Thursday, February 19, 2026

Little Known Spaghetti Western actors ~ Cinzia de Ponti

[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.]

Cinzia Fiordeponti best known as Cinzia De Ponti was born on October 3, 1960. She is an Italian actress, model, television personality and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Italia 1979 and second runner-up to Miss Universe 1982.

De Ponti was born in Pescara, Abruzzo, Italy on October 3, 1960. In 1979, while a law student at Teramo University, she won the Miss Italia beauty contest. She later won the 1982 Miss Universo Italia contest and entered the Miss Universe 1982 competition, finishing third.

De Ponti studied as an actress at the "Studio di arti sceniche" drama school led by Alessandro Fersen. She appeared in a number of films in the 1980s, alternating main roles in comedy and genre films and minor roles in art films where she was also credited as Cinthia Stewart. Since the second half of the 1980s, she focused on television, working as an actress and a presenter.

de PONTI, Cinzia (aka Cinthia Stewart) (Cinzia Fiordeponti) [10/3/1960, Pescara, Abruzzo, Italy -     ] – Miss Italy 1979, Miss Universe Italy 1982, model, film, TV actress.

White Apache – 1985 (Isabella)

Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

Spaghetti Western Director ~ Bruno Bozzetto

Bruno Bozzetto is an Italian cartoonist, animator and film director who was born in Milan, Italy on March 3, 1938. He is known for his political and satirical productions. He created his first animated short, "Tapum! the Weapons' Story" in 1958 at the age of 20. His most famous character, a hapless little man named "Signor Rossi", has been featured in many animated shorts as well as starring in three feature films: “Mr. Rossi Looks for Happiness” (1976), “Mr. Rossi's Dreams” (1977), and “Mr. Rossi's Vacation” (1977).

Since 1999, Bozzetto turned to flash cartoons, most notably with the award-winning Europe and Italy, a commentary on European vs. Italian socio-cultural attributes. He also laid inspiration for the countryballs meme.

Bruno Bozzetto has animated three Euro-westerns: “Fantasia Indiana” in 1954, ‘Unca Dunca’ (TV series) 1961-1970, “West and Soda” with Attilio Giovannini in 1964 and ‘Far West’ in 1999.

BOZZETTO, Bruno (aka Bozzetto) [3/3/1938, Milan, Lombardy, Italy -     ] – producer, director, writer, animator, cinematographer, son of actor Umberto Bozzetto, married to actress Valeria Ongaro (197?-    ) father of director Fabio Bozzetto [1975-    ].

Fantasia Indiana - 1954

Unca Dunca (TV) – 1961-1970

West and Soda – 1964 (co)

Far West (video) - 1999


Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Albert Band

Albert Band was born in Paris, France on May 7, 1924. Alfredo Antonini was an alias he used and not as is often found in books his real name. Albert was the son of artist Max Band [1901-1974]. His mother was born in Marijampolė, and his father was from Kudirkos Naumiestis. His family heritage is Jewish. He escaped from Paris to the United States with his family prior to the occupation of France during World War II. There he graduated from Hollywood High School.

Interested in film, he became an apprentice at Warner Bros. where he developed contacts eventually becoming an assistant director on John Huston's “The Asphalt Jungle”, then adapting the story “The Red Badge of Courage” for Huston's film of the same name.

He made his debut as a producer and director in “The Young Guns” (1956), combining the two then-popular genres of Westerns and juvenile delinquent films. In the late 1950s, he moved to Europe, producing a variety of films, beginning in Sweden with “Face of Fire” (1959), based on another of Stephen Crane's stories, The Monster.

Albert wroter screenplays and stories for eleven films between 1951 and 1979 six of them were for westerns. He is the father of filmmaker Charles Band and of film composer Richard Band.

Albert Band died in Los Angeles, California on June 14, 2002, from complications from stomach blockage and lung infection. He was 78.

Band wrote screenplays for five Spaghetti westerns: “Duello nel Texas” (Gunfight at Red Sands) with Ricardo Blasco and Don Prindle and “Massacro al grande Canyon” (Massacre at Grande Canyon) with Sergio Corbucci both in 1963, the story with Ugo Liberatore for “I crudeli” (The Hellbenders) and the screenplay with Liberatore for “Gli uomini dal passo pesante” (The Tramplers) both in 1966 and the screenplay and story with Liberatore and Louis Garfinkle for 1968’s “Un minuto per pregare, un istante per morire” (A Minute to Pray a Second to Die).

BAND, Albert (aka Alfredo Antonini) [5/7/1924, Paris, Île-de-France, France – 6/14/2002, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. (complications from stomach blockage and lung infection)] – producer, production manager, director, assistant director, writer, son of artist Max Band [1901-1974], married to actress Jacquelyn Band (Jacquelyn Lois Richardson) [1927-2012] (19??-2002), father of producer, director, writer, actor Charles Band (Charles Robert Band) [1951-    ], producer, production manager, assistant director, writer, composer, songwriter, actor Richard Band (Richard Howard Band) [1953-    ], grandfather of actress Taryn Band (Taryn Lynn Band) [1977-    ], producer, composer, songwriter, actor Alex Band (Alexander Max Band) [1981-    ], actor Harlan Band (Harlan Stefano Band) [1991-    ], actor Zalman Band (Zalman Kerrigan Band) [1995-    ].

Gunfight at Red Sands – 1963 (co) [as Alfredo Antonini]

Massacre at Grande Canyon – 1963 (co)

The Hellbenders – 1966 (co)

The Tamplers – 1966 (co)

A Minute to Pray a Second to Die – 1968


Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Gerard Brissaud

Gerard Brisseau was a French cameraman and cinematographer producer and writer. He worked on twenty-nine films as a cinematographer from 1964-1980, five as a cameraman from 1960-1967, one film as a producer in 1950, writer in 1973 and twenty-four in the sound department 1943-1971. He was sometimes credited as Gerard Brissaud.

He worked mostly in adult films and there is very little information available other than his filmography. When and where he was born in unknown as is whether he’s still living.

Gerard was the cinematographer on one Euro-western: 1974’s “Convoi de femmes” (Convoy of Women).

BRISSAUD, Gérard (Gérard Brisseau) [French] – cinematographer, cameraman, screenwriter, producer, writer.

Convoy of Women - 1974

RIP Anna Ranalli

 


Italian model, singer and actress Anna Ranalli died on February 14th. She was 84. Born Anna Maria Ranalli in San Benedetto del Tronto, Marche, Italy on January 21, 1942, she was Miss Italy in 1959, Miss Beirut in and Miss Europe in 1960. Ranalli - who in 1958 had interrupted her studies to enroll at the Experimental Center of Cinematography - was hired by Italian directors and made 7 films. The best known was "The Magnificent Three" in 1961 with Walter Chiari, Ugo Tognazzi and Raimondo Vianello. After achieving popularity, she studied singing with the masters Francesco Ferrari and Bruno Zambrini, recorded some records and participated in the television program "Tempo di musica". She left the cinema to devote herself to her family after marrying Gianfranco Battelli, a rally driver who had abandoned racing for her. He followed him to manage two hotels in Chianciano Terme. In recent years she had retired to private life between San Benedetto and Martinsicuro, unforgotten. Rinalli played Dolores in the 1961 Euro-western “The Magnificent Three”.

Voices of the Spaghetti Western “Killer Adios”

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 these actors are as well-known as the actors they voiced.









Today we’ll cover “Killer Adios”

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

Jess Bryan – Peter Lee Lawrence (S) José Moratalla, (G) Hans-Georg Panczak

Sheila Simpson – Marisa Solinas (S) Maria Luisa Rubio, (G) Katharina Lopinski

Bill Bragg – Armando Calvo (S) Armando Calvo, (G) Herbert Weicker

Fannie Endes – Rosalba Neri (S) Maite Santamaría, (G) Eva Kinsky

Jack Bradshaw – Nello Pazzafini (S) Benjamín Domingo, (G) Wolf Goldan

Sheriff Clint Simpson – Luis Induni (S) José Martínez Blanco, (G) Alexander Allerson









José Moratalla  (1941 – 1989)

José Moratalla was born on December 23, 1941 in Sisante, Cuenca, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. Known as Pepito Moratalla he was a Spanish actor and voice actor known for his extensive career in film, television, theater, and dubbing that spanned from childhood roles in the 1940s to his work in the 1980s. He debuted as a child actor in Spanish cinema shortly after World War II and became recognized for his versatility across live-action and animated projects as well as providing Spanish dubs for international films and series.

Moratalla appeared in notable Spanish productions including a role in a film directed by Pedro Almodóvar and contributed voices to animated series such as “Around the World with Willy Fog” and “The World of David the Gnome”. His dubbing work also extended to major Hollywood titles like “The Godfather”, “Scanners”, and episodes of ‘The Incredible Hulk’.

He continued working in the industry until his death on December 28, 1989, in Madrid at the age of 48, leaving a legacy as one of Spain's early child actors who transitioned successfully into adult roles and voice work.


Das Märchen von Texas Bill

Das Märchen von Texas Bill – German title

Oilstory – German title

[The Tale of Texas Bill English translated title]

 

A 1974 East German short film production [DEFA-Studio für Trickfilme (Dresden)]

Producer:

Director: Jörg Herrmann

Story: Jörg Herrmann

Screenplay: Jörg Herrmann

Photography: Walter Eckhold [color]

Music: Eberhard Weise

     Song: ? sung by Gerry Wolff, Oppenheimer Choir

Running time: 15 minutes

Cast:

Puppets

 

Story: The progenitor Old Bill comes to power and wealth in crooked ways and even after his death makes the inhabitants of heaven and hell dependent on his oil business.

Special Birthdays

Richard Groschopp (director, writer) would have been 120 today but died in 1996.









Joseph Schorn (actor) would have been 115 today but died in 1994.









Lamberto Antonelli (writer) is 105 today?

Wednesday, February 18, 2026

Little Known Spaghetti Western actors ~ Jaime de Pedro

[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.]


 Jaime de Pedro is/was a Spanish character actor. He appeared in only six films between 1960 and 1974.

Among those six films were two Spaghetti westerns: “Quindici forche per un assassin” (15 Scaffolds for a Killer) as Miguel and “Tierra Brava” as a Rojas bandit both in 1968

I can find no biographical information on him.

de PEDRO, Jaime [Spanish] – film actor.

15 Scaffolds for a Killer – 1968 (Miguel)

Tierra Brava – 1968 (Rojas’ bandit)