Remembering Ferdinando Baldi

Ferdinando Baldi was born on May 19, 1927 in Cava dei Tirreni, Salerno, Italy. Bladi was an Italian film director, film producer and screenwriter. He directed nearly 40 films during his career, which he began directing films in the Sword and Sandal genre. He co-directed "David and Goliath" (1960) which starred Orson Welles. Welles also appeared in Baldi's “The Tartars” (1961). During this same time period Baldi was an associate producer on Mario Bava's The “Whip and the Body” (1963). Baldy used the pseudonyms Fernando Baldi, Ferdi Baldwin, Ferry Baldwin, Free Baldwin, Ferdy Baldwyn, Ted Kaplan, Sam Livingston during his 35 year career. With the advent of the Italian Western Baldi would quickly become a familiar face directing 10 Euro-westerns. He began with “Little Rita of the West” (1967) a unique Spaghetti western musical envisaged as a vehicle for the newly popular Italian singer Rita Pavone, it more importantly included Terence Hill who would go on to be a genre mainstay. The next year's “Viva Django!” (1968) was sequel to Sergio Corbucci's classic “Django” (1966) and would be the Baldi's most 'conventional' genre entry again with Terence Hill in one of his few completely straight faced roles. He continued in the genre with “Hate Your Neighbor” (1968) and “The Forgotten  Pistolero” (1969). In the 1970s he teamed with Tony Anthony on “Blindman” (1971), “Get Mean” (1975) and “Comin’ At Ya!” (1980). Baldi also was the mastermind behind the Terence Hill, Bud Spencer clone team of Michael Coby (Antonio Cantafora) and Paul Smith in the Carambola series. Ferdinando died in Rome on November 12, 2007 at the age of 80. Today we remember Ferdinando Baldi on what would have been his 85^th birthday.