.Westerns...All'Italiana!

Friday, March 13, 2026

Little Known Spaghetti Western actors ~ Maria De Sisti

[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.]

Maria De Sisti was an Italian character actress. Her large stature made her easy to recognize in the eighteen films she appeared in between 1959 and 1983. She was born in Ciociaria, Italy sometime in the 1930s and passed away in the early 2000s.

Maria appeared in three Spaghetti Westerns: “Uomo avvisato mezzo ammazzato…parola di Spirito Santo” (Blazing Guns) as a Mexican wife) in 1971, “Il West ti va stretto, amico... è arrivato Alleluja” (The Return of Hallelujah) as a church camp woman in 1972 and “Di Tressette ce n’è uno, tutti gli altri son nessuno” (The Crazy Bunch) as Mrs. Smith in 1974.

De SISTI, Maria (aka Maria de Sisti) [193?, Ciociaria, Italy – 200?, Rome, Lazio, Italy] – film actress.

Blazing Guns – 1971 (Mexican wife)

The Return of Hallelujah - 1972 (church camp woman)

The Crazy Bunch – 1974 (Mrs. Smith)

Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

Spaghetti Western Director ~ Luciano B. Carlos

Luciano Balares Carlos was born in Sampaguita, Philippines in 1925. Known by his nickname "Chaning", Carlos began as a writer for Sampaguita Pictures and then ventured into directing. He directed 101 films between 1964 and 1997. He also wrote stories and screenplays for films 127 films between 1954 and 1991. During his film career he also acted and appeared in 9 films between 1954 and 2003.

His works were characterized by strong satirical and cynically humorous tones, which led him to be considered one of the most important exponents of Filipino comedy. Nevertheless, he was also able to be appreciated in several other genres, such as drama.

Carlos died of complications of pneumonia on November 21, 2002, at the age of 77, during a visit to his daughter in Fullerton, California. He was 77.

Lucien B. Carlos directed one Spaghetti western 1970’s “The Arizona Kid”.

CARLOS, Luciano B. (aka Chaning Carlos, Luciano Carlos Luciano ‘Channing’ Carlos) (Luciano Balares Carlos) [1925, Sampaguita, Philippines – 11/21/2002, Fullerton, California, U.S.A. (pneumonia)] – director, assistant director, writer, songwriter, actor, married to Chet Carlos father of seven children.

The Arizona Kid – 1970

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Giulio Berruti

Giulio Berruti was born in Leini, Piedmont, Italy on April 28, 1937. He was an assistant director, film editor and writer. He was active in the Italian film industry from 1966 to 1979 as an assistant director on 6 films, a film editor on 9 and wrote stories and screenplays for 8 films.

Giulio Berruti co-wrote the screenplay for only one Spaghetti western: “Zanna Bianca e il cacciatore solitario” (White Fang and the Hunter” with Giuseppe Maggi and Alfonso Brescia in 1975.

BERRUTI, Giulio (aka G. Berruti) [4/28/1937, Leini, Piedmont, Italy - ] – assistant director, writer, film editor.

White Fang and the Hunter – 1975

Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Stanley Cortez

Stanley Cortez was an American cinematographer whose career spanned over six decades, marked by innovative use of lighting, deep-focus techniques, and atmospheric visuals in more than 70 films.

Born Stanislaus Krantz in New York City's Lower East Side on November 4, 1908, to Austrian immigrant parents, Cortez adopted his professional name in homage to his older brother, the silent film actor Ricardo Cortez. He began his career in the 1920s as an assistant to portrait photographers such as Pirie MacDonald and Edward Steichen before transitioning to the film industry as a camera operator and assistant on projects including D.W. Griffith's final films and Busby Berkeley musicals.

Cortez's breakthrough as a director of photography came in the late 1930s, with his first feature credit on “Four Days Wonder” (1936) at Universal Studios, followed by acclaimed work on Orson Welles's “The Magnificent Ambersons” (1942), for which he earned his first Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography (Black-and-White). His second Oscar nomination arrived for co-cinematography on John Cromwell's epic “Since You Went Away” (1944) alongside Lee Garmes, noted for its emotional depth and wartime realism.

Among his most celebrated achievements was the haunting, expressionistic black-and-white photography for Charles Laughton's sole directorial effort, “The Night of the Hunter” (1955), widely regarded as his masterpiece for its stark contrasts, symbolic compositions, and fairy-tale-like menace. Later highlights include the psychological drama “The Three Faces of Eve” (1957), Samuel Fuller's provocative “Shock Corridor” (1963) and “The Naked Kiss” (1964), and the war film “The Bridge at Remagen” (1969), showcasing his versatility in genres from noir thrillers to social commentary.

Known for his perfectionism and dramatic style—influenced by collaborations with directors like Fritz Lang and Welles—he received four major ASC awards over his lifetime, though his uncompromising approach sometimes led to clashes, such as his brief stint on Roman Polanski's “Chinatown” (1974), from which he was fired after 10 days. Cortez passed away in Los Angeles after a long illness on December 23, 1997, leaving a legacy of visually poetic contributions to cinema. He was 89.

Stanley Cortez was a cinematographer on two Euro-westerns: “Blue” in 1968 and with Jacques Lefrançois on “Un autre homme, une autre chance” (Another Man, Another Chance) in 1977.

CORTEZ Stanley (Stanislaus Kranz) [11/4/1908, New York City, New York, U.S.A. – 12/23/1997, Hollywood, California, U.S.A.] – cinematographer, cameraman, brother of actor, director Ricardo Cortez (Jacob Krantz) [1900-1977], married to dancer and actress Mildred Rehn

(Mildred Ann Rehn) [1913-1989] (1938-1989).

Blue - 1968

Another Man, Another Chance – 1977 (co)

GREAT BRITAIN & LATIN, err. NORTH AMERICAN RELATIONS, PARTE CUATRA: THE WOMAN WHO RODE AWAY (1968-73)

1968-73, United Kingdom

Aka… The Woman Who Rode Away, La Mujer Que Se Fue a Caballo / ‘The Woman Who Went on Horseback’ (Mex and Sp), The Novice

D: Roger Vadim, then Joseph Sargent; P: Raymond Stross; Sc: Gavin Lambert; St: D.H. Lawrence [David Herbert Lawrence], Berkeley Press (‘The Woman Who Rode Away and Other Stories’, 1928)

C: Anne Heywood [Violet Joan ‘Anne’ Pretty] (The Woman), [?] (Lederman)

Syn: Mexico. Set after the Great War (1914-18, early 1920’s).

Comm: On November 30, 1968, producer Raymond Stross announced that actress Anne Heywood would be starring in “The Novice”, a contemporary western to be shot in Mexico early in February 1969. In July of 1972 Stross revealed that they would be making an adaption of D.H. Lawrence’ s novella, THE WOMAN WHO RODE AWAY, and that it would be directed by Roger Vadim. It would still be shot in Mexico the following January. On May 14th, 1973, Stross told Boxoffice Magazine (US) that their film was still on schedule for Mexico. Then in November, Stross said the production had moved and would be made in Spain with a December start. 1974 came and went…

THE WOMAN WHO RODE AWAY would have been their second film based on a story by Lawence following the pot-boiler “The Fox” (1967). Lawrence had written “The Woman Who Rode Away” during the summer of 1924, while he was living in New Mexico. It is a dark, allegorical tale about a bored, stifled, unnamed woman who leaves her husband (Lederman), and her two children, to seek out the remote Chilchui Indians of Mexico. She is captured, slowly drugged, and willingly prepared for ritual sacrifice by the tribesmen to restore the tribe's power. It would mark a profound spiritual transformation in her (Weird, ehhh, apologies to the late Paul Green: Encyclopedia of Weird Westerns).

THE WOMAN WHO RODE AWAY would have been a UK production set in Mexico after the Great War and made during the waning days of the spaghetti western.

Anne Heywood, ‘Miss Pretty’, got her start at Rank, and quickly changed her name to ‘Heywood’, which was her mother's maiden name. She met her future husband Raymond Stross while they made “A Terrible Beauty” together. Neither had been married before.

Prior to THE WOMAN WHO RODE AWAY Stross & Heywood had made the above mentioned “A Terrible Beauty” (1960), “The Very Edge” (1963), “The Fox” (1967), “90 Degrees in the Shade” (1967), “The Lady of Monza (1969, It), “The Midas Run” (1969) and “I Want What I Want” (1972). THE WOMAN WHO RODE AWAY would have been their eighth film together. That honor would wait for a few years later until “Good Luck, Miss Wyckoff” (1979). The couple married that same year.

French director Roger Vadim, had just made “Barbarella” (1968), and when THE WOMAN WHO RODE AWAY stalled. Vadim, never without something to do, moved over to such films as “Pretty Maids All in a Row” (1971, MGM), “Don Juan, or If Don Juan Were a Woman” (02/22/73, Fr), with Brigitte Bardot and “Charlotte” (1974), with his newest discovery Sirpa Lane in the title role.

American director Joseph Sargent, who was announced second, was well suited to making THE WOMAN WHO RODE AWAY having helmed TV episodes of “Bonanza” (1964), “Daniel Boone” (1965) and “Gunsmoke” (1962-65), before turning to features.

Brit scripter Gavin Lambert had written such things as “The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone” (1961, US) and “Inside Daisy Clover” (1965, US) and had worked with Stross & Heywood on “I Want What I Want”.

In the end THE WOMAN WHO RODE AWAY got away from them and went unmade.

Thanks to the ‘glamourgirlsofthesilverscreen’ site for additional info.

By Michael Ferguson

Special Birthdays

Bum Krüger [voice actor] would have been 120 today but died in 1971.

Mónica Miguel (actress) would have been 90 today but died in 2020.

Graziella Granata (actress) is 85 today.

Ramiro Oliveras (actor) would have been 85 today but died in 2023.

Ernesto Yáñez (actor) would have been 80 today but died in 2020.

Thursday, March 12, 2026

Little Known Spaghetti Western actors ~ Vanni De Simoni

Vanni De Simoni was born in Rome and lives there today where he works as a Libero Professional Freelancer and has appeared as an actor in six recent Euro-westerns.

Besides the films that Vanni appeared in he also can be seen in the 2024 Birralfina Triello beer commercial.

De Simoni has appeared in five Euro=westerns and one upcoming film: “Oltre il confine” as Little Bill in 2023, “Django Undisputed” as Thomas in 2024, “E continuano a mangiare fagioli” as the Young Mexcal, Jeff and Maggie as a bordello patron and “Whisky di Piombo a Meatfield Town” as Deputy Cliff all in 2025. “E continuano a mangiare fagioli” 2026

De SIMONI, Vanni (aka Vanni De Simone) [19??, Rome, Lazio, Italy - ] – film actor.

Oltre il confine – 2023 (Little Bill)

Django Undisputed – 2024 (Tomas) [as Vanni De Simone]

E continuano a mangiare fagioli – 2025 (young Mexcal)

Jeff & Maggie – 2025 (aordello patron)

Whisky di Piombo a Meatfield Town – 2025 (Deputy Cliff)

E continuano a mangiare fagioli - 2026

Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

Spaghetti Western Director ~ Carlo Carignani

Carlo Carignani was a composer and conductor born in Lucca, Tuscany, Italy in 1857. He’s credited as director of the Silent Film western “Una piccolo figlia del West” (Little Daughter of the West) in 1912. This was a takeoff of Puccini’s Girl of the Golden West.

Carignani died in Milan, Italy on March 5, 1919 at the age of 62.

CARIGNANI, Carlo [1857, Lucca, Tuscany, Italy – 3/5/1919, Milan, Lombardy, Italy] – director, composer.

Little Daughter of the West – 1912

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Claudio Bernabei

Claudio Bernabei is an Italian film maker. He’s been involved in Italian films in many capacities mainly as an assistant director thirty-one films, director fourteen films and acted in five films. As a writer he’s only been involved in two films and one was a Spaghetti western: “Giubbe rosse” (Red Coat) with Aristide Massaccessi and George Eastman in 1974. He was also the assistant director.

BERNABEI, Claudio (aka C. Bernabei, Alexandre Borsky) [Italian] – producer, production manager, director, assistant director, writer, actor.

Red Coat – 1974 (co)

Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Wilkie Cooper

Douglas Ralph “Wilkie” Cooper is a British cinematographer and cameraman born in Wandsworth, Surrey, England on October 19, 1911. He worked as a cinematographer on sixty-nine films from 1931 to 1971 and was a cameraman on fifteen films from1937 to 1978.

He forged a partnership with special effects maestro Ray Harryhausen in later years, photographing several of his productions, including “The 7th Voyage of Sinbad” (1958), “Jason and the Argonauts” (1963) and “First Men in the Moon” (1964).

Cooper retired in 1972. He was married to actress Peggy Bryan, whom he outlived. They had two sons. For many years he resided in a seafront flat overlooking the sea in Ferring, West Sussex. Cooper died in Worthing, Sussex, England on December 15, 2001, at the age of 90.

Wilkie was the cinematographer on only one Euro-western: “Bruciatelo vivo!” (Land Raiders) in 1969.

COOPER, Wilkie (aka John Wilkie Cooper, W. Cooper) (Douglas Ralph Cooper) [10/19/1911, Wandsworth, Surrey, England, U.K. – 12/15/2001, Worthing, Sussex, England, U.K.] – cinematographer, cameraman, son of cinematographer, cameraman D.P. Cooper (Douglas Percival Cooper) [1875–1950], married to actress Peggy Bryan (Margaret Eileen Bryan) [1916–1996] (1945-1996) father of Gavin Cooper [1946- ], Jonathan Cooper [1949- ].

Land Raiders – 1969