In this thirteenth edition of Spaghetti Sunday, the career of Ivan Rassimov 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 Ivan Rassimov 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 Ivan Rassimov Edition –

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Ivan Derasimovic, better known to audiences as Ivan Rassimov, was born on May 7, 1938, in Trieste, Italy. He initially served in the Italian Army before studying acting at the University of Trieste, later relocating to Rome to pursue a career in the film industry.

After starting out as an extra in numerous productions, Rassimov secured a series of small roles, one of the earliest being in Planet of the Vampires (1965). From there, he went on to establish himself within the spaghetti western genre, appearing in a modest but memorable selection of films.

Beyond spaghetti westerns, Rassimov became well known for his work across a variety of other genres throughout the 1960s and 1970s, regularly portraying imposing villains. By the late 1980’s, Rassimov had more or less retired from acting and resided in northern Rome, with his wife Efi Melessi, and teenage daughter.

It’s worth noting that Ivan Rassimov died in Rome, Italy on March 14, 2003, at the age of 64.

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Cjamango – 1967

Directed by Edoardo Mulargia and starring Ivan Rassimov, Cjamango centres around the character of Cjamango (Rassimov), who wins a bag of gold in a poker game, only to be ambushed by a pair of rival gangs. Following his eventual recovery, Cjamango begins manipulating the two factions against one another in a calculated attempt to reclaim the stolen gold. A well-made and stylish entry into the spaghetti western genre, albeit a little slow-paced and laboured, at times.

As touched upon, Cjamango features some of the genre’s stronger production values, with one or two very easy-on-the-eye filming locations and some solid camerawork throughout. That said, although the story is simple and easy to follow, it can feel quite slow and uneventful in places, lacking pace in many areas. Coupled with this, there’s also limited dialogue across the ninety-minute runtime, making the flick feel a little more drawn out than it should.

All in all, there are some areas that were seemingly lacking, but the flick did come across overall as a more than watchable entry into the world of spaghetti westerns, while managing to deliver enough appeal to warrant a watch.

If You Want to Live… Shoot! – 1968

Directed by Sergio Garrone, If You Want to Live… Shoot! centres on a young cowboy named Johnny (Ivan Rassimov), who finds himself caught in a rigged poker game and ultimately forced to shoot one of the other players. Branded a murderer, Johnny makes a swift escape as a bounty is placed on his head, with the likes of Stack (Ken Wood) in relentless pursuit. A somewhat frustrating spaghetti western that opens with a fast-paced, exciting sequence, but gradually heads downhill from there.

As noted, If You Want to Live… Shoot! opens with all the hallmarks of an action-packed, exciting entry into the genre, but unfortunately the filmmakers drift away from the more engaging subplots, instead introducing others that only serve to convolute the overall story. Additionally, the intriguing character of Stack, portrayed by Ken Wood, is hampered by limited screen time, a shortcoming that feels like a big missed opportunity.

There are certainly worse entries within the world of spaghetti westerns, and despite its occasionally messy storyline, the film still delivers enough entertaining action to keep the viewer engaged.

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It’s worth noting that the website also includes a short review of Vengeance is a Dish Served Cold (1971) that was published recently, featured in the article Spaghetti Sunday – Edition #14, which stars Ivan Rassimov.