China 9, Liberty 37 [Amore, piombo e furore] *** (1978, Fabio Testi, Warren Oates, Jenny Agutter) – Classic Movie Review 7858

Director Monte Hellman’s 1978 China 9, Liberty 37 [Amore, piombo e furore] is a very intriguing Spaghetti Western, with a great performance by Fabio Testi as Clayton Drumm, a condemned gunfighter who will win a pardon if he kills rancher Matthew Sebanek (Warren Oates), whose land the railway company bosses are after.

Hellman manages a good pace and a great atmosphere, while Giuseppe Rotunno’s Technicolor cinematography is a major item. There is too little action or punch though, and England’s Jenny Agutter seems wildly out of place as Sebanek (Oates)’s wife Catherine Sebanek, who seduces Drumm (Testi).

The off-putting English title refers to a signpost to the towns where the action occurs.

Also in the cast are Franco Interlenghi as Hank Sebanek, Gianrico Tondinelli as Johnny Sebanek, Sam Peckinpah as dime novelist Wilbur Olsen, Paco Benlloch as Virgil Sebanek, Isabel Mestres as Virgil’s wife Barbara, and Carlos Bravo as Barbara’s brother Duke.

It was made in Almería, Andalucía, Spain, and in the studio at Dear Studios, Rome, Italy. It was the last film distributed by Allied Artists Corporation (originally Monogram Pictures).

China 9, Liberty 37 is directed by Monte Hellman, runs 102 minutes, is made by Lea Productions, Aspa Producciones and Compagnia Europea Cinematografica, is released by Allied Artists Corporation, is written by Ennio De Concini, Jerry Harvey, Douglas Venturelli, Vicente Escrivá and Alberto Liberati, is shot in Technicolor by Giuseppe Rotunno, is produced by Gianni Bozzacchi and scored by Jerry Harvey.

The film is dedicated ‘To my father’.

The original title translates as Love, Lead and Fury.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7858

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