Johnny Yuma (1966)
7/10
An attractive Pasta Western with interesting plot, full of shootouts and filmed in Almeria, as usual
2 November 2020
A decent Spaghetti Western with a sympathetic starring, Mark Damon, versus an extremely villainess Femme Fatale, Rosalba Neri. It deals with a mean, greedy woman callled Samantha Felton : Rosalba Neri, who kills his wealthy hubby to take his inheritance. But the husband left his ownerships to a nephew, the resourceful Johnny Yuma : Mark Damon. Then the widow and her brother hire a hit man : Lawrence Dobkin, to kill him.

Above average Spaghetti Western with noisy action, thrills, fights , violence, crosses and double-crosses. It is an exciting Maccaroni Western with brawls at a saloon and breathtaking duels at a village, brief dosis of humor and surprising bursts of violence. Mark Damon performs a young gunslinger who unexpectedly inherites from his uncle and ultimately forms a steadily alliance with another gunfighter well interpreted by Lawrence Dobkin. At the beginning his long career Damon starred as an extra for US movies , and subsequently acting secondary characters and as main starring in Roger Corman films . Mark , then emigrated to Italy where played ordinary genres as Peplum and Westerns , as he interpreted : A train for Durango , Cry for revenge, Requiescant , Johnny Oro and this Johnny Yuma . Soon after , he moved into other film genres and playing good guys or bad guys in adventure movies as Lions of St Petesburg , Normand Sword , 100 knights , and Long Live Robin Hood , these parts often exploited his athletic physique and strong skills . Many years later , Mark Damon abandoned the interpretation and became a successful cinema producer by financing big hits . Here Rosalba Neri steals the show, she chews the scenary by playing a really baddie woman who will stop at nothing to get his purports. If the starring trío: Mark Damon, Rosalba Neri, Lawrence Dobkin are pretty good , the remaining support cast is acceptable , though unknown , I miss the agreable familiar secondary faces regular to Spaghetti Western sub-genre .

Special mention for the brilliant musical score, adding enjoyable leitmotif, in Ennio Morricone style by Nora Orlandi, including catching songs. As well as sunny and colorful cinematography by Mario Capriotti, shot in Elios Studios, Rome, Lacio and exteriors in similar lanscapes to Sergio Leone's Fistful of dollars, including Finca El Romeral, Cortijo El Sotillo, Almeria, Andalucia, Spain. The motion picture was well and originally directed by Romolo Guerrieri. This filmmaker was a good craftsman, directing various films about Italian sub-genres and exploitation films, such as : Post-nuke Sci-Fi : The Last Warrior, Poliziottesco or Italian Crime : Young, violent, dangerous, City under siege, Ring of death and Ravioli Western : 10000 Dollari per un massacre, Seven guns for Timothy, and Johnny Yuma. Rating 7/10, better than average. Well worth watching. The picture will appeal to Spaghetti Western fans.
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