Who Are Those Guys? - Eduardo Bonada

Eduardo Bonada was born Eduardo Bonada Ramón in Spain sometime in the 1920s, and was a professional wrestler from 1951-1988 (22 films mostly as a fighter). Bonada combined his career as a professional wrestler with that of an actor, performing in many cases, as to what was engaged in real life. He was the original Huracán Ramírez which he played in films and carried over into the ring as his moniker also as El Tarzán Español. Bonada was brought from Spain to Mexico to fight as a Lucha Libre (Masked Wrestler). An homage to great wrestler was held in Mexico on July 31, 2014 where he was in attendance and honored by several current wrestlers.

 

 

BONADA, Eduardo (aka Ed Bonada, Eduardo Bonada R.) (Eduardo Bonada Ramón)  [192?, Spain -     ] – professional masked wrestler as Huracán Ramírez and El Tarzán Español.

Lucky Johnny: Born in America – 1970 (townsman)

Happy 55th Birthday Val Kilmer

Val Edward Kilmer was born on December 31, 1959 in Los Angeles, California. Kilmer is the son of Gladys (née Ekstadt) and Eugene Kilmer, an aerospace equipment distributor and real estate developer. He grew up in the San Fernando Valley with older brother Mark and younger brother Wesley [1962–1977], who died at 15 due to an epileptic seizure in a swimming pool. His parents divorced when he was nine years old. His father passed away while Val was filming Tombstone. The poet Joyce Kilmer [1886-1918] is a distant cousin of Kilmer. Kilmer attended Berkeley Hall School, a Christian Science school in Los Angeles, until 9th grade. He then attended Chatsworth High School as well as the Hollywood Professional School. At the age of 17, he became the youngest person at the time to be accepted into the Juilliard School's Drama Division, where he was a member of Group 10 (1977–1981).

 

Originally a stage actor, Kilmer became popular in the mid-1980s after a string of appearances in comedy films, starting with “Top Secret!” (1984), then the cult classic “Real Genius” (1985), as well as the blockbuster action film “Top Gun” (1986) and the swords and sorcery fantasy film “Willow” (1988).

 

Some of his notable film roles include Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone's “The Doors” (1991), Doc Holliday in the Western “Tombstone” (1993), armed robber Chris Shiherilis in Michael Mann's crime saga “Heat” (1995), Bruce Wayne/Batman in Joel Schumacher's “Batman Forever” (1995), Simon Templar in “The Saint” (1997) and a meth-using informant in the 2002 crime thriller “The Salton Sea”.

 

Kilmer’s lone Euro-western was playing a corpse in “Dead Man’s Bounty” (2006).

 

Today we celebrate Val Kilmer’s 55^th birthday.

Wild North - Curse of Gold

Wild North – Curse of Gold – International title

 

A 2003 Swedish production [Film i Västerbotten (Stockholm)]

Producer: Magnus Johansson

Directors: Peter Holmgren, Erik Andersson, Magnus Johansson (Hans Johansson)

Story: Magnus Johansson (Hans Johansson)

Screenplay: Magnus Johansson (Hans Johansson)

Cinematography: Erik Andersson [color]

Music: Ulf Jansson

Running time: 22 minutes

 

Cast:

Mikael Johansson, Erik Andersson, Peter Holmgren, Daniel Forsman, Nils Svensson, Loa Andersson, Daniel Brodin, Magnus Johansson (Hans Johansson), Jocke Hedlund, Marielle Lundgren, Stefan Ek, Simon Stenberg, Peter Hedlund, Kennet Forsell, Johan Nilsson, Magnus Lindgren, Markus Remberger, Mike Johansson, Anders Thorell, Roger Laestadiu

Stunts: Svante Hidesson

 

This is the dark story of the white north, where a human life was not worth a lot. There, in the 1800s in the northern part North America newfound wealth was rare and lethal when a large gold nugget often more often cursed than a blessing. Gold lit, namely greed, a cruel spark in people's eyes and the hard life pitted law-abiding citizen against cold-blooded murderers for the ownership of the gold nugget.

Happy 80th Birthday Russ Tamblyn

Russell Irving Tamblyn was born on December 30, 1934 in Los Angeles, California. Tamblyn is the son of actors Sally Aileen (Triplett) [1914-1995] and Eddie Tamblyn (Edward Francis Tamblyn) [1908-1957]. He is the older brother of Larry Tamblyn [1943- ], organist for the 1960s band ‘The Standells’. Discovered at the age of ten by actor Lloyd Bridges after acting in a play, Tamblyn's first film appearance was a small non-speaking role in 1948's “The Boy With Green Hair”. He also appeared on ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ as a child.

 

A film, TV actor and dancer, he is arguably best known for his performance in title role of the 1958 film “Tom Thumb” and the 1961 movie musical “West Side Story” as Riff, the leader of the Jets gang. He is also known for appearing in such films as “Seven Brides For Seven Brothers”, “The War of the Gargantuas”, “Peyton Place” and “The Haunting”, as well as for his portrayal of Dr. Lawrence Jacoby in the television drama “Twin Peaks”. He was most recently seen in a cameo role along with his daughter Amber Tamblyn [1983- ] in “Django Unchained” (2012).

 

Russ starred in the Euro-western “Son of a Gunfighter” (1965) as Johnny Ketchum.

 

Today we celebrate Russ Tamblyn’s 80^th birthday.

Happy 80th Birthday Lino Toffolo

Lino Toffolo was born on December 30, 1934 in Murano, Venice, Veneto, Italy. Lino revealed as a boy an inclination for music and acting. He became a member of the Society of the Dolphins of Venice Theatrical Troupe, from 1960 to 1965: During this period he also composed the incidental music and his first songs in the Venetian dialect and recorded some radio programs produced by the regional office of Venice of the RAI.

 

At the Teatro La Fenice in Venice in 1964 Lino performed the musical accompaniment of the show Conversations and readings for the International Theatre Festival of Prose.

 

In 1963 he maked his debut at the famous Intra Derby Club restaurant in Milan, along with other characters who, like him, began right there the climb to fame, such as Enzo Whittaker, Toby Lightman, Franco Nebbia and later Cochi and Renato, Felice Andreasi and others. He interprets the distinctive character the drunken Venetian, also offering some songs of his own composition almost always all written in a dialect. In this period he made ​​his debut on the music market, having obtained a contract with the Fonit-Cetra, with the 45 rpm, 'Na brombola impissada / No the vogio no, published in 1963 and followed shortly afterwards by The imbriago / Vin black.

 

His film debut took place in 1968, in a supporting role in the film “Chimera”, directed by Ettore Maria Fizzarotti, a "musical" which focuses on the love story of Gianni Morandi and Laura Efrikian.

 

The popularity of Lino Toffolo is owed much to the small screen, where he began to appear towards the end of the 1960s in entertainment programs. He was, among other things, seen alongside Alighiero Noschese in ‘Canzonissima’ (1971). Toffolo also starred in television programs, among which, besides the aforementioned, ‘Johnny Dachshund’, also ‘Lancelot 008’ in 1980. In 1986 Toffolo was in the cast of ‘Un fantastico tragico venerdì’, led by actor Paolo Villaggio, and many others, and broadcast on Italy’s Channel 4.

 

In early 2006 Lino presented his film “Nuvole di vetro”, which he wrote, directed and starred, whose dialogue is entirely in Venetian dialect. His debut in film has received much critcal approval.

 

Lino appeared in only one Euro-western “In the Name of the Father” (1969) in the role of Paul.

 

Today we celebrate Lino Toffolo’s 80^th birthday.

Remembering Camillo Bazzoni

Camillo Bazzoni was born on December 29, 1934 in Salsomaggiore Terme, Parma, Italy. As an amateur photographer, he entered the world of cinema as an assistant cameraman in the crew of Vincenzo Seratrice. In the early 1960s he alternates work as camera operator for Seratrice and Aldo Scavarda, director of short films, most notably “The Scream” ( 1966 ) and “Secret Report” (1967), photographed by the then unknown Vittorio Storaro, just out of the center Experimental Film, and the winner of two Silver Ribbons for Best Cinematography for short film.

In 1965 he debuted as a director of photography for a film directed by his brother Luigi, “The Lady of the Lake” (1965). In 1968 he ventured for the first time as a director of a feature film with the Spaghetti western “A Long Ride from Hell” using the alias Alex Burks, photographed by Enzo Barboni, with Storaro as camera operator. After directing some other low-budget films, at the end of the seventies he abandoned directing to devote himself exclusively to the direction of photography, working with directors such as Salvatore Samperi “Ernesto” (1979), “Amore in prima classe” (1980), “La Bonne” (1986), Lina Wertmüller “Scherzo del destino in agguato dietro l'angolo come un brigante da strada” (1983), “Notte d'estate con profilo greco, occhi a mandorla e odore di basilica” (1986) and Mario Monicelli “Bertoldo, Bertoldino and Cacasenno” (1984), “Le due vite di Mattia Pascal” (1985), “Speriamo che sia femmina”(1986).

Former collaborator Vittorio Storaro, meanwhile found success with films directed by Bernardo Bertolucci and honored by the Academy Award for “Apocalypse Now” by Francis Ford Coppola, in 1981 offers him the chance to experience Hollywood, hiring him as a camera operator in second unit of “Reds” directed by Warren Beatty, which earned him his second Academy Award.

At the turn of the 1980s and 1990s Bazzoni photographed the last two films directed by Massimo Troisi, “Le vie del Signore sono finite” (1987) and “Pensavo fosse amore invece era un calesse” (1991).

Camillo is alive and well and living in Salsomaggiore, Emelia-Romgna, Italy.

Today we remember Camillo Bazzoni on his 80^th birthday.

Remembering Alfred Vohrer

Alfred Adolf Vohrer was born on December 29, 1914 in Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany. Alfred Vohrer was schooled and took acting and singing lessons. In the 1930s he became a member of the Württemberg State Theater in Stuttgart. During the Second World War Vohrer was captured and in 1941 lost his right arm in Russia. He then worked as a volunteer at the Ufa , where he stayed until the war ended and worked an assistant director for Harald Braun and Alfred Brown.

 

In the early postwar years, the German film industry was very weak, so Vohrer first worked in radio worked. From 1946-1948 he was senior director at Radio Stuttgart and in 1949 he returned to film work, though mostly unnoticed by the public. He was a dubbing director at the MPEA and later joined with Josef Wolf as a partner in the firm synchronous Ultra-film GmbH. In the following years Vohrer was a synchronization director in charge of nearly 1,000 films, including many classics such as “On the Waterfront” (1954) and “The Bridge on the River Kwai” (1957).

 

In 1956 he planned his first film project, “Zum Leben verdammt” for which he wrote the screenplay. The project, however, was rejected.

 

In1958 Vohrer made his directorial debut with the film “Schmutziger Engel” followed by “Verbrechen nach Schulschluß”.

 

In 1960 Vohrer worked together for the first time with the Berlin producer Artur Brauner. Their first film together was the Edgar Rice Burroughs story “Dead Eyes of London” (1961), which became the largest success of the already established series. For the first color film of Rialto, “Our House in Cameroon, Vohrer was also selected as the director.

 

Vohrer then worked with Wendlandt on the Karl-May-series as the director of “The Treasure of Silver Lake” (1962). Constantin Film, which made the Edgar Wallace and Karl May series in order, also contracted director Harald Reinl. But Vohrer received in 1964 the opportunity to film “Frontier Hellcat” in the Western series. The comparatively action stressed film became the biggest success abroad among all the Karl May movies. The second film of Vohrers, “Old Surehand” (1965), was not continued. The more successful Spaghetti western-oriented “Winnetou and His Friend Old Fire Hand” (1966) ended up being the last Karl May movie produced by Rialto.

 

As the number of Edgar Wallace productions in the late 1960s dropped significantly and their popular success waned, Vohrer moved to Munich’s Roxy film under Luggi Waldleitner. There came first the mystery “School of Fear” and “Perrak” the sex comedies “Herzblatt oder Wie sag ich’s meiner Tochter?” and “Das gelbe Haus am Pinnasberg”.

 

From 1971 Vohrer directed six film adaptations of novels by Johannes Mario Simmel building on the success of previous years. Besides, the developed Pushkin film version “Tears of Blood” and Erich Kästner’s adaption “Drei Männer im Schnee”. The public’s interest in cinema during the second half of the 1970s dropping significantly, so Vohrer from 1976 onward worked exclusively for television.

 

Alfred Vohrer worked since 1975 on the series ‘Derrick’. From 1977 he also directed the TV series ‘Der Alte’. He was one of the busiest directors of the two series.

 

In the 1980s, he worked on numerous episodic films of various genres. “Weißblaue Geschichten” with Gustl Bayrhammer, ‘Hessische Geschichten’ with Günter Strack and ‘Krumme Touren’ with Manfred Krug had high ratings, so ZDF not passed on to Vohrer their Prestige series ‘Das Traumschiff’ and ‘Die Schwarzwaldklinik’ to producer. In addition, he made ​​more episodes of Derrick.

 

Alfred Vohrer, who lived with his partner Herbert in Berlin-Dahlem since the mid-1950s, died on 3 February 1986 in Munich, Germany.

 

Today we remember Alfred Vohrer on what would have been his 100^th birthday.

Wild Dan

Brokeback Fountain – English title

Wild Dan – English title

 

A 2011 British production [Ela Films (London)]

Producers: Yi-Ling Huang, Nadia Rahman Khan, Marcos Kubota, Ling Ling, John Thorpe

Director: Evdoxia Kyropoulou

Story: Tomas Fuller

Screenplay: Tomas Fuller

Cinematography: Ling Ling [color]

Music: David Mark O'Malley

Running time: 10 minutes

 

Cast:

Sheriff Paul – Dominic Graville

Dan McGrew – Ronan le Fur

Sally Hetty – Octavia Mackenzie

With: Dimitris Politis

 

 

A mysterious stranger wanders out of the wilderness and into a wild west town. His name is Dan McGrew, a lonesome cowboy who drifts from town to town, bringing hope to the hopeless and law to the lawless. Before long he meets Sally, a beautiful saloon girl who might finally give him a reason to settle down if it weren't for the tyrannical Sheriff Paul. As the dusty streets disappear before his eyes, Dan faces his biggest challenge yet.

 

Remembering Michael Hinz

Michael Hinz was born on December 28, 1939 in Berlin, Berlin, Germany. Hinz came from an acting family, his parents were Werner Hinz [1903-1985] and Ehmi Bessel [1904-1988], both actors, as well as his brother Knut [1941- ] and half-sister Dinah [1934- ].

 

After growing up in Berlin and Hamburg, Hinz had his first theatrical role in 1958 in Terence Rattigan's “The Sleeping Prince” at the Thalia Theater in Hamburg. A year later, he starred in his first film, “Die Brücke”, which won the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film and was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar at the 32nd Academy Awards.

 

Hinz also starred in numerous films, such as “The Longest Day”, several television series, and was the voice actor for Jeff Goldblum in ‘The Ray Bradbury Theater’ and Scott Wilson in the 1967 film “In Cold Blood”.

 

Hinz appeared in only one Euro-western: “The Return of Halleluja” (1972) and one western TV film ‘Geronimo und die Räuber’ (1966) playing Don Alfonso. He was also the German voice of Peter Lee Lawrence in 1969’s “Garringo”.

 

In October 2008, Hinz was found unconscious by his wife Viktoria Brams [1944- ] at home in Munich as a result of a stroke, spending three weeks in a coma until his death on November 6.

Spaghetti Western Locations

We continue our search for locations for “A Few Dollars for Django”. While Regan sits at his desk in the sheriff’s office looking at the wanted posters for Jim Norton, Dago and Sam Lister the scene switches to Amos Bransbury’s office where he confronts three of his henchmen about his order to kill sheriff Coleman. All three swear they killed Coleman and even saw the body with a hole in his forehead. Bransbury decides to let this fake sheriff live until he can find out who he is and what he wants.

 

 

In the meantime we get our first glimpse of Trevor Norton’s niece Sally Norton who has come to town for supplies and is being taunted by a group of rowdy cowboys riding around her buggy and shooting their pistols in the sky. Regan, now in the process of getting a haircut, hears the commotion and asks the barber to turn the chair towards the front door where he promptly shoots the hats of several of the men to gain their attention. He makes them give her suitcase back and escorts them to jail for disturbing the peace.



 

 

Once again the site is Colmenar Viejo and the set known as Poblado Lega y Michelena. Access is through a gate to a cow pasture but only barren pasture a few rocks and briar bushes cover the area.

 

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/

Happy 15th Birthday Toke Lars Bjarke

Toke Lars Bjarke was born on December 27, 1999 in Denmark. Toke, has since he was 3, been used to being in front of the camera in commercials and movies, both Danish and international. In 2007, he participated in DM in Børnerap, with the song "A Smile on His Lips." Since then he’s become a rap singer and written several rap songs. He has the role of Morten in Susanne Bier's “In a Better World”, which received both a Golden Globe and Oscar for best foreign film in 2010.

 

Toke played the role of Kresten Jensen in 2013’s “The Salvation” starring Mads Mikkelsen.

 

Today we celebrate Toke Lars Bjarke’s 15^th birthday.

Guess Who I Am

 

I’m an Italian actor born in Palermo, Sicily in 1928

 

I was part of a comedy team.

 

I appeared in 11 Euro-westerns.

 

I died in Rome in 1992.

 

Guess who I am.

 

William Connolly correctly identified Franco Franchi as this week's photo.

 

 

THE WILD AND THE DIRTY

Quella sporca storia nel West – Italian title

Uccidere o non uccidere? – Italian title

Deus Criou o Homem E o Homem Criou o Colt – Brazilian title

Django porte sa croix – French title

Django - die Totengräber warten schon – German title

O stavromenos tou Rio Grande – Greek title

To moutro tou Notou – Greek title

Johnny Hamlet – Portuguese title

Johnny el vengador – Spanish title

La venganza de Johnny Hamlet – Spanish title

Det kom en farlig hämnare – Swedish title

To Kill or Not to Kill? – English title

The Dirty Story of the West – English title

The Wild and the Dirty – U.S.A. title

 

A 1967 Italian production [Daiano Films, Leone Films (Rome)]

Producers: Ugo Guerra, Elio Scardamaglia

Director: Enzo G. Castellari

Story: Sergio Corbucci based on “Hamlet” by William Shakespeare

Screenplay: Tito Carpi, Francesco Scardamaglia, Enzo Girolami, Bruno Corbucci

Cinematography: Angelo Filippini [Technicolor, Techniscope]

Music: Francesco De Masi

Song: “Find a Man” sung by Maurizio Graf (Maurizio Attanasio)

Running time: 92 minutes

 

Cast:

Johnny Hamilton – Chip Corman (Andrea Giordana)

Emily/Evelyn/Ofelia/Betty – Gabriella Grimaldi (Gabriella Boccardo)

Ross – Enio Girolami

Gil/Guild – Pedro Sanchez

Eugenia – Stefania Careddu (Stefania di Sambrese)

Polomo – Giorgio Sanmartin

Horace/Dazio – Gilbert Roland

Claude/Claudio Hamilton – Horst Frank

Gertrude ‘The Queen’ – Françoise Prévost

Santana – Manuel Serrano

Undertaker – Franco Latino

With: John Bartha, Franco Leo, Fabio Patella, Ugo Adinolfi, Claudio Trionfi

 

 

Johnny Hamilton, comes home from the Civil war, where he learns that his father was killed by the bandit Santana and his mother has married the ambiguous father's brother, Uncle Claude, who would in turn kill the bandit in a duel. But the continued presence of gunmen and impediments that lies in trying to find explanations puts him in a suspicious mood. Aided by his friend Horace, he manages to avoid ambushes by those who have an interest in not letting him find out the truth. In the tomb of Santana he finds clues evident that the bandit is still alive. He discovers also the refuge of Santana and there finds his uncle which in effect is the instigator of the murder of his brother. Johnny manages to put in conflict the uncle and the bandit telling Santana the existence of $300,000 which has disappeared. However Johnny is held captive, tied to a cross, while Santana storms the home of Claude. Johnny's mother, who now understands and asks Claude for an explanation but is mortally wounded; However, she finds the strength to drag herself to the place where Johnny is held and with the help of Horace, frees him, and then dies. The two friends roam the country and kill his uncle Claudius and his henchmen.

 

Toutube trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SM96eFrhLD0 

Remembering Paolo Rosani

Paolo Rosani aka Paul Ross was born on December 26, 1949 in Trieste, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy. Rosani a model and actor and appeared in many fotonovelas.

 

Rosani appeared in seven films during the 1970s including one Euro-western: “Django and Sartana are Coming” (1970).

 

He met the journalist Marcia Mendes and fell in love. They married in 1978 and lived in Brazil. Mendes was suffering from cancer when they met and she died a year after they were wed. After the death of Marcia, Paolo died, a mysterious death 'falling or being thrown' from the apartment where he lived in São Paulo on July 14, 1982.

 

Today we remember Paolo Rosani on what would have been his 65^th birthday.

Happy 65th Birthday Mikhail Boyarsky

Mikhail Sergeyevich Boyarsky was born on December 26, 1949 in Leningrad, Russia, U.S.S.R.  Born to the family of Sergey Boyarskiy [1916-1976] and Ekaterina Milenteva, both were Komissarzhevskaya Theatre actors.

 

He studied piano in a music school affiliated with the Conservatory. After school, Boyarsky entered the Institute of Theatre Music and Cinema, finishing in 1972 and began working in the Lensovet Theatre for Igor Vladimirov.

 

In the cinema, the actor made his debut in films with “Bridges and The Straw Hat” (1974), becoming well known in 1975 after his role in the picture “Eldest Son”. He found much greater popularity in the main role of Troubadour in the theatre musical “The Troubadour and His Friends”, with the princess played by Larissa Luppian [1953- ], who soon became his wife. In 1976, he played the big bad wolf in the movie Ma-ma.

 

His popularity really took off in 1978 after Boyarsky starred in the musical film “d'Artagnan and Three Musketeers”. He went on to star in the film's two sequels.

 

Boyarsky is also a popular and successful singer.

 

Mikhail appeared as Cherny/Black Jack in “A Man from Boulevard Capucines” his only Euro-western.

 

Today we celebrate Mikhail Boyarsky’s 65^th birthday.

Remembering Rolf Olsen

Rolf Olsen was born on December 16, 1919 in Vienna Austria he became an actor, sometimes credited as Emerson Fox, who appeared in over 60 films between 1949 and 1990. He directed some 33 films between 1947 and 1990 among them the early German westerns “The Last Ride to Santa Cruz” (1963), starring Mario Adorf, Klaus Kinski and Marianne Koch and in which he also appeared as an actor, “Legend of a Gunfighter” (1964) staarring Thomas Fritsch, and his co-screenwriting credit for “Blood at Sundown” (1966) starring Anthony Steffen and Gianni Garko. Rolf was married to actress Ilse Peternell from 1958 until his death by cancer on April 3, 1998 in Stramberger, Austria. Today we remember Rolf Olsen on what would have been his 95th birthday.

Remembering Richard Widmark

Richard Weedt Widmark was born on December 26, 1914 in Sunrise, Minnesota, U.S.A. Richard’s father Carl Widmark, ran a general store, and then became a traveling salesman. The family moved around a lot before settling in Princeton, Illinois.

 

After a turbulent childhood, lightened by his frequent trips to the movies, Widmark became an accomplished high school scholar, a college football star, and eventually a teacher of speech and drama at Lake Forest College in Illinois.

 

Two years out of college, Widmark headed to New York City in 1938 when a friend offered him an audition for a radio soap opera. Widmark won the role and soon became a busy player in broadcasting and on the Broadway stage (debuting in 1943).

 

But despite his rising career, and happy marriage to his college sweetheart, Ora Jean Hazlewood, the 1940s were a time of great stress for the actor. Unable to serve in World War II due to a perforated eardrum, he spent three anxious years fearing for the life of his brother Donald, a bomber pilot who was injured and held as a prisoner-of-war by the Nazis. Although Donald Widmark was freed at the war's end, his failing health over the next decade would be the most agonizing tragedy in Richard's life.

 

In 1947, the crime drama “Kiss of Death” catapulted Widmark to movie stardom. The actor made one of the most shocking film debuts in movie history as his character, the cackling psychopath Tommy Udo, shoved an elderly wheelchair-bound woman down a flight of stairs to her death. The role earned Widmark an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor and proved to be the beginning of a distinguished five-decade film career.

 

Stereotyped onscreen as a hot-headed villain, Widmark fought for better roles and went on to give complex performances in such film classics as “Panic in the Streets”, “No Way Out”, “Night and the City” (all 1950), “Broken Lance” (1954), and “Madigan” (1968).

 

Widmark appeared in only one Euro-western as Major William Patten in 1969’s “A Talent for Loving”.

 

Widmark died March 24, 2008, at his home in Roxbury, Connecticut, after a long illness.

 

Today we remember Richard Widmark on what would have been his 100^th birthday.

Merry Christmas 2014

Remembering Armando Calvo

Armando Calvo was born Armando Calvo Pascual Lespier on December 25, 1919 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He was the son of actor Juan Calvo and the older brother of actor Manolo Calvo [1928-1987]. Because of the work of his father, the family decided to settle in Spain, where Armando quickly was schooled. Since childhood he showed great interest in theater where at  just five years of age he makes his debut in the play “Barro sin”. He continued to work in the theater and only at the end of the 1930s did he begin to receive small roles in films, and for co-productions of Spain and Italy.

 

His most important role was in the film “El Escándalo de” (1943_ under the production of José Luis Sáenz de Heredia. With this character role, Armando became very popular in Spain, making it easier to find important roles. In 1945 he was in “Los últimos de Filipinas” where he shared credits with Fernando Rey and received great reviews for Best Actor.

 

Armando had made himself a name in Franco’s Spain and the Mexican producer Gregorio Wallerstein signed him to make a film with the ultimate Mexican female star of the era, the beautiful Maria Felix in the 1946 film, “La mujer de todos”. The film became a success despite continuing disputes that existed between both actors and filming became a big problem. From there Armando decided to be in Mexico, leaving his fame in Spain. Armando continued with other projects and participated in “Bel Ami” (1947) with actress Gloria Marín.

 

After nearly ten years in Mexico he returned to Spain to work in "El último cuplé” (aka “The Last Torch Song”) whith the actress Sarita Montiel. Armando started working in Spain, Mexico and Italy.

 

Calvo appeared regularly in Euro-westerns making eleven from “The Sign of Zorro” In 1962 to “A Fistful of Lead” in 1970. Some of his best remembered roles were in “Ringo the Face of Revenge” (1966) as the Fidel, “Killer Adios” (1968) as Bill Bragg.

 

Armando continued working as an actor and traveled to Spain and Italy constantly, while his wife Ursula Calvo remained in Madrid to care for their nine children. After Armando retired he spent his final years at home writing and painting, He suffered from emphysema and also had developed kidney problems. Calvo died of heart failure died on July 6, 1996 in Mexico City. He was 76 years old.

 

Today we remember Armando Calvo on what would have been his 95^th birthday.

Wild Bitches

Selvaggio West – Italian title

Cacciatori di Taglie – Italian title

Les Sauvageonnes – French title

Les chiennes aboient, la caravane passé… - French title

Wild West – German title

Sexo puro e duro no oeste – Spanish title

Wild West – English title

Bounty Hunters – English title

Wild Bitches – U.K. title

 

A 1999 Italian production [Selvaggio West (Rome)]

Producer: Giancarlo Bini

Director: Nicky Ranieri

Story: Nicky Ranieri

Screenplay: Nicky Ranieri

Cinematography: Tony Vola [color]

Music: ?

Running time: 74 minutes

 

Cast:

Bounty Hunter - Philippe Dean

Sheriff – Frank Malone (Francesco Malcolm)

Deputy - Silvio Evangelista

Carolina Johnson - Helen Box (Cynthia)

Elena Williams - Janette Jansson

Sheriff's wife - Melinda Herminez (Alexa Weix)

Sheriff's Prisoner – Monica Roccaforte

Woman in Buggy – Laura Angel

Relaxing cowboy – Giancarlo Bini

With: Ennio Fantoni, Lea Martini, Anita Blood (Anita Hudacsek), Erika Bella, Ursula Moore, Karim (Karim Sabaheddine), Julia Teodora, Reinhardt, Henrietta (Henrietta Kerez), Gabriella Bucci, Mary Landers (Anita Black), Franco Ludovisi, Patricia Golem (Patty Peage), Sandra Wicked, Gianni Gova

 

A bounty hunter and sheriff take every law breaking woman they come across.

Happy 20th Birthday Raphaël Boshart

Raphaël Pierre Jean Denis Boshart was born on December 12, 1994 in Fontenay-aux-Roses, Île-de-France, France. As Raphaël Boshart he made his film debut in his only Euro-western to date as Quick in “Big City” in 2006. Raphaël’s gone on to appear in eight more films and television appearances including his latest film “SMS” in 2014.

 

Today we celebrate Raphaël Boshart’s 20^th birthday.

Happy 65th Birthday Mircea Diaconu

Mircea Diaconu was born on December 24, 1949 in Vlădeşti, Arges, Romania. Mircea graduated from Campulung in 1967 and IATC IL Caragiale in Bucharest in 1971. He debuted in 1970 in the play “Bulandra with Grass Harp” by Truman Capote. His film debut occurred in 1971 with the film “Nunta de piatra” directed by Dan Pita. In 1972, he was hired by Liviu Ciulei as a member of the theatrical troupe at Bulandra, where he remained until 1982. He then became an actor at the Nottara Theatre. He was the first player from Romania who has resigned, becoming a freelancer in 1990 and then returned to the theater as an employee in 2001. As manager of the Theatre Nottara he was involved in a scandal of nepotism, as he employed his wife Diana Lupescu, as the artistic director post degree, and paid and paid her from theatre funds on contracts involving royalties.

 

He began his political career in 2008, when he was elected to the Senate for Argeș County as a member of the National Liberal Party (PNL). While there, he served on the culture committee; his term expired after the following election. In May 2012, he was named Culture Minister in the new Victor Ponta cabinet, but was forced out of office the following month when the High Court of Cassation and Justice ruled there was a conflict of interest between his ministerial position and his managerial role at the theater. He ran again for Parliament in 2014 and was elected as an independent.

 

Diaconu appeared as the character Romulus Brad in three Euro-westerns: “The Prophet, the Gold and the Transylvanians” (1977), “The Actress, the Dollars and the Transylvanians” (1978) and “The Oil, the Baby and the Transylvanians” (1979).

Remembering Herbert Reinecker

Herbert Reinecker was born on December 24, 1914 in Hagen, Westphalia, Germany. Herbert was the son of a National Railroad worker. At the age of 15 worked as a freelancer for the newspaper Hagen, for which he wrote posts. In the Hitler youth program he was a member of the flyer HJ. In 1935 he was his high school’s editor of the report issued jointly by the HJ-field leadership Westphalia and the State Youth Welfare Office Magazine flag in Münster. In 1936, he moved to Berlin and worked at the Reich Youth Leadership. There he edited a magazine for young people.

 

With Tobis Film Company, he attended a course for screenwriters. During the war years he wrote some stage propaganda pieces. As a war correspondent in the propaganda unit of the Waffen-SS he was sent to Russia, Flanders and Pomerania. He fell ill at the Ruhr and narrowly escaped death. 1942 Reinecker was made chief editor of the Hitler Youth Magazines The Pimpf and Young World. In December of the same year his anti-Soviet drama premiered The Village in Odessa, which describes the fate of ethnic Germans in the Soviet Union and became one of the most performed plays of the Nazi era. His screenplay for the youth propaganda film “Young Eagle” in 1944 was filmed by his friend Alfred Weidenmann.

 

After the war, his applications were rejected for several journalist jobs. Reinecker held initially a job as director and sole author of a press service in the Palatinate. He wrote novels, short stories and a variety of articles since 1947 texts for the cabaret Ulenspiegel in Cologne. In the 1950s and 1960s Reinecker was in demand as a screenwriter, for the Edgar Wallace films. He worked with Alfred Weidenmann and their films were awarded honors. Under the pseudonym Herbert Dührkopp also emerged from 1951 radio plays for the NWDR. In 1938 he married Angela Schmikowski. The marriage produced two children were born: Rita [1941-    ] and Hilmar [1944-2001]. In 1959, he married his second wife, with whom he lived until his death.

 

In the 1960s as Alex Berg he co-wrote the screenplays for three Euro-westerns: “The Last Ride to Santa Cruz” (1963), “Massacre at Marble City” (1964) and “The Man With the Long Gun” (1968).

 

Through the producer Helmut Ringelmann he came in contact with television and initially wrote television screenplays in the tradition of Francis Durbridge. His greatest successes were his television crime series ‘The Commissioner’ (1968-1975) with 97 episodes and ‘Derrick’ (1974-1998) with 281 episodes. The concept for the series Siska he developed and wrote the screenplays for four episodes. In addition television films and TV specials such as ‘Jakob and Adele’, ‘One Woman’ and ‘The Love Boat’.

 

Reinecker died on January 27, 2007 at the age of 92 at his home in Kempfenhausen, Berg, Bavaria, Germany.

 

Today we remember Alex Berg (Herbert Reinecker) on what would have been his 100^th birthday.

Who Are Those Gals? - Lucy Bomez

 

Lucia Bomez was an Italian actress whose career was only seven years long from 1963 till 1970. During this time she appeared in 10 films usually billed as Lucy Bomez. She appeared in four European westerns and one “I fantasi di Omah-ri” in 1971 that was never released. She also appeared in several fotoromanzi magazines.

 

Little has been written about the attractive actress and there are no biographies that I can find on line. Whatever became of her is unknown and she, like many other, character actors and actresses of the era remains unknown.

 

BOMEZ, Lucy (aka Luice Bomez, Lucye Bomez) (Lucia Bomez) [Italian]

The Return of Clay Stone – 1964 (Marilyn)

El Cisco - 1966 (Chiquita)

Ringo, It’s Massacre Time – 1966 (Pilar)

The Stranger’s Gundown – 1969 (whore)

I fantasi di Omah-ri – 1971 [film was never released]

Remembering Guillaume de Sax

Guillaume de Sax was born Guilaume Henry Robert de Segur Lamoignon on December 23, 1889 in Paris, Île-de-France, France. The son of Count Louis de Segur Lamoignon, a cavalry officer and president of the Sleeping Car Company and grandson of Edgar de Segur Lamoignon he married the actress Cécile Sorel [1873-1966]. Guillaume appeared in over 25 films from 1937-1946. He’s best remembered for his appearances in “Carnival of Sinners” (1943), “Sins of Youth” (1941) and “Blood Red Rose” (1939). His only Euro-western was “Ernest the Rebel” (1938) in the role of Gringue.

 

Guillaume died on November 6, 1945 in Paris, France. He was only 55.

 

Today we remember Guillaume de Sax on what would have been his 125^th birthday.