.Westerns...All'Italiana!

RIP Raoul

Italian, singer, musician, actor Raoul died in Rome on January 8^th he was a month shy of turning 87. Born in Foggia, Puglia, Italy on February 12, 1939, his career in music began as a keyboardist, and then as a singer and composer where he had embellished numerous soundtracks with his notes and his distinctive voice. He was a member of Alessandro Alessandroni’s “I Cantori Moderni” but was often called on for solos singing the main theme songs in particular Spaghetti western where his voice can be heard in 19. After he had left the genre, he then became an actor during the 1970s. He then left the film industry and was the owner of a boutique for Oriental fashion in Rome. “The Relentless Four” 1965 [sings: ‘Ranger’], “Death at Owell Rock” [sings ‘Danny’], God Will Forgive My Pistol” [sings: ‘The Man Called Texas’], “The Man from Nowhere” [sings: ‘Arizona Colt’] all in 1966. “Any Gun Can Play” [sings: ‘Stranger’, ‘Come Mai’], “The Moment to Kill” [sings: ‘Walk by My Side’], “Payment in Blood” [sings “Seven Men”], “Two Crosses at Danger Pass” [sings: ‘Without a Name’] and “A Wreath for the Bandits” [sings: “La balata della carogne”] all in 1967, “Between God, the Devil and a Winchester” [sings: ‘Heart of Stone’]. “Death Rides a Horse [sings: ‘Death Rides a Horse’], “15 Scaffolds for a Killer” [sings: ‘Will You be Mine’], “Hate Your Neighbor” [sings: ‘Two Friends’], “Heads or Tails” [sings: ‘Arizona’s Waiting’], “Kill Them All and Come Back Alone” [sings: ‘Gold’, ‘Come mia’], “Sonora” [sings: ‘Maybe Somewhere, Maybe Someday”], “A Taste of Death” [sings: ‘Who is the Man?’] and “Tequila” [sings: “A Man Alone”] all in 1968 and “Vendetta at Dawn” [sings: “Walk by My Side”] in 1971.

Little Known Spaghetti Western actors ~ Dario Desiderio

[These daily posts will cover little known actors or people that have appeared in more recent films and TV series. Various degrees of information that I was able to find will be given and anything that you can add would be appreciated.]

Pipino Desiderio was an Italian character actor born in San Benedetto del Tronto, Italy on November 11, 1911. He was active in the film industry from 1962 to 1974. He appeared almost exclusively in supporting and small character roles across a range of Italian genre films, including spaghetti westerns, poliziotteschi and gangster-oriented crime pictures, dramas, and comedies.

His verified credits total approximately eight to nine, drawn from primary film databases, with all roles being secondary in nature and none qualifying as leads. Desiderio's brief career produced no documented major awards, critical accolades, or widespread recognition, reflecting his position as a minor figure in Italy's prolific but often low-budget genre cinema of the era.

Desiderio died in Rho a community in Milan, Italy on December 27, 2000, at the age of 89.

Pipino Desiderio appeared in two Spaghetti westerns: “Bastardo…vamos a matar” (Bastard Go and Kill) in 1971 as Timothy and “Il magnifico west” (The Magnificent West) as Fred in 1972

DESIDERIO, Pipino (aka Pino Derio, Dario Pino, Derio Pino) [11/1/1911, San Benedetto del Tronto, Italy – 12/27/2000, Rho, Milan,Lombardy, Italy] – film, TV actor.

Bastard, Go and Kill – 1971 (Timothy) [Derio Pino]

The Magnificent West – 1972 (Fred) [as Derio Pino]

Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

Spaghetti Western Directors ~ Claudio Cappello

Claudio Cappello is an Italian director, writer and film editor. He’s worked on three films between 2014 and 2024. One of which “Like a Dog” a western short he wrote, directed and edited. The other western he made was “Clash” in 2007 where he was the director.

CAPPELLO, Claudio [Italian] – director, writer, film editor.

Clash – 2007

Like a Dog - 2010

Spaghetti Western Screenwriters ~ Margot Beichler

Margot Beichler was a German screenwriter, dramaturgist, and script editor best known for her extensive work in East German cinema through the DEFA studio, where she specialized in fairy-tale adaptations, children's films, and family-oriented productions. Born on May 12, 1926, she built a career contributing to some of the most beloved family films produced in the German Democratic Republic, often adapting classic stories for the screen while also serving in editorial and dramaturgical roles.

Her notable screenwriting credits include the fairy-tale films “Schneeweißchen und Rosenrot” (Snow-White and Rose-Red) in 1979, “Dornröschen” (Sleeping Beauty) in1971), “König Drosselbart” (King Thrushbeard) in 1965, and “Das Märchenschloß” (The Fairy-Tale Castle) in 1961, as well as the Western “Die Söhne der großen Bärin” (The Sons of Great Bear) in 1966) and episodes of the long-running crime series ‘Polizeiruf 110’ (Police Call 110). Beichler frequently collaborated on DEFA's children's and youth programming, contributing to titles such as “Taubenjule” (1983), “Pugowitza” (1981), and “Trini” (1977), while also working as a dramaturgist on films like “Frau Holle” (Mother Hulda) in 1963 and script editor on others including “Schneewittchen” (Snow White) in 1961. Her body of work reflects a significant role in shaping East German children's entertainment and popular adaptations of literary classics during the GDR era.

As mention above Margot Beichler wrote a,d co-wrote screenplays for two Euro-westerns: “Die Söhne der großen Bärin” (The Sons of Great Bear) in 1965 with Liselotte Welskopf-Heinrich and Hans-Joachim Wallstein and “Trini” (Death for Zapata) in 1976.

BEICHLER, Margot [5/12/1926, Germany – 7/5/2004, Germany] – film editor, writer, actress.

The Sons of Great Bear – 1965 (co)

Death for Zapata – 1976

Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Antonio Climati

Antonio Climati was born on November 14, 1931 and was an Italian cinematographer, director, and film editor renowned for his contributions to the mondo genre of documentaries, which emphasized unfiltered depictions of violence, death, and survival in both human and animal worlds. Working primarily in collaboration with Mario Morra, he captured footage for films that showcased raw natural brutality, including predator-prey interactions and tribal rituals, often blending authentic wildlife cinematography with staged human elements to heighten dramatic impact. His most notable work, “Savage Man Savage Beast” (1975, original title Ultime grida dalla savana), featured graphic sequences of animal attacks on humans and real instances of animal slaughter, which drew significant controversy for promoting animal cruelty and exploiting sensationalism under the guise of educational content. Later projects like “The Green Inferno” (1988) continued this focus on tropical savagery, incorporating cannibalistic themes and environmental peril, though critics noted that many human violence scenes were reconstructions rather than verité footage, raising questions about authenticity in the genre. Climati's career, spanning from the 1960s onward, exemplified the Italian exploitation cinema's boundary-pushing style, prioritizing visceral realism over narrative polish, yet his films faced bans and ethical scrutiny for desensitizing audiences to gore without substantive analysis.

Antonio Climati was the cinematographer on one Spaghetti western: “Oremus, Alleluia e Cosi Sia” (They Still Call Me Amen) with Riccardo Pallottini in 1972.

CLIMATI, Antonio [11/14/1931, Rome, Lazio, Italy – 8/9/2015, Rome, Lazio, Italy] – cinematographer, film editor, son of cinematographer Arturo Climati.

They Still Call Me Amen – 1972 (co)

Spaghetti Western locations Then & Now – “Up the MacGregors”

This is a scene from “Up the MacGregors” in 1967, showing their ranch. It was located in Colmenar Viejo.

Here’s the same location as photographed in 2025.

European Western Comics ~ COLLANA COSMO Supplementi ALBI BUSTA

Cosmo Series Supplements

This is a five-reissue series of previously published comic books, reprinted by Lito Editoriale Lampo Grafica for distribution in surprise envelopes. The series differed in format, pagination, and retail price. The albums, all in black and white, are not numbered consecutively or include tax information. They are grouped alphabetically and, in some cases, are still subdivided numerically.

95 issues have been found (16 pages). These issues feature various characters previously appearing in Apache Texas; Audax (King of the Royal Mounted) series by Jim Gary; Bill y Texas; Captain Battaglia; Captain West; Prairie Corral; Dick Lightning; Gill Hart; Gordon Short; The Star Pirate; Kaanga; Kid Puma; Kid Lightning; Kimmi; Scarlet Princeson; Rocket; Rick Cheyenne; Rio Kid; Rudy Earp; S.O.S. Police; Sheena; Silvana; Silver Kid; Smith the Pilot; ZX-5 by Major Thorpe.

The AC1/AC6 issues reprint Albi Ariete Grandi Avventure #5 (March 15, 1955) “The Last Clash” by Leone Cimpellin; the F1/F2 issues reprint Grandi Avventure "The Revenge of Kim Puma" by Gino Cossio; the E4/E6 issues reprint Gunga Din from Grandi Accenture (Ed. Fumetti) #s22/24 (July 13/27, 1957); the Z1/Z5 issues reprint ALBI 2000 "S.O.S. Polizia - Lemmy all’opera"

80 Lire series (32 pages) (33 issues found); Gordon Short; Kid Puma; Rex Colt by Carlo Cossio; Captain West; Jesse Kid

100 Lire series (64 pages) (24 issues found); the O2 issue reprints Grandi Avventure #27 (1957).

100 Lire series (album format) (8 issues found)

150 Lire series (32 pages + cover - 5 x 12 pm) (18 issues found)

Cover Images were provided by Gianni Bono and Nestore Corti.