RIP Cesare Canevari

Cesare Canevari the director of the cult classic “Matalo’ died yesterday October 25, 2012 in his home town of Milan, Italy. Born in 1927 Cesare was an Italian producer, director, screenwriter, film editor and actor. His first credited film experience was an actor in “I due sergenti” (1951). After another turn as an actor Canevari started to work behind the camera as a director under the alias D. Brownson, and as a screenwriter and actor as C. Iravenac in the cheaply made “Per un dollaro a Tucson si muore” (Die for a Dollar in Tucson) made in 1964. The only name actor to appear in this film that we know of was Benito Stefanelli under his alias Benny Reeves. Later Canevari would make another western in 1970 called “Matalo” which was a remake of an earlier western called “Dio non paga il sabato” (aka Kill the Wicked) starring Americans Larry Ward and Rod Dana. “Matalo” copied the earlier film almost verbatim but it turned out to be a hippy love-fest with more violence, a funky jazz score by Mario Migliardi, strange camera angles shot by cameraman Julio Ortas and a group of outlaws who look like they are out of a Sonny & Cher video. The hero of the film is Lou Castel who, armed with his favorite weapons, a set of boomerangs finally disposes of the wanted outlaws. “Matalo” was released on DVD by my friends at Wild East and its dedicated to me as they know it is my least favorite Spaghetti Western. Canervari would go on to work in only 9 films that we know of. He was 85 years-old.