Germans made a Western about pirate cowboys and somehow it actually slaps.
European produced Western based on the novel by Friedrich Gerstäcker, set in the 19th century in a town on the banks of the Mississippi River. The area is plagued by a gang of pirates under the leadership of Captain Kelly, who live on an island in the river, from where they operate raids on passing steamboats and traders rafts, robbing them of their cargo and murdering the crews. Townspeople and settlers do their best to put an end to the crimes and rid themselves of the pirates and their daring leader.
Practical Effects
Actual river locations make the pirate raids feel surprisingly visceral.
Costume
Kelly's pirate gear is giving 'Blackbeard at the rodeo' and it works.
Acting
Horst Frank chews scenery like it's his last meal.
Director
Jürgen Roland
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Friedrich Gerstäcker's 1848 novel was based on his own travels as a young adventurer in the American South, making this one of the few Westerns adapted from actual 19th-century German travel literature.
Part of the 1960s Euro-Western boom that peaked with Leone, this represents West Germany's attempt to compete—complete with imported American B-actor Brad Harris for international sales.
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