Roberto Mauri, born Giuseppe Tagliavia in 1924 in Castelvetrano, Italy, made significant contributions to cult cinema as both a director and writer. He helmed The Slaughter of the Vampires (1962), a film that showcases his flair for blending horror and fantasy elements. In the 1970s, Mauri continued to explore genre cinema with Wanted Sabata (1970) and An Animal Called Man (1972), where his narratives often reflected the gritty aesthetics of the era. His work remains a testament to the bold experimentation that defined cult films during his active years.
An Animal Called Man
The merry couple of Bill Quickhand and Quicktongue (the latter has a speech impediment but is very skilled at throwing punches) arrive in Silver City, which lives under the nightmare of Mark Foster and his gang of extortionists. Quickhand beats Foster in a shooting contest, winning five hundred dollars and a beautiful girl, Yvette ("First Prize"), who has arrived from Paris with a wealth of hopes and a degree in medicine. Quickhand and Quicktongue, in order to compete once again and definitively with Foster, pretend to be his tax collectors, exasperating the entire district. Quickhand's scruples are met by Quicktongue, who replies that he should let him do it, and that he will return the stolen goods in any case. A series of verbal and armed clashes with Foster and his gang follow, with ambushes and brawls, with some deaths and with Quickhand's need to resort to Yvette's medical art. After Foster is murdered by his lieutenant, the two heroes exterminate him and the rest of the gang, then give in to the will of the citizens, who reward them and beg them to leave forever, fearing that they will turn from liberators into tyrants. Yvette goes with them.
