The Hellbenders

The Hellbenders
Italian film poster
Directed by	Sergio Corbucci
Produced by	Albert Band
Screenplay by	Albert Band Ugo Liberatore José Gutiérrez Maesso Additional Dialogue: Louis Garfinkle
Story by	Virgil C. Gerlach
Starring	Joseph Cotten Norma Bengell Julián Mateos Gino Pernice Ángel Aranda
Music by	Leo Nichols
Cinematography	Enzo Barboni
Edited by	Nino Baragli Alberto Gallitti
Production company	Alba Cinematografica Tecisa
Distributed by	Cineriz (Italy) Embassy Pictures (US)
Release date	2 February 1967
Running time	90 minutes
Country	Italy Spain
Language	Italian English

The Hellbenders (Italian title: I crudeli, lit. The Cruel Ones) is a Spaghetti Western directed by Sergio Corbucci in 1966.

Colonel Jonas is a fanatical and unrepentant Confederate who led a regiment called the Hellbenders in the recently ended Civil War. Similar to Edmond O'Brien's character in Rio Conchos, he is determined to reorganise the Southern Army and defeat the Union. With his sons Ben, greedy Nat, and rapist Jeff, he massacres Union soldiers transporting a consignment of banknotes and conceals the loot in a coffin supposedly belonging to a deceased Confederate officer, Captain Ambrose who was killed in the Battle of Nashville.

A drunken prostitute, Kitty, pretends to be the officer's widow. When Kitty is killed attempting a double-cross, Ben persuades Claire, a combination saloon hostess and professional gambler, to take Kitty's place - they fall in love. They consummate their love during a gunfight between Jonas and a local bounty hunter.

The cool Claire proves her worth when feigning grief to a sheriff's posse who stop the wagon and wish to search the coffin suspecting the party may have been responsible for the theft and massacre. The party has another close shave when they stop in a town where the local minister who knew the late Captain Ambrose forces the party to stay for a memorial service where the town can pay their respects.

Later the party is attacked by Mexican bandidos but is rescued by the US Cavalry who capture several of the Bandidos. Heeding Claire's wishes, the soldiers escort the wagon to the fort where Captain Ambrose was a former commander.

Claire, resentful of Jonas' fanaticism, arranges for the coffin to be buried in 'her' husband's fort. Jonas orders his sons to sneak back into the Union fort, dig up the coffin, and return the money to the buckboard; in the meantime, he whips Claire and makes her stay outside of the cave where the group takes shelter in the storm, leading Claire to become deathly ill from pneumonia.