Little Known Spaghetti Western Actors ~ Riccardo Dominici

[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.]

 Riccardo Domenici worked mainly behind the cameras during on over 75 films during his twenty-five year plus career mainly as a set decorator, production and costume designer but when called upon he would appear in films in supporting or character roles. He was credited under multiple spellings of his name and Anglicized names such as Henry Daring, Gus Marrow and Dick and Rick Sunday.

Riccardo Dominici appeared in only one Spaghetti western, “E poi lo chiamarono il Magnifico” (Man of the East) in 1972

DOMINICI, Riccardo (aka Henry Daring, Dick Domenici, Dik Domenici, P. Domenici, Riccardo Domienici, Alberto Dominici, Dick Dominici, Mario Dominici, Ricardo Dominici, Riccardo Dominic, Ricardo Doomenici, Gus Marrow, Dick Sunday, Rick Sunday) (Riccardo Domenici) [Italian] – film actor.

Man of the East – 1972 [as Mario Dominici]

Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

Spaghetti Western Director ~ Gaby Getz

Gabrielle van der Riet is known both as a historical amateur stage actress and director from South Africa, who later adopted the stage name Gaby Getz,and as the subject of a past missing persons appeal in 2018.The historical and personal records available include two primary facets: Theatrical Career: In the 1960s, van der Riet performed and directed in South Africa, notably appearing in the 1966 PEMADS production of “Macbeth” in Port Elizabeth. She later rebranded as professional actress Gaby Getz, starring in a variety of stage comedies and musicals across Durban and Johannesburg. Genealogical Records: Family history indices also reference Gabrielle Elaine van der Riet, who lived from October 1940 to March 2009.

As Gaby Getz she directed one Spaghetti western, “3 Bullets... for a Long Gun” in 1970.

GETZ, Gaby (aka Gabby Getz) (Gabrielle van der Riet) [10/?/1940, Port Elizabeth, South Africa – 3/?/2009, Johannesburg, South Africa] – producer, director, theater, film, actress, singer.

3 Bullets... for a Long Gun – 1970

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Gianfranco Clerici

Gianfranco Clerici' is an Italian screenwriter and assistant director known for his extensive work on exploitation, horror, and giallo films in Italian cinema, particularly during the 1970s and 1980s. Born on July 29, 1941, in Bergamo, Italy, he began his career in the 1960s working as an assistant director on various genre pictures, including adventure, western, and crime films, before establishing himself as a prolific screenwriter.

Clerici collaborated with prominent directors of Italian cult cinema, such as Lucio Fulci and Ruggero Deodato, contributing screenplays to notable and often controversial works including ''Don't Torture a Duckling'' (1972), ''Cannibal Holocaust'' (1980), ''The New York Ripper'' (1982), and ''Devil Fish'' (1984). His scripts frequently explored graphic violence, sensational themes, and exploitation elements that defined the era's extreme Italian genre filmmaking.

Later in his career, Clerici shifted toward television, writing for numerous Italian series and long-running productions into the 2000s, while maintaining a steady output across film and media. His contributions remain influential within the realm of cult and horror cinema enthusiasts.

Gianfranco Clerici was a screenwriter on two Spaghetti westerns: “Zorro il ribelle” (Zorro the Rebel) in 1966 and “Tex e il signore degli abissi” (Tex and the Lord of the Deep) with Marcello Coscia, Duccio Tessari and Giorgio Bonelli in 1985.

CLERICI, Gianfranco (aka Frank Clark, Franco Clerici, Mark Davis, Marco Devis, Mark Devis) [7/29/1941, Bergamo, Lombardy, Italy -    ] – producer, assistant director, writer, songwriter, actor.

Zorro the Rebel - 1966

Tex and the Lord of the Deep – 1985 (co)

Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Josef Klyk

Jozef Klyk was born in Bojszowy, Slaskie, Poland on April 13, 1950. He is obsessed with the American West; so much so that he directs, writes, shoots and stars in films, which he shoots with his hand-cranked camera. Jozef Klyk lives in a small village in the south of Poland and has never even visited the U.S. Wanted is a docu­mentary about a remarkable man who dreams of a place that exists in his imagination only. An Eastern Western, one might say.

Jozef Klyk was born in Bojszowy, Slaskie, Poland on April 13, 1950. He is obsessed with the American West; so much so that he directs, writes, shoots and stars in films, which he writes, directs, films and appears in films he shoots with his hand-cranked camera. Jozef Klyk lives in a small village in the south of Poland and has never even visited the U.S.

Josef Klyk was a cinematographer on six Euro-westerns: “The Stagecoach Robbery” in 1968,

“The Stagecoach to Kansas” in 1969, “Full Death” in 1984-1986, “The Man from Nowhere - The Trail of Lawlessness” in 1980-1983, “Free Man” in 1988-1991 and “Two from Texas” in 1999.

KLYK, Józef [4/13/1950, Bojszowy, Slaskie, Poland -     ] – producer, director, writer, cinematographer, actor.

The Stagecoach Robbery – 1968

The Stagecoach to Kansas - 1969

Full Death - 1984-1986 (Zlotko/Gold)

The Man from Nowhere - The Trail of Lawlessness -1980-1983

Wanted - 1990

Free Man – 1988-1991

Two from Texas – 1999

Leo Anchoriz, the premier actor from Almería—with nearly 40 films to his name—has no star on the Walk of Fame.

La Voz de Almeria

By Jose Angel Perez

June 9, 2026

Leo Anchoriz—the stage name of film and theater actor Mariano Leopardo de Anchoriz Fustel—was born in Almería on September 22, 1929, in the city's Plaza del Marqués de Heredia (popularly known as the Plaza de los Burros). He passed away in Madrid on February 17, 1987—where he had resided for many years—at the relatively young age of 58 due to a heart condition, leaving behind his widow, María Callejón; the couple had no children.

This multifaceted native of Almería was a film actor, painter, writer, musician, muralist, and theatrical set designer; within the film industry, he distinguished himself as a screenwriter and art director. Endowed with an extraordinary physique—possessing a strong, athletic build—he was an excellent swimmer. On television, he worked as a presenter for TVE in 1975, hosting the game show ‘A Simple Vista*, and appeared in various series such as ‘Confidencias’, ‘Tiempo y hora’, ‘Novelas’, ‘Cuentos y Leyendas’, ‘Ficciones’, ‘Teatro de Siempre’, and ‘Hora Once’. In artistic and cultural circles, he was known as a highly cultured individual—versatile across all manner of cultural activities—and a man deeply devoted to his homeland; it was there, at the Ciudad Jardín church in 1965, that he married María Callejón, a young woman from Dalías.

According to Antonio Sevillano, his parents—Román de Anchoriz Andrés, of the Aragonese origin, and Josefina Fustel—arrived in Almería around the second decade of the 20th century. His father, a mariner by profession, worked as a harbor pilot. They arrived with two other children, Carola and Román.

As a child, Leopardo Anchoriz was a restless, hyperactive, and highly intelligent boy. In 1936, he began his education at a popular school on Calle de la Reina, where he prepared for admission to the secondary school—now the School of Arts and Crafts—to complete his high school studies. He was a student of the extraordinary poet and teacher Celia Viñas, sharing classes with other notable figures from Almería such as Gabriel Espinar, Mary Molto, López Cuadra, and the painter Dionisio Godoy. An exceptional draftsman who seemed destined to become a painter, he handled the set design for the “pasos” (religious floats), plays, and other productions Celia organized for her students. Interestingly, he illustrated some of his teacher's publications, including Trigo del corazón and Canción tonta del Sur.

After finishing high school, he moved to Madrid to study Fine Arts at the San Fernando Academy. He entered the film industry under the guidance of director Pedro Lazaga, thanks to his friendship with actress ConchPerezita Montes. He was close friends with José María Forqué, Jaime de Armiñán, and the Italian filmmaker Enzo G. Castellari; he worked on several films with Castellari and, years later, even moved to Rome to live with him and his family. It is worth noting that Leo Anchoriz never abandoned painting—a field in which he had shown great promise—creating various stage sets for Madrid theaters and, notably, a collection of posters for the Almería Fair; he won first prize in the 1948 municipal competition for these designs—collaborating with Miguel Salmerón Pellón (winning again in 1949, 1951, and 1972)—and became the most acclaimed poster artist after Pérez Siquier, Salmerón, and Robles Cabrera. Leo Anchoriz also created the mural announcing Madrid's San Isidro Festival in 1973.

Wedding in Ciudad Jardín

At the age of 36, with his film career firmly established, he married María Callejón on the afternoon of Sunday, January 12, 1965, at the Church of San Antonio in Ciudad Jardín. Among the well-known figures from the entertainment world who attended the ceremony were bullfighter Antonio Bienvenida, José María Forqué, and Jaime Luis de Armiñán.

Whether in a leading or supporting role, Leo Anchoriz appeared in 37 films across various genres—predominantly Spaghetti Westerns—often playing "tough guys" or action roles. He made his debut in 1957 in “Las muchachas de azul”, directed by José M. Forqué and starring Analía Gadé, Fernando Fernán Gómez, and Tony Leblanc; this was followed by Pedro Luis Ramírez’s “El tigre de Chamberí”, alongside José Luis Ozores and Tony Leblanc. In 1959, he appeared in “Duelo en La Cañada”—his first film shot in Almería—and three years later starred in “Milagro a los cobardes”, winning the Best New Actor award at the San Sebastián International Film Festival. That same year, he appeared in “El gladiador invencible”, “Marcha o muere”, and “El halcón de la luna”, alongside Carmen Sevilla, Lola Flores, and Paquita Rico.

He shot nine films in Almería, several of them alongside Eduard Fajardo, who had adopted the region as his home. In a subsequent phase of his career, he worked as a co-screenwriter and writer on “Vivir al sol’; “Carola de día, Carola de noche” (starring Marisol); “La Lola dicen que no vive sola” (directed by Jaime de Armiñán); “Los fríos del miedo”; “A veces ocurren cosas”; a TVE episode; and Pilar Miró’s “La petición”. As an art director, he worked on “La cera virgen” (directed by Forqué and starring Carmen Sevilla and José Luis López Vázquez) and the 1974 film “No es nada, mamá, sólo un juego” (alongside Paco Rabal), and he collaborated with his friend Pilar Miró on the filming of “Gary Cooper, que estás en los cielos”.

Who Are Those Gals? ~ Anne Francis

 

Anne Francis was an American actress best known for her iconic roles as Altaira in the science fiction classic “Forbidden Planet” (1956) and as the title character in the groundbreaking television series ‘Honey West’ (1965–1966), the first weekly show to feature a female private detective. Born in Ossining, New York on September 16, 1930, she began her career as a child model at age five and appeared in radio serials and on Broadway by age 11, eventually signing with MGM in 1947 for her film debut in “This Time for Keeps”.

Throughout the 1950s, Francis starred in notable films including “So Young, So Bad” (1950), “Bad Day at Black Rock” (1955), and “Blackboard Jungle” (1955), establishing herself as a versatile supporting actress in drama and noir genres. Her performance in “Forbidden Planet”, directed by Fred M. Wilcox, showcased her as the naive yet pivotal daughter of a scientist on a distant planet, contributing to the film's enduring legacy as a cornerstone of science fiction cinema. Transitioning to television in the 1960s, she earned a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Series and an Emmy nomination for ‘Honey West’, where she portrayed a stylish investigator often using martial arts and gadgets to solve cases.

Francis appeared as a guest star on numerous acclaimed series such as ‘The Twilight Zone’, ‘Mission: Impossible’, and ‘The Virginian’, amassing over 160 roles across film and television before receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960 for her television work. Later in life, she authored the book Voices from Home: An Inner Journey (1982), reflecting on her spiritual experiences, and continued acting sporadically until health issues arose following a 2007 lung cancer diagnosis She died of pancreatic cancer complications in Santa Barbara, California on January 2, 2011, at age 80, survived by her two daughters, Jane and Maggie.

FRANCIS, Anne (Anne Lloyd Francis) [9/16/1930, Ossining, New York, U.S.A. - 1/2/2011, Santa Barbara, California, U.S. (pancreatic cancer)] – model, film, radio, TV actress, married to Bamlet Lawrence Price Jr. [1925-1996] (1952–1955) married to dentist Dr. Robert David Abeloff [1925-2019] (1960–1964) mother of Jane Elizabeth Abeloff [1962-    ], adopted daughter Margaret "Maggie" West [1969-    ].

Pancho Villa – 1971 (Flo)

Special Birthdays

Paul Smith (actor) would have been 90 today but died in 2012.

Little Known Spaghetti Western Actors ~ Jose Dominguez

[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.]

Jose J. Dominguez was born in Chihuahua, Mexico on March 19, 1894. He was a film and television actor who appeared in over 210 films and TV appearances from 1921 to 1969. Among his films was an appearance in his only Euro-western, “El hombre malo (The Bad Man) as Luciano in 1930.

Dominguez died at the actor’s home in Woodland Hills, California on April 11, 1970, at the age of 76.

DOMINGUEZ, Jose (aka Joe Dominguez) (Jose J. Dominguez) [3/19/1894 · Chihuahua, Mexico – 4/11/1970, Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.] – film, TV actor, married to Francisca Almaraz [1902-1968] (1919-1968) father of Joseph Dominguez [1921-1954], Eugene Dominguez [1923-1944], Richard Joseph Dominguez [1924-2018], Francisco Teresa Dominguez [1928-1997], Gilbert Dominguez [1930-19??], Robert Dominguez [1941-2021]. James Dominguez [1945-2020].

El hombre malo (The Bad Man) – 1930 (Luciano)

Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

 Spaghetti Western Director ~ Geneviève Gérald

Geneviève Gérald was born Geneviève Thérèse Alberte George in Tunisia on January 4, 1940. She’s worked in front of the camera as an actress in one film “Ruger American” in 2019 and behind the camera as a voice actress and a director. 

Geneviève Gérald co-directed one Euro-western, “Les cow-boys de Paris” (The Cowboys of Paris) with Philippe Hersent in 1969.

GERALD, Geneviève (aka Celine Cattan, Célina Cély, Geneviève Gérald) (Geneviève Thérèse Alberte George) [1/4/1940, Tunisia –     ] – director, actress, married to director, actor Philippe Hersant [1912-1982] (196?-196?), married to journalist Philippe Alexandre [1932-2022] (1966-1998).

The Cowboys of Paris – 1969 (co)

 

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ George Clavigny

Georges Clavigny was born Jules-Auguste Besse on October 19,1873 in Lyon, France. He was a French writer. He wrote the series of popular novels Le Vautour de la sierra published by Fayard at the beginning of the twentieth century, and the Tilutin series. He was also the French adaptor of Winsor McCay's masterpiece, Little Nemo in Slumberland, which appeared from June 1908 under the title Petit Nemo au pays des songes in the journal La Jeunesse moderne, until the magazine closed in 1909. Clavigny died in La Ferrière-au-Doyen, Normandie, France on September 5, 1952 at the age of 79.

George Clavigny wrote the screenplay for one silent Euro-western, “Le vautour de la Siria” (The Vulture of the Sierra) in 1909.

CLAVIGNY, George (Jules-Auguste Besse) [10/19/1873, Lyon, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France - 9/5/1952, La Ferrière-au-Doyen, Normandie, France] – author, writer.

The Vulture of the Sierra – 1909

 

Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Sepp Ketterer

Sepp Ketterer was born on February 11, 1899 in Altglashütten Germany and was a German cinematographer. He was involved in the cinematography of almost 50 films between 1938 and 1968. He also worked on a number of Austrian films such as “1. April 2000” which was released in 1952.

Sepp Ketterer was a cinematographer on one Euro-western, “Graf Bobby, der Schrecken des wilden Westens” (Count Bobby, the Terror of the Wild West) in 1965.

KETTERER, Sepp (aka Josef Ketterer) [2/11/1899, Altglashütten, Schwarzwald, Germany – 1/11/1991, Vienna, Austria] – cinematographer, camceraman.

Count Bobby, the Terror of the Wild West – 1965