Navajo Joe

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article does not cite any references or sources. (August 2006)
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

Navajo Joe
Promotional poster for Navajo Joe
Directed by	Sergio Corbucci
Produced by	Luigi Carpentieri Ermanno Donati
Written by	Fernando Di Leo Ugo Pirro Piero Regnoli
Starring	Burt Reynolds Aldo Sambrell Nicoletta Machiavelli Tanya Lopoert Fernando Rey
Music by	Ennio Morricone credited as Leo Nichols
Cinematography	Silvano Ippoliti
Distributed by	United Artists
Release date(s)	1966
Running time	93 min. (Italy/USA) 88 min. (Spain)
Country	Italy / Spain
Language	Italian
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

Navajo Joe is a 1966 Italian/Spanish Spaghetti Western, directed by Sergio Corbucci. It was filmed in Spain.

Navajo Joe stars Burt Reynolds in his second leading role in a feature film, as the titular character, a Navajo Indian opposing a group of bandits responsible for killing his tribe.

The film's score was composed by Ennio Morricone (credited as Leo Nichols).

[edit] Plot

Having massacred an Indian village, outlaw Duncan finds his men falling victim to a solitary rider, Navajo Joe. Joe saves two prostitutes who have overheard Duncan plot with Lynne, the town doctor, to steal a train full of money belonging to the bank. Joe steals the train back from Duncan's gang. He asks the townspeople of Esperanza to pay him to protect them from Duncan, making an offer of "I want a dollar a head from every man in this town for every bandit I kill". The townspeople reject him, as they "don't make bargains with Indians." Lynne's wife Honor persuades them otherwise. Joe sets a trap for Duncan but is caught and tortured; Lynne and Honor are killed. Rescued by an old man from the saloon, Joe again steals the train and eradicates Duncan's gang. There is then a showdown in an Indian cemetery, where Joe reclaims the pendant which Duncan stole from his wife when he murdered her. Both expire.

[edit] Trivia

Burt Reynolds is not Navajo, he is instead of Cherokee descent.
Sergio Corbucci claimed the plot of the film was based on historical accuracy; the U.S. Government paying scalp bounties ^[1]
The original title of the film was to have been A Dollar a Head
Burt Reynolds only agreed to make ‘Navajo Joe’ as he was under the impression Sergio Leone would be directing. When he found out it was Sergio Corbucci, it was too late for him to pull out of the film. He would continually joke "wrong Sergio" when talking about the film.
Tracks from the film's score were later featured in Election and Kill Bill.