bkoganbing Take A Hard Ride is both a spaghetti western and a black exploitation film. In this film Jim Brown takes a really large sum to Sonora in Mexico where his dying employer Dana Andrews has started what sounds like a Utopian like settlement. Brown takes on the mission because as a former slave Andrews treated him like a human being. He's feeling a strong obligation there.But when you're carrying $86,000.00 and that's in 19th century dollars it's not something you keep a secret. Brown has all kinds of people after the money up to and including bounty hunter Lee Van Cleef and even the law itself in the person of Barry Sullivan.His allies are an uneasy group. Gambler Fred Williamson who is a fast gun and has a way with snakes goes along with Brown with Brown knowing full well Williamson could turn on him. They also pick up a mute Indian played by Jim Kelly who's learned a lot of good karate moves with his tribe.Take A Hard Ride is a pretty good western for a spaghetti western. I'm not a real big fan of the genre thinking that westerns are to be made in the USA as its our art form. Still with all the Americans in the cast, none of that ridiculous dubbing is here. Brown and Williamson have a good chemistry in their scenes.Should please devoted western fans.

ma-cortes Offbeat Western deals with tough and two-fisted African-American Pike (Jim Brown) must complete promises his upright wealthy employer Morgan (Dana Andrews) that he will venture across the desert to deliver $86,000 dollars in bankroll money . As Pike will have to ride across Mexican border to a ranch in Sonora, Mexico . Pike attracts a motley bunch of comrades for his trip , as he makes an uneasy alliance with smooth, yet suspicious card gambler Tyree (Fred Williamson) in order to execute successfully his risked assignment , meanwhile the dudes run afoul of bounty hunter Kiefer (Lee Van Cleef) . During their perilous trek Pike and Tyree pick up a couple of strays and desperate waifs , meet harassed whore Catherine (Catherine Spaak) and her loyal Kung-Fu fighting Indian companion Kashtok (Jim Brown) , while a vast army of pursuers chase after the loot . Along the way they face off ruthless bounty hunter Kiefer , a shifty marshal (Barry Sullivan) and numerous greedy chasers who give a dogged pursuit .This is a rather passable attempt to expand the Spaghetti/Paella Western blending the blaxploitation and Kung-Fu markets . Action Western in which a rugged trail boss as well as reformed criminal makes an uneasy alliance with an offbeat group of roles for his journey and to transport large payroll throughout Mexican border , being mercilessly pursued by a nasty bounty hunter who wants to take a heap of money . The film stands out the breezy chemistry between Jim Brown and Fred Williamson . Nice personalities wasted in a mediocre screenplay . The storyline is uneven but has its agreeable moments here and there . The picture takes part a little genre in which during the 1970s achieved splendor and mingled Spaghetti Western and martial arts with influence of David Carradine-Kung Fu series . Good stunts , including people falling from heights , slam into railings , throw themselves just in front of camera , bridge explosion and many other things . The notorious filmmaker , producer and stuntsman Hal Needham was brought in to coordinate stunts on the film , though he was promptly removed from the production . The support cast is pretty well , formed by a colorful team of characters full of bandits , sheriffs , deputies , desperadoes and outlaws such as ace martial artist half-breed Jim Brown , veteran Harry Carey Jr , Hollywood star Barry Sullivan , Robert Donner , and usual Spanish secondaries from Paella Western as Jorge Rigaud and Ricardo Palacios , both of whom worked with Lee van Cleef in Margheriti's previous Western : ¨Blood Money¨ or ¨Karate , colt and impostor¨ , being shot in Almeria , Spain . Adequate and sunny cinematography by Riccardo Pallottini , it is well set , in fact the town set from the opening scene has been become a sort of western theme park and , nowadays , everything is there exactly as it was in the movie , the main street houses and church . Filmed on location Canary Islands , Gran Canaria , Lanzarote , as surrounding area was used extensively, utilizing the black, volcanic sand of the island and also the dunes of Maspalomas on the southern coast . Fun and great musical score by maestro Jerry Goldsmith , he did one of his best for the genre . Jerry creates an absolutely fantastic score but was actually criticized for making a score superior to the film. This oddball motion picture was professionally directed by Antonio Margheriti who was born in 1930 , Rome, and died in 2002 . He was a director and writer , known for Yor (1983), Virus (1980) and Horror castle (1963) . Italian writer-director of horror and exploitation films, a former university engineering student who began in films in 1956 . He was also an expert in special optical effects and model-making . Often used the pseudonym 'Anthony M. Dawson'. He directed all kind of genres such as Wartime : The last hunter , Tornado , Code Name : Wild Geese , Commando Leopard , Der Commander ; Sci-Fi : War of planets , Planet on the prowl , Criminali Della Galassia ; Action : Operazione Goldman , Indio , The Squeeze , Cyberflic ; Terror : The Virgin of Nuremberg , Virus or Cannibal Apocalypse , Alien from the Deep , Flesh for Frankestein and Spaghetti : Joko , Dynamite Joe ,The Stranger and the Gunfighter , And God Said to Cain .

Ruth Voboril Thank God blacks have gotten past this stage of films. How completely undignified.Moreover, this was for me, a painful film to watch. Such a wonderful talent as Ronald Howard, playing the crooked preacher, in this, his last film, which turned out to be complete crap. The cameramen didn't even have the grace to give him one lousy decent shot. Every time it looks as though he might get a little bit of exposure, the camera returns to that damned Lee Van Cleef. It is clear to see how this led him to finally abandon acting entirely. What a waste of talent. Very sad indeed.

FORREST136 Who cares about the plot with Brown and Williamson on screen! These 2 handsome men running around in their tight jeans never looked better! The plot is flimmsy but the photography is great! Catch this one on video or on Black Starz!