Any Gun Can Play 1967
Directed by
Enzo G. Castellari
Made by
Fida Cinematografica
Any Gun Can Play Plot Summary
Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for Any Gun Can Play (1967). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.
Monetero, Gilbert Roland, leads a daring train heist that nets $300,000 in gold despite the military’s defenses. Yet inside his own ranks, Pajondo betrays the crew and escapes with the prize, sowing distrust and setting a dangerous course for everyone involved.
The Stranger, George Hilton, a relentless bounty hunter who has tracked Monetero for years, seizes the moment as the band heads toward the Mexico border. He pressures Pajondo to reveal the treasure’s location, and Pajondo dies during an army raid, but not before passing along a medal that points the way to the gold. Monetero is arrested and faces a harsh fate, while the hunt intensifies.
Clayton, Edd Byrnes, a banker tasked with recovering the stolen gold, resists execution and becomes part of a darker calculus. Disguised as a priest, The Stranger offers Monetero freedom in exchange for a share of the loot. Suspicious, Monetero breaks Pajondo’s medal in half and gives one fragment to The Stranger. The next day, Clayton finds the broken medal during the looming execution, a clue that sparks new suspicion and schemes.
The Stranger stages Monetero’s execution as a diversion. Outside the fort, Monetero’s men reclaim half of the medal from The Stranger but spare his life. Clayton attempts to reconstruct the full medal using his fragment and an almanac of local landowners, yet the plan falters. Monetero’s men close in to retrieve Clayton’s half, and The Stranger intervenes, killing several of them and forming a fragile alliance with Clayton.
The following morning, Monetero’s men abduct Clayton, and The Stranger shadows the operation. He overhears an interrogation that reveals a startling truth: Clayton and Monetero had plotted the theft together. Clayton promises to deliver The Stranger to Monetero, hoping to secure the remaining half of the medal for further study.
When Clayton returns to town with the complete medal, The Stranger reveals his knowledge of the secret deal all along. Yet Clayton is illiterate, so the trio must rely on the book to decipher clues. The full medal points to the Montigo family, long-time landowners near the city since 1750, whose legacy ties to ruins ahead. Chaos erupts as Monetero’s men close in, and The Stranger escapes once more.
Clayton and Monetero press toward the ruins, where The Stranger awaits with a plan. Having already deceived the insurance official with bags of rocks, The Stranger proposes a shared treasure rather than a brutal pursuit. The gold is hidden in organ pipes, and its gleam finally comes to light. But trust among the trio has frayed, driving a tense showdown where the bounty hunter, the banker, and the bandit must team up. In the climactic Mexican standoff, they choose not to shoot one another but to blast the organ pipes, a dramatic finish that seals their uneasy alliance and the sight of the gold.
Any Gun Can Play Timeline
Follow the complete movie timeline of Any Gun Can Play (1967) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.
Train Heist and Pajondo's Betrayal
Monetero and his gang execute a daring train heist, severing a path through the military's defense to steal $300,000 in gold. Pajondo betrays his comrades in the chaos and escapes with the loot, leaving the others scrambling to regroup.
Pajondo's Escape and The Stranger's Opportunity
With Pajondo's betrayal, the loot is now in a fugitive's hands. The Stranger recognizes a new window to finally capture Monetero as the chase heads toward the Mexico border.
The Stranger Forcibly Uncovers the Treasure's Location
The Stranger closes in on Pajondo and compels him to disclose where the gold is hidden. Pajondo, cornered, reveals a medal that marks the path to the loot.
Pajondo's Medal Passes to Monetero
Pajondo dies at the hands of an advancing army, but not before passing Monetero the medal that points toward the treasure. Monetero gains a crucial clue that rekindles his quest.
Monetero Arrested; Clayton Opposes Execution
Monetero is captured by the military and condemned to death. Clayton, the banker tasked with recovering the gold, argues against executing him.
The Stranger Enters Monetero's Cell
Disguised as a priest, The Stranger visits Monetero's cell and promises freedom in exchange for a share of the loot. Suspicious of the offer, Monetero halves Pajondo's medal, giving one piece to The Stranger.
Broken Medal Revealed During Execution
On the day of the scheduled execution, Clayton discovers the broken half of Pajondo's medal, sparking new suspicions about loyalties. The clue deepens the mystery surrounding the alliance.
Staged Execution and Medal Reclamation
The Stranger stages Monetero's execution as a diversion. Outside the fort, Monetero's men reclaim half of the medal from The Stranger, but they spare his life, keeping the situation volatile.
Clayton Fails to Reconstruct the Medal
Clayton attempts to piece together the complete medal using his own half and an almanac of local landowners' crests, but the fragments refuse to fit. The failure stalls the recovery operation and fuels doubt.
Clayton's Kidnapping Reveals a Conspiracy
Monetero's men kidnap Clayton, and The Stranger follows to observe an interrogation. It becomes clear that Clayton and Monetero had plotted the theft together, with Clayton promising to deliver The Stranger to Monetero for the final medal half.
Complete Medal and a Hidden Alliance
Clayton returns to town with the complete medal. The Stranger reveals he knew of a secret deal with the bandit, and because Clayton is illiterate, they must co-operate so he can decipher the book. The medal points to the Montigo family and ruins nearby, hinting at a hidden truth.
Pursuit to the Ruins
Monetero's men raid the town, causing chaos, and The Stranger uses the distraction to slip away. Clayton and Monetero head toward the ruins, where The Stranger awaits with a plan and a stake in the treasure.
Insurance Deception and Organ Pipes Plan
The Stranger had previously fooled the insurance company official with bags of rocks to misdirect suspicion about the loot. Meanwhile, the plan centers on stashing the gold inside organ pipes, a location that will reveal itself at the right moment.
Gold Hidden in Organ Pipes; Tensions Rise
With the stake raised, the gold is concealed within the organ pipes. Monetero's men begin to doubt their leader, sparking a tense, deadly confrontation that threatens to explode at any moment.
Mexican Standoff and Gold Celebration
Facing a common danger, the bounty hunter, the banker, and the bandit set aside their differences to eliminate their enemies. In a final Mexican standoff, they unleash their pistols into the organ pipes, revealing the gold and celebrating their hard-won fortune.
Any Gun Can Play Characters
Explore all characters from Any Gun Can Play (1967). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.
Bahunda (José Torres)
A loyal yet volatile member of Monetero's gang who participates in the train heist and follows the boss's orders through the escalating chaos. His actions reflect the ruthlessness and self-preservation common in the ensemble.
Clayton (Edd Byrnes)
A calculating banker tasked with recovering the gold at any cost. He hides his deeper plots behind a calm exterior, ultimately revealing a willingness to deceive his allies for personal gain.
Monetero (Gilbert Roland)
The cunning gang leader who pulls off the initial train heist and drives the pursuit. He relies on control and fear, and his plans begin to unravel as his own men lose trust.
Pajondo (Riccardo Pizzuti)
An inside man who betrays the crew, seizing the opportunity for escape and leaving Monetero to face the consequences. His treachery catalyzes the chase and reshapes loyalties.
Django (George Hilton)
The relentless bounty hunter known as The Stranger, who stalks Monetero across the borderlands. He uses disguise and wit to turn the tables and negotiate a controversial alliance.
Charro Ruiz (Valentino Macchi)
One of the frontier figures who participates in the tense dynamic surrounding the gold and pursuit. His presence adds color to the ensemble and the border town atmosphere.
Conchetta (Adriana Giuffrè)
A local figure tied to the unfolding events, whose interactions reveal the social texture of the frontier town and its people.
Captain (Ivano Staccioli)
A military captain who embodies the enforcement of order and the pressure to recover the stolen gold, creating a backdrop of official authority in the pursuit.
Lawrence Blackman (Gérard Herter)
A powerful official or landowner figure whose presence hints at deeper political and economic interests in the borderlands.
Yankee Sergeant (Marco Mariani)
A military sergeant who appears in the pursuit, adding to the supply of backup forces and the military atmosphere of the plot.
Pablo (Rodolfo Valadier)
A member of Monetero's gang who contributes to the escalating tension and chase as the story progresses.
Kareen O’Hara (Stefania Careddu)
A frontier figure who interacts with the main players, providing additional texture to the border town environment.
Any Gun Can Play Settings
Learn where and when Any Gun Can Play (1967) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.
Time period
A classic Western frontier era with lawlessness, bounty hunting, and frontier justice. The pursuit of gold unfolds across dusty towns, borderlands, and tense standoffs, emphasizing the harsh rhythms of the era.
Location
Mexico border region, Fort, Montigo ruins
The film unfolds along a rugged border region near Mexico, centered on a fortified military fort and the surrounding desert landscape. The pursuit then leads to the ruins where the treasure is hidden, tying the story to a desolate, historically rich site.
Any Gun Can Play Themes
Discover the main themes in Any Gun Can Play (1967). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.
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Greed and Betrayal
The gold heist and Pajondo's betrayal drive the plot, revealing how greed destabilizes loyalties. Characters switch sides, and trust is a currency as valuable as the treasure itself. The pursuit tests each player's willingness to sacrifice others for personal gain.
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Shifting Alliances
From betrayal to uneasy partnerships, the story pits The Stranger, Clayton, and Monetero against common enemies. Alliances are formed and broken as the treasure's path is revealed and contested. The narrative explores how calculated deals can reshape loyalties under pressure.
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Justice and Deception
There is a constant tension between law, order, and deception. The Stranger's ruse at the fort blurs the line between justice and manipulation. The pursuit culminates in a dangerous balance where survival depends on cunning rather than pure force.
Any Gun Can Play Spoiler-Free Summary
Discover the spoiler-free summary of Any Gun Can Play (1967). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.
In a sun‑baked frontier where dust settles on every mile of rail and the horizon blurs into the Mexican border, a brazen gang lifts a glittering shipment of gold from a moving train. The robbery sends shockwaves through towns perched between lawlessness and reluctant order, setting the stage for a cat‑and‑mouse game that roams from desert outposts to crowded forts. The film moves at a breakneck tempo, its gun‑fights crisp and its landscapes painted in stark, sun‑bleached tones that amplify the tension of every drawn‑out stare.
The Stranger arrives as a legendary bounty hunter, a figure whose reputation precedes him and whose calm menace is matched only by his willingness to let danger come to him. Hired to track the outlaws and recover the missing loot, he chooses a strategy that turns the hunt into a strategic dance, letting his quarry lead him deeper into hostile territory. His stoic presence contrasts with the raw, volatile energy of the bandits, creating a magnetic push‑and‑pull that fuels the film’s suspense.
Meanwhile, Monetero commands the gang with a mix of charisma and ruthless ambition, embodying the outlaw myth while hinting at hidden motives that keep his allies uneasy. Across the same dust‑laden roads, Clayton, a banker thrust into the chaos, brings a measured, pragmatic mind to the fray, his knowledge of finance and survival instincts offering a different kind of weapon. The uneasy trio—hunter, outlaw, and financier—find their goals intersecting in ways that blur loyalty and rivalry.
Against a backdrop of relentless sun, rattling railways, and the ever‑present clink of unseen wealth, the story invites viewers into a world where every decision may tip the balance between capture and escape. The tone balances gritty realism with a stylized, almost operatic flair, ensuring that the chase is as much a psychological duel as a battle of bullets.
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