A PISTOL FOR RINGO

A defining early spaghetti western, A PISTOL FOR RINGO made a star of Giuliano Gemma as a smiling, clean-cut gunfighter with an eye for profit. When a gang of bank robbers takes a wealthy family hostage over Christmas, the local sheriff recruits Ringo to infiltrate their hideout. But his willingness to bargain with either side soon turns the rescue into chaos.

Director Duccio Tessari combines the siege’s mounting tension with sly humor, giving Gemma ample room for his athletic grace and easy charm. Ennio Morricone’s lyrical score accompanies a western in which good manners and ruthless self-interest meet across the Christmas table. This is pure entertainment with scarcely a dull moment.

“Forever a favorite Spaghetti of mine, a rambunctious mashup of A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS and HOME ALONE.” - Matt Lynch