Ferdinando Baldi is a talented director who worked in the Italian film industry for most of his career. Baldi toiled in various genres, including spy films (SUICIDE MISSION TO SINGAPORE), peplums (DUEL OF THE CHAMPIONS), and gangland pictures (NINE GUESTS FOR A CRIME). But perhaps Baldi’s best-known works are his classic Spaghetti Westerns, such as CARAMBOLA, FORGOTTEN PISTOLERO, and TEXAS, ADIOS. Franco Nero was coming off the European box office success of DJANGO, and that same year took up the role of Texas lawman Burt Sullivan in TEXAS, ADIOS. The film was a worthy follow-up to DJANGO, and scored at the European box office (and it even played on American screens, unlike Nero’s breakthrough film, DJANGO). The success of the picture further cemented Nero’s reputation as the European Clint Eastwood. In 2001, Anchor Bay expanded their line of Spaghetti Westerns on DVD, with the release of three rare Franco Nero films, KEOMA, THE CAMPANEROS, and TEXAS, ADIOS. All DVDs are uncut and widescreen with some modest extras.

Burt Sullivan (Nero) is a silent but deadly Sheriff in a Texas frontier town. When Burt was a small boy, he watched a bandit kill his father and rape his mother. Now, with the law on his side, he intends to cross the treacherous Mexican border to find the culprit (who fled there) and bring him to justice. Burt doesn’t know where to find this man or what he looks like. He only knows that the killer’s name is Cisco Delgado. Burt’s younger brother, Jim (Kitosch) convinces Burt to let him come along. Together, they say adios to Texas and cross the frontier. The first stop that Burt makes is to a bank to convert Yankee dollars to pesos. Next the Sullivan brothers go to a shady bar, to put out the word that they are looking for Cisco Delgado. Of course, no one admits they know the man. But all the local Mexican low-lifes try to make things tough for them. They meet a nasty old gunfighter named Miguel (Lorenzon), who steals their horses and warns them to go back to Mexico.

Burt saves a lawyer from getting beat up by one of Cisco Delgado’s goons. The man thanks Burt and tries to recruit him into the Mexican Revolution. This man Cisco Delgado (Jose Suarez) is a rich land baron who oppresses the people through superior firepower. Delgado’s cruel regime has given rise to a revolutionary movement. But the rebels are not soldiers, but farmers and craftsmen who lack battle experience. Burt respectfully denies their request as he is officially a member of the U.S. government and cannot get involved. Burt and Jim only want to bring Delgado back to the States to pay for his crimes. A Mexican barmaid provides a tip-off that leads Burt and Jim to Delgado’s desert compound. They accompany a group of prostitutes bound for Delgado’s villa. Once there, Burt finally gets the opportunity he has waiting for—to confront his father’s killer face-to-face. His smug host welcomes him into his villa, and doesn’t bat an eye when Burt informs him that Delgado is going back to Texas to account for his crimes. That’s when Delgado shocks Burt by telling him that he is Jim’s father! How can Jim bring himself to kill the father of his own beloved brother?

Director Ferdinando Baldi crafts TEXAS, ADIOS with an eye toward old school Westerns, and includes more than a few nods to Gary Cooper. But make no mistake about it, this is a Spaghetti Western, which has all the trademarks of the best the genre has to offer: savage violence, a galloping musical score, beautiful women (and ugly villains), and Franco Nero. The plotting is straightforward as the audience tags along with Burt and Jim on their journey from Texas to Mexico. The duo encounters many strange characters, and peripherally influence a revolution. TEXAS, ADIOS offers a great supporting cast, including Jose (BARRAKA X-77) Suarez as the target of Nero’s wrath. Hugo (SECRET OF DR. ORLOFF) Blanco is appropriately slimy as Delgado’s right hand man. Luigi (THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY) Pistilli essays the role of the brave leader of the rebellion, who looks to Nero for guidance. Livio (GOLIATH AND THE SINS OF BABYLON) Lorenzon is excellent as the blood-thirsty Miguel, who can’t make a commitment to the rebel cause. These characters all have agendas, and Baldi uses their motivations to captivate the viewer between action set pieces.

The level of violence is high, and the value of human life is low. Franco Nero’s character of Burt Sullivan is caught up in a situation he cannot control. Although Burt is the cause of much violence (he kills people only in self defense), he is caught up in much bigger stakes--a revolution--that forces the innocent people to arm themselves in the name of freedom. Ferdinando Baldi fills TEXAS, ADIOS with a grim aura of doom, which matches the high level of violent acts. Besides the unlimited number of gunned-downed bandits and revolutionaries, TEXAS, ADIOS also showcases stabbings, pistol whippings, and the branding of humans like cattle. The violence is not gory like CUTTHROATS 9 (the Lucio Fulci of Euro-Westerns), although you will see some crimson in TEXAS, ADIOS. In addition, the film’s only weakness is the bare-knuckle brawling scenes. Burt can punch and kick as good as he shoots, but some scenes exhibit sloppy fight choreography, while others are quite effective. Remo DeAngelis’ stunt coordination is sloppy in these one-on-one fights. DeAngelis’s large-scale gunfights fare much better.

-  Phil Chandler

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