.Westerns...All'Italiana!

Sunday, May 24, 2026

From the WAI! vault

Little Known Spaghetti Western Actors ~ Gianni Di Segni

[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.]

Gianni Di Segni was an Italian actor and stunt performer known for his prolific career in supporting and often uncredited roles across more than a hundred films from the 1950s to the 1980s. He appeared in several internationally acclaimed productions, including “Ben-Hur” (1959), “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” (1966), “Deep Red” (1975), and “Amarcord” (1973), as well as numerous spaghetti westerns such as “Day of Anger” (1967) and “The Grand Duel” (1972).

Born Giacomo Di Segni on November 30, 1919, in Rome, Italy, he first achieved success as an amateur boxer in the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions, winning gold at the 1949 European Light Heavyweight Championships and the 1951 European Heavyweight Championships while also competing in the 1948 London Olympics and the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. After retiring from boxing, he transitioned to the film industry, where he also occasionally worked in stunts and production roles before his death on March 7, 1986, in Rome

Gianni Di Segni appeared in thirteen Spaghetti western films and two television appearances: “Sfida a Rio Bravo” (Gunmen of the Rio Grande) as a lynch mob member and “Sansone e il Tesoro degli Incas” (Lost Treasure of the Aztecs) as a saloon rowdy both in 1964, “Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo” (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly) as deputy at first hanging, and “Uno straniero a Sacramento” (A Stranger in Sacramento) as a Barnett henchman both in 1965, “Arizona Colt” (The Man from Nowhere) as a townsman in 1966, “Cjamango) as an El Tigre henchman, “I giorni dell’ira” (Day of Anger) as Miller, “Non cantare, spara” (Don’t Sing Shoot!) (TV) as a saloon brawler and stuntman and “Preparati la bara!” (Viva Django!) as a Joe/Django/ Trinity/ Cassidy henchman all in 1967, “Spara, Gringo, spara” (The Longest Hunt) as a saloon patron and stuntman and “Uno dopo l’altro” (One After the Other) as a townsman both in 1968, ““Tierra brutal” (Savage Guns) as a poker room drunk in 1971, “Il grande duello” (The Grand Duel) as a deputy and “Così Sia” (They Called Him Amen) as a saloon patron in 1972 and in the 1985 TV series Sogni e bisogni” as John Wayne [Season 1, episode 6 “Ladri”]

Di SEGNI, Gianni (Giacomo Di Segni) [11/30/1919, Rome, Lazio, Italy – 3/7/1986, Rome, Lazio, Italy] – Olympic boxer [1952], professional boxer, production manager, film, TV actor.

Gunmen of the Rio Grande – 1964 (lynch mob member)

Lost Treasure of the Aztecs – 1964 (saloon rowdy)

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - 1966 (deputy at first hanging)

A Stranger in Sacramento – 1965 (Barnett henchman)

The Man from Nowhere – 1966 (townsman)

Cjamango – 1967 (El Tigre henchman)

Day of Anger – 1967 (Miller)

Don’t Sing Shoot! (TV) – 1967 (saloon brawler) [stunts]

Viva Django – 1967 (Joe/Django/Trinity/Cassidy henchman)

The Longest Hunt – 1968 (saloon patron) [stunts]

One After the Other – 1968 (townsman)

Savage Guns – 1971 (poker room drunk)

The Grand Duel – 1972 (deputy)

They Called Him Amen – 1972 (saloon patron)

Sogni e bisogni (TV) – 1985 (John Wayne) [Season 1, episode 6 “Ladri”]

Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

Spaghetti Western Director ~ Ray Fellows

Ray Fellows was an alias used by 'Ramón Fernández. He was a Spanish film and television director and writer known for his prolific output in commercial cinema and popular TV productions across several decades. Born Amadeo Ramón Fernández Álvarez on September 26, 1930, in San Esteban de Pravia, Asturias, the son of miner Gustavo Fernández, he entered the film industry in the late 1950s as an assistant director before establishing himself as a director and screenwriter in the 1960s, often working in genres such as comedy, thriller, and drama. He also used the pseudonym Tito Fernández and directed over thirty feature films, including “El Cristo del Océano” (1971), “De hombre a hombre” (1985), and “Aquí, el que no corre... vuela” (1992), while also contributing to successful television series like ‘Los ladrones van a la oficina’ (1993–1996) and ‘Cuéntame cómo pasó’ (2001–2004). Fernández's career emphasized accessible, genre-based entertainment that resonated with Spanish audiences during the transition from the Franco era to modern television broadcasting. He died on September 9, 2006, in Ronda, Málaga, Andalucía. He was 75.

As Ray Fellows he directed on Spaghetti western, “Las mujeres de Jeremías” (Garden of Venus) in 1979.

FELLOWS, Ray (aka Ray Feder, Ramon Fernandez, Tito Fernandez, Tito Fernández)

(Amadeo Ramón Fernández Álvarez) [9/26/1930, San Esteban de Pravia, Asturias, Spain – 9/9/2006, Ronda, Málaga, Andalucía, Spain] – director, assistant director, writer, cameraman, actor, married to ?

Garden of Venus – 1979

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Lou Carrigan

Lou Carrigan was an alias for Antonio Miguel de los Ángeles Custodios Vera Ramírez. He was a Spanish author known for his prolific output as a writer of popular pulp novels, having authored more than 1,000 titles in the bolsilibros format across diverse genres such as espionage, westerns, science fiction, adventure, horror, war, martial arts, and romance.

Carrigan became one of the most successful figures in Spain's tradition of short, mass-market pocket novels sold at newsstands. He began his writing career in 1959 with a western novel and left his position at the Banesto bank in 1962 to focus on writing full-time. His works are characterized by direct, accessible prose, fast-paced narratives, and a focus on pure entertainment, appealing to broad audiences.

Carrigan's most notable achievement is the long-running spy series featuring the resourceful and charismatic agent Brigitte "Baby" Montfort, which began in 1965 and extended to approximately 500 novels, achieving particular success in Latin America, especially Brazil. Several of his novels were adapted into films during the late 1960s and early 1970s, including westerns such as “Four Candles for Garringo” (1971) and “The Buzzards and Crows Will Dig Your Grave (1971).

Ramírez died in Barcelona, Spain on July 29, 2024

As Lou Carrigan co-wrote the screenplay for one Spaghetti western, “I corvi ti scaveranno la fossa” with Juan Bosch and Roberto Gianvitti, while three other Spaghetti westerns were based on novels he wrote: “Veinte pasos para le Muerte” (Twenty Paces to Death) in 1969, “La diligencia de los condenados” (Stagecoach of the Condemned) in 1970 and “Un colt por 4 cirios” (Four Candles for My Colt) in 1971.

CARRIGAN, Lou (aka Angelo Antonioni, Crowley Farber, Lou Flanagan, Anthony Hamilton, Sol Harrison, Anthony Michaels, Anthony W. Rawer, Angela Windsor, Giselle) (Antonio Miguel de los Ángeles Custodios Vera Ramírez) [7/2/1934, Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain – 7/29/2024, Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain] – author, writer, brother of author Mortimer Cody (Francisco de los Ángeles Custodios Vera Ramírez) [1934-2019], married to Pepita Rodero Forga (1958-2024).

Twenty Paces to Death – 1969 [novel]

Stagecoach of the Condemned – 1970 [novel]

The Buzzards and Crows Will Dig Your Grave – 1971 (co)

Four Candles for My Colt – 1971 [novel]

Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Raymond Heil

Raymond Heil was a French filmmaker. He appeared as an actor in one film, “Les gardiennes du pénitencier” (Jailhouse Wardress) in 1981, was a cameraman on thirty-five films between 1944 and 1982 and was a cinematographer on 30 films between 1962 and 1983.

There is virtually no biographical information on him other than his filmography.

Raymone Heil was a cinematographer on one Euro-western, “Les filles du golden saloon” (The Girls of the Golden Saloon) with Joan Vincent in 1973.

HEIL, Raymond (aka Heil, R. Heil) – cinematographer, cameraman.

The Girls of the Golden Saloon – 1973 (co)

New Italian book release “Memorabili commedie all'italiana anni 70/80 e 90”

Memorabili commedie all'italiana anni 70/80 e 90

(Memorable Italian Comedies of the '70s, '80s, and '90s)

Author: Antonio Santoriello

Country: Italy

Publisher: Independently published

Language: Italian

Pages: 137

ISBN-13: ‎979-8259174689

Available: April 27, 2026

Following the success of Evviva la commedia all’italiana anni 70/80, the tribute to this genre—so beloved by audiences—continues with a new book that now also includes films from the 1990s. It is a journey into the collective memory of an Italy capable of laughing at itself with both intelligence and lightness. Through my interviews with Lino Banfi, Antonello Fassari, Cinzia Leone, Rodolfo Laganà, Franco Oppini, Enrico Beruschi, Margherita Fumero, Sergio Di Pinto, Enio Drovandi, Sandro Ghiani, and Sergio Forconi, stories, anecdotes, and behind-the-scenes details unfold across the pages, voiced by these unforgettable actors and actresses. So, please, sit back and let yourself be carried away by this volume, rich with precious memories.

Who Are Those Singers & Musicians? ~ Frankie Vaughan

Frankie Vaughan, CBE, DL was born Frank Ableson on February 3, 1928. He was an English singer and entertainer specializing in traditional pop music, who rose to prominence in the 1950s and 1960s with energetic performances and chart-topping singles such as "The Garden of Eden" (1957) and "Tower of Strength" (1961). Born in Liverpool to a Jewish family of modest means—his father an upholsterer and mother a seamstress—he began his career singing in synagogue choirs and local venues before achieving national fame through recordings with HMV, amassing 29 UK chart entries and selling millions of copies of hits like "Give Me the Moonlight, Give Me the Girl" and "Green Door." Vaughan also ventured into acting, appearing in films including “These Dangerous Years” (1957), filmed partly in Liverpool, and “Let's Make Love” (1960) alongside Marilyn Monroe. Beyond entertainment, he distinguished himself through philanthropy, supporting boys' clubs like the Lancaster Lads Club and notably intervening in youth gang conflicts, such as brokering a knife amnesty and peace agreement among rival factions in Glasgow's Easterhouse area in 1968, which facilitated the establishment of community youth projects. For these contributions to youth welfare, he received the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1965 and was elevated to Commander (CBE) in 1997, serving as vice-president of the National Association of Clubs for Young People. Married to Stella Shock from 1950 until his death from heart failure on September 17, 1999, Vaughan left a legacy as a beloved figure whose rapport with working-class audiences stemmed from his own early hardships and unpretentious charisma

Frankie Vaughan died in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England on September 17, 1999 from heart failure at the age of 71.

VAUGHAN, Frankie (Frank Abelson) [2/3/1928, Liverpool, England, U.K. – 9/17/1999, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England, U.K. (heart ailment)] – actor, dancer, singer, married to Stella Shock (1951-1999) father of record promoter David Vaughan [1961- ], Susan Vaughan [1963- ], Andrew Vaughan [1968- ], awarded O.B.E. [1965], CBE [1997].

Ramsbottom Rides Again – 1956 [sings: “Ride, Ride, Ride Again”, “This is the Night”

(co)]