Some of the developments that transpire here might be described as incidental to the film's main story arc but they remain interesting and entertaining. There's a reasonable amount of action on display here (Cudlip thrashing a gang of hecklers who lewdly interrupt a female singer's cabaret routine, an out-numbered Novak attempting to take on Burton's men in a fist-fight, Burton's men attacking a stage coach, the finale's big shoot-out) but much of this film's running time is devoted to some fairly well observed character development that takes place within Silver Town's domestic spaces and work places. They certainly don't affect the film in an adverse way, something that cannot be said of a number of other light-hearted Spaghetti Westerns. Cudlip's fondness for cigars as opposed to pipes, and his employment of a regular gun belt instead of a cross-belly draw set-up, act to further distance him from Van Cleef's more typical Spaghetti Western anti-heroes.įortunately, the comedy elements present in Beyond the Law are quite unforced and, for the most part, they work pretty well. Van Cleef successfully rises to the challenge of making some mild 'comedy of manners' gags work during this sequence. Van Cleef also does a decent take on projecting feelings of social inadequacy when Cudlip takes afternoon tea with pretty Sally Davis (Graziella Granata) and runs straight into a series of etiquette problems. It's a pivotal moment for the character and Van Cleef neatly expresses the character's mixed feelings. When he eventually becomes the sheriff of Silver Town, Cudlip gets to wear a new brown suit, a green waist coat, a white shirt, a fancy neck tie and a bowler hat and wearing such formal attire prompts feelings of both awkwardness and pride from Cudlip. Unkempt and dressed in rags, he looks a little like the Jaroo character that Van Cleef went on to play in John Guillermin's little seen Western, El Condor. When we first meet him, Cudlip looks like the saddle tramp that he is. As such, his decision to take on the markedly different role of Cudlip here was really quite brave and inspired. The actor's natural ability to portray stoic, no-nonsense anti-heroes resulted in him bringing to life a number of pleasingly similar - and hugely popular - genre characters. To make matters worse, Burton's (Gordon Mitchell) gang of real bandits are planning to attack Silver Town on the day of the town's public holiday.īy 1968, Lee Van Cleef was arguably the Spaghetti Western genre's biggest star. However, events see Cudlip forming an unlikely friendship with Novak, which in turn leads to Cudlip becoming Silver Town's sheriff - a situation which troubles his two partners who are intent on stealing more cash from the Silver Town Mining Company. Novak is the new junior manager at the Silver Town Mining Company and he has a hard time explaining how he managed to lose the mine workers' payroll. ![]() The trio cannot believe their luck when a simple but audacious scam results in them deftly stealing $25,000 from Novak (Antonio Sabato). Produced by Enrico Chroscicki and Alfonso SansoneĬudlip (Lee Van Cleef) and the Preacher (Lionel Stander) are a pair of saddle tramps whose little gang of petty thieves is complimented and completed by the Preacher's unnamed black friend (Al Hoosman). Written by Mino Roli, Giorgio Stegani, Ferdinando Di Leo and Warren D. Production Design Franco Bottari and Wolf Englertįilm Editors Sergio Montanari and Edith Schuman Starring Lee Van Cleef, Antonio Sabato, Lionel Stander, Al Hoosman, Graziella Granata, Bud Spencer, Gunther Stoll, Gordon Mitchell, Carlo Gaddi, Herbert Fux ![]() Alfio Caltabiano's Pistoleros is a low budget rarity that proudly - some might say cheekily - bears the influence of Sergio Leone's For a Few Dollars More.ġ968 / Colour / 2.35:1 16:9 / 110 m. Giancarlo Santi's The Grand Duel finds the actor back on more familiar ground playing a stoic and enigmatic 'man in black' type. Giorgio Stegani's Beyond the Law represents something of a departure for Van Cleef - it's a fairly light-hearted affair that casts the actor as a scruffy saddle tramp with a conscience. Wild East's Spaghetti Western Collection just keeps on growing and most genre fans will welcome the label's decision to issue a Lee Van Cleef double feature disc. Separate releases reviewed by Lee Broughton
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