Uploaded February 2013 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
spaghetti-western.net/index.php/Grande_duello,_Il
Il grande duello / The Grand Duel / The Big Showdown / Drei Vaterunser für vier Halunken
Italy 1972
Director: Giancarlo Santi
With Lee Van Cleef, Horst Frank, Alberto Dentice, Marc Mazza, Jess Hahn, Antonio Casale, Klaus Grünberg
Screenplay: Ernesto Gastaldi
Cinematography: Mario Vulpiani
Music: Luis Bacalov, Sergio Bardotti
"Il Grande Duello" is the original title of this Italian/French/West German production. The titular duel pits hard-bitten gunslinger Clayton (Lee Van Cleef) against the equally gritty Saxon (Horst Frank). Before this takes place, however, Clayton champions the cause of Newland (Peter O'Brien) a young punk who'd been framed on a murder charge. One of the beauties of the spaghetti western genre is that there were seldom any clearly defined Good or Bad Guys. This helped to keep the audience guessing as to the ultimate outcome of the film, thereby increasing the entertainment value tenfold.
spaghetti-western.net/index.php/Grande_duello,_Il
Il grande duello / The Grand Duel / The Big Showdown / Drei Vaterunser für vier Halunken
Italy 1972
Director: Giancarlo Santi
With Lee Van Cleef, Horst Frank, Alberto Dentice, Marc Mazza, Jess Hahn, Antonio Casale, Klaus Grünberg
Screenplay: Ernesto Gastaldi
Cinematography: Mario Vulpiani
Music: Luis Bacalov, Sergio Bardotti
"Il Grande Duello" is the original title of this Italian/French/West German production. The titular duel pits hard-bitten gunslinger Clayton (Lee Van Cleef) against the equally gritty Saxon (Horst Frank). Before this takes place, however, Clayton champions the cause of Newland (Peter O'Brien) a young punk who'd been framed on a murder charge. One of the beauties of the spaghetti western genre is that there were seldom any clearly defined Good or Bad Guys. This helped to keep the audience guessing as to the ultimate outcome of the film, thereby increasing the entertainment value tenfold.
