introduces himself as one of his father’s best friends. The sight of Coleman’s ornate watch chain trig- gers the boy’s memory—his father’s killer wore the same chain! As Coleman and Brudi try to bully the money’s location out of the boy, Gary enters just in time to see Coleman strike the boy with his lash. Memo- ries of his own whipping awakened, he pleads with them to stop—that he will tell them what they want to know. Tony spits on him in disgust. Gary decides not to tell, and is beaten by Coleman’s men and taken to a barn where he is restrained. Locked in a room by Brudi, Tony escapes by the window and frees Gary. Brudi catches Tony and slaps him, and Gary retali- ates with a punch that kills the man. After recovering his stolen guns, he goes to the town sheriff and tells him that Coleman was the murderer of Jonathan Murphy. They arrest Coleman at the cantina,
but Owl Roy’s gang arrive to help him escape. As the gang rides away, they pass the travelling circus as it goes to the next town. There, Gary is plead- ing with the townsfolk for assistance, but they consider him mad—Coleman is the wealthiest man in town, and thus its future. Coleman finds Tony at his ranch, hoping to recover his fortune. The gang dunks Tony in a well until the boy tells them where the money is hidden. When Coleman claims the money, once again Roy disagrees and shoots him dead, start- ing a gunfight between Roy’s and Coleman’s gangs. Tony takes the opportunity to escape, but he is fol- lowed by three men. Gary shoots them dead. He tells Tony to go for help and closes in on the ranch. Gary single-handedly opposes the two gangs, while Roy goes inside to stuff his jacket with money. Help ar- rives in the form of Gary’s circus com- panions, and the bad guys are brought under attack by a surreal team of acrobats, archers, clowns, and strongmen. Gary disarms Roy
ITALIAN manifesto.
1 Roy Bava, interviewed by Alan Jones, April 2000. 759