Tepepa (1968)

[Harvey Chartrand]

http://www.giuliopetroni.com/cinema_foto9.htm
http://www.giuliopetroni.com/cinema_foto8.htm

Click on the above hyperlinks for rare shots of Orson Welles and his ever present cigar on the set of Giulio Petroni's TEPEPA in Andalusia, Spain, taken in 1968. Welles is in costume for his role as General Cascorro in this spaghetti western. Welles' character is described as "the drunken, swaggering, yet soft-spoken strong-arm of the oppressive Mexican government who is out to destroy the rebel Tepepa (Tomas Milian) and the revolution." Welles is said to play this villain with brilliant subtlety. Many film writers are now hailing TEPEPA as an unheralded classic of genre cinema. Ironic that it may turn out to be one of Welles' finest efforts as actor only. Who woulda thunk? I'd love to see TEPEPA. Is it out on DVD?

[Le Chiffre]

TEPEPA, mentioned in a couple of previous threads here, is one of my favorite of Welles' 'acting only' films, even tho I've only seen the cheap pan-and-scan VHS video of the shortened version, known as BLOOD AND GUNS. I'd love to see a good widescreen print of the full version in a theatre sometime.

It is available in Europe on letterboxed DVD. TEPEPA DVD

[tonyw]

TEPEPA belonged to that very important sub-genre of the Italian Western (I avoid the condescending popular terms for obvious reasons) known as the "political western" which compriused key examples such as Sergio Corbucci's THE GRAND SILENCE, A PROFESSIONAL GUN, and COMPANEROS; Sergio Sollima's THE BIG GUNDOWN and FACE TO FACE; A BULLET FOR THE GENERAL co-starring Gian-Maria Volonte (the "John Wayne of the Italian Left) and Lou Castel, and also REQIESCANT co-starring Castel and Pier Paolo Pasolini as a revolutionary priest.

These features were well-known components of this brief genre and possibly influenced Welles who, on this occasion, perhaps did not merely do it for the money but found parallels to his Hank Quinlan type characters in the role.

These westerns are discussed in a now-out of print book, ITALIAN WESTERN: OPERA OF VIOLENCE (1975).

[Le Chiffre]

I would think Pontecorvo's 1969 BURN with Marlon Brando might fit in that catagory too.

[Terry]

Was this a spaghetti western with the tight close-ups on the actor's faces, just below the lips and just above the eyebrows? (Always makes me think of Welles saying "well, there's the two schools...")

[tonyw]

BURN was also scripted by the scenarist for A BULLET FOR THE GENERAL. Also, in reference to the othe rposting concenring visual style, most Italian Westerns used this but the technique was first pioneered by Samuel Fuller in his first film I SHOT JESSE JAMES.

[Le Chiffre]

the good the bad and the ugly now has a bonus disc, it's worth getting

THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY and ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST are probably the two greatest spaghetti westerns, although I thought the restored director's cut of GBU was maybe a little too long. TEPEPA is not in the same league, but I'm glad Welles did dabble in the genre.

concenring visual style, most Italian Westerns used this but the technique was first pioneered by Samuel Fuller in his first film I SHOT JESSE JAMES.

Nicholas Ray's JOHNNY GUITAR has also been cited as an influence on the genre.

[tonyw]

Also, Robert Aldrich's VERA CRUZ (1954) was very infleuential on Leone's ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST with Charles Bronson also playing a harmonica in that earlier film.

At the same time, we must not forget that there were other good Italian Westerns which were not released theatrically but are may now be available on DVD such as Sergio Corbucci's THE GRAND SILENCE, COMPANEROUS, Guilio Peroni's DEATH RIDES A HORSE, A BULLET FOR THE GENERAL, and Sergio Sollima's THE BIG GUNDOWN and FACE TO FACE which are two great examples of the political western.

[DexyMan]

I am watching the DVD and as it is missing 15 minutes of English dialogue, I am trying to translate the Italian subtitles and then put the translated version on to a new DVD. If anyone who knows Italian would be willing to help that would be very beneficial. Here is what I have so far through 30 minutes according to the free translator!

5:36 In fondo ci farà poco con tutta quella roba.
In fund it will do us little with everything stuff
7:05 Aveto dato l’ordine di non sparargli perche lo volevo vivo
Aveto given the order of not to fire them because it I wanted alive.
7:10 Lui questo non lo sapeva
He this did not know it.
13:37 Carica!
It loads.
14:00 Puntate!
You aim.
18:07 Quando hai finito di fare il caffe ricordati che devo andare da Madero.
When you finished doing the coffee remembered that I should go from Madero.
18:10 lo sono inglese…
I am English…
18:14 e bero il te
and bero the tea
18:22 Americano, inglese, tutti biondi!
American, English, all blondes!
18:29 lo guido, tu spingi. Va bene?
The guido, you push. It goes well?
18:46 Ho detto che adesso io guido e tu spingi.
I said that now I drive and you push.
27:29 E’stata un’ottima idea, Tepepa. Sei venuto per me.
And been an excellent idea, Tepepa. You are come for me.
27:45 Contrabando, eh? Bigamia
Contrabando, eh? Bigamia
27:51 Che roba è? La mia seconda moglie e contro la legge.
That stuff is? The mine second wife is against the law.
27:58 Corragio…
Corragio…
28:05 Indietro!
Back!

[Le Chiffre]

Picture quality is not great, but this 1968 Thomas Milian western, co-starring Orson Welles as an evil Mexican general, is available to view in it's entirety on Youtube, for how long I have no idea (amazing how many full-length movies there are on Youtube now, most of them probably violating some kind of copyright). Anyway, it's one of the few of Welles' later movies as actor that's worth watching; not in the same league as the best of Leone and Peckinpah, but with some of the qualities of both. In fact, it's enjoyable enough that I would relish the chance to see this on a big screen in 35mm sometime.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uREv4IQTyQE

[Sir Bygber Brown]

I've got an Italian bootleg of this that someone sent me a few years ago, just tried to watch it the other day, its pretty dreadful, had to turn it off.

[tonyw]

Although Orson disliked walking in several scenes when Milian rode behind him, this is one of the most interesting of the Italian political Westerns by Guilio Petroni discussed in a recent book on the Italian Western that does not acknowledge one crucial source in which a whole chapter was devoted to the theme in 1975. In fact the accomplished Milian experienced the same type of neglect as did Orson when he returned to America since he is also a very accomplished actor.

[tonyw]

For those wishing to see a good DVD copy, the German Koch Media provides English audio with the restored Italian scenes having English subs. Other features including Petroni's a.c have German subs that can be read by those with a limited reading knowledge while Milian's taped interview on the feature is conducted in English. Orson appears as a Federale Mr. Clay. He later sent a cable to the director mentioning his enjoyment working on the film.

[Steve Paradis]

For those wishing to see a good DVD copy, the German Koch Media provides English audio with the restored Italian scenes having English subs. Other features including Petroni's a.c have German subs that can be read by those with a limited reading knowledge while Milian's taped interview on the feature is conducted in English. Orson appears as a Federale Mr. Clay. He later sent a cable to the director mentioning his enjoyment working on the film.

It's moved:
https://youtu.be/0Oqq-TTtd1I

[tonyw]

That version is 6 minutes short of the original Koch Media release but much better than the US release version BLOOD AND GUNS that ran 90 mins!