Silver Saddle (1978)

Silver Saddle (Italian: Sella d'argento; also released under the titles The Man in the Silver Saddle and They Died with Their Boots On), is a 1978 Spaghetti Western. It is the third and final western directed by Lucio Fulci and one of the last spaghetti westerns to be produced by a European studio. The film was based on an original story written by screenwriter Adriano Bolzoni and directed by Fulci for the Italian studio Rizzoli Film Productions.

This was also the final western film role for leading man Giuliano Gemma, whose breakout role was in the 1965 spaghetti western A Pistol for Ringo, although he would continue acting in other genres for more than twenty years afterwards. Along with Gemma, the film also starred Sven Valsecchi, Ettore Manni, Gianni De Luigi, Cinzia Monreale, Licinia Lentini, Donald O'Brien, Aldo Sambrell, Philippe Hersent and Geoffrey Lewis. Although Gemma, Manri, O'Brien and Sambrell were all experienced veterans of the genre, for most of the cast this would be their first and only spaghetti western appearance.



^ "Movies: Sella d'argento (1978)". New York Times.

Synopsis

The film opens in a small South Texas bordertown in the 1850s. A poor farmer and his young son arrive into the settlement where the farmer confronts Luke Fletcher (Donald O'Brien), a thieving henchman employed by wealthy land baron Richard Barrett. The man complains to Fletcher that he had been cheated by Barrett claiming he had been sold a deed to non-existent property. Fletcher finally shoots the farmer, killing the man in front of his young son, and begins laughing. His son then picks up his father's gun, uses it to kill Fletcher, and rides out of town with Fletcher's horse and a distinctive silver-trimmed saddle.

Actors