Johnny Hamlet


Johnny Hamlet (lit=That Dirty Story in the West is a 1968 Italian film directed by Enzo G. Castellari. The film is a Spaghetti Western version of William Shakespeare's tragedy Hamlet.

Cast

According to director Franco Rossetti, after finishing filming The Dirty Outlaws he was offered to do another Western which was a reinterpreation of Hamlet by Sergio Corbucci. Rossetti stated that after he turned down the offer to direct it feeling that he thought Shakespeare in a Western setting was absurd. Rossetti stated that Corbucci was to direct the film after, which the film's eventual director, Enzo G. Castellari stated he was not sure if that was the situation.
Castellari said he was contacted by the producers to direct the film and accepted after liking Corbucci's script. Castellari however later disliked the films Italian title which translated to "The Dirty Story in the West" stating that "Nobody went to see it. If they'd kept Johnny Hamlet, the response of the public would have been different."

Release

Johnny Hamlet was first distributed in 1968. It was distributed by Interfilm in Italy.