Gatling Gun (1968) trailer
Richard Woods and John Ireland star in this great Civil War-era western (one of Quentin Tarantino's favorites) about the kidnapping of Dr. Richard J. Gatling and his famous rapid-fire gun. Woods plays Chris Tanner, an undercover Union agent sent to recover the weapon. Ireland is Tarpas, a half-breed outlaw who partners with corrupt businessman Ryckert (George Rigaud) to ransom Gatling to the north for a cool million dollars, and his gun to the Confederacy for the same amount. Woods is coolly charismatic as the Bond-like agent, but Ireland nearly steals the film with as Tarpas. He's a mean SOB, but also elicits sympathy for the abuse he receives due to his mixed-race heritage. A compelling, multi-layered plot and two-dimensional characters lift this film above the usual spaghetti western. Special mention must be made of Piero Piccioni's psych-jazz music soundtrack, which contributes enormously to the film's unique appeal.
Available on DVD at: http://www.doradofilms.com