Little Known Spaghetti Western Actors ~ Dušan Djordjevic

[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.]

Dusan 'Krcun' Djordjevic was a Serbian actor known for his supporting roles in Yugoslav films and television series during the 1960s and early 1970s.

Born in Valjevo, Serbia, Yugoslavia in1921, he developed a prolific career in Yugoslav media, appearing in over thirty productions primarily between 1960 and 1971, with notable contributions to feature films such as” Atomic War Bride” (1960) and extended television work including the series ‘Muzej vostanih figura’’ (1962–1963) and ‘Dezurna ulica’ (1967). His roles often included character parts such as officials, workers, and other everyday figures in both cinematic and episodic formats typical of Yugoslav television at the time.

Djordjevic was married to Lucrezia Sasso, with whom he had two children before their separation, and he died on March 17, 1971, in Belgrade, Serbia, Yugoslavia, at the age of 50. His work remains part of the rich archive of Yugoslav film and television from the postwar era.

Dušan Djordjevic appeared in on Euro-western, “Zlatna pracka” (The Golden Sling) as Putnik in 1967.

DJORDJEVIC, Dušan (aka D. Djordjevic, Dusan-Krcun Djordjevic, Krcun Djordjevic, D. Djordjevic-Krcun, Dusan Djordjevic-Krcun, Dusan Krcun-Djordjevic) (Dušan Krcun Đorđević) [1921, Valjevo, Serbia, Yugoslavia – 3/17/1971, Belgrade, Serbia, Yugoslavia] – theater, film, TV actor, married to Lucrezia Sasso (19??-19??) father of two children.

The Golden Sling – 1967 (Putnik)

Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

Spaghetti Western Director ~ Paul Flon

Paul Nicolas Flon is a Belgian cinematographer and director known for his contributions to Belgian cinema, beginning his career in 1914 and working through the silent and sound eras up to the 1970s. Born on October 6, 1898, in Brussels, Belgium., Flon started as a cinematographer before directing silent films and propaganda features in the 1920s, later focusing primarily on cinematography while sporadically directing.

He began his film career in 1914 as cinematographer on “Maudite soit la guerre” (War Is Hell), directed by Alfred Machin. He gained recognition for directing films that highlighted technical proficiency and patriotic themes, including the propaganda feature “Belgique” (1920), which was praised for its quality in acting, photography, and overall production values comparable to leading foreign works. Among his most notable directorial efforts is “Dans Bruges-la-morte” (1924), an adaptation set in Bruges and filmed with Belgian actors such as Francis Martin and Suzanne Christy. He also directed “In the Way of Zorro” (1926) and later returned to directing with “Fête de quartier” (1955) and several documentary shorts in the 1970s.

Throughout his career, Flon worked extensively as a cinematographer on Belgian productions spanning from 1914 to the late 1950s, notably as chief cinematographer for Gaston Schoukens from 1926 to 1959, contributing to films such as “Bossemans et Coppenolle” (1938), “Naissance d'une cite” (1944), and “Scandale à la Belgique Joyeuse” (1959). His multifaceted involvement in both directing and cinematography helped bridge the silent and sound eras in Belgian film history.

Paul Flon remained active in the film industry until at least the late 1950s for cinematography credits, with directing continuing into the 1970s. His last known cinematography credit was on “Scandale à la Belgique Joyeuse” (1959).

Flon died on August 10, 1981, in Jette, Belgium at the age of 82.

Paul Flon directed one silent Euro-western “À la manière de Zorro” (In the Way of Zorro) in 1926

FLON, Paul (Paul Nicolas Flon) [10/6/1898, Brussels, Belgium – 8/10/1981, Jette, Belgium] – producer, director, assistant director, writer, cinematographer, cameraman,

In the Way of Zorro – 1926

 

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Guido Celano

Guido Celano was born in Francavilla al Mare, Abruzzo, Italy on April 19, 1904. After his high school studies in Rome, he studied acting, devoting himself initially to a theatrical career. It was noted by Mario Camerini, that he wanted Guido in the silent film “Rotaie” 1929, where he appears in a very short sequence. The following year he appeared, next to Leda Gloria, in the film “Terra d'Incanti” by the director Nicola Fausto Neroni, which "was screened on the screens with sound disks" in mid-August 1931. Later, in 1931, he played a part in the film “The Devil's Lantern” directed by Carlo Campogalliani. In 1932, he played the lead role in the film “Palio”, directed by Alessandro Blasetti, in which Celano plays the part of a womanizer jockey, Zarre, with Leda Gloria.

From then on, he appeared in many films in the most diverse roles, working in the cinema until his death, often in secondary parts or as a character actor. In 1967 he made his directorial debut with two western films, taken from his original subjects, both signed under the pseudonym of William First and whose screenplay took advantage of the well-known writer Luigi Silori: “The Cold Killer” and “Gun Shy Piluk”. During his film career Celano also acted as a voice dubber.

Several times, in his long career, he played the part of a carabiniere, so as to be included in the special book that Arma dedicated to the Cinema of the sector. He also took part in numerous television dramas in the sixties and seventies, from ‘David Copperfield’ to ‘Treasure Island’, from ‘Buddenbrook’ to ‘Living Together’.

In 1974, together with Dino De Laurentiis, Franco Cristaldi, Silvio Clementelli and Monica Vitti, he received the Premio Medaglie d'oro, the life for Cinema.

Overall, Celano worked as an actor from 1929 (“Rotaie”) to 1988 (“Via Paradiso”), ie for 59 years, as long as Sir Laurence Olivier, who worked from 1930 to 1989, and that the American Film Institute considers the film actor more professionally long-lived.

Celano lived for almost sixty years beside his wife Ernesta Cucchiarelli, an actress of silent films, known by the stage name of Tina Xeo, with whom she had two children; the last of which, Ruggero, died in a plane crash in 1976 in Antalya, Turkey along with nearly two hundred other Italians. Guido Celano died of complications from acute peritonitis at age 83 on March 7, 1988 leaving four children and eight grandchildren.

Guido Celano co-wrote the screenplay for one Spaghetti western, “Giurò... e li uccise ad unon ad uno” (Gun Shy Piluk) with Luigi Silori in 1968. He also directed this film under the alias William First.

CELANO, Guido (aka Celano, Guy W. Ceylon, William First) [4/19/1904, Francavilla al Mare, Abruzzo, Italy – 3/7/1988, Rome, Lazio, Italy] – producer, director, writer, theater, film, TV, voice actor, married to Tina Xeo (Ernesta Cucchiarelli) [1902-1992] (1934-1988) father of Virginia Celano, Ruggero Celano [1942-1976], stepfather of Amalia Gargiulo, Luciana Gargiulo, Claudio Gargiulo, awarded the Premio Medaglie d'oro [1974].

Gun Shy Piluk – 1968 (co)

Spaghetti Western Animator ~ Zdeněk Hrabě

Zdeněk Hrabě is/was an animator on sixteen films between 1947 and 1955. I can find no biographical information on him.

Zdeněk Hrabě was an animator on one Euro-western, “Arie Prerie” (Song of the Prairie) with Břetislav Pojar, Bohuslav Šrámek, Stanislav Látal and Jan Karpaš.

HRABE, Zdeněk (Zdeněk Hrabě) – animator.

Song of the Prairie – 1949 (co)

 

Voices of the Spaghetti Western – “Go For Broke”

As we know most of the Euro-westerns were co-productions from Italy, Spain, Germany and France which incorporated British and American actors to gain a worldwide audience. The films were shot silent and then dubbed into the various languages where they were sold for distribution. That means Italian, Spanish, German, French and English voice actors were hired to dub the films. Even actors from the countries where the film was to be shown were often dubbed by voice actors for various reasons such as the actors were already busy making another film, they wanted to be paid additional salaries for dubbing their voices, the actor’s voice didn’t fit the character they were playing, accidents to the actors and in some cases even death before the film could be dubbed.

I’ll list a Euro-western and the (I) Italian, (S) Spanish, (G) German and (F) French, (E) English voices that I can find and once in a while a bio on a specific voice actor as in Europe.

Today we’ll cover “Go For Broke”

[(I) Italian, (S) Spanish, (G) German, (F) French, (E) English 

Johnny Sweet – Mark Damon (I) Pino Locchi, (S) Simón Ramírez, (G) Klaus Kindler

The Owl – John Ireland (I) Renato Turi, (S) Ángel María Baltanás, (G) Holger Hagen

Maria - Mónica Randall (I) Rita Savagnon, (S) Mari Ángeles Herranz, (G) Heidi Treutler

José Gomez - Armando Calvo (I) Ferruccio Amendola, (S) Jesús Nieto, (G) Norbert Gastell

Copper Face - José Torres (I) Luciano De Ambrosis, (S) Carlos Revilla, (G) ?

Belle Smith - Lisa Halvorsen (I) Fiorella Betti, (S) Ana María Saizar, (G) ?

Carrancha - Fernando Sancho (I) Carlo Romano, (S) Francisco Sanchez (G) Otto Preuss

 

Special Birthdays

Sy Richardson (actor) is 85 today.

RIP Knut Husebø

 

Norwegian actor and visual artist Knut Husebø died in Norway on June 1st. He was 80. Born in Stavanger, Rogaland, Norway on May 10, 1946. For several decades, Husebø was a prominent figure in Norwegian cultural life. He first made a name for himself as an actor on the theatre stage, before later also making his mark as a visual artist. He became a national celebrity in the 1970s for his role as Benoni in the TV series ‘Benonig and Rosa’, directed by Per Bronken. Here he played opposite Unni Evjen in a heartbreaking Hamsun drama from the Nordland coast. In later years, Husebø devoted more and more time to the visual arts. Husebø appeared in one Euro-western as the outlaw leader in 2001’s “Morgan Kane: Death is a Lonesome Hunter”.

Little Known Spaghetti Western Actors ~ Cesare Di Vito

[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.]

Cesare Di Vito is/was an Italian character actor. He appeared in 104 films and television appearances between 1963 and 1994 covering all genres.

He’s not listed in Italian Film: A Who’s Who and I can find no biographical information on him.

Cesare Di Vito appeared in three Spaghetti westerns: “Buon funerale amigos... paga Sartana” (Have a Nice Funeral My Friend) as a bartender in 1970, “Corte marziale” (Court Martial) as a member of the defense council in 1973 and “Zanna Bianca alla riscossa” (White Fang to the Rescue) as an assayer in 1974.

Di VITO, Cesare (aka Cesare De Vito, John Vincent) [Italian] – film, TV actor.

Have a Nice Funeral My Friend – 1970 (bartender)

Court Martial – 1973 (defense council) [as Cesare De Vito]

White Fang to the Rescue – 1974 (assayer)

Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

Spaghetti Western Director ~ Richard Fleischer

 Richard Owen Fleischer was born on December 8, 1916, in Brooklyn, New York. He was an American film director whose prolific career extended over four decades, marked by versatility across genres including film noir, historical epics, and science fiction adventures. The son of pioneering animator Max Fleischer, he transitioned from early interests in psychology and drama studies to directing, helming his first feature, “Child of Divorce”, in 1946.

Fleischer gained prominence with RKO Pictures in the late 1940s and early 1950s, directing taut thrillers such as “The Narrow Margin” (1952), a low-budget noir praised for its suspenseful pacing. His work expanded to high-profile Disney productions like “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” (1954), an Academy Award-winning adaptation of Jules Verne's novel that showcased innovative special effects, and later to ambitious spectacles including “The Vikings” (1958), “Fantastic Voyage” (1966), and “Tora! Tora! Tora!” (1970), the latter a detailed recreation of the Pearl Harbor attack co-directed with Japanese filmmakers. He earned accolades such as a Golden Globe for Best Director for “The Happy Time” (1952) and the Palme d'Or at Cannes for “Compulsion” (1959), a courtroom drama based on the Leopold and Loeb case.

In the 1970s, Fleischer explored dystopian themes with “Soylent Green” (1973), starring Charlton Heston, which highlighted environmental and overpopulation concerns through its plot revealing a food shortage crisis. His directorial style emphasized narrative drive and technical proficiency over auteur flourishes, allowing him to navigate studio demands and collaborate with stars like Kirk Douglas, Rex Harrison, and Tony Curtis across more than 50 films. Despite occasional critical dismissals as a journeyman, his contributions to popular cinema endured, with several works achieving cult status for their entertainment value and historical fidelity.

Fleischer died in New York City on March 25, 2006 at the age of 89.

Richard Fleischer directed one Spaghetti western “Tres forajidos y un pistolero” (The Spikes Gang) in 1974.

FLEISCHER, Richard (aka Dick Fleischer, Richard O. Fleischer) (Richard Owen Fleischer) [12/8/1916, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S.A. – 3/25/2006, Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.] – producer, director, writer, stuntman, son of producer, director, animator, actor Max Fleischer [1883–1972] nephew of producer, director, animator Dave Fleischer (David Fleischer) [1894–1979], brother of producer, songwriter, married to Mary Dickson [1919-2009] (1944-2006) father of Bruce Dickson Fleischer [1945-    ], entertainment executive, lawyer Mark Owen Fleischer [1945-    ], Jane Fleischer Reid [1953-    ], grandfather of actress Claire Fleischer [1990-    ].

The Spikes Gang - 1974

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Paolo Cavara

Paolo Cavara was born in Bologna, Italy on July 4, 1926. He was a director, assistant director, writer, cinematographer and cameraman. He directed sixteen films between1962 and 1988. He also stories and screenplays for eleven films during this same period and was an assistant director on “The Naked Maja” in 1958. 

Cavara was known for co-directing the influential 1962 shockumentary “Mondo Cane” and for his later contributions to the giallo genre of Italian thrillers.

Cavara collaborated with Gualtiero Jacopetti and Franco E. Prosperi on “Mondo Cane”, a controversial film that presented a series of bizarre and shocking vignettes from around the world, establishing the mondo film style and achieving international notoriety. Following this, he transitioned to directing narrative features, including “The Wild Eye” (1967), a pseudo-documentary exploration of war reporting, and several gialli such as “The Black Belly of the Tarantula” (1971) and “Plot of Fear” (1976), which blended suspense, eroticism, and mystery in the tradition of the period's popular Italian thrillers. His career also included works like “Deaf Smith & Johnny Ears” (1973) and the drama “Atsalut pader” (1979), showcasing his versatility across genres.

In March of 1961, after filming scenes of his documentary “A Dog's Life” (1962) in Las Vegas, Cavara and his fellow Italian writer/director Gualtiero Jacopetti, along with Jacopetti's paramour actress Belinda Lee traveled by car from Las Vegas to Los Angeles for more filming. Near San Bernardino, California, on US 91, their Italian driver, who was driving too fast, lost control on a winding road after blowing a tire. The car flipped, killing actress Lee immediately when she was thrown from the vehicle and fractured her skull and broke her neck. All the others escaped with minor injuries.

Paolo died in Rome on August 7, 1982, a month after turning 56.

Paolo Cavara co-wrote the screenplay for one Spaghetti western “Los amigos” (Deaf Smith & Johnny Ears) with Oscar Saul, Harry Essex, Lucia Brudi and Augusto Finocchi in 1972 which he also directed.

CAVARA, Paolo [7/4/1926, Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy – 8/7/1982, Rome, Lazio, Italy] - director, assistant director, writer, cinematographer, cameraman,

Deaf Smith & Johnny Ears – 1972 (co)

Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Heinz Holscher

Heinz Hölscher was a German cinematographer known for his influential work in post-war German cinema, particularly in popular genre films of the 1950s through 1970s. His dynamic camerawork and skilled use of lighting contributed to the visual style of numerous adventure, Western, and crime productions, including collaborations with directors such as Harald Reinl and Alfred Vohrer. Hölscher's career encompassed over a hundred films and television projects, establishing him as one of the most prolific and respected cinematographers in German-speaking film.

Born in Munich on October 9, 1925, Hölscher began his career in the film industry shortly after World War II, initially working as a camera assistant before advancing to director of photography. He gained prominence through his involvement in the successful Karl May film adaptations, such as ''Der Schatz im Silbersee'' and the Winnetou series, as well as the Edgar Wallace krimi films that became cult classics in Germany. His technical expertise helped define the look of these commercially successful films, blending dramatic lighting with effective location photography. Hölscher continued working into the 1980s, transitioning to television productions in his later years, before passing away in 2018.

Heinz Holscher was a cinematographer on five Euro-westerns: “Der Ölprinz” (Rampage at Apache Wells) in 1965, “Winnetou und das Halbblut Apanatschi” (The Halfbreed) in 1966, “Die Blutigen Geier von Alaska” (Hellhounds of Alaska) in 1972, “Onkel Toms Hütte” (Cassy) in 1975 and “Die Einsteiger” (The Beginners) in 1985.

HOLSCHER, Heinz (aka Heinz Hoelscher, Henry Hoelsher) [10/9/1925, Munich, Bavaria, Germany – 5/7/2021, Munich, Bavaria, Germany] – cinematographer, cameraman, actor.

Rampage at Apache Wells - 1965

The Halfbreed – 1966

Hellhounds of Alaska - 1972

Cassy – 1975

Die Einsteiger - 1985