A Man Called Sledge

A Man Called Sledge is a 1970 spaghetti western starring James Garner in an extremely offbeat role as a grimly evil thief, and featuring Dennis Weaver, Claude Akins, and Wayde Preston. The film was written by Vic Morrow and Frank Kowalski, and directed by Morrow.

Sledge assembles his regular gang including Joyce, Bice, Gutherie, Beetle, Kehoe, and Hooker Hooker is played by Claude Akins and they check the story out, only to find it true. Equipping themselves for the endeavor, the old man and a prostitute that Sledge summoned go into town. The Sheriff in the town nearest the prison recognizes the old man and a shootout ensues in which a deputy is killed, but Sledge and his gang get away. Sledge begins formulating a plan, which includes observing the riders and even testing out their formation by riding near them.Seeing how difficult it is to approach, a new plan is formulated. The new plan is to get into the prison, turn the prisoners loose, and steal the gold in the ensuing havoc. Sledge is taken to the prison by one of the gang, Ward Dennis Weaver posing as a US Marshal who wants to lock up this most dangerous prisoner for the night. The incident in the town is well known, and the Sheriff arrives at the Wardens office. The Warden has been reluctant to incarcerate Sledge...on the grounds that he is not used to overnight prisoners and he thinks overnight incarceration is the Sheriffs business. The Sheriff attacks Sledge in the Wardens office, but is fended off by Ward swearing he will protect his prisoner. Eventually, the Warden allows Sledge and the Marshall to stay together in a cell for the night. Held in maximum security, they overpower the guards, gain the keys, and free all the prisoners in the prison. Guards put up a defence including Gatling guns, and this is heard in the town. The forty armed riders head to the prison. The gold is held in a safe in a cell. The prisoners kill the Warden in front of Sledge...so now there is no combination to the safe, and the riders are on the way. Sledge locks the old man up in his old cell next to the safe in an adjoining cell where he heard the safe being opened for years. He guides Bice through opening the safe. The forty armed riders arrive and encounter armed, rioting prisoners

Source: Wikipedia