Little Known Spaghetti Western Actors ~ Giuliano Disperati

[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.]

Giuliano Disperati was born December 1, 1933, in La Spezia, Liguria, Italy. He is an Italian actor known for his supporting and character roles in Italian cinema and television during the late 1960s and 1970s.

He appeared in various productions across genres, including historical miniseries and crime dramas, with notable credits including ‘The Age of the Medici’ (1972–1973) and “Violent Rome” (1975).

Giuliano Disperati was credited as Disperati in many early roles before adopting the professional name Esperati around 1974; his career primarily featured character parts in Italian productions of that era. Some sources also list him as Giuliano Esperanti.

His work exemplifies the prolific output of Italian genre cinema and television during the period where he appeared in eighteen films between 1969 and 1981

No death date or obituary is listed in major film databases or other credible sources, and biographical profiles continue to present him as living with an updated age. Limited information exists on his current personal circumstances or activities beyond this status.

Giuliano Disperati appeared in one Spaghetti western, “Le juge Roy Bean” (Judge Roy Bean) as Anthony Burke in 1971

DISPERATI, Giuliano (aka Giuliano Esperanti, Giulio Esperati, Giuliano Esperati) [12/1/1933, La Spezia, Liguria, Italy -     ] – film, TV actor, married to actress Bianca Toccafondi [1922-2004] (2003-2004).

Judge Roy Bean – 1971 (Anthony Burke)

Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

Spaghetti Western Director ~ Giorgio Ferroni

Giorgio Ferroni was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and occasional producer known for his versatile contributions to cinema across multiple genres, including documentaries, historical dramas, peplum adventures, horror, and spaghetti westerns, from the 1930s through the 1970s. Born in Perugia, Umbria on April 12, 1908, he began his career in the mid-1930s directing short documentaries such as “Pompei” (1936), which showcased his early interest in historical subjects. Ferroni gained initial experience at Rome's Cines Studios, where he worked as an assistant director to prominent filmmakers Gennaro Righelli and Carmine Gallone, honing his skills in narrative filmmaking during Italy's fascist-era cinema boom. His directorial debut in feature films came with aviation-themed works like “The Thrill of the Skies” (1939), marking his transition from shorts to dramatic storytelling amid World War II constraints. Postwar, he explored a range of genres, directing romantic dramas such as “Ritorno al Nido” (1946) and “Senza Famiglia” (1946), before venturing into mythological epics in the 1950s and 1960s. Among his most notable works are the peplum films “The Lion of Thebes” (1964) and “Hercules vs. the Moloch” (1963), which exemplified the sword-and-sandal cycle popular in Italian cinema, as well as the Gothic horror classic “Mill of the Stone Women” (1960), praised for its atmospheric tension and literary adaptations. Later in his career, Ferroni entered the Spaghetti western genre with films like “Blood for a Silver Dollar” (1965) and “Wanted” (1967, credited under the pseudonym Calvin Jackson Padget), blending action with moral complexities typical of the subgenre. Married to actress Nada Fiorelli from the 1940s until his death in Perugia on August 17, 1981, at age 73, leaving a legacy of over 20 directorial credits that reflected evolving trends in Italian popular cinema.

Giorgio Ferroni directed five Spaghetti westerns: “Il fanciullo del West” (The Kid of the West) in 1942, “Un dollaro bucato” (Blood for a Silver Dollar) in 1965, “Per pochi dollari ancora” (Fort Yuma Gold) in 1966, “Wanted” in 1967 and “Il pisotlero segnato de Dio” (Two Pistols and a Coward) in 1968

FERRONI, Giorgio (aka Calvin J. Badget, C.J. Padget, Calvin J. Padget, Calvin Jackson Padget, Calvin Jakson Padget, Jackson Padget) [4/12/1908, Perugia, Perugia, Umbria, Italy – 8/17/1981] – producer, director, assistant director, writer, film editor, actor, married to actress Nada Fiorelli [1919–1984] (194?-1981).

The Kid of the West - 1942

Blood for a Silver Dollar – 1965 [as Calvin Jackson Padget]

Fort Yuma Gold – 1966 [as Calvin Jackson Padget]

Wanted – 1967 [as Calvin J. Padget]

Two Pistols and a Coward – 1968 [as Calvin Jackson Padget]

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Vincent Cashino

Born Vincenzo Cascino he is/was an Italian filmmaker. Very little is known about Vincenzo. He was born in Argentina and sometime as an adult moved to Italy and became involved in their film industry as a producer, production manager, director, writer, film editor and actor.

If you Google his name all you’ll find is a list of films he was involved in. I can find no biographical information on him

He appeared in only one Spaghetti western as Baron Vermont in 1965’s “Lo sceriffo non spara” (The Sheriff Won’t Shoot) for which he also produced and wrote the screenplay.

Vincent Cashino co-wrote the screenplay for one Spaghetti western, “Lo sceriffo non spara” (The Sheriff Won’t Shoot) with Reinat Rizlang, Guido Malatesta, J.L Monter, Carmen Martinez and Lionel A. Prestol. He also appeared as an actor in this film playing the role of Baron Vermont.

CASHINO, Vincent (aka V. Cascino) (Vincenzo Cascino) [Argentinian] – producer, production manager, director, writer, film editor, actor.

The Sheriff Won’t Shoot – 1965 (co)

Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Juan Rafael Gómez Heredia

Juan Rafael Gómez Heredia is a Spanish director writer and cinematographer. Born in Almeria on October 12, 1974, his family has long been associated with the Spanish film industry. Juan has taken it upon himself to protect that legacy and showcase it to the world in a recent 2025 documentary entitled “The Jerraos” which he produced, directed, wrote and was the cinematographer on. He also did the same for his 2023 Spaghetti western “The Ghost Band y el intrépido Ralph Lee” (The Incredible Stories of the Intrepid Ralph Lee, The Ghost Band).

Heredia has also published a book on the Spanish gypsies who appeared in many Spaghetti westerns and other films made in Almeria. Spaghetti western was released in 2021 and is available on Amazon.

HEREDIA, Juan Rafael Gómez [10/12/1974, Almeria, Andalusia, Spain -     ] – producer director, writer, actor, married to ?

The Incredible Stories of the Intrepid Ralph Lee, The Ghost Band – 2023

The Jerraos - 2025

A new Australian Blu-ray release of “Cannon for Cordoba”

 

Cannon for Cordoba

(1969)

 

Director: Paul Wendkos

Starring: George Peppard, Raf Vallone, Giovanna Ralli

 

Country: Australia

Label: Imprint

Limited to 1500 copies

Resolution: 1080p

Aspect ratio: 2.35:1

Language: LPCM 2.0 stereo English

Subtitles: Optional English HOH

Extras: Audio commentary by film historian Toby Roan; Leftover Lasagna: The Many Layers of Cordoba - video essay by film historian Erik Clapp; Theatrical Trailer; Rare 1980s Australian TV promo

Available: May 27, 2026

Who Are Tose Guys? ~ Stephen Forsyth

 

Canadian film actor, composer, songwriter, singer and photographer Stephen Forsyth was born Donald Stephen Forsyth in Toronto, Canada on September 22, 1938. After graduating from McMaster University and studying at the London School of Economics, Forsyth went on to composing, recording and performing his music in France and Italy and starring in 8 of his 10 European films, ranging from Spaghetti westerns, political, espionage to romantic comedies. While living in Italy he also worked as a freelance photojournalist photographing and interviewing many artists including Vittorio De Sica, Valerio Zurlini, Merce Cunningham, John Cage, the Bread and Puppet Theatre, Buffy Sainte-Marie and Marc Chagall. Unhappy with the roles he was being offered, he quit acting around 1970 and returned to his native Canada, where he started a new career as a music composer. He had been in poor health since suffering two major strokes in December 2018, which left him wheelchair bound. He died on Spetember 12 2025 ten day short of tur85. ning Forsyth starred in three Spaghetti westerns: “In a Colt's Shadow” in 1965 as Steve Blaine, “Death at Owell Rock” in 1966 as Lawrence White and “Blood Calls to Blood” in 1968 as Angel/Andrej/Andrew Willoughby. He was also in “Roy Colt & Winchester Jack” in 1970 but his scenes were deleted for an unknown reason.

FORSYTH, Stephen (aka Stephen Forsyte, Steve Forsyth) (Donald Stephen Forsyth) [9/22/1938, Toronto, Ontario, Canada – 9/12/2025, Toronto, Ontario, Canada] – film actor, composer, singer, songwriter, photographer, married to Annmarie Forsyth (19??-19??).

Death at Owell Rock - 1966 (Lawrence White)

In a Colt's Shadow - 1966 (Steve Blaine)

Blood Calls to Blood – 1968 (Angel/Andrej/Andrew Willoughby)

Roy Colt & Winchester Jack – 1970 [scenes deleted]

RIP Segio Smacchi

 

Highly respected stuntman and actor Sergio Smacchi died in Rome on February 22, of this year. Born in Rome on April 5, 1940, Smacchi appeared in well over 100 films as both an actor and stuntman and in many cases both in the same film. His first film was in 1964’s “Anthar l'invincibile” as an actor and performing stunts. He was part of the stunt group Il team di Musumeci Greco. Sergio would continue his career up until his final film in 2005 “Romanzo Criminale” where again he was both an actor and performed stunts. Smacchi worked on 21 films with Terrence Hill and Bud Spencer as well as the 33 Spaghetti westerns listed below.

“Zorro il ribelle” (Zorro the Rebel) as a wedding guest in 1966, “Ballata per un pistolero” (Ballad of a Gunman) as a saloon brawler, “Non cantare, spara” (Don’t Sing Shoot) (TV) [stunts], and “Straniero… fatti il segno della croce!” (Stranger Say Your Prayers(Stranger Say Your Prayers) as man outside Jefferson Bank all in 1967, “Spara, Gringo, spara” (The Longest Hunt) as a saloon patron, [stunts] in 1968, “Il pistolero dell’Ave Maria” (The Forgotten Pistolero)  [stunts], “Ciakmull, l’uomo della vendetta” (The Unholy Four) as a gambler both in 1969, “C’e Sartana... vendi la pistola e comprati la barer!” (Fistful of Lead) as a Mantas’ henchman, “Un uomo chiamato Apocalisse Joe” (A Man Called Apocalypse Joe) as a Berg henchman, “Lo chiamavano Trinità...” (They Call Me Trinity) as a Mescal henchman, “I vendicatore dell’Ave Maria” (The Twilight Avengers) as a saloon patron all in 1970, “Amico, stammi lontano almeno un palmo” (The Ballad of Ben and Charlie) [stunts] 1971 [stunts], “Uomo avvisato mezzo ammazzato…parola di Spirito Santo” (Blazing Guns) as a soldier, [stunts], “Testa t’ammazzo, croce... sei morto... Mi chimavano Alleluja” (Guns for Dollars) as a Krantz henchman [stunts], “Lo chiamavano King” (His Name was King) as a smuggler, [stunts], “Il venditore di morte” (The Price of Death) as a miner, “...continuavano a chiamarlo Trinità” (Trinity is STILL My Name) as a Parker henchman), “I due figli dei Trinità” (Two Sons of Trinity) as Django all in 1971, “Alleluia e Sartana, figli di… Dio!” (Alleluia and Sartana, Sons of God) as a brawler, “Jesse e Lester: due fratelli in un posto chiamoto Trinita” (Jesse and Lester, Two Brothers in a Place Called Trinity) as a saloon brawler, “…e il terzo giorno arrivò il Corvo” (On the Third Day Arrived the Crow) as a Sloane brother, “Il West ti va stretto, amico... è arrivato Alleluja” (The Return of Hallelujah) as a Drake henchman, “Scansati... a Trinità arriva Eldorado” (Stay Away from Trinity When He Comes to Eldorado), “Trinità e Sartana figli di...” (Trinity & Sartana Those Sons of Bitches) as an ‘El Tigre’/Tiger henchman, “Tutti fratelli nel west… per parte di padre” (Where the Bullets Fly) as a General Cagoso/Colonel Hotshot henchman all in 1972, “Storia di karatè, pugni e fagioli” (Karate, Fists and Beans) as a Chinese eatery dinner, [stunts], and “Lo chiamavano Tresette… giocava sempre col morto” (The Man Called Invincible) as a monk [stunts] both in 1973. “Il ritorno di zanna bianca” (Challenge to White Fang) as a Beauty Smith henchman, “Di Tressette ce n’è uno, tutti gli altri son nessuno” (The Crazy Bunch) as ‘Pimple Nose’ Stryker both in 1974, “La Spacconata” (White Fang and the Gold Diggers) as Garrick, “Zanna Bianca alla riscossa” (White Fang to the Rescue) as Benjamin ‘Ben’ Dover) both in 1974, “Occhio alla penna  (Buddy Goes West) as a Colorado Slim henchman, [stunts] in 1981 and “Thunder” (Thunder Warrior) in 1983.

Little Known Spaghetti Western Actors ~ Vittoria Di Silverio

[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.]

Vittoria Di Silverio was an Italian actress known for her career in film, television, and theater, appearing in numerous Italian productions from the 1950s through the 1980s.

Born Maria Vittoria Ghirighini in Ostia, Rome on July 3, 1907, she built a career primarily in supporting roles across various genres of Italian cinema, including comedies and dramas, and became recognized for her performances in films such as “Il momento più bello”, “Die Eroberung der Zitadelle”, “L'infermiera di notte”, and “Un'avventura a Campo de' Fiori”. Her work often placed her in ensemble casts of popular Italian films during the post-war and later periods of the country's film industry.

Di Silverio, was also credited under aliases including Maria Vittoria Ghirighini in some credits, contributed to the rich tradition of Italian screen acting, though she largely remained in character and supporting parts rather than leading roles. She remained active in the industry for several decades.

Vittoria Di Silverio died in Rome, Italy on May 18, 2014, at the age of 107.

Di Silverio appeared in one Spaghetti western, “Un uomo e uomo colt” (A Man a Colt) as Inex/Marta in 1967

Di SILVERIO, Vittoria (aka Vittoria De Silverio, Vittoria Ghirighini di Silverio) (Maria Vittoria Ghirighini) [7/3/1907, Ostia, Rome, Lazio, Italy – 5/18/2014, Rome, Lazio, Italy] – theater, film, TV actress, married to ? Gambini mother of model, stuntman, actor Biagio Gambini [1926-1986], grandmother of actress Donatella Gambini [1953-2016], aunt of actor Luciano Catenacci [1933–1990], actress Francesca Romana Coluzzi [1943–2009].

A Man, a Colt – 1967 (Inez/Marta)

Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

Spaghetti Western Director ~ Marco Ferreri

Marco Ferreri was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor whose career spanned four decades, marked by over thirty features that blended absurdist humor with biting social satire to expose the absurdities of modern bourgeois life and human alienation. Born in Milan on May 11, 1928, to a banking family, he initially worked as a production assistant for directors like Luchino Visconti and Dino Risi before launching his directorial debut in Spain amid Italy's post-war censorship constraints. Ferreri's early films, such as “El Písamo” (1955), established his penchant for surreal narratives challenging conventional morality, evolving into provocative works that frequently clashed with authorities and audiences over depictions of excess, sexuality, and existential despair.

His most emblematic films include “Dillinger Is Dead” (1969), an enigmatic domestic odyssey critiquing consumerist ennui through a protagonist's aimless disassembly of a gun amid marital malaise, and “La Grande Bouffe” (1973), a grotesque feast portraying four men's suicidal gluttony as an indictment of capitalist indulgence and hedonistic self-destruction, which ignited scandals at Cannes for its unflinching visceral imagery. These and others, like “The Ape Woman” (1964), earned Ferreri a reputation as a cinematic provocateur, with eight premieres at Cannes and awards such as the Golden Bear for “The House of Smiles” (1991) at Berlin and a Special Jury Prize for “Seeking Asylum” (1979) at the same festival, alongside a Best Actress win for “The Conjugal Bed” (1963). Despite recurrent censorship hurdles and booing at screenings—reflecting resistance to his raw dissections of societal hypocrisies, Ferreri's oeuvre persisted in influencing arthouse cinema by prioritizing unvarnished causal critiques of human folly over palatable narratives.

Ferreri was married to Jacqueline Perrier, a Canadian actress and producer who often served as his muse and collaborator on film sets, for several decades until his death. The couple resided primarily in Paris, where Perrier supported his work, including appearing alongside him during production of “Diario di un vizio” in the 1990s. No children are recorded from the marriage.

In addition to his marriage, Ferreri maintained a discreet romantic involvement with Italian actress Piera Degli Esposti, which she publicly acknowledged in a 2013 interview, emphasizing it was conducted with respect for his wife.

Ferreri's private health deteriorated in his later years, leading to his sudden death from a heart attack on May 9, 1997, at age 68 in a Paris hospital.

Marco Ferreri directed one Euro-western, “Non toccare la donna bianca” (Don’t Touch the White Woman!) in 1973.

FERRERI, Marco [5/11/1928, Milan, Lombardy, Italy – 5/9/1997, Paris, Île-de-France, France (heart attack)] – producer, production manager, director, writer, actor, married to producer, assistant director Jacqueline Ferreri (Jacqueline Lamothe) [1936-2008] (1964-1997), awarded Commandeur de ‘Ordre [1984], Cruz de official de la orden of Civil Merit [1986].

Don’t Touch the White Woman! – 1973

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Marcello Cascape

Marcello Cascape was born Marcello Cascapera and is/was an Italian assistant director and writer. He was an assistant director on one film “Cristiana monaca indemoniata” (Our Lady of Lust) in 1972 and he co-wrote one screenplay which was also his only Spaghetti western, “Sette monache a Kansas City” (Seven Nuns in Kansas City) with Lidia Puglia in 1973.

I can find no biographical information on him.

CASCAPE, Marcello (Marcello Cascapera) [Italian] – assistant director, writer.

Seven Nuns in Kansas City – 1973 (co)

 

Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Hans Heinrich

Hans Heinrichwas born on March 19, 1929 and was a prominent German cinematographer and screenwriter who primarily worked for the East German state film studio, DEFA. Over his career, he shot approximately 50 theatrical and television films. Originally, he trained as a light timer at a Berlin film copying plant before starting his camera work in the 1950s. He then served as an assistant cameraman and eventually lead cinematographer for DEFA, contributing to some 60 productions before German reunification.

Hans Heinrich was a cinematographer on four Euro-westerns: “Osceola” in 1970, “Lockruf des Goldes” (Kit & Co.) in 1974, “Blutsbrüder” (Blood Brothers) in 1975 and “Sing, Cowboy, Sing” in 1980.

HEINRICH, Hans [3/19/1929, Berlin, Berlin, Germany – 4/4/2007, Potsdam, Brandenburg, Germany] – writer, cinematographer, cameraman.

Osceola – 1970

Kit & Co. - 1974

Blood Brothers – 1975

Sing, Cowboy, Sing – 1980