In this eleventh edition of Spaghetti Sunday, the career of Mark Damon will be under the microscope, with various of his spaghetti western based flicks being reviewed. It’s important to note that this post will continue to grow over time, with new Mark Damon reviews added as more of his spaghetti western flicks are watched. As with every article and review on the website, this entire series will be spoiler-free.
– The Mark Damon Edition –
Alan Harris, better known to audiences as Mark Damon, was born on April 22, 1933, in Chicago, United States. Early in his acting career, Damon won the prestigious Golden Globe Award for “Star of Tomorrow” following his performance in House of Usher (1960), before relocating to Italy to establish himself in the flourishing spaghetti western genre.
After enjoying considerable success as a leading man, Damon retired from acting in the mid-1970s to become a film producer, entering the world of independent sales and production. He would go on to build a highly successful career behind the camera, producing numerous acclaimed films over the following decades.
It’s worth noting that Mark Damon died of natural causes in Los Angeles, United States, on May 12, 2024, at the age of 91. The actor had a wife and two children.
Johnny Oro – 1966
Directed by Sergio Corbucci, Johnny Oro follows the gold-obsessed bounty hunter Johnny Oro (Mark Damon), also known as Johnny Ringo, a man that finds himself pursued by a Mexican bandit. Seeking revenge for the death of his older brother at Ringo’s hands, the bandit joins forces with a Native American tribe to extract revenge. A decent early entry in the spaghetti western genre, made all the more notable by the involvement of one of the genre’s finest directors.
One thing worth noting is that Johnny Oro tells a very Americanised story by the standards of the spaghetti western genre, which is understandable given that it was such an early entry. That said, the film builds towards an action-packed and more explosive finale, featuring a plethora of shootouts. There are also a handful of surprisingly brutal moments scattered throughout its modest eighty-seven-minute runtime.
Overall, Johnny Oro is a respectable addition to the genre, but not one that particularly stands out from the crowd. The pacing occasionally felt a little slow, with one or two stretches where very little of note happened. As a result, it’s unlikely to be one that many viewers will be in a hurry to revisit.
Johnny Yuma – 1966
Directed by Romolo Guerrieri, Johnny Yuma centers around Samantha Felton (Rosalba Neri), a lady responsible for the murder of her own husband for a large inheritance. Additionally, she plans to kill his nephew, Johnny Yuma (Mark Damon), as he is the only heir to the husbands fortune. However, things do not go as smoothly as anticipated. A thoroughly exciting flick, that manages to boast a noteworthy level of production value.
As touched upon, Johnny Yuma features some of the genre’s finest levels of production, with some beautiful filming locations captured in Almeria, Spain, alongside authentic costume and set design. With that said, there were one or two minor gripes that surfaced throughout the one-hundred-minute runtime, one of which was the pacing of the story, which felt a little slow, particularly during the first half of the picture.
While the flick does feature some light-hearted moments, it contrasts them well with scenes that are incredibly dark and impactful, which came as a slight surprise. All in all, Johnny Yuma is certainly one to watch if you’re a fan of the genre, and it could be argued that film lovers in general would find plenty to appreciate here.
Requiescant – 1967
Directed by Carlo Lizzani and starring Lou Castel as Requiescant, alongside Mark Damon as the unhinged George Bellow Ferguson, Requiescant follows the adopted son of a Catholic preacher, who witnesses the massacre of his town as a child, only to grow up seeking revenge against those responsible. An original and distinctive entry into the spaghetti western genre, with the flick managing to stand out as one of the more memorable experiences.
With a plethora of standout qualities, Requiescant boasts not only a dark, gothic-inspired story with equally dark and memorable characters, but also a number of bleak and brutal action sequences, accompanied by dialogue that perfectly suited the film’s tone. With that said, at times the direction of the film felt a little choppy and uneven, particularly during the opening thirty minutes with scenes moving from one situation to the next, before the story had time to establish itself.
All in all, however, it’s fair to say that Requiescant (also known as Kill and Pray) is a thoroughly recommended picture, with more than enough qualities to make it a worthwhile watch. Its performances, bleak atmosphere and overall tone manage to leave a lasting impression.
No Killing Without Dollars – 1967
Directed by Riccardo Freda, No Killing Without Dollars follows the White siblings, as they set out to uncover the man responsible for their father’s murder. With several suspects in the town of Owell Rock, the pair enlist the help of a professional gunfighter, portrayed by Mark Damon, to aid them in their quest for justice. An at times enjoyable flick that is somewhat held back by the overly complicated execution of its story.
Another minor flaw of No Killing Without Dollars would have to be the contrast between the first half of the film and the second half. The first adopted a more light-hearted, almost whimsical approach, before abruptly shifting into a more serious murder mystery. Rather than complementing one another, the two halves felt a little like entirely different films, making the switch somewhat abrupt.
With that said, the picture does feature a solid cast and a number of strong performances, particularly from Mark Damon, Stephen Forsyth, Luciana Gilli and Pamela Tudor, as well as one of the genre’s familiar faces in Ignazio Spalla.
It’s worth noting that the website also includes short reviews of A Train for Durango (1968) and Dead Men Don’t Count (1968) that were published recently, featured in the article Spaghetti Sunday – Edition #10, which star Mark Damon.
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