RIP Dieter Jäger

 

DEFA actor and assistant camera operator Dieter Jäger died on September 1, 2026 at the age of 88. Jäger directed the film “Not Just an Adventure” in 1960. In 1967, he served as a member of the camera and lighting department for the film “Lady Venus and Her Devil”. In 1978, Dieter Jäger played the role of Ferdl in an episode of the television series ‘Dangerous Manhunt’. In 1983, he served as a member of the camera and lighting department for the television series ‘Märkische Chronicle’. In 1994, Dieter Jäger portrayed a photographer and also worked as a still photographer for the film “Farewell to Agnes”. From 1999 to 2002, he worked as a camera assistant for the television series ‘Heartbeat - The Medical Team North’. Additionally, Dieter was long active in the camera department, serving in roles such as camera assistant, still photographer, and camera operator for numerous film and television productions from the 1960s to the early 2000s. He appeared in some 15 films from 1970 to 2003 including his only Euro western “Der lange Ritt zur Schule” (The Long Ride from School) as one of the innocents in 1982.

Little Known Spaghetti Western Actors ~ Tom Eiden

[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.]

Tom Eiden is an American film and TV actor born in 1949. He’s appeared in one film and a television series according to the IMDb. Both were Euro-westerns: ‘Lucky Luke (TV) from 1990-1991 as a cowpoke and as an outlaw in 1994’s “Botte di Natale” (Troublemakers) in 1994.

EIDEN, Tom (Thomas M. Eiden) [1/?/1949, U.S.A. -     ] – film, TV actor, married to Susan L. Eiden (19??-1982) father of Clement T. Eiden [1985-    ].

Lucky Luke (TV) – 1990-1991 (cowpoke)

Troublemakers – 1994 (outlaw)

Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

Spaghetti Western Director ~ Michele Lupo

Michele Lupo is an Italian film director known for his work in popular commercial cinema, directing 23 films between 1962 and 1982 across genres including spaghetti westerns, action-adventure comedies, heist capers, and poliziotteschi.

Born on December 4, 1932, in Corleone, Sicily, Lupo began his career in the mid-1950s as an assistant director on various Italian productions before making his directorial debut in the early 1960s. He became particularly noted for his collaborations with actors Bud Spencer and Terence Hill in a series of successful buddy action-comedies that combined humor, action, and adventure, contributing significantly to the popularity of these films in Italy and internationally during the 1970s and 1980s.

Among his notable works are “Arizona Colt” (1966), “Seven Times Seven” (1969), “The Master Touch: (1972), “Lo chiamavano Bulldozer” (1978), “The Sheriff and the Satellite Kid” (1979), “Buddy Goes West” (1981), and “Bomber” (1982).

Lupo died on June 27, 1989, in Rome at the age of 56.

Michele Lupo directed five Spaghetti westerns: “Per un pugno nell’occhio” (Fistful of Knuckles) in 1965, “Arizona Colt” (The Man from Nowhere) in 1966, “Amico, stammi lontano almeno un palmo” (The Ballad of Ben and Charlie) in 1971, “Lo chiamavano California” (California) in 1977 and “Occhio alla penna” in 1981.

LUPO, Michele (aka Mike Fox, Tod Thomson) [12/4/1932, Corleone, Sicily, Italy – 6/27/1989, Rome, Lazio, Italy] – director, assistant director, writer.

Fistful of Knuckles – 1965 [as Mike Fox]

The Man from Nowhere – 1966

Master Stroke - 1967

Bite the Dust – 1969 [film was never made.]

The Ballad of Ben and Charlie – 1971 [as Tod Thomson]

California – 1977

Buddy Goes West – 1981

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Joe Evans

Joseph Evans was a British producer, director, writer and actor. The brother of Fred Evans he worked with his brother and together the founded Folly Films in 1912. Joe wrote screenplays for two-hundred-four films, acted in eighty-three and directed two-hundred-twelve.

Joe Evans born in London in 1891. He began as an English music hall comedian. Scripted, directed and starred in many silent short films including “Joey” and “The Terrible Twins” comedy series often starring opposite his wife actress Geraldine Maxwell as well as co-directing and playing second lead in those of his brother's movies, Fred 'Pimple' Evans in hundreds of Pimple comedies at the Piccadilly Film Company between 1913-20. he was last seen in an interview on BBC T.V. in the mid 1960's. He was the nephew of Music Hall Star Will Evans.

Joe Evans directed and co-directed six Silent Euro-westerns: “The Adventures of Pimple: The Indian Massacre” with Fred Evans in 1913, “Big Chief Little Pimple” with Fred Evans. “Broncho Pimple” with Fred Evans, “Lieutenant Pimple Goes to Mexico” with Fred Evans and “The Passing of Black Pete” all in 1914 and “Ragtime Cowboy Pimple” with Fred Evans in 1915.

Joe Evans wrote screenplays for seven silent Euro-westerns: “Cowboy Mad” with Fred Evans in 1912, “The Adventures of Pimple: The Indian Massacre” with Fred Evans in 1913, “Big Chief Little Pimple” with Fred Evans and “Bronco Pimple” with Fred Evans and “Lieutenant Pimple Goes to Mexico” with Fred Evans and “The Passing of Black Pete” all in 1914 and “Ragtime Cowboy Pimple” with Fred Evans in 1915.

EVANS, Joe (Joseph Evans) [1891, Lambeth, London, England, U.K. – 1967, England, U.K.] – producer, director, writer, actor, grandson of clown Fred Evans, nephew of director, writer, actor Will Evans (William Edward Evans) [1873–1931], brother of producer, director, writer, puppeteer, circus performer, actor Fred Evans (Alfred J. Evans) [1889-1951].

Cowboy Mad – 1912 (co)

The Adventures of Pimple: The Indian Massacre – 1913 (co)

Big Chief Little Pimple – 1914 (co)

Broncho Pimple – 1914

Lieutenant Pimple Goes to Mexico – 1914 (co)

The Passing of Black Pete – 1914

Ragtime Cowboy Pimple – 1915 (co)

 

Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Jacques Robin

Jacques Robin was a French cinematographer and director known for his contributions to French cinema, particularly his camera work on notable films including the classic thriller Diabolique (1955) and Monsieur Sade (1977).

Born on May 28, 1919 in Paris, Île-de-France, France, Robin built a career spanning several decades primarily in the camera department, with credits as cinematographer on 35 films

His involvement in high-profile productions helped shape the visual storytelling of mid-20th-century French films, establishing him as a skilled professional in cinematography and occasional direction.

Robin died in Paris on June 16, 2011 at the age of 92.

Jacques Robin was a cinematographer on two Spaghetti westerns: “Le goût de la violence” (The Taste of Violence) in 1960 and “L’Arriere train sifflera trois fois” (Lucky Lucky and the Daltons) in 1974.

ROBIN, Jacques (aka Zan Roben) [5/28/1919, Paris, Île-de-France, France – 6/16/2011, Rang-du-Fliers, France] – director, cinematographer, cameraman.

The Taste of Violence - 1960

Lucky Lucky and the Daltons - 1974

 

“Almost all European westerns have been shot”: this fake village, setting of mythical films, is for sale

 

L’editiondusoir

By Lucie Bras

October 1, 2026

 

The setting of the famous film “Once Upon a Time in the West”, located in the heart of the Spanish desert, is for sale. Sixty years after its construction, the site is in poor condition, and the family to whom it belongs says they are “tired” to maintain it.

It is a real estate ad that is out of the ordinary. The setting of the mythical film Once upon a time in the West, imagined by the director Sergio Leone and his team, is for sale. In this cult work of 1968, Charles Bronson, Claudia Cardinale and Henry Fonda play in a false western village, released from the ground for the film’s needs.

[Sergio Leone on the set of his film “Once Upon a Time in the West” in the Tabernas Desert, Spain. (Photo : ChristopheL Collection via AFP)]

The site, called Rancho Leone, is located in the heart of the Tabernas Desert in the southeast of Spain. This unique property has, in its time, become a symbol of the “western spaghetti”. “Almost all European westerns have been shot here,” director, producer and screenwriter Guillermo de Oliveira told the Spanish daily El País. The region is also labeled “City of Cinema”.

Rancho Leone, Tabernas Desert, Spain

And this village lost, nestled in a lunar landscape continues to attract: the place has hosted many film or commercial shoots since its construction. Mika's Boom boom was shot there. Pedro Almodovar filmed Pedro Pascal and Ethan Hawke for Strange Way of Life, released in 2023.

The real estate agency Meraki Homes, which is in charge of the promotion of this property, in demand 1.6 million euros, has spotted Le Figaro. This is less than the first offer, published in 2022, which estimated the place at 2.8 million euros. For this clumbly sum, buyers will become owners of a saloon, a sheriff’s office, a railway track... and a gallows for those sentenced to death. In all, the offer covers 80 000 m 2 of land.

“We are tired”

But sixty years after its construction, the decor is in poor condition, reports EsquireEsquire, confirming the reviews posted online by visitors, who pay €10 to access the site. The family who acquired it after the shooting is trying to sell his property so that he is maintained: “We are aging, we are tired. We’ve spent wonderful years here, but we can’t take care of it anymore,” Genara Rubio, the manager of the venue, told El País. The living conditions are rudimentary: the land is obviously not connected to the all-sewer or the electrical network.

Ideas to revitalize the place

In this preserved nature reserve, it is impossible to install a hotel. But the agency, in its announcement, suggests exploiting other sources of income: tourist visits to the day, themed gatherings, such as a wedding party, but also other film shoots or advertisements in this always magical setting. Note that a few minutes drive, two other decor villages of the same size also welcome visitors, Fort Bravo and Mini Hollywood Oasys. The latter has succeeded in his conversion and offers many activities to travelers: a water park, shows, a museum, a zoo... Enough to give ideas to future investors.

Voices of the Spaghetti Western “Death on High Mountain”

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 “Death on High Mountain”

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

Loring Vanderbuilt - Peter Lee Lawrence (S) Jesús Nieto, (G) Hans-Georg Panczak

Mark Harrison/Francis Parker - Luis Davila (S) Simón Ramírez, (G) Kurt Goldstein

Frank Braddock - Antonio Gradoli (S) Ángel María Baltanás, (G) Harry Kalenberg

General Valiente - Tano Cimarosa (S) ?, (G) Jochen Striebeck

Arlena Braddock/Daphne - Barbara Carrol (S) Anna Maria Saizar, (G) ?

Stevens - Silvio Bagolini (S) Carlos Revilla, (G) ?

Sheriff - Giampiero Littera (S) ?, (G) Gernot Duda

Braddock’s sister - Agnès Spaak (S) Mari Ángeles Herranz, (G) ?

Kurt Goldstein  (1947 – 1995)

 

Kurt Julius Goldstein was the son of the journalist Kurt Julius Goldstein. In his youth, Kurt Goldstein was first active in the youth club of the Volksbühne and as a singer in the then Hootenanny Club Berlin. Later, he performed with Uta Schorn, Jörn Fechner and Hans-Georg Pape as the "Hootenanny Quartet" at various events.

Born on January 16, 1947, and beginning in 1966 Kurt Goldstein studied at the Staatliche Schauspielschule Berlin. One of the first plays in which Goldstein played was “Der nackte König” at the Berlin Theater der Freundschaft, 1970. From the early 1970s, Kurt Goldstein was engaged by the Berliner Ensemble. In 1974 he played the role of Ivan Wessowitschiko in Bertolt Brecht's “Die Mutter” under the direction of Ruth Berghaus and in 1981 as Shi Me in Manfred Wekwerth's and Joachim Tenschert's production of Bertolt Brecht's “Turandot oder Der Kongress der Weißwäscher”. In addition to his theatre work, he appeared as a film and television actor in ‘Polizeiruf 110’ and in Egon Günther's 1976 film “The Sorrows of Young Werther”.

Kurt Goldstein gained greater fame as a dubbing actor. He dubbed well-known American actors, such as Morgan Freeman, Stacy Keach, Steven Seagal and Burt Reynolds, Bud Spencer. He has also appeared in films such as “Basic Instinct” and “Platoon”, as well as television series such as ‘Mike Hammer’ and ‘Twin Peaks’. In ‘The Smurfs’, he voiced the evil wizard Gargamel. In ‘Die Dinos’ he mainly voiced bureaucratic roles, such as the supervisor of the "Ehe-TÜV" or various police officers. One of his last roles was Zordrak in the series ‘The Dream Stone’.

At the end of 1979, Goldstein married the writer Anita Pichler in East Berlin, whom he had already met during her studies in Venice. Goldstein died of cancer in January 1995 at the age of 48.

Special Birthday

Porfiri Podobed (actor) would have been 140 today but died in 1965.

Leon Klimovsky (director, writer, actor) would have been 120 today but died in 1996.

Karel Vitek (actor) is 90 today.

Marina Coffa (actress) would have been 75 today but died in 2011.

RIP Waltraut Kramm

 

German actress and voice dubber Waltraut Kramm died in Potsdam, Germany on July 28^th. She was 94. Born in Berlin on December 14, 1931, she began her career as a voice actress at Rundfunk radio for the children's program ‘Kunterbunt’. She completed her acting training from 1948 to 1950 at the DEFA Acting School. As a theater actress, she worked at the Hans Otto Theater in Potsdam; there she was a permanent member of the ensemble until 1958. From 1958, she worked as a freelance actress for theater, film, radio, and radio drama. Waltraut appeared in the 1969 DEFA Indian western “White Wolves” as the mother.