Trinità e Sartana figli di... (1972)

Trinity, so called because he comes from the island of Trinidad, has ended up in jail for trying to sell horses that turned out to be stolen. But he is cleared because he is not the thief: witnesses saw a blond man pull off the theft, so Trinity is released. The man in question is his partner Sartana, with whom the gunslinger reunites, not without a few scuffles. The two arrive in the town of Quintana and pull off an ingenious robbery of a bank holding the railroad workers’ wages. The haul is eighteen thousand dollars in silver. After the robbery, Trinity takes refuge with a community of farmers being blackmailed by the wicked Mr. Burton, a local bigwig who rules thanks to the sheriff’s collusion. By means of a deception, Burton intends to force them to pay ten thousand dollars or lose their land. Smitten with a young woman named Martha and softened by wine, Trinity readily gives them a large part of the loot, while a $2,000 bounty is placed on Sartana, the only one seen clearly during the robbery. Back in town, Trinity manages to foil a scam involving a fake ticket to Louisiana, also perpetrated by Burton’s accomplices, while Sartana clashes with the men of El Tigre, a Mexican bandit hired by the local bigwig for a mysterious plan. Using a trick, they collect the bounty and flee, but once again the money is given to Martha and her community. Hoping to make more money by robbing a stagecoach, Sartana and Trinity accidentally uncover some details of Burton’s plan. They cannot even get near the coach, because it contains a huge quantity of gold worth two million pesos, which is supposed to be minted into coins by the U.S. government and then returned to the Mexican government. Texas Rangers stand guard, under orders to shoot on sight. Meanwhile, at the Peluca garrison, El Tigre’s gang ambushes the Mexican soldiers who were supposed to escort the gold to Mexico City, steals their uniforms, and passes itself off as the troops. The trick works: they receive the Rangers and get the gold without arousing suspicion. Sartana and Trinity meet the eccentric Benny Bud, who tells them the other details of the plan—which he overheard while in a cell—in exchange for becoming their partner. The night before the gold is due to leave, the two infiltrate the fort, knock out the impostor soldiers, and take one of the crates, only to discover too late that it is not part of the gold shipment. The next day they try again, returning to Peluca disguised as itinerant performers with Bud. El Tigre changes his deal with Burton and demands half the shipment instead of a third. The bigwig is forced to agree but, in return, also demands the heads of Trinity and Sartana, whose disguise is easily seen through. Sartana wins the shootout with a Gatling gun, even writing his name on the wall with it, forcing everyone to keep their hands up. Burton makes a spectacular escape. Suddenly, the real Mexican army and the Rangers arrive at Peluca; they have finally realized they were tricked. Sartana and Trinity are mistaken for the men who saved the gold shipment and are rewarded—a mention of honor and the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Saint Epiphanius—but are quite unhappy, not least because they are necessarily forced to give up the heist of a lifetime. Sartana is more disappointed, while the Trinidadian says he would be content with just five thousand dollars, enough to return to his island. After leaving the fort, they find Bud, who, amid the general confusion, managed to take a box of gold and has replaced all his equipment. He agrees to split the haul with them. They celebrate in a private room at the saloon, screened off by a curtain, with numerous girls inside. But it is not over. Burton hires Grandma Beth, head of a gang of three killers—her nephews—who have carried out numerous murders. But the gunslingers quickly knock them out with their fists. It is time for the final reckoning: in the climactic fistfight, Sartana and Trinity emerge victorious against all of Burton’s men. Burton tries to settle matters with guns, but suddenly a bomb explodes, enveloping everyone in smoke. It was the secret of Trinity’s canteen, which he had kept ready for a moment like this and had never handed over to anyone or used for drinking. Burton is defeated, and the three friends can leave Quintana for good.