Little Known Spaghetti Western Actors ~ Arthur Endrèze

[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.]

Arthur Endres Kraeckmann was an American baritone opera singer who enjoyed a popular career in Paris and sang in many premieres. His voice was described as "warm, lyrical" and "well suited to the French repertory". Born Arthur Endres Kraeckmann on November 28, 1893, in Chicago, Illinois he studied agronomy at the University of Illinois, and sang for pleasure in his spare time.

He came to the attention of the conductor Walter Damrosch who advised him to go to France to improve his singing; he did so, enrolling at the American conservatoire at Fontainebleau where he studied under Jean de Reszke.

Endrèze made his debut in 1925 in Nice in the role of Don Giovanni, following this with Hamlet, and went on to sing in seasons at Deauville. In Paris he made his début on 4 October 1928 in “Le roi d'Ys” as Karnac, and sang roles in “Madama Butterfly” (Sharpless), “La traviata” (Orbel), “Tosca” (Scarpia), and the revival of “Le rêve” (Hautecœur) in 1939.

Endrèze married Jeanne Krieger-Beligne, Chef de chant at the Opéra. Arrested by the Germans in 1940 he managed to make his way back to the United States but returned to France after the war, and after retiring from the stage devoted himself to teaching.

Arthur Endrèze died in Chicago on April 15, 1975, at the age of 81.

Arthur Endreze appeared in one Euro-western, “Dynamite Jack, la terreur de l'Arizona” (Dynamite Jack) in 1960.

ENDREZE, Arthur (aka Arthur Endrèze) (Arthur Endres Kraeckmann) [11/28/1893, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A. – 4/15/1975, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.]– singer, film actor, married to opera singer Jeanne Krieger-Beligne (Jeanne Krieger) [1887-1973] (1936-1973).

Dynamite Jack – 1960

Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

Spaghetti Western Director ~ Bruno Mattei

Bruno Mattei was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and editor best known for directing over 50 low-budget exploitation films in genres such as Nazisploitation, zombies, women-in-prison, nunsploitation, cannibal, and mondo documentaries.

Born in Rome, Italy on July 30, 1931, Mattei grew up in a family involved in the film industry, as his father owned a small editing studio where he began working odd jobs at age 20 in the early 1950s. He started his professional career as a film editor, contributing to more than 100 productions during the 1960s and 1970s, before transitioning to directing with his debut feature, “Armida, il dramma di una sposa” (1970), released under the pseudonym Jordon B. Matthews. Throughout his career, Mattei frequently collaborated with screenwriter and director Claudio Fragasso and employed numerous pseudonyms, including Vincent Dawn and Andy Lamar, to navigate the international market for his often controversial, trend-following works produced on shoestring budgets.

Mattei's films gained notoriety for their graphic content and imitation of popular Hollywood and Italian hits, with standout titles including the Nazisploitation entry “Women's Camp 119” (1977), the zombie film “Hell of the Living Dead” (also known as “Zombie Creeping Flesh”, 1980), and the post-apocalyptic horror “Rats: Night of Terror” (1984). He later contributed to the zombie subgenre with “Zombie 3” (1988), completing it after Lucio Fulci's involvement, and directed “Cruel Jaws” (1995), an unauthorized Jaws knockoff filmed in Florida, where he increasingly worked in the Philippines in his later years.

 Despite lacking formal awards, Mattei's output earned him a cult following among fans of Italian genre cinema for his unapologetic embrace of exploitation tropes and rapid production pace.

In his final years, Mattei announced a return to horror with “Zombies: The Beginning” (2007), intended as part of a new trilogy, but he died on May 21, 2007 in Rome at age 75 from complications following surgery for a brain tumor, entering a coma shortly after the procedure.

Bruno Mattei was a director on three Spaghetti westerns: “Les aventures galantes de Zorro” (Red Hot Zorro) with Gilbert Roussel in 1972, “L’Apache Bianco” (White Apache) with Claudio Fragasso in 1985 and “Scalps!” in 1986.

MATTEI, Bruno (aka Michael Cardoso, Norman Dawn, Vincent Dawn, David Graham, David Hunt, Bob Hunter, Frank Klox, Andy Lamar, Pierre Le Blanc, Jimmy B. Matheus, Jimmy Matheus, J.B. Mathews, B. Mattei, J.B. Matthews, Jordan B. Matthews, J. Metheus, Martin Miller, Erik Montgomery, Herik Montgomery, Stefan Oblowsky, Gilbert Roussel, George Smith, William Snyder, A. Swyftte) [7/30/1931, Rome, Lazio, Italy – 5/21/2007, Ostia, Rome, Lazio, Italy (brain tumor)] - producer, director, assistant director, writer, cameraman, film editor. 

Red Hot Zorro – 1972 (co)

White Apache – 1985 (co) [as Vincent Dawn]

Scalps! – 1986 [as Werner Knox]

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Franco Fogagnolo

Franco Fogagnolo as/was an Italian production manager, assistant director and writer. His career in the film industry was basically as an administrator working on 10 films between 1994 and 2003. He was an assistant director on three films between 1969 and 1983 and as a production manager and unit manager on three films between 1971 and 1972. For some unknown reason he was a co-writer on one film the Spaghetti western, “10.000 dollari per un massacre” ($10,000 for a Massacre) with Ernesto Gastaldi, Luciano Martino and Sauro Scavolini in 1967.

I can find no biographical information on him.

FOGAGNOLO, Franco [Italian] – production manager, assistant director, writer.

$10,000 for a Massacre – 1967 (co)

 

Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Sándor Senkó

Sándor Senkó is a Hungarian film maker. He’s been a producer, director, writer and cinematographer on several documentaries. Sándor also competes in fast dram competitions and is an avid collector and researchers of firearms.

Sándor Senkó was a cinematographer on three Euro-westerns: “Apache Bow”, “The Ballad of the Three Outlaws” and “Pistolero” all in 2023 and “Good Trade”, “Winnetou’s Tomahawk” and “Az elfelejtett Winchester Titka” (The Secret of the Forgotten Winchester) all in 2024.

SENKO, Sándor (Sándor Senkó) [Hungarian] – producer, director, writer, cinematographer.

Apache Bow - 2023

The Ballad of the Three Outlaws – 2023

Pistolero - 2023

Good Trade – 2024

Winnetou’s Tomahawk - 2024

The Secret of the Forgotten Winchester - 2024

Spaghetti Western locations for “Companeros”

We continue our hunt for filming locations for “Companeros”. As the fire rages on at the fort the fire wagons and help from Yuma arrives along with the Swede driving one of the wagons. Vasco alerts him of his presence and he helps with trying to put out the fire. The Swede runs into the burning building where the party was being held and finds Zaira and asks her where professor Xantos is. She tells him upstairs and the Swede rushes up the stairs. In the meantime Vasco empties the water from one of the fire wagons.

This scene was shot at Cinecittà Studios, Rome.

For a more detailed view of this site and other Spaghetti Western locations please visit my friend Yoshi Yasuda’s location site: http://y-yasuda.net/film-location.htm and Captain Douglas Film Locations http://www.western-locations-spain.com/

Special Birthdays

Alejandra Nilo (actor) is 80 today.

Spaghetti Western Trivia – Stevens three ranch house locations for one scene.

Chelo Alonso in the Fraile's hut, one of the three locations used to recreate the house of the Stevens in 'El bueno, el feo y el malo' (Sergio Leone, 1966). In the movie, there is no shot as open as the one in this photo of filming in the courtyard of the hut. For the house of the Stevens, the hut of Doña Francisca (the noria with Antonio Ruiz Escaño and the arrival of Sentencia) was used, the main interior location of the Hoya Altica, and the courtyard and corral of the Fraile's hut, only with Chelo Alonso.

Little Known Spaghetti Western Actors ~ Edy Endorfer

[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.]

Eduard ‘Edy’ Endorfer ia/was a German child actor who appeared in only one film that I can find record of. I can find no biographical information on him

As Edy Endorfer he appeared in one Euro-western, “Tschetan” (Chetan, Indian Boy) as Edy Johnson in 1972.

ENDORFER, Edy (Eduard Endorfer) – film actor.

Chetan, Indian Boy – 1972 (Edy Johnson)

Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

Spaghetti Western Director ~ Víctor Matellano

Víctor Matellano is a Spanish producer, director and writer. He produced ten films between 2014 and 2024, has written for sixteen films between 2013 and 2026 and directed nineteen films between 1996 and 2026.

As a film director, after numerous short films such as those selected for the Goya awards “Tío Jess” and with “La cañada de los ingleses”, he debuted in the field of feature films with the documentary “Zarpazos! A journey through Spanish Horror” in which Joe Dante, Colin Arthur, Jorge Grau, Eugenio Martín Márquez or Paco Plaza among others participated. His first fiction feature film, released internationally, was “Wax”, starring Jack Taylor, Geraldine Chaplin and Jimmy Shaw. “Vampyres” was his second fiction feature film, written by José Ramón Larraz, also released internationally, and starring Caroline Munro, Marta Flich and Fele Martínez among others. “Stop Over in Hell” was his third fiction feature film as a director, starring Enzo G. Castellari, Nadia de Santiago, Veki Velilla, Manuel Bandera, among others.

In October of 2022 he received the Spirit of the West Award at the Almería Western Film Festival (AWFF), an award that highlights the work of film professionals who have contributed to preserving and revitalizing the western genre in recent decades.

Víctor Matellano García has directed one Euro western and a documentary: “Parada en el infierno” (Stop Over in Hell) in 2016 and “Clint Spain Connection” in 2025

MATELLANO, Víctor (Víctor Matellano García) [1971, Madrid, Madrid, Spain -     ] – producer, director, author, writer, awarded Spirit of the West Award at the 2022 Almeria Western Film Festival.

Stop Over in Hell – 2016

Clint Spain Connection – 2025

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Ladislas Fodor

Ladislas Joan Fodor was a Hungarian novelist, playwright, and screenwriter whose works spanned literature, theater, and film, with numerous adaptations into international cinema. Born in Budapest on March 28, 1898, he initially studied medicine before pursuing journalism and writing, producing short stories, novels, and plays influenced by fellow Hungarian dramatist Ferenc Molnár, achieving particular success abroad with technically sophisticated stage works. From 1932 onward, Fodor contributed screenplays to Hollywood productions, including “Jewel Robbery” (1932) and “Tales of Manhattan” (1942), before fleeing Nazi persecution in 1938 due to his Jewish origins, first to France and then to the United States. In the 1950s, he returned to Europe, settling in West Germany and writing for German films such as “Tom Thumb” (1958) and later works like “The Last Roman” (1968), cementing his legacy in transatlantic entertainment.

Fodor died in Los Angeles, California on September 1, 1978 at the age of 80.

Ladislas Fodor co-wrote screenplays for four Euro-westerns: “Old Shatterhand” (Apache’s Last Battle) with Robert A. Stemmle in 1963, “Die Pyramide des Sonnengottes” (Pyramid of the Sun God) with Robert Adolf Stemmle, Georg Marischka and Paul Jarrico in 1964, “Der Schatz der Azteken” (The Treasure of the Aztecs) in 1965 and “La balada de Johnny Ringo” (Who Killed Johnny R.?) in 1966 with Peter Achilles, J.L. Madrid

FODOR, Ladislas (Ladislao Fodor, Ladislaus Fodor, Ladislav Fodor, Laszlo Fodor, Lazlo Fodor, László Fodor, S. Fodor, Fodor László, W. George Selous) (Ladislas Joan Fodor) [3/28/1898, Budapest, Hungary – 9/1/1978, Los Angeles County, California, U.S.A.] – novelist, writer, playwright, married to Rózsa Faludi (1920-1921), married to Etelka Borbála Jagasich (Jagasich Borbála Etelka) (1923-1928), married to Baroness Ella Parnegg (Gabriella Mária Karolina Paulina) [1892-1981] (1941-1978).

Apache’s Last Battle – 1963 (co)

Pyramid of the Sun God – 1964 (co)

The Treasure of the Aztecs – 1965 (co)

Who Killed Johnny R.? – 1966 (co)

 

Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Francisco Sempere

Francisco Sempere was a Spanish cameraman and cinematographer. He worked as a cameraman on eighteen films between 1942 and 1972 and as a cinematographer on seventy-two films between 1953 and 1979.

Sempere was born in Spain sometime in 1915. He was passionate about photography and cinema, and worked in minor assignments and, later, as a camera assistant and second operator, until Domingo Viladomat commissioned him to photograph “Hermano menor” (1952), which was his debut on the big screen. A notable specialist in black and white cinema and, from the second half of the sixties, in color cinema, he worked under the orders of some of the best directors of the 1950s and 1960s.

Francisco Sempere died in Madrid on September 11, 1979 at the age of 64.

Francisco Sempere was a cinematographer on two Spaghetti westerns: “Adiós gringo” in 1965, “El Mestizo” (Django Does Not Forgive) with Francisco Sánchez Muñoz in 1966 and “Quei disperati che puzzano di sudore e di morte” (A Bullet for Sandoval) in 1969. He was a cameraman on 1970’s “El Condor”.

SEMPERE, Francisco (aka F. Sempere, Francisco Sempere) (Francisco Sempere González) [1915, Spain – 9/11/1979, Madrid, Madrid, Spain] – cinematographer, cameraman.

Adiós Gringo – 1965

Django Does Not Forgive – 1966 (co)

A Bullet for Sandoval – 1969

El Condor – 1970 [cameraman]