IF YOU MEET SARTANA, PRAY FOR YOUR DEATH

“Like James Bond, Sartana is unflappable, the type to adjust their tie while surrounded by enemies. An anti-hero, he’s an opportunist crusading to acquire more wealth; shooting bad guys and helping innocent victims just happens to be a by-product. Although it’s implied he has supernatural powers (especially in the first film), it’s more due to his Houdini-like illusionist prowess.” (Len Liu, A Fistful of Pasta)

“The roughed-edge character of Sartana was created for the 1968 film IF YOU MEET SARTANA, PRAY FOR YOUR DEATH, directed by Gianfranco Parolini and starring Gianni Garko in the title role. Parolini’s movie was playful and fun-loving, even though the body count was still very high. Its success pushed the industry towards a more tongue in-cheek-approach to the genre, and bridged the gap between the diehard westerns in the style of Sergio Leone and the comedy westerns in the style of Enzo Barboni's ‘Trinity’ movies. It would also spawn four sequels.

Several dignitaries organize an insurance swindle by hiring a Mexican gang to steal a strong-box, and an American gang to kill the Mexicans. A mysterious stranger named Sartana invites himself into the middle of this conflict, revolving around rival gangs, the town's bigwigs and the search for the missing loot. Co-starring Klaus Kinski.” (The Spaghetti Western Database)