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The Deserter (La Spina Dorsale Del Diavolo) is a 1971 Italian-American Western film by Dino De Laurentiis. It was directed by Burt Kennedy, known for his penchant in directing westerns, including The War Wagon (1967), Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969) and The Train Robbers (1973). Scripted in the style of The Dirty Dozen (1967), and designed as a vehicle for Yugoslavian theater and film matinee idol Bekim Fehmiu, the film featured an ensemble cast of well-known American actors. Noted for Shane (1953), actor Brandon deWilde appears in his last Western film before his death the following year. The film was shot largely on location in Italy, Spain and Yugoslavia. Many exterior scenes were filmed at the Fort Bowie set built in the Province of Almería, Spain, where the desert landscape and climate that characterizes part of the province have made it a much utilized setting for Western films, among those A Fistful of Dollars (1964), The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) and later 800 Bullets (2002). This same set was also used in the films Blindman (1971) with Ringo Starr and A Reason to Live, a Reason to Die (1972).
Original Release
12/04/1970
US Release
06/09/1971
Cast
Name | Character |
---|
Bekim Fehmiu | Capt. Victor Kaleb / Captain Victor Kaleb |
Richard Crenna | Maj. Wade Brown / Major Wade Brown |
Chuck Connors | Reynolds |
Ricardo Montalban | Natchai - Indian Scout / Natachai |
Ian Bannen | British Army Capt. Crawford / Cpt. Crawford |
Brandon de Wilde | Lt. Ferguson / Ferguson |
Slim Pickens | Tattinger - American Scout / Sgt. Tattinger |
Woody Strode | Jackson / Cpl. Jackson |
Albert Salmi | Schmidt / Sgt. Schmidt |
Patrick Wayne | Capt. Bill Robinson / Cpt. Bill Robinson |
Directors
Writers
Stuart J. Byrne, William H. James, Massimo D'Avak, Clair Huffaker
Cast
Name | Character |
---|
Bekim Fehmiu | Capt. Victor Kaleb / Captain Victor Kaleb |
Richard Crenna | Maj. Wade Brown / Major Wade Brown |
Chuck Connors | Reynolds |
Ricardo Montalban | Natchai - Indian Scout / Natachai |
Ian Bannen | British Army Capt. Crawford / Cpt. Crawford |
Brandon de Wilde | Lt. Ferguson / Ferguson |
Slim Pickens | Tattinger - American Scout / Sgt. Tattinger |
Woody Strode | Jackson / Cpl. Jackson |
Albert Salmi | Schmidt / Sgt. Schmidt |
Patrick Wayne | Capt. Bill Robinson / Cpt. Bill Robinson |
Fausto Tozzi | Orozco |
Mimmo Palmara | Apache Chief Mangus Durango |
John Alderson | O'Toole |
Doc Greaves | Capt. Scott |
Lucio Rosato | Jed |
Roberto Simmi | Justin |
Larry Stewart | Robinson |
Gianni Vannicola | Jeff |
Giancarlo Zampetti | Apache Prisoner |
Manfredo Giusto | Apache Boy |
Producers
Name | Role |
---|
Norman Baer | Producer |
Dino De Laurentiis | Producer |
Guy Luongo | Producer |
Ralph B. Serpe | Producer |