Rampage at Apache Wells (1966)

A lot of fun.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

WINNETOU & THE OIL PRINCE is one of the later German-made Winnetou westerns, lacking the presence of former Tarzan Lex Barker but featuring Stewart Granger who gives a fine, relaxed, and likable performance as Old Surehand. The plot concerns a ruthless oil baron busy going about oppressing the Indian tribes, at which point Surehand and Winnetou step in to sort him about. This is a colourful, fast-paced and exciting little film with lots of action and charisma to see it through.

New entry in long series including attractive characters , crossfire and gorgeous Yugoslavian exteriors magnificently photographed ; included the beloved friends : the righteous leader of the Apaches, and his blood brother Old Surehand . It deals with a nasty businessman nicknamed The Oilprince (Harald Leipnitz) . He looks forward to a lucrative covenant with the "Western Arizona Bank¨ represented by an ambitious banker . He sells the bank some oil wells at Shelly Lake that do actually not exist . Meanwhile , a group of colonists run by Bill Campbell (Walter Barnes) head to settle there . They are joined by Old Surehand (Stewart Granger) who agrees to escort them in a search for the precious lands . There is also a card player (Terence Hill or Mario Girotti) helping the group , but he has dark intentions , he is really a traitor ; later on , he falls in love with the girl (Macha Meril) in an enjoyable love story . Then , there takes place an emotive meeting between and Winnetou (recently deceased -2015- Pierre Brice) and Old Surehand to carry out their good purports and save them . As the heinous Oilprince to be aware that the settlers would like to settle at Shelly Lake . He , then , plans to exchange the scout of the settlers by one of his underlings to give them another route . But soon the Oilprince has to recognize that he has not counted on Winnetou and his faithful half-brother Old Surehand , both of whom are on the trail to discover the truth . In spite of troubles caused by bandits led by unscrupulous Oilprince and some rebel Indians who seek revenge , they get escape . Old Surehand set out on pursuit of Oilprince and his minions bandits and prepares them a trap . After that , the train wagon reaches ¨Shelly Lake¨ , a location full of swift streams , risked falls and a dangerous river to cross in some spectacular scenes (most of them made by means of transparency) that are the highlights of the movie . At the end takes place a thrilling epilogue by means of shootouts and fire with no much sense .This is a thrilling and stirring adventure based on Karl May novel with two agreeable roles , being stunningly played by Stewart Granger and Pierre Brice respectively . This is a so-so episode about one of the series of popular German made Western , featuring the duo who agree to guide the motley group trough Indian territory , both of them repeat their same notorious roles as dignified as always . This enjoyable saga benefits from sensational adventures , shoot'em up , betrayals , larger-than-life characters and overwhelming scenarios shot in Spandau, Berlin, Cetina river, Krka Falls, Krka National Park, Croatia and Perucko reservoir, Yugoslavia . Winnetou-Pierre Brice repeats , as usual, his excellent role to be continued in a TV series . Brice was descendant of old French nobility and considered to be one of the most famous and most loved actors in Germany and in the other countries in Eastern Europe , thanks to this role and starred several pictures as charming Indian Winnetou . He even received First Class Medal as one the most popular Frenchmen in Germany . In 1962, the German producer Horst Wendlandt searched for an actor who should play the Native American chief and got to know Brice at the Berlin Film Festival . He got the role and portrayed "Winnetou" in ten more movies . Barker scored especially high marks , though he played as a serious and intelligent man who joins forces with Winnetou , while Stewart Granger as Old Surehand performs with humor and joy , he's the perfect counterpoint to Winnetou . Enjoyable relationship between Old Surehand and Winnetou is quite match . The highbrow Lex Barker played the most part of series : ¨Apache gold (1963)¨ by Harald Reinl, ¨Apaches last Battle (1964)¨ by Hugo Fregonese, ¨Last of renegades(1964)¨, ¨The desperate trail¨, ¨Old Surehand¨ (1965) directed by Alfred Vohrer, ¨Old Shatterland(1966)¨ by Harald Philipp, ¨In the valley of death(1968)¨ by Harald Reinl . Stewart Granger took the role in two occasions , he starred a diverse character but the role is pretty similar to Old Shatterland , he plays with mirth and sympathetic manner as ¨Among vultures¨ and ¨Winnetou and Surehand¨ . Besides , Rod Cameron starred only one : ¨Old Firehand¨ in which chemistry between stuffy Cameron and Brice is inexistent . Nice support cast such as the customary nasty Harald Leipnitz along with the Morocco woman : Macha Méril , Walter Barnes and ¡ Terence Hill ! prior his amusing films with Bud Spencer playing as Trinidad and Bambino . In fact , Terence married an American girl of Bavarian descent , and learning German language , he starred several Germanic films , before his successful Italian ones . The film displays a colorful cinematography and a catching , sensitive musical score ,though with excessive use of synthesizer by Martin Bottcher , series's ordinary , being eventually replaced in some episode by Peter Thomas . The motion picture ¨Rampage at Apache Wells¨ or ¨Der Olprinz¨ by Harald Philipp was well produced by Rialto Film Preben-Philipse/Horst Wendlandt /Constantin . The flick was professionally directed by Harald Philipp who made all kind of genres : action , Western , Wartime , besides he was a German thriller expert called Krimi -Edward Wallace adaptation- and realized another Western titled : ¨"Winnetou and the Crossbreed" . Rating : 5.5/10 , acceptable and passable . Worthwhile seeing for marvelous landscapes and breathtaking outdoors from Yugoslavia , including rousing falls , canyon, rivers and mountains ; all of them as spectacular as Almeria -Spain- outdoors where at the same time were shot numerous European Western . In successive episodes the faithful half-brothers are ready on the trail to undertake other adventures.

A later entry in the so-called (due to being German-made) "Kraut Western" series of Karl May novels-turned-films, this one doesn't quite measure up to some of the others, but does have a few things to recommend it. Granger takes on a role very similar to one that Lex Barker had portrayed in prior films, that of a buckskin-clad adventurer, frequently joined by his trusted Indian friend Brice. Here they must aid a wagon train of settlers who are being misled and mistreated by a greedy oil baron (Leipnitz) who wishes to lay claim to the land they are heading towards. Leipnitz sticks them with an impostor for a scout, plays a spy (Hill) in their midst and then turns the Indians, led by Popovic-Mavid, against them. Granger is solid, though he brings a more effete quality to the series than rugged, macho Barker did (something not aided by his flouncy scarf.) Brice is one step away from being unintentionally funny with stoic demeanor, sudden appearances and his pigeon English. In one scene, he says, "Surely, my friend…" and one almost waits for Granger to say, "Stop calling me Shirley!" in response. He also has an awfully haphazard moment or two performing an otherwise surprisingly thrilling rescue on a raging river. Leipnitz has a terrific look, all clad in black leather and with a neatly trimmed beard. His villainy adds to the film. Hill is handsome and decent, but doesn't get the amount of screen time or showcasing he would command a few years later. Weissgerber is a middle-aged pioneer woman while Meril is a young lady falling for Hill. Both women are okay, but can't help but pale next to previous ladies in the series such as Elke Sommer, Daliah Lavi and Karin Dor. There is some atrocious (and annoying) "comic relief" with Weissgerber's brother, a meek, cowardly composer of operas and Srdoc, a 48 year-old, is ineffectively cast as a crotchety and decrepit old man. As in most of these films, the bulk of the dubbing is laughably bad, with many of the characters sounding like grizzled, growly-voiced cowpokes, no matter what they look like. Still, there are things to enjoy here. The scenery (though not that of the western U.S. – tulips pop up in one scene!) is stunning. There are some great shots of a rushing river and waterfall. Unusual approaches to action and mayhem are present, for example there is a mute assassin called "Knife", for obvious reasons, and a general difference in tone from the standard western films, which are being emulated. It doesn't always work, but it's usually entertaining on a modest level. Sadly, the title rampage is cut short rather quickly, making for a somewhat anticlimactic denouement. The best of the Karl May filmizations is "The Treasure of Silver Lake".

This is the second "Winnetou" western I've seen, and though I have yet to see more of the series, I'm getting the feeling they are more or less the same. Stewart Granger actually makes a good hero - though starting to age, he has both a charm and a heroic presence that fits this particular "Hand" hero he plays. Other than that, it's more of the same - nice scenery, but bogged down by a leaden pace, blatant padding (especially toward the end) plus comic relief that's both utterly unfunny and childish. There is some interest in seeing a young Terence Hill, several years before he became a European superstar, and there is some amusement to see HIM being the one slapped and punched around for a change!