Review of Roy Colt & Winchester Jack

Stoical smoothie Roy Colt (affable Brett Halsey) and his more scruffy wild card buddy Winchester Jack (the equally engaging Charles Southwood) go searching for a fortune in gold. Shrewd spitfire Native American prostitute Manila (winningly played by the lovely Marilu Tolo) tags along. Meanwhile, irascible Russian villain the Reverend (robustly essayed with lip-smacking brio by Teodora Corra) also tries to find the gold. Director Mario Bava cheerfully pokes fun at the Spaghetti Western genre in this lively and amusing send-up that neatly combines elements from both "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" and "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly." Moreover, Bava relates the wacky story at a constant brisk pace, gives the picture a suitably dirty'n'dusty look, and stages the stirring shoot-outs with considerable rip-roaring flair. This movie reaches its gut-busting peak during a hysterical sequence set in a brothel called Wimpy City. Halsey and Southwood display a loose, funny and appealing chemistry as our titular bumbling outlaw duo while Tolo almost steals the show with her wonderfully fiery portrayal of the cagey and enticing Manila. Kudos are also in order for Antonio Rinaldi's slick, often dazzling cinematography and Piero Umiliani's supremely funky'n'twangy score. A hugely enjoyable hoot.