The Hellbenders

The Hellbenders (original title: I crudeli) is a 1967 Spaghetti Western directed by Sergio Corbucci and produced as an Italian-Spanish co-production. Joseph Cotten, appearing in the later years of his long career, plays the film's central character, a fanatical family patriarch. The supporting cast includes Norma Bengell, Julián Mateos, Gino Pernice and Ángel Aranda. Written by Ugo Liberatore, Albert Band and José Gutiérrez Maesso, the modestly budgeted production features a score by Ennio Morricone. Some commentators have noted that its subject matter recalls the American film Rio Conchos (1964), and it has been described as leaning somewhat closer to American western models than many of its genre contemporaries. The film opened in German-speaking cinemas in February 1968, where it was also re-released under an alternate title.