Navajo Joe

Navajo Joe
Directed by	Sergio Corbucci
Produced by	Luigi Carpentieri Ermanno Donati
Written by	Fernando Di Leo Ugo Pirro Piero Regnoli
Starring	Burt Reynolds Aldo Sambrell Nicoletta Machiavelli Tanya Lopert Fernando Rey
Music by	Ennio Morricone credited as Leo Nichols
Cinematography	Silvano Ippoliti
Distributed by	United Artists
Release date(s)	1966
Running time	93 min. (Italy/USA) 88 min. (Spain)
Country	Italy / Spain
Language	Italian

Promotional poster for Navajo Joe

Navajo Joe is a 1966 Italian/Spanish Spaghetti Western, directed by Sergio Corbucci. It was filmed in Spain.

Navajo Joe stars Burt Reynolds in his second leading role in a feature film, as the titular character, a Navajo Indian opposing a group of bandits responsible for killing his tribe.

The film's score was composed by Ennio Morricone (credited as Leo Nichols).

Plot

Having massacred an Indian village, outlaw Duncan finds his men falling victim to a solitary rider, Navajo Joe. Joe saves two prostitutes who have overheard Duncan plot with Lynne, the town doctor, to steal a train full of money belonging to the bank. Joe steals the train back from Duncan's gang. He asks the townspeople of Esperanza to pay him to protect them from Duncan, making an offer of "I want a dollar a head from every man in this town for every bandit I kill". The townspeople reject him, as they "don't make bargains with Indians." Lynne's wife Honor persuades them otherwise. Joe sets a trap for Duncan but is caught and tortured; Lynne and Honor are killed. Rescued by an old man from the saloon, Joe again steals the train and eradicates Duncan's gang. There is then a showdown in an Indian cemetery, where Joe reclaims the pendant which Duncan stole from his wife when he murdered her. As Joe turns, Duncan shoots Joe with a hidden gun. Injured, Joe grabs a tomahawk and throws it, hitting Duncan square in the forehead. With Duncan dead, Joe sends his horse back to town, probably for the reward.

Music

The original soundtrack for the movie has been composed by Ennio Morricone (credited as Leo Nichols) and contains the following tracks :

1. Titoli Di Testa-Navajo Joe (Main Title)
2. Pelli Conciate E Pelli Morte (Raw Hides and Dead Hides)
3. Profilo del Destino (A Silhouette of Doom)
4. Saloon Pyote (The Pyote Saloon)
5. Storia Indiana (An Indian Story)
6. Verso Esperanza (To Esperanza)
7. Bandito Prende Il Treno (The Bandit Gets the Train)
8. Ma Joe Dice No (But Joe Says No)
9. Fine Di Barbara, E Il Ritornio Di Joe (The Demise of Barbara and the Return of Joe)
10. Paura E Silenzio (Fear and Silence)
11. Navajo E Prigioniero (The Navajo and the Prisoner)
12. Guarendo le Ferite (Healing the Wound)
13. Addio a Fratello Jeffrey (Goodbye to Brother Jeffrey)
14. Navajo Joe
15. Dopo la Fine (After the End)
16. Titoli Di Coda-Navajo Joe (End Title)

Credits notes

• The lead female vocalist heard in the main title and in most of the tracks is Gianna Spagnulo,^[1] who also participated to the soundtrack Once Upon a Time in the West.

Song notes

• The track "A Silhouette of Doom" has been used for The Bride's introductory speech and for her duel with Elle Driver in the second volume of the two-part Quentin Tarantino film, Kill Bill.
• The track "The Demise of Barbara and the Return of Joe" has been used for Bill's death in the second volume of the two-part Quentin Tarantino film, Kill Bill. This track has also been used when Tracy rips up the posters of Paul in the movie Election.

Trivia

• Burt Reynolds is not Navajo, he is partially of Cherokee descent.
• Sergio Corbucci claimed the plot of the film was based on historical accuracy; the U.S. Government paying scalp bounties.^[2]
• The original title of the film was to have been A Dollar a Head
• Burt Reynolds only agreed to make ‘Navajo Joe’ as he was under the impression Sergio Leone would be directing. When he found out it was Sergio Corbucci, it was too late for him to pull out of the film. He would continually joke "wrong Sergio" when talking about the film.
• Tracks from the film's score were later featured in Election and Kill Bill.
• Joe's horse was a dapple gray painted to look like a pinto.

References

1. ^ p.7 Ehresmann, Patrick "Western, Italian Style"
2. ^ p.4 Bender, John Navajo Joe Film Score Monthly soundtrack notes

External links

• Un Dollaro a Testa at AllRovi
• Navajo Joe at the Internet Movie Database
• Navajo Joe at the Spaghetti Western Database
• Navajo Joe at Rotten Tomatoes
• [1] Short review by Bosley Crowther at nytimes.com, originally published on December 7, 1967