The Weekend Western: Minnesota Clay
We first encounter Minnesota Clay in a labour camp, guarded by the army. Within five minutes he’s made his escape but in that time we learn three important facts about him: he a good guy (he dives into a river to rescue a guy who’d just attacked him), he’s innocent of the murder he was convicted of (there’s a witness who can confirm it), and he’s losing his sight (a blow to the head could leave him blind). Having escaped, Clay sets out to clear his name and find his daughter. In so doing he becomes involved in a gang war between Mexican bandits and Fox, a corrupt Sheriff who also happens to be the witness who can clear Clay’s name.
This pre-Django spaghetti western from Sergio Corbucci lacks the style and uniqueness of that film. Only in the climactic shoot-out between an almost blind Clay and Fox and his men does he show the style that would mark him as probably the second greatest director of spaghetti westerns, after Sergio Leone (who was making A Fistful of Dollars at the same time Corbucci was filming this). It’s a bravura moment, with the director using lighting and sound to put the viewer in Clay’s shoes.
As the titular character, Cameron Mitchell does a decent job, although the film is hampered by some terrible dialogue, with Clay’s daughter Nancy being the worst culprit. The dubbing is pretty good though, with Mitchell voicing himself and the vocal acting a cut above the norm.
