorite Gene Roddenberry’s series would become) found himself in an obscure variety of B cult cinema from around 1965 up until his death in the late Spring of 1969.

Among these next to FIND A PLACE TO DIE are some interesting works I’d be inclined to hunt down (you know, as an avid nut towards these things and all), including George Sherman’s Spanish western, JOAQUIN MURRIETA (1965) with Arthur Kennedy and the bizarre sounding witchcraft / time travel, Spanish/U.S. co-produced, A WITCH WITHOUT A BROOM (1967) (UNA BRUJA SIN ESCOBA). Also, a couple of other Euro-westerns starring Hunter – the Spanish/U.S., THE CHRISTMAS KID (1967), courtesy of Pittsburgh born Euro-trash producer/director, Sidney W. Pink, and biographical Robert Shaw, France/UK/U.S. vehicle, CUSTER OF THE WEST (1968). And lastly, he rounded out his career in European film (without question as well due to his shortened life) with two features - one that will be of high interest to fans of FIND A PLACE TO DIE, partly because it boasts a number of the same cast members (Hunter, Petit, Giordano, Fazeli) –  a West German/Austrian/French/Hungarian/Italian picture from director Franz Antel, FRAU WIRTIN HAT AUCH EINEN GRAFEN (1968) (SEXY SUSAN SINS AGAIN), which also stars Italian sex comedy and giallo goddess, Edwige Fenech. The other (not only his final European film but his last big screen outing, period), a Spanish/Italian crime film from Javier Setó, VIVA AMERICA!, which sees Hunter opposite the delectable Brit, Margaret Lee, as well as the soon also to be deceased, Pier Angeli. This was the film that caused Jeff tremendous troubles and ultimately the results are what lead to his death. It all began when Hunter was injured on the set of the film after an explosion, receiving lacerations on his face from broken glass, as well as powder burns. Following this, on more than one occasion Hunter complained of dizziness and in the midst of an early trip back from Spain to the U.S. (the producers of VIVA AMERICA! had run out of money to pay the cast), the actor suffered a stroke during the flight. Following recovery and while awaiting word to come back and finish the film, Hunter took a fall in his home, experiencing a second stroke, and passed away a day later after surgery to repair a skull fracture. Jeffrey Hunter was only 42.

The supporting cast here is of mention, with some very good performances standing out in FIND A PLACE TO DIE. French actress Pascale Petit is a lovely leading lady for Hunter to play off of, although their blossoming “romance” is a little too respectful for my tastes. Even the gargantuan Nello Pazzafini’s character got more action out of the lady just trying to manhandle her than did Hunter. Mind you, the plot does have her married to Piero Lulli (the reliable veteran of such films as Bava’s KILL, BABY…KILL! ’66, MY NAME IS SHANGHAI JOE ’72, and Carnimeo’s own, SARTANA’S HERE…TRADE YOUR PISTOL FOR A COFFIN ’70). Petit is certainly a delight to look at and a very competent actress who would later display her talents in such films as Adalberto Albertini’s I DIAVOLI DELLA GUERRA (1969) (THE WAR DEVILS) and Mario Bava’s FOUR TIMES THAT NIGHT (1972) (which starred her only female co-star in FIND A PLACE TO DIE, Daniela Giordano). She can handle herself with a Winchester too, as is evident in the film. Adolfo Lastretti – who personally is one of my favorite slimy baddies when the part calls for it – is cunning and mysterious in his very first film role as Reverend Riley (under the pseudonym Peter Lastrett). Not usually, but this time sporting blondish hair, you’re never really sure of Lastretti’s character’s motives here as the supposedly “good” Reverend. It’s not long, however, before revelations come as to what he’s all about. Lastretti, as always, plays up the shifty snake traits to a tee and would go on to play equally shady characters in films such as DIO, SEI PROPRIO UN PADRETERNO! (1973) (MEAN FRANK AND CRAZY TONY), SHAFT IN AFRICA (1973) (trying to take out Richard Roundtree) and Lenzi’s warped giallo, SPASMO (1974) (possibly his best performance). Top mention too goes out to Iranian actor, Reza Fazeli as the very entertaining but also untrustworthy, Gomez, who is both helping Petit and the others in the mission, but also is close with the hated, Chato. He makes no qualms about it either, even trying to obtain arms from Hunter for the gang. He finds himself swiftly put in his place though, as Hunter angrily states, “Selling guns to outlaws is one thing, but selling them to a killer of women and children is something else.” Well after FIND A PLACE TO DIE, in the 1980’s Fazeli ran a United Kingdom based production company that produced up to 50 documentaries that raised the ire of terrorist organizations, and the business and Fazeli himself were named as targets for assassination. This prompted the actor’s emigration to the United States. Certainly a ballsy character in the movie as well as in life.

Considering all things - and positively assisted by a decent Gianni Ferrio score (the musical master behind the themes of countless Spaghetti’s in the 60’s) - although FIND A PLACE TO DIE is a moody and very dirty entry in the genre (right down to the demeanor of it’s lead star), it still maintained a level of fascination for me – maybe even just because I’d never heard of it. It’s fairly straightforward stuff, but for some reason, with a slight charm to it. In fact, I’ve gotten that feeling from all of the Giuliano Carnimeo films I’ve seen thus far. Maybe that says something about the director himself. No question, he’s a man whose work should surely be explored further. Most certainly not enough of his films have been given new life on DVD. Based on my experiences, its high time fans and companies alike took a closer look at this most accidentally engrossing of filmmakers.

The DVD of FIND A PLACE TO DIE I used as my source for this review comes courtesy of the Mill Creek Entertainment Spaghetti Westerns 20 Pack (which hit stores this year) and was likely sourced in itself from the VCI 1.85:1 widescreen release.

“Like a soul possessed, from this high eagle’s nest,
I fear I will find no rest,
In this old ghost town that weighs me down, until I cry
To my star, way up there on a high,
Did I come so far to find a place to die?” -song “A Place to Die” (as performed by Daniela Giordano)

STORY: 2.5/5 BITCH SLAPS
PICTURE: 3.5/5 BITCH SLAPS
AUDIO: 4/5 BITCH SLAPS
EXTRAS: 0/5 BITCH SLAPS
OVERALL FILM: 3/5 BITCH SLAPS
 

2008@ Cinema Nocturna