For One Thousand Dollars Per Day film review

For One Thousand Dollars Per Day holds the distinction of being the one and only spaghetti western directed by Silvio Amadio (Amuck, Smile Before Death) and, while far…far away from flawless, it is actually a worthwhile effort.

Our tale begins with a kindly old couple working on their farm as three horsemen ride up to inform them that it is time to sign over their land. Defiantly, the old man points a gun at the men and in no uncertain terms informs the horsemen that he will not comply. As is so common in the spaghetti west though this earns him a chest full of lead and, as his wife rushes to his side in anguish, she is delivered the same fate. The three men laugh gleefully, firmly establishing the fact that they are truly evil bastardos, before riding away.

We soon learn that these are the Clark brothers who have been gobbling up every piece of land in the area known as the Valley of the Sun for pennies on the dollar or through flat out murder and theft prior to the imminent arrival of the Union Pacific railroad. Given that this is the railway’s only passage through the area aside from the snow covered mountains surrounding the valley, the brothers intend on making a small fortune.

Standing in their way though is the son of the murdered couple, Hud Baker, who is determined on revenge regardless of the cost. The actor portraying Hud is listed as Zachary Hatcher and he, at first blush, appears to be a bit of a mystery as he has only one credit under that name. Tom Betts though, in a blog post from Westerns…All’Italiana!, Spaghetti Western Trivia ~ Zachary Hatcher revealed that he had uncovered a bit more information about the mysterious actor. He was in fact an American model named Zachary Adams who made two other films under his real name - Camille 2000 and the unfinished Checkmate.

The first time we see Hud Baker he is hiking to the lair of Carranza (Jose Calvo), a legendary master gunman who is now wheelchair bound and forced to rely on the assistance of a caretaker. For the right price, Carranza is happy to share his wisdom and provide the needed instruction before the vigilante sets out to avenge his parents.

Upon finally completing his rigorous training, he returns to his childhood home but does not confront the Clark brothers head on. Instead, Hud begins to manipulate them psychologically. He convinces the brothers that here is a mysterious enemy out to do them in and the one most straightforwardly terrorized by this unknown threat actually hires this new stranger in town to protect him.

It is then that the revenge truly begins.

Overall, when all of the elements are added in, For One Thousand Dollars Per Day falls into the average range of the genre but at times excels into the very good. The camerawork, pacing, and almost every technical aspect of the film are all very well done. Adams’ performance as Hud is particularly impressive for someone making their acting debut and he really had a look that stood out on the screen.

The biggest issues lie with the plot itself. There are only two people in the whole town that recognize Hud despite the fact that he allegedly grew up in the area. One of these is his old girlfriend Betty, portrayed by the lovely Pier Angeli, who is now married to his friend Steve (Mimmo Palmara), the local sheriff. While having the sheriff as an ally is necessary for the story, their alliance could have been explained in another fashion. The presence of Betty though makes the plot hole unavoidable and, to make matters worse, her character is completely unnecessary. Her sole purpose in the story is to tell Hud any time that they are alone that if he will agree to leave this trouble behind, she will forsake her husband and run away with him. And, to make her presence even more needless, Hud is never once tempted by her offer and actually seems ambivalent about her presence. It is almost as if the role were written just to make a spot for Angeli, probably best known for her affairs with Kirk Douglas and James Dean, in the film.

Aside from this plot issue, the story is a simple straightforward revenge tale but well told with unique and original elements thrown in along the way that, with a serving of suspension of disbelief stirred in, make this an enjoyable movie. This film definitely has the feel of a western of the American variety on the whole but there are still enough elements of the more violent Italian kind, including the particularly shocking appearance of our protagonist following a gunfight near the conclusion, thrown in along the way to satisfy even the most hard core fan.

This film is truly a mixed bag and while it was an enjoyable enough watch with all the things done right, it is hard not to lament the film that could have been without the plot elements done wrong.

Written by LankyGringo, published December 21, 2023.
Screenshots used in this article courtesy of our friends at Once Upon a Time in a Western.