''Tepepa'', also known as ''Blood and Guns'', is an Italian

epic Epic commonly refers to: * Epic poetry, a long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation * Epic film, a genre of film defined by the spectacular presentation of human drama on a grandiose scale Epic(s) ...

Zapata Western film starring Tomas Milian and

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American director, actor, writer, producer, and magician who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is among the greatest and most influential film ...

. The film was directed by Giulio Petroni. It was co-produced with

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, where the film was released with the title ''Tepepa... Viva La Revolución''.

Plot

The government of "comrade" Madero does not satisfy the

peon Peon (English language, English , from the Spanish language, Spanish ''wikt:peón#Spanish, peón'' ) usually refers to a person subject to peonage: any form of wage labor, financial exploitation, coercive economic practice, or policy in which t ...

Tepepa, who continues his guerilla battle as a revolutionary, against the government troops together with a group of faithful fighters. Tepepa is feeling mocked by the ex-revolutionary Madero, who is now head of state. Tepepa finds himself several times facing the fearsome chief of police, Colonel Cascorro, and is constantly persecuted by an English doctor, Henry Price, eager to avenge a girl from a rich family, with whom the doctor was in love, and whom Tepepa had raped, causing her to suicide. During the last fight Cascorro finally manages to wound Tepepa, who has escaped him several times, but in the decisive battle Cascarro is killed by the revolutionary. Meanwhile, the doctor, who despite his hatred for Tepepa had remained at the side of the revolutionaries, manages to take revenge on the peon, killing him with a scalpel immediately after extracting the bullet from his wound. The Doctor then packs his horse to leave, only to be shot by Paquito. The death of Tepepa, however, does not mark the end of the revolution, and others will continue the battle in his place.

Cast

* Tomas Milian as Jesus Maria "Tepepa" Moran *

as Colonel Cascorro * John Steiner as Doctor Henry Price *José Torres as Pedro "El Piojo" Pereira *Luciano Casamonica as Paquito *Annamaria Lanciaprima as Maria Virgen Escalande * George Wang as Mr. Chu * Paco Sanz as President Madero * Clara Colosimo as Sergeant's Wife * Giancarlo Badessi as Sergeant * Rafael Hernández as Pedro * Paloma Cela as Consuelo *Ángel Ortiz as Urelio

Production

The film stars Tomas Milian and Orson Welles in opposing roles. Director Giulio Petroni expressed disappointment with Welles. Petroni claimed that the atmosphere on the set was "terrible," and that Welles called Milian (who idolized Welles) a "dirty Cuban".

References

External links

* 1969 films 1969 Western (genre) films Spaghetti Western films Spanish Western (genre) films Mexican Revolution films 1960s English-language films English-language Italian films English-language Spanish films 1960s Italian-language films 1960s Spanish-language films Films directed by Giulio Petroni Films scored by Ennio Morricone Films about revolutionaries Films shot in Almería 1960s multilingual films Italian multilingual films Spanish multilingual films 1960s Italian films English-language Western (genre) films {{1960s-Western-film-stub