From the WAI! vault

 

Little Known Spaghetti Western actors ~ Floranna di Bernardo and Giovanna di Bernardo

[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.]

Floranna di Bernardo and Giovanna di Bernardo were Italian actresses. Floranna appeared in only one film and that was also her only Spaghetti western appearance as Mary in “Posate le pistole reverend” (Pistol Packin’ Preacher) in 1971 

di BERNARDO, Floranna [Italian] – film actress, sister of actress Giovanna di Bernardo.

Pistol Packin’ Preacher - 1971 (Linda)

Giovanna di Bernardo had a slightly longer career appearing in five films and a television mini- series (Il commissario De Vincenzi) in 1974 and the television movie ‘Orfeo 9” in 1975. Giovanna’s career in film lasted between 1971 and 1976. Her only Spaghetti western appearance was in along with her sister in “Posate le pistole reverend” (Pistol Packin’ Preacher) in 1971 as Lisa/Lucy

di BERNARDO, Giovanna [Italian] – film actress, sister of actress Floranna di Bernardo.

Pistol Packin’ Preacher - 1971 (Mary)

Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

Spaghetti Western Director ~ Bruno Corbucci

Bruno Corbucci was an Italian screenwriter and film director, renowned for his contributions to spaghetti westerns and lowbrow comedies. As the younger brother of acclaimed director Sergio Corbucci, he co-wrote several of his sibling's landmark films, including the iconic “Django” (1966), while establishing his own reputation through directing a series of crime comedies featuring actor Tomas Milian as the character Nico Giraldi.

Born in Rome on October 23, 1931, where he also spent much of his career, Corbucci entered the film industry in the late 1950s, initially focusing on screenwriting for adventure and western genres. His collaboration with Sergio was particularly fruitful, yielding scripts for influential spaghetti westerns like “The Great Silence” (1968), which helped define the gritty, violent style of the subgenre during Italy's cinematic boom in the 1960s. Over his career, Corbucci amassed over 130 writing credits, often using pseudonyms such as Frank B. Corlish and Gordon Wilson Jr. to navigate international markets.

Transitioning to directing in the 1960s, Corbucci specialized in humorous crime films and parodies, with standout works including “The Longest Hunt” (1968).. His most enduring directorial success came with the Nico Giraldi series, beginning with “Squadra antiscippo” (1976) and spanning 11 films through 1984, blending action, satire, and Roman street culture to popularize the "poliziottesco" comedy subgenre. These efforts solidified his legacy in Italian genre cinema, emphasizing wit and social commentary amid the era's exploitation trends.

Bruno died on September 7, 1996, in Rome, Italy, at the age of 64, his passing came after a filmmaking career that extended into the early 1990s, with his later directorial efforts including episodes of the television series ‘Quelli della speciale’ (1993) and earlier films such as “Miami Supercops” (1985) and contributions to the Nico Giraldi series.

Bruno Corbucci directed three Spaghetti western: “Ringo e Gringo contro tutti” (Rebels on the Loose) and “Spara, Gringo, spara” (The Longest Hunt) in 1968 and “Tutti per uno... botte per tutti” (The Three Musketeers of the West) in 1973.

CORBUCCI, Bruno (aka Corbucci, B. Corbucci, Frank B. Corlish, Billy Michaels, Dean Whitcomb, Gordon Wilson Jr.) [10/23/1931, Rome, Lazio, Italy – 9/7/1996, Rome, Lazio, Italy] – director, writer, composer, songwriter, actor. brother of producer, director, assistant director, writer, actor Sergio Corbucci [1926-1990].

The Sheriff – 1963 [Film was never made.]

Rebels on the Loose - 1966

The Longest Hunt – 1968 [as Frank B. Corlish/Billy Michaels]

Hey Friend. Here are Franco and Ciccio, You’re Finished – 1971 [Film was never made.]

The Three Musketeers of the West 1973 [as B. Corbucci]

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Alfonso Brescia

Alfonso Brescia was born on January 6, 1930, in Rome and was a director, assistant director, writer and actor. He was best known for his prolific output in low-budget exploitation cinema, spanning genres such as peplum (sword-and-sandal), science fiction, spaghetti westerns, and gialli thrillers during the 1960s through the 1980s. He entered the film industry as an assistant director in the late 1950s, defying his family's expectations, and went on to helm over 50 feature films, often under the pseudonym Al Bradley for international distribution. His work frequently featured acrobatic action sequences, stock footage, and B-movie tropes, contributing to Italy's vibrant post-war genre film scene.

Brescia's early career focused on peplum films, a staple of Italian cinema in the 1960s, with notable entries like “The Magnificent Gladiator” (1964) and “The Conqueror of Atlantis” (1965), which capitalized on the era's fascination with mythological epics and muscle-bound heroes. He later diversified into Spaghetti westerns, directing titles such as “My Gun Is the Law” (1965) and “If One Is Born a Swine... Kill Him” (aka Cry of Death) (1968), blending gritty violence with operatic flair characteristic of the subgenre.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Brescia embraced science fiction amid the Star Wars boom, producing hasty, effects-light space operas like “Cosmos: War of the Planets” (1977), “Battle of the Stars” (1977), and “The Beast in Space” (1980), which repurposed props and footage for quick theatrical releases. He also ventured into erotic thrillers and comedies, including the giallo “Naked Girl Killed in the Park” (1972) and the comedy “Super Stooges vs. the Wonder Women” (1974), showcasing his versatility in catering to diverse audience tastes.

Throughout his career, Brescia collaborated with stars like Gordon Mitchell, Alan Steel, and the Italian Stooges trio, emphasizing fast-paced storytelling over high production values, which earned him a cult following among fans of Eurocult cinema. His final directorial efforts included action films like “Iron Warrior” (1987) and “Miami Cops” (1989), before he passed away in Rome on June 6, 2001 at the age of 71. Brescia's films, though critically overlooked in their time, exemplify the ingenuity and commercial drive of Italy's genre filmmaking golden age.

Alfonso Brescia co-wrote screenplays for four Spaghetti westerns: “La Colt è la mia legge” (The Colt is My Law) with Franco D’Este (Franco Cobianchi), Mario Musy, Ramón Comas and “30 Winchester per El Diablo” (Gold Train) with Giovanni Vari and Gianfranco Baldanello, and Adriano Micantoni both in 1965, “Una Colt in mano del diavolo” (When the Devil Grips a Colt) with Gianfranco Baldanello and Augusto Finocchi in 1972, “Zanna Bianca e il cacciatore solitario” (White Fang and the Hunter) in 1975.

BRESCIA, Alfonso (aka Al Bradey, Al Bradley, Al Bradly, Albert B. Leonard) [1/6/1930, Rome, Lazio, Italy – 6/6/2001, Rome, Lazio, Italy] – director, assistant director, writer, actor.

The Colt is My Law – 1965 (co)

Gold Train – 1965 (co) [as Al Bradley]

When the Devil Grips a Colt – 1972 (co)

White Fang and the Hunter – 1975 (co)

La vendetta del llanero – 19?? (co) [film was never made]

Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Octave Fiere

Octave Fiere was a silent film cinematographer of unknown origin. The only credit I can find for him was for the 1910 Euro-western “Le desperado” (The Desperado) in 1910.

FIERE, Octave – cameraman.

The Desperado – 1907

Twilight Spaghetti Westerns

“twilight spaghetti western”, but the term is most often used to describe spaghetti westerns that came out in the twilight years of the genre, more specifically in the late 70s as the genre was on its way out. Some of the films remembered in this context offer a distinct style that sets them apart from the films that dominated the heyday of the genre. Some anachronisms, especially in the music, a sombre and melancholy style, eerie atmosphere, strong violence, groteske topics, gloomy outlooks - the twilight spaghetti westerns were for the most part not joyful things. Here are eight of the more prominent representatives of that subgenre.

Keoma

Mannaja

Sergio Martino’s Mannaja came out in 1977 and in some ways tried to emulate Keoma’s success. It is even more stylish and mythical, but even flamboyant and even off-putting in some respects. The fan community is split between fans of this late entry and those who consider it a campy late-stage attempt at churning out something meaningful. Maurizio Merli made better police movies, the genre that made him a star. In April 2026, the film will finally come out in HD format.

California

Michele Lupo’s California is an interesting case because it’s kind of an unevenly calanced film. For budgetary reasons or otherwise, parts of the movie take place in muddy contexts, decrepid buildings and feature a late-70s aesthetic, whearas others seem generic and dusty, but it is among the later titles, the worldview of the script is very pessimistic and the context gloomy. A rather good spaghetti western that is available on BluRay.

Django Kill

Giulio Questi’s Django kill, if you live. shoot is rather notorious. It is bizarre, sadistic, homoerotic, experimental and at times confusing. Now this one is from '67 so it’s not exactly twilight material yet per se, but in stylistic terms this one is already outside the usual 60s spaghetti western parameters, it’s a few years ahead of its time so to speak. This almost surreal classic also features a rather memorable performance by the great Tomas Milian. It’s available on BluRay.

Four of the Apocalypse

Lucio Fulci only made a small hand full of spaghetti westerns. Four of the Apocalypse is an interesting one. From 1975, it is truly a twilight spaghetti. It looks raggedy and slightly anachronistic, there are some odd style, wardrobe and makeup choices, and it’s violent and gloomy. With a stellar cast (Milian, Testi, Pollard, etc) this sometimes counts among fan favorites but is definitely an acquired taste. While it is available on BluRay, unfortuantely so far only in Germany (with English audio).

Silver Saddle

Three years later Fulci made another one, and it’s even further outside the old era. Silver Saddle is sometimes called one of the last spaghetti westerns. As @scherpschutter has remarked, it “seems two films for the price of one: an adult western with graphic violence (the film director Fulci wanted to do) and a family movie with a rather mellow atmosphere (the film Gemma preferred to make).”. It has some decent moments but for the aforementioned reason is a rather uneven experience.

Matalo

Cesare Canevari’s Matalo! is another sort of notorious one. Some hate this 1970 entry, considering its mostly plotless, overstylized experimental appearance, brutality, weird soundtrack and uneven performances. But it has some fans preceisely because it is so off beat and doesn’t care much about what people may think of it. Definitely a strange and odd entry, but not quite one that shows directors had run out of ideas by then, quite the opposite one might say. But maybe producers already didn’t care much, this is the movie that wouldn’ve been made even two years earlier.

Death Played the Flute

This is a lesser known one. The director is lesser known, the actors, it’s quite an obscure 1972 movie, were it not for the fact that ostensibly parts of it were later re-edited into a pornographic film. Death Played the Flute however is more than its reputation. It’s brutal, likely censored, slightly anachronistic and a rather hit and miss exploration of the genre by the director who then went elsewhere. It is not available on DVD or BluRay.

Django the Bastard

In 1969, the genre’s demise was still denied by most, with international success still trickling in or even starting to bear fruit. So, a brutal Django-esque western starring Anthony Steffen was definitely nothing out of the ordinary. Django the Bastard however is not ordinary. It may seem a too typical spaghetti western by its premise to be counted as a twilight representative, but where it already shed off the genre’s main tropes is in its over-mystification of the character, the gloomy atmosphere and the sparse if at all use of epic style. It’s a mix of western and horror and bears a lot of similarity to Eastwood’s High Plains Drifter.

Spaghetti Western Locations for "I Want Him Dead"

We continue our search for Spaghetti western locations for “I Want Him Dead”. After running over Mallek with the wagon the men speed away rejoicing that they have all the money. Two of the men riding in the back of the wagon begin to quarrel over the money and one stabs Duke Newton killing him. He pulls the saddlebags towards him and is noticed by Harry Gunnon who’s been sitting on the seat of the wagon. Now he jumps to the back of the wagon and the two men fight until Gunn is knocked from the wagon and then shot when he tries to run after it. Now the last two me tussle and fall off the wagon. Berger is shot twice but before dying is able to kill the other with a large rock. The wagon rolls on with the money blowing out the back onto the desert floor.

This was filmed in This scene was filmed in rambla Alfaro, Tabernas, Spain.

For a more detailed view of this site and other Spaghetti Western locations please visit my friend Yoshi Yasuda’s location site: http://y-yasuda.net/film-location.htm and Captain Douglas Film Locations http://www.western-locations-spain.com/

Special Birthdays

Heinz Freitag [voice actor] would have been 85 today but died in 2018.

Spaghetti Western Trivia - Unmade Lucio Fulci western

 

Unmade Lucio Fulci western with George Hilton & Gilbert Roland (07-08/67) that was later made by Giorgio Capitani (Nov 1967 start) 

Hilton & Roland had just finished ANY GUN CAN PLAY (April start for a September 1967 release)

I don't recall "The Gold of Sam Cooper" being mentioned in the Fulci book

This would have been Fulci's third western with Hilton following THE BRUTE AND THE BEAST (05/66 start for 08/10/66 release) and TWO SONS OF RINGO (start [06-07/66?] 12/07/66 release [uncredited 2nd unit])

I don't think TWO SONS OF RINGO would have been shot before (03/66?) THE BRUTE AND THE BEAST and sat on the shelf for almost a year (12/66)

There must have been hundreds of ads like this that appeared in the trade magazines (start looking!)

 

By Michael Ferguson