Sartana
Encyclopedia
Sartana is the name of a spaghetti western
character first played by Gianni Garko
and later by George Hilton. Other characters were unofficially called Sartana in unrelated films to capitalize on the success of the official films.
Unlike many spaghetti western anti-heroes, Sartana does not kill for money or revenge but because certain people deserve it. He dresses all in black and over the course of several films has acquired an arsenal of tricks, guns and toys that would be at home in a James Bond
movie.
(aka Frank Kramer). The other 3 movies were directed by Giuliano Carnimeo (aka Anthony Ascott). The movies were hits in Europe and due to the loose copyright laws, spawned many unofficial sequels. To this very day, Gianni Garko's depiction of Sartana has maintained a strong cult following among Spaghetti Western fans.
's character the Man with No Name
from the film The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
, which was released in 1966, it can only be assumed that Garko modelled his character on Eastwood's earlier performance. The first Sartana movie was a big hit in Europe and turned out to be very influential. Carnimeo took over the directing reins in three other Sartana movies starring Garko. Parolini went on to make another film with a similar character, Sabata (1969), starring Lee Van Cleef.
Spaghetti Western
Spaghetti Western, also known as Italo-Western, is a nickname for a broad sub-genre of Western films that emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's unique and much copied film-making style and international box-office success, so named by American critics because most were produced and...
character first played by Gianni Garko
Gianni Garko
Gianni Garko is an Italian actor who found much fame as a leading man in Spaghetti Westerns...
and later by George Hilton. Other characters were unofficially called Sartana in unrelated films to capitalize on the success of the official films.
Unlike many spaghetti western anti-heroes, Sartana does not kill for money or revenge but because certain people deserve it. He dresses all in black and over the course of several films has acquired an arsenal of tricks, guns and toys that would be at home in a James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
movie.
Official Sartana movies
- If You Meet Sartana Pray for Your DeathIf You Meet Sartana Pray for Your DeathIf You Meet Sartana Pray for Your Death , also known as Sartana, is a 1968 spaghetti western film directed by Gianfranco Parolini...
(Se incontri Sartana prega per la tua morte, 1968) - I Am Sartana Your Angel of Death (Sono Sartana, il vostro becchino, 1969) aka Sartana - Töten war sein täglich Brot
- Have a Good Funeral, My Friend... Sartana Will Pay (Buon funerale, amigos!... paga * Sartana, 1970)
- Light the Fuse... Sartana Is Coming (Una nuvola di polvere... un grido di morte... arriva Sartana, 1971)
- Sartana's Here... Trade Your Pistol for a Coffin (C'è Sartana... vendi la pistola e comprati la bara, 1972)
Unofficial Sartana movies
- Sartana Does Not Forgive (Sartana no perdone, 1969) - played by George Martin
- Shadow of Sartana... Shadow of your Death (Passa Sartana... è l'ombra della tua morte, 1969) - played by Jeff CameronJeff CameronJeff Cameron is an American singer-songwriter.Cameron was raised in the suburban Los Angeles areas of Sherman Oaks and Studio City. Cameron was an only child who gravitated to music as a youngster in the early 1970s...
- Four came to Kill Sartana...e vennero in quattro per uccidere Sartana!...e vennero in quattro per uccidere Sartana! is an Italian Spaghetti Western film. It was released in 1969....
(...e vennero in quattro per uccidere Sartana!, 1969) - played by Jeff Cameron - One Damned Day at Dawn...Django Meets Sartana!One Damned Day at Dawn...Django Meets Sartana!One Damned Day at Dawn...Django Meets Sartana!, aka Django Meets Sartana, One Damned Day at Dawn...Django Meets Sartana!, aka Django Meets Sartana, One Damned Day at Dawn...Django Meets Sartana!, aka Django Meets Sartana, (in original Italian: Quel maledetto giorno d'inverno.....
(Quel maledetto giorno d'inverno... Django e Sartana all'ultimo sangue, 1970) - played by Fabio TestiFabio TestiFabio Testi is an Italian film actor, notable as the star of, among many other films, First Action Hero.Born in Peschiera del Garda, Italy, the 1.84m tall actor started his film career as a stuntman in his college years... - Sartana in the Valley of Death (Sartana nella valle degli avvoltoi, 1970) - played by William Berger
- Django and Sartana Are Coming... It's the End (Arrivano Django e Sartana... è la fine, 1970) - played by Hunt Powers
- Sartana Kills Them All (Un par de asesinos, 1971) - played by Johnny GarkoGianni GarkoGianni Garko is an Italian actor who found much fame as a leading man in Spaghetti Westerns...
- Django defies Sartana (Django sfida Sartana, 1971) - played by George Ardisson
- Trinity and Sartana... Those Dirty S.O.B.s (Trinita e Sartana figli di..., 1972) - played by Robert Widmark
- Alleluja & Sartana Are Sons... Sons of God (Alleluja e Sartana figli di... Dio, 1972) - played by Robert Widmark
Sartana movies with Gianni Garko
Sartana is one of the most famous characters in the Spaghetti Western genre. Gianni Garko, the only genuine, authentic "Sartana", played the character in 4 movies. The first movie was directed by Gianfranco ParoliniGianfranco Parolini
Gianfranco Parolini is an Italian film director. He is often credited as Frank Kramer. Among his films are The Sabata Trilogy, several sword and sandal films, most of the Kommissar X films and a number of Spaghetti Westerns.He claimed to have written over 100 thriller novels before becoming an...
(aka Frank Kramer). The other 3 movies were directed by Giuliano Carnimeo (aka Anthony Ascott). The movies were hits in Europe and due to the loose copyright laws, spawned many unofficial sequels. To this very day, Gianni Garko's depiction of Sartana has maintained a strong cult following among Spaghetti Western fans.
History and development of the character
Gianni Garko had previously played an antagonist named Sartana in the hit Spaghetti Western, Mille dollari sul nero (AKA Blood at Sundown, 1967). Parolini liked the name and cast Garko as an unrelated Sartana, a sleek, mysterious, well dressed, gambler and gunfighter. Parolini, being a James Bond fan, wanted to create a character who was a "James Bond of the West". Garko, having played a gunfighter out for vengeance in a previous film, chose to have his character motivated more out of justice (and to a degree money), than revenge. Given the overwhelming similarity to Clint EastwoodClint Eastwood
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
's character the Man with No Name
Man with No Name
The man with no name is a stock character in Western films, but the term usually applies specifically to the character played by Clint Eastwood in Sergio Leone's "Dollars Trilogy."...
from the film The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is a 1966 Italian epic spaghetti western film directed by Sergio Leone, starring Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach in the title roles. The screenplay was written by Age & Scarpelli, Luciano Vincenzoni and Leone, based on a story by Vincenzoni and Leone...
, which was released in 1966, it can only be assumed that Garko modelled his character on Eastwood's earlier performance. The first Sartana movie was a big hit in Europe and turned out to be very influential. Carnimeo took over the directing reins in three other Sartana movies starring Garko. Parolini went on to make another film with a similar character, Sabata (1969), starring Lee Van Cleef.
About the Unofficial Sartana films
Just like with other Spaghetti Western characters like Django, Trinity, Sabata, and Ringo, Sartana spawned numerous unofficial sequels, hoping to cash in on the success and popularity of the character. In many cases, the Sartana in these movies bore little resemblance to Garko's interpretation. In other cases, films added "Sartana" to the name, even if there was no Sartana character in the actual movie. Even Garko himself played an unofficial Sartana in "Un Par de asesinos" (Sartana Kills Them All 1971). In this movie, Sartana bares little resemblance to Garko's usual depiction of the character. In some movies, Sartana teamed up or faced off with Trinity or Django. For the most part these unofficial movies were vastly inferior to the official Sartana movies. The exception may be "C'è Sartana... vendi la pistola e comprati la bara" (Sartana's Here... Trade Your Pistol for a Coffin 1972). Many consider this movie to be an official Sartana movie, despite the absence of Garko. The film was directed by Carnimeo, but George Hilton replaced Garko in the role of Sartana.Sartana, the character
It is heavily implied in the movies that Sartana is actually a spectral avenger, a sort of avenging angel with mystical qualities. Sartana tends to show up out of nowhere, is impossible to hit with bullets, and is always one step ahead of the bad guys. Little is known about Sartana's past or background. Sartana is always well dressed and likes to frequent gambling houses. He is always admired by the ladies. Sartana is not motivated by revenge, he only kills those that he thinks deserve it. Frequently he goes up against the rich and the elite. Sartana is a one man arsenal and very skilled with gunplay. Like James Bond, Sartana carries a variety of weapons in his arsenal, many of them gimmicked. Among them are a unique derringer like weapon, a long ranged Winchester, a Colt Peacemaker, playing cards thrown like Shuriken, and a Pocket Watch and chain made of lead, and cigars disguised as dynamite. Sartana also likes to ride a white horse.The Sartana movies
The Sartana movies, despite their modest budgets are known for having a high body count and much action. The films have highly stylized direction and have a lot of gimmicks and anachronisms. A robot named Alfie, a "Chinese shoe" or foot disfiguring device, and a church organ that shoots bullets are just some of the outrageous devices seen in the movies. The Sartana movies, though they were big hits in Europe and are well loved to this day, are not without their critics however, who point out to the often hard to follow plot, campiness, excess, and unoriginality of the Sartana movies. Sartana fans would counter that the Sartana movies have a high degree of entertainment value, have riveting musical scores, meticulous direction, and a well acted cast.External links
- FistfulOfWesterns.com - Sartana, info about Sartana can be found here
- Shobary's Spaghetti Westerns: Sartana, character profile of Sartana
- Len Liu's Beginner's Guide To The Official Sartana Movies, guide to the Sartana movies