Movie Type: Revisionist Western, Spaghetti Western
Themes: Lone Wolves
Main Cast: Fabio Testi, Warren Oates, Jenny Agutter, Sam Peckinpah, Isabel Mestres
Release Year: 1978
Country: IT
Run Time: 105 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
China 9, Liberty 37 falls halfway between the Hollywood backlot-western school and the Italian "spaghetti" western genre, borrowing the best elements from both. Fabio Testi plays a gunfighter who is saved at the last moment from a hangman's noose. His liberators are a cartel of railroad men who want Testi to kill farmer (and former hired gun) Warren Oates, who has refused all entreaties to sell his land. As part of the scheme, Testi befriends Oates; on his own volition, he sleeps with Oates' wife Jenny Agutter. When the railroad barons insist that Testi go through with his mission, he refuses, and helps the farmer fight off the train moguls' hired thugs. Also known as Gunfire, China 9 Liberty 37 features a cameo by director Monte Hellman's role model, Sam Peckinpah, who plays a bombastic Ned Buntline-style novelist. And the significance of the title? It's the location of Warren Oates' spread: Nine miles from the town of China, 37 miles from the town of Liberty. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Gunslinger Clayton Drumm (Testi) is about to be hanged when he is given a chance to live if he will agree to murder Matthew (Oates), a miner who has steadfastly refused to sell his land to the railroad company. Matthew’s refusal is a major obstacle to the railroad’s plans for expansion.
Although he naturally accepts the assignment, Clayton has become weary of killing and wants to try to build a new life for himself. The would-be killer and his potential victim meet and quickly become close friends. Matthew is married to the beautiful Catherine (Agutter), who greatly complicates matters by promptly falling in love with Clayton. Clayton, despite his growing loyalty to Matthew, gives in to lust and sleeps with his new friend’s wife. When Matthew discovers his wife’s infidelity, he becomes infuriated and beats her. She leaves him and runs off with Clayton. The enraged Matthew asks his mentally unstable brothers to help him track down his wife and her lover.
Meanwhile, the railroad hasn’t failed to notice that Clayton has not lived up to his part of the bargain. Consequently, they’ve changed their plans and now want everybody who gets in their way dead, including Clayton.
The title refers to a signpost seen in the film with an arrow leading to "China 9" and another in the opposite direction to "Liberty 37".
The film was the last western from both director Hellman (who had previously directed cult westerns The Shooting and Ride in the Whirlwind) and actor Oates, who had performed in numerous westerns throughout his career.
Sam Peckinpah has a small cameo in the film as a writer.
Assistant Director Tony Brandt is reportedly credited as co-director on some European prints.[1]
There is an actual highway sign that reads "China 9, Liberty 37" on Highway 90 in Beaumont, Texas.
The film was written by Z Channel programmer Jerry Harvey and Douglas Venturelli, both of whom traveled to Spain for the filming and had cameo appearances in the film.
