Awkward Hands (1970) Poster

(1970)

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6/10
Decent Paella Western well starred by the German Peter Lee Lawrence and compellingly directed by Rafael Marchent
ma-cortes22 February 2014
Cool Spaghetti full of fury , action, and portentous duels . This acceptable and enjoyable Paella Western that owes a considerable debt to Leone deals with a miserable livery stable boy named Peter Cushmich (Peter Lee Lawrence), he's mistreated, pushed and kicked by his colleagues (Antonio Pica) and foreman (Luis Induni) . But he falls in love for the owner's daughter (Pilar Velazquez) . When the owner (Antonio Casas) learns his daughter married to Peter , he ties Peter and punishes , lashes and banishes him . Peter is left into desert . Then arrives an occasional mysterious helper , a too smart bad guy called Latimore (Albert De Mendoza) , he's a tough bounty hunter looking for four cutthroats (Mariano Vidal Molina , Frank Braña, Aldo Sambrell , Antonio Molino Rojo) . Peter befriends Latimore who acts as protector of the humiliated young . At the beginning the gunfighter teams up with the hapless young man but Peter is wounded , being healed by a Chinese wise . The Chinese old man (Gene Reyes) teaches (similar to many years later , Pat Morita/Ralph Macchio, in Karate Kid ) him Oriental philosophy and to use his "Awkward Hands" . Thanks to him , Peter learns about himself , the sense of life and to shoot . Then Peter carries out a personal vendetta against people mistreated him . Later on , Peter Cushmich is ¨wanted dead or alive¨ , reward : 5.000 dollars , then Latimore sets out in pursuit .

Leone-style Western with nice performances and fine direction by Rafael Romero Marchent who creates some good action scenes and exciting set pieces . The movie contains typical particularities Spaghetti , as is full of fury , sadism , bloodbaths , and close-ups of grime-encrusted faces . The notorious Spaghetti/Paella actor , Peter Lee Lawrence is good in his usual tough role , here playing a miserable young become into a terrible avenger . His role is well performed , he plays as a relentless revenger , a violent young who seeks a bloody vendetta , an usual plot in Spaghetti/Paella Western . Blond German youth Peter Lee Lawrence, who made his uncredited debut in Sergio Leone "For A Few Dollars More" (1965), was the hero in many Spaghetti Westerns. His short cinematographic history can be enclosed in nine years of Italo-Spain co-productions such as "More Dollars for the MacGregors" , ¨Winchester justice¨,"Pistol for a Hundred Coffins", ¨The man who killed Billy the Kid¨ , ¨Fury of Johnny Kid¨ and several others . Furthermore , a largely secondary cast plenty with Spanish secondaries , all of them ordinary in Chorizo western as Antonio Casas , Antonio Pica , Mariano Vidal Molina , Frank Braña , Luis Induni , Beni Deus , Lorenzo Robledo , the great Aldo Sambrell , among others , though there sadly lacks Fernando Sancho . Adequate photography by Miguel Fernandez Mila , being necessary a right remastering because of the film copy is washed out , filmed on location in Las Rozas , Manzanares Del Real , La Pedriza , Madrid . And being accompanied by an agreeable musical score by Anton Garcia Abril , including catching leitmotif.

The motion picture was well written by ordinary Santiago Moncada and by the director's brother Joaquin Romero Marchent . The movie was produced in enough budget by Ricardo Sanz who financed various Paella Western such as "My Horse, My Gun, Your Widow" , ¨4 Implacables¨ , ¨Bala Marcada¨ and "I'll Kill Him and Return Alone" . Being professionally directed and in his own personal style by Rafael Romero Marchent . Rafael Romero Marchent was born on May 3, 1926 in Madrid, Spain. He is a director and actor, known for Garringo, Un Dolar de Recompensa , or Manos Torpes . Rafael Romero Marchent was brother of Joaquin Luis Romero , who was the first to shoot Westerns in Spain . At first, Rafael Romero began in films as an actor, but when his career began to wane, he preferred to spend time behind the camera . Rafael is an expert writer and director of Spaghetti Western as proved in ¨Two crosses on Danger Pass¨, Cry for revenge¨, ¨Two guns for two twins¨ and ¨Sartana Kills Them All¨ or ¨Un par Asesinos¨. While his brother Joaquin Marchent is deemed the Paella Western's best director , his first film was ¨El Coyote¨ and the sequel titled ¨Revenge of Coyote¨ shot in Mexico ; after that , he filmed ¨The shadow of Zorro¨ and ¨Revenge of Zorro¨, he went go directing Western as ¨ Riding to death ¨ , ¨Adventures in the West¨ , ¨Three good men¨, ¨Sabor Venganza ¨ and the most popular and violent ¨Condenados a Vivir¨ . Plus , he wrote for his brother Rafael Romero Marchent the followings Western : ¨Manos Torpes¨, ¨Ocaso Un Pistolero¨ , ¨Garringo¨ , ¨Dos Cruces en Danger Pass¨ and ¨Sartana Kills Them All¨. Rating : 6,5/10 .Passable and decent Chorizo Western , though contains some flaws and gaps ; however , it results to be entertaining .
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6/10
Flawed but interesting
dinky-416 March 2008
Perhaps some inadvertent editing has occurred but the plot of this made-in-Spain western seems needlessly muddled and there appear to be occasional gaps in the story. One would like to know more, for example, about the relationship between Peter and Dorothy before the movie starts. Were they childhood sweethearts? Did Peter grow up on the ranch? And what are the facts about Peter's murdered father? There's also confusion about Dorothy going to work in a brothel. Didn't her parents object? Didn't Johnny, her other suitor, object? And why does Dorothy return to Johnny, if only temporarily, in the final reel? That is Dorothy in those scenes, isn't it? On the other hand, logical plot progression was rarely a hallmark of these "spaghetti westerns" and they usually made up for weakness in this area by offering compensating benefits. "Manos Torpes" (a.k.a. "Clumsy Hands" or "Awkward Hands") has energy and drive as well as an appealing lead performance by Peter Lee Lawrence who, alas, died tragically young. Trivia buffs will note that in "Manos Torpes" he becomes one of the few actors who's flogged twice in the same movie. What's more, he's flogged by the same man using the same whip. Then he returns to flog the man who whipped him, again using the same whip. Talk about poetic justice!
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7/10
Better than expected
haskel-7295110 October 2019
I've never been a fan of Peter Lee Lawrence. With that said, this is the best film I've seen him in. Starts as a typical euro western then adds element of several genres. I'd like to see a print that hasn't been butchered over the years though.
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