Rapid-Film's first sauerkraut western with Brad Harris and Hansjörg Felmy
Just one year after the phenomenal success of Harald Reinl's Karl May film adaptation "The Treasure in the Silver Lake", this western based on a trivial novel by the German writer Friedrich Gerstäcker (1816-1872) was released in German cinemas. The director was Jürgen Roland, with Gianfranco Parolini responsible for some of the action sequences, who would also direct some films from the Inspector X film series a few years later. The film was produced by Wolf C. Hartwig.
In the vicinity of the city of Helena on the Mississippi, there are repeated attacks by river pirates, in which the victims sometimes even die. Who is behind this gang remains unclear. Only the new sheriff (Hansjörg Felmy) takes on the criminals together with an old friend (Brad Harris, who is also responsible for the excellent stunt scenes). Through a nasty intrigue by the main villain (Horst Frank), an Indian tribe under the chief Black Eagle (Tony Kendall) is also drawn into the conflict.
The fight and action scenes in this western, shot in CinemaScope (which is not the case with many German-made films), are excellent. Brad Harris and Dan Vadis in a villainous role particularly stand out here. Three years later, the two actors would meet again in a spectacular fight scene in the film "Commissioner X - Three Yellow Cats". Horst Frank (evil and deceitful as usual), Dorothee Parker as his sophisticated accomplice and the Italian actor Tony Kendall as the majestic Indian chief also perform excellently. In the near future, Kendall and Brad Harris should form the successful Inspector X team. The German main characters act weakly and unconvincingly. Hansjörg Felmy is unable to adequately fill the role of the hero. And Sabine Sinjen quickly becomes annoying as the "love interest", which may also be because she was dubbed by another actress.
The filming took place in what was then Yugoslavia (near Rijeka and on the Sava) and was unusually expensive for German standards at the time at more than 3 million DM.
Even if there is sometimes too much chatter like in many German films, this western is able to captivate and inspire with its good action scenes. Not only worth seeing for fans of German genre films!
Other titles of the film: Agguato sul grande fiume The pirates of Mississippi Pirates Of The Mississippi.
Just one year after the phenomenal success of Harald Reinl's Karl May film adaptation "The Treasure in the Silver Lake", this western based on a trivial novel by the German writer Friedrich Gerstäcker (1816-1872) was released in German cinemas. The director was Jürgen Roland, with Gianfranco Parolini responsible for some of the action sequences, who would also direct some films from the Inspector X film series a few years later. The film was produced by Wolf C. Hartwig.
In the vicinity of the city of Helena on the Mississippi, there are repeated attacks by river pirates, in which the victims sometimes even die. Who is behind this gang remains unclear. Only the new sheriff (Hansjörg Felmy) takes on the criminals together with an old friend (Brad Harris, who is also responsible for the excellent stunt scenes). Through a nasty intrigue by the main villain (Horst Frank), an Indian tribe under the chief Black Eagle (Tony Kendall) is also drawn into the conflict.
The fight and action scenes in this western, shot in CinemaScope (which is not the case with many German-made films), are excellent. Brad Harris and Dan Vadis in a villainous role particularly stand out here. Three years later, the two actors would meet again in a spectacular fight scene in the film "Commissioner X - Three Yellow Cats". Horst Frank (evil and deceitful as usual), Dorothee Parker as his sophisticated accomplice and the Italian actor Tony Kendall as the majestic Indian chief also perform excellently. In the near future, Kendall and Brad Harris should form the successful Inspector X team. The German main characters act weakly and unconvincingly. Hansjörg Felmy is unable to adequately fill the role of the hero. And Sabine Sinjen quickly becomes annoying as the "love interest", which may also be because she was dubbed by another actress.
The filming took place in what was then Yugoslavia (near Rijeka and on the Sava) and was unusually expensive for German standards at the time at more than 3 million DM.
Even if there is sometimes too much chatter like in many German films, this western is able to captivate and inspire with its good action scenes. Not only worth seeing for fans of German genre films!
Other titles of the film: Agguato sul grande fiume The pirates of Mississippi Pirates Of The Mississippi.