THE ROAD TO FORT ALAMO is the first spaghetti western directed by Italian genre maestro Mario Bava, but as a film made in 1964 it has more in common with the American westerns of the 1950s than the Sergio Leone-influenced genre films of the late 1960s onwards. The film itself is routinely plotted but turns out to be a lot of fun regardless, with an action-heavy template meaning that there's barely a slow moment to be had throughout.
The film's protagonist is played by the strapping Ken Clark, a familiar face from the Eurospy films he made during the mid 1960s. He's massive here, dwarfing his opponents in the various fight scenes, and he acquits himself well with the material, having a natural flair for the genre. He reminded me of Richard Harrison in many ways. His character undergoes quite the journey in this film, with many plot twists, double crosses, and betrayals en route.
The film's antagonists are the usual bunch of murderous Native Americans and gold-hungry double-crossers. There's plenty going on throughout and the film, which was shot in Italy rather than Spain, looks very nice. Bava's skill comes in the night-time scenes which have the great use of colour that the director is well noted for. THE ROAD TO FORT ALAMO might not be a classic, but as a serviceable spagwest it works a treat.
The film's protagonist is played by the strapping Ken Clark, a familiar face from the Eurospy films he made during the mid 1960s. He's massive here, dwarfing his opponents in the various fight scenes, and he acquits himself well with the material, having a natural flair for the genre. He reminded me of Richard Harrison in many ways. His character undergoes quite the journey in this film, with many plot twists, double crosses, and betrayals en route.
The film's antagonists are the usual bunch of murderous Native Americans and gold-hungry double-crossers. There's plenty going on throughout and the film, which was shot in Italy rather than Spain, looks very nice. Bava's skill comes in the night-time scenes which have the great use of colour that the director is well noted for. THE ROAD TO FORT ALAMO might not be a classic, but as a serviceable spagwest it works a treat.