"Django" being shown in Canada

 

For our Canadian viewers.

Django TV eps 4 will play tomorrow 9 p.m. on Sky Go

The entire ten episodes will be shown from May16 – July 22

Django | Télé-Québec (telequebec.tv) 

Little Known Spaghetti Western Actors ~Iskra Apostelova

[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.]

Iskra Apostelova is a Macedonian actress who appeared in only one film that I know about and that was as a Seminole in the 1970 DEFA Indian film “Osceola” starring Gojko Mitic.

APOSTELOVA, Iskra [Macedonian] – film actress.

Osceola – 1970 (Seminole)

 

Spaghetti Western Locations Then and Now – “7 Guns for the MacGregors”

 In the 1967 Spaghetti western “Catlow” we see a wagon meandering along a trail deep in a canyon. The location of the canyon was Rambla de los Banco in Fonelas, Granada, Spain.

Here we see the same location as is today in 2023.

European Western Comic Books – Alvar Mayor

 

Alvar Mayor

Reprint, in large format volumes, of a classic of Argentine comic book series, written by Carlos Trillo and drawings by Enrique Breccia. The seven volumes in black and white collect the entire saga already seen in Italy on Skorpio (Eura Editoriale) and, recolored, in the volumes of the Euracomix series (Eura Editoriale), plus an unpublished episode.

The comic book was published by Andamar in 2005 and consisted of 7 issues with 104-120 black and white pages with color covers. Issue one was released in November of 2005 and the last issue #7 was released in 2009

 

Titles

01 (00.11.05) - "La Leggenda di Eldorado" (The Legend of Eldorado)

02 (00.00.00) - "La città d'oro della Patagonia" (The Golden City of Patagonia)

03 (00.00.00) - "Il vento della disgrazia" (The Wind of Misfortune)

04 (00.00.00) - "Il tesoro di Yatzil Itza" (The Treasure of Yatzil Itza)

05 (00.00.00) - "Le tre morti di Alvar Mayor" (The Three Deaths of Alvar Mayor)

06 (00.00.00) - "L'avventura dei pazzi" (The Adventure of the Fools)

07 (00.00.09) - "L'oro del Perù" (Gold of Peru)

Little Known Spaghetti Western Actors ~ Claudio Aponte

 [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.]

Claudio Aponte is/was an unknown Italian actor who appeared in only two films which were both Italian westerns. In 1970 he appeared in an uncredited role in “The Ballad of Death Valley” under the alias of Aponte Claudio and in 1975 he appeared in another uncredited role in 1970 “Young Guns Go West”.

APONTE, Claudio (aka Aponte Claudio) [Italian] – film actor.

Ballad of Death Valley – 1970 [as Aponte Claudio]

Young Guns Go West – 1975

Vive el Spaghetti Western en Fraga June 17, 2023

 

We continue our search for locations for “Bad Man’s River”

 After ‘Bomba’s gunfight with Canales he tells him he’ll find out from Alicia where the money is hidden. He return to the steamboat Ariel and confronts Alicia and informs her she is a widow once again as Montero has been killed. King searches her room and tells her he knows of her plot. Suddenly Canales and his men attack the ship. Bomba goes to the pilot’s room and finds Tom Odie has knocked out the captain, who was piloting the ship right into the outlaw’s pistol range. Odie has taken over piloting the ship and steered it back into the main channel of the river.

This scene was shot on a Madrid sound stage.

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/

The Spaghetti Western Podcast Season 5, Episode 11 #111

 

Join me today at 12 p.m. PST for another Spaghetti Western Podcast> Today we’ll be talking about in our History of the Spaghetti Western segment “The Return of Clay Stone” (aka The Damned Pistols of Dallas), In our “Whateve becam of…? segment we’ll talk about Daniel Martin and our “Who are those guys?” will feature George Rigaud. The film of the week is “A Man Called Gringo”. I’ll talk about a couple of CDs/LPs for the above films and a few posters. So you’re invited to join this session at noon PST today. I hope to see you then.

Little Known Spaghetti Western Actors ~ Andy Anza

 [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.]

Andy Anza was an American actor and production manager. He appeared in four films, two of which were Spaghetti westerns: “Murieta!” in 1963 as Gomez/Reyes and “Son of a Gunfighter” 1965 as Lieutenant Fuentes. He then worked behind the scenes as a production manager on 1970’s “Cry Blood, Apache” a U.S.A. western, where he also appeared as a crippled Indian. I can find no other information on him.

ANZA, Andy [American] – production manager, film, TV actor.

Murieta! – 1963 (Gomez/Reyes)

Son of a Gunfighter – 1965 (Lieutenant Fuentes)

Bologna Film Festival June 24 – July 2, 2023

 

Il Cinema Ritrovato is just around the corner!

From June 24 to July 2, Bologna invites you to once again experience the festival - now in its thirty-seventh edition - that celebrates the irreplaceable experience of collective vision.

Much like every year, the following macro-sections, "Cinephile's Heaven", "The Time Machine" and "The Space Machine" return to the screens, filled with retrospectives, restored cult films, and rarities. Out now on the festival website, read up on all the sections and the latest programme previews!

Buy a festival pass: bit.ly/CR2023_festivalpasses

(Online booking for festival pass holders will open on June 😎.

Here is the image that will guide us into this year's Cinephile's Paradise: Lou Castel, Klaus Kinski, Martine Beswick and Gian Maria Volonté, with their eyes fixed on the horizon. A shot taken by Divo Cavicchioli on the 1966 set of 'Quién sabe?' by Damiano Damiani (with thanks to Centro Cinema Città di Cesena).

On the tenth anniversary of the death of Damiano Damiani, Il Cinema Ritrovato remembers him with the restoration of 'Quién sabe?' (A Bullet for the General), carried out by the Cineteca di Bologna, the National Cinema Museum of Turin, the Filmoteca Espanola and the CSC – Cineteca Nazionale, in collaboration with Surf Film, at the L'Immagine Ritrovata laboratory.

Find out more: festival.ilcinemaritrovato.it

Who Are Those Singers & Musicians ~ Peppino Gagliardi

 

Peppino Gagliardi was born in Naples, Italy on May 25, 1940. His first hit in Italy came in 1963 with "T'amo e t'amerò". In 1970, he had another big hit with the song, “Settembre”, and more hits followed in the early 1970s.

He achieved two-second place finishes at the Sanremo Music Festival: in 1972 with "Come le viole" and in 1972 with "Come un ragazzino". His music declined in popularity in the 1980s and 1990s. His last entry at the Sanremo Music Festival was "L'alba" in 1993.

One of his songs, "Che vuole questa musica stasera", is part of the original soundtrack of “Scent of a Woman” by Dino Risi, “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” by Guy Ritchie and “The Ruthless” by Renato De Maria and “Welcome Home” by George Ratliff. The song was also used in an episode of Season 2 of the Belgian series ‘Professor T’.

Gagliardi sang the main themes song “Ballara per un pistolero” for the 1967 Spaghetti western “Ballad of a Gunman” starring Anthony Ghidra.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sScoUexk38

GAGLIARDI, Peppino [5/25/1940, Naples, Campania, Italy -     ] – singer, actor.

Ballad of a Gunman – 1967 [sings: “Ballata per un pistolero”]

 

Spaghetti Western Trivia – “God’s Gun”

 

During the filming of “God’s Gun” (1976) starring Lee Van Cleef, Jack Palance and teen singing star Leif Garrett broke his nose filming a fight scene.

RIP Franky Cuadrrón

 

Spanish film actor Frank ‘Franky J. Cuadrrón died on June 1, 2023 in Spain (age unknown). Franky was part of the new generation of film characters who have participated in a revival of Spanish Spaghetti westerns, many produced and directed by Dirk Roche. Franky appeared in at least four recent film productions that I am aware of “Old Wolves of Autumn” 2016 as a doctor; “Botas de Sangre” 2017; “A Bastard, a City and the Dead” as ‘The Major’ and “Recompensa” in 2022.

Little Known Spaghetti Western Actors ~ Roberto Antonelli

 [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.]

Roberto Antonelli was born in , Campobasso, Molise, Italy on June 14, 1938. After graduating from the National Academy of Dramatic Arts, he appeared in over 35 films and TV series from 1967 to 2014. He’s has been credited under the aliases Robert Anthony and Bob Antonelli. He appeared in two Spaghetti westerns: “Django Shoots First in 1966 as a saloon patron and using the Robert Anthony alias he appeared as Ward’s companion in the 1968 film “Uno di più all'inferno” aka “To Hell and Back” and A Full House for the Devil” which starred George Hilton.

ANTONELLI, Roberto (aka Robert Anthony, Bob Antonelli) [6/14/1938, Campobasso, Molise, Italy -     ] – film, TV actor.

Django Shoots First – 1966 (saloon patron)

A Full House for the Devil – 1968 (Ward’s companion) [as Robert Anthony]

Best Lesser-Known Spaghetti Westerns You’ve Got To See

 Wealth of Geeks

By Kyle Logan

May 28, 2023

In the late 1960s and ’70s, after the decades-long reign of the Hollywood Western, Italian filmmakers took the genre by storm with their darker, more explicitly violent takes on the genre. Many of these films aren’t stories of honorable sheriffs and innocent townspeople but instead focus on characters who are, at best, morally gray. Look at the best-known film from the “Spaghetti Western” subgenre, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, wherein “the good” is a greedy man whose only claim to goodness is that he isn’t as bad as the other two characters.

There are tens if not hundreds of these films, and fans often move through the genre’s classics quickly after they begin exploring, leaving them searching for lesser-known gems. So when one Spaghetti Western fan asks an online film forum for recommendations of unknown best of the genre, other fans are more than happy to stick up for the lesser-known movies they love.

1.      Day of Anger (1967)

Lee Van Cleef had a fantastic 1967 in Spaghetti Westerns. Day of Anger is one of three that he starred in that year after The Good, the Bad and the Ugly was released. Day of Anger stars Van Cleef as a villainous gunslinger who takes a young man under his wing and then takes over a town, only to have his apprentice turn on him to defend the town. It’s not a complicated movie, but it features excellent shootouts and sets.

 2.      Death Rides a Horse (1967)

The second of the three Spaghetti Westerns starring Lee Van Cleef released in 1967, Death Rides a Horse once again features the sharp-featured star developing a relationship with a younger man. This time, both their characters are on the trail of the same band of outlaws, each seeking their revenge. But things become more complicated when the young man learns about Van Cleef’s connection to the gang. 

3. The Big Gundown (1967)

The third Lee Van Cleef movie released in 1967, The Big Gundown, follows Van Cleef as a bounty hunter searching for an accused rapist and murderer. Things become more complicated when he finds the man. It’s a western with several film noir elements in its plotting and packs a serious socio-political punch.

4. They Call Me Trinity (1970)

Not all Spaghetti Westerns are bleak and violent. They Call Me Trinity is a broad comedy that tells the story of two men who defend a town of Mormons from bandits that features more laughs than thrills but doesn’t lose anything in shifting its focus to humor.

 

5. Cemetery Without Crosses (1969)

Cemetery Without Crosses is an especially bleak film within its genre. It is a revenge western that explores loneliness, futility, and regret. It’s a film that’s not easy to watch. But it is rewarding for those interested in a movie that considers revenge and why we seek revenge philosophically.

 

6.  Mannaja (AKA a Man Called Blade) (1977)

Mannaja is a delightfully chaotic film starring Maurizio Merli as a hatchet-throwing bounty hunter whose arrival in a mining town sets off an increasingly violent series of events. The movie is a bit complicated, but in a way that’s never difficult to follow, so much as enjoyably ridiculous.

7. If You Meet Sartana Pray for Your Death (1968)

The first in a series of five films, If You Meet Sartana Pray for You Death stars Gianni Garko as the eponymous gunslinger Sartana who finds himself at the center of a multi-faction hunt for gold. It’s another film, like Mannaja, that is somewhat complicated but always remains focused on delivering the genre goods, including a wild final shootout.

8. Rita of The West (AKA Crazy Westerners) (1967)

A movie that the person recommending it called “insane,” Rita of the West centers on the eponymous Rita, played by Italian-Swiss singer Rita Pavone, as she attempts to rid the world of gold, which she sees as the source of all evil. Her adventures include several musical numbers and run-ins with parodies of beloved Spaghetti Western heroes Ringo and Django.

9. The Legend of Frenchie King (1971)

The Legend of Frenchie King is a delightfully over-the-top western that pits iconic bombshells Brigitte Bardot and Claudia Cardinale against one another before pairing them up to take revenge on the men who have attempted to manipulate them. It’s a movie that doesn’t take itself seriously and is just about having a good time with two gorgeous women, and it greatly succeeds.

10. Four of The Apocalypse (1968)

An early film from director Lucio Fulci, who would become best known for his horror films in the following two decades, Four of the Apocalypse follows a group of four petty criminals as they travel across 1870s Utah and do their best to stay alive while being hunted by a sadistic bandit. It’s a brutal movie that portends Fulci’s later greatness as the “godfather of gore” but also takes a genuine interest in its characters. It packs an emotional as well as a visceral punch.

11. And God Said to Cain (1970)

One of a few Spaghetti Westerns that veers into horror territory, And God Said to Cain, begins as another fairly typical revenge story but morphs into something more like a ghost story as the protagonist takes out his enemies under cover of darkness. Add to that the use of catacombs, and several fans think the movie plays out more like a gothic horror story with a Spaghetti Western cover than an outright Western.

12. Cut Throats Nine (1972)

Another horror/western hybrid, Cut Throats Nine, is also one of the most vicious films out of the Spaghetti Western bubble. The movie follows a group of criminals who are attacked and set loose while being transported to prison. The one lawman who survived the attack is trying to keep them while keeping himself and his daughter safe.

 

50th anniversary of the premier of “The Judgment of God”

 

Today marks the 50^th anniversary of the premier of “Il giustiziere di Dio” (The Executioner of God). It was directed by Franco Lattanzi and starred William Berger, Donal O’Brien and George Wang. The film tells the story of Tony Lant (William Berger), a famous Arizona gunslinger, who leaves his wife Carol and his gun when his son accidentally falls into a pit and dies. Lant becomes a priest and builds a mission with an adjoining orphanage. Now known as Father Lanthony he ignores the fact that in the basement of his church lies hidden a large quantity of gold bars, the result of a robbery. Two bands at the same time go on a treasure hunt and the men of Ramon Orea George Wang), also called the gang of the Tris, they break into the church and open the passage to the gold with dynamite. They seize the gold but kill all the children in the orphanage. Tony is released from the well where he’d been thrown by his faithful servant Goliath (Victor Stock) and begins to hunt for the bandits. After a long search, he tracks them down through their spending of the spoils from the robbery. The priest draws Orea to the mission and into the hands of the sheriff who captures him with large posse. Having in the meantime also witnessed the death of Carol (Nuccia Cardinal), the former gunslinger is directed towards an Indian reservation where he will continue his ministry.

 

Il giustiziere di Dio - Italian title

Le justicier de Dieu - French title

The Executioner of God - English title

God’s Gunman - English title

The Judgment of God - English title

The Executioner of God – English title

 

A 1973 Italian production [Cigno Cinematografica (Rome)]

Producer: Giovanni Vari

Director: Franco Lattanzi

Story: Franco Lattanzi

Cinematography: Franco Appetito [Technicolor, Techniscope]

Music: Piero Piccioni (Gian Piero Piccioni)

Running time: 87 minutes

 

Cast:

Padre Tony Lang/Lant/Lanthory - William Berger (Wilhelm Berger)

Frank ’Ace of Hearts’ - Donal O’Brien

Ramon Orea ‘Ace of Diamonds’ - George Wang (Wang Yie)

John ‘Ace of Spade’ Ivan Greeve

Ramon henchman - Maurizio Mannoia

Carol Lang/Lant/Lanthory - Nuccia Cardinal

Paul ‘Goliath’ - Victor Stock (Victor Stocchi)

Tim Robson/Bronson/Donny – Attilio Dottesio

Paul’s sister – Giovanna Mainardi

Ringo - Tony DiMitri (Antonio Dimitri)

Red – Lorenzo Piani

Hotel bouncer – Bruno Arie

Hotel brawler – Franco Pasquetto

Barman – Clemente Ukmar

Brenda – Clara Hopf

Abilene Sheriff - Antonio Calo

Sheriff – Angelo Casadei

Deputy – Sergio Silveri

Safecracker – Nello Palladino (Aneillo Palladino)

Safe robbers - Luciano Conti, Benito Pacifico

with: Alessandro Perrella, Alberta Santilli, Gianni Cardillo (Gianni Cardello), Nicola Mozzillo, Raffaele Rossi, Osiride Pevarello

RIP Sergio Calderón

 

Sergio Calderón, the amiable Mexican character actor who made his mark in such notable films as “The In-Laws”, “Men in Black” and “Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World’s End:, died on May 31^st. He was 77. Calderón portrayed a Mexican revolutionary at the turn of the 20th century in “Duck, You Sucker!” (1971), by Sergio Leone, and was a murderous Mexican chief of police opposite Albert Finney in John Huston’s “Under the Volcano” (1984). Born on July 21, 1945, Calderón moved from his home in a tropical village to Mexico City when he was 10 and studied at the Instituto Andrés Soler of the Asociación Nacional de Actores. He then made his onscreen debut in “The Bridge in the Jungle” (1970), starring John Huston. Among the three dozen or so films on his résumé were “The Revengers” (1972), “The Children of Sánchez” (1978), “Old Gringo” (1989), “The Missing” (2003), “The Ruins” (2008) and “Little Fockers” (2010). He also showed up on the final season of the FX series ‘Better Things’ last year. Sergio appeared in two European westerns the previously mentioned “Duck You Sucker” in 1971 as a Mexican Revolutionary and in 1988’s “Blood Red” as Perez.

Little Known Spaghetti Western Actors ~ Matilde Antonelli

 [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.]

Matilde Antonelli appeared in at least seven films from 1970 to 1978. Among those were two credited appearances in Spaghetti westerns in “Django… Adios!” 1971 she appears as Marianne/Mary Ann and in “Savage Guns” 1971 she plays the role of Suzy. I can find no other information on her.

ANTONELLI, Matilde [Italian] – film actress.

Django… Adios! – 1971 (Marianne/Mary Ann)

Savage Guns – 1971 (Suzy)

Spaghetti Western locations Then and Now - “Catlow”

 This riding scene is from “Catlow” and shows Yul Brynner in the lead. The scene was filmed in the Rambla Indalecio/Rioja, Almería, Spain.

Here’s the same location as seen in 2022.

Voices of the Spaghetti Western “Two Violent Men”

 As we know most of the Euro-westerns were co-productions from Italy, Spain, Germany and France which incorporated British and American actors to gain a worldwide audience. The films were shot silent and then dubbed into the various languages where they were sold for distribution. That means Italian, Spanish, German, French and English voice actors were hired to dub the films. Even actors from the countries where the film was to be shown were often dubbed by voice actors for various reasons such as the actors were already busy making another film, they wanted to be paid additional salaries for dubbing their voices, the actor’s voice didn’t fit the character they were playing, accidents to the actors and in some cases even death before the film could be dubbed.

I’ll list a Euro-western and the (I) Italian, (S) Spanish, (G) German and (F) French, (E) English voices that I can find and once in a while a bio on a specific voice actor as in Europe these actors are as well-known as the actors they voiced.

Today we’ll cover “Two Violent Men”

[(I) Italian, (S) Spanish, (G) German, (F) French, (E) English]

Cassidy – Alan Scott (I) Cesare Barbetti, (S) Ángel María Baltanás

Sergeant Bob Logan – George Martin (I) Pino Locchi, (S) Simón Ramírez

Mary Sheridan – Susy Andersen (I) Fiorella Betti, (S) Ana María Saizar

Ann Kenny - María Badmajew (I) Rosetta Calavetta, (S) Matilde Vilariño

Linda Ranson – Silvia Solar (I) Rosetta Calavetta, (S) Mari Ángeles Herranz

Ana María Saizar  (1924 – 2013)

Ana María Saizar was born in San Sebastián, Guipúzcoa, Spain in 1924. Saizar was a Spanish voice actress who began her professional career as a dubbing actress in 1948 at the Sevilla Film Studios. In the 1950s, in Madrid she began to work in the great dubbing studios of the country and specifically, from 1956, at Oro Films, where she remained until the mid-1980s. She dubbed into Spanish the voice of some of the most important Hollywood film stars of the time, such as Sofia Loren, Anne Baxter, Grace Kelly and Carole Lombard.

For television, she highlighted her work as Miss Rottenmeier in the animated series ‘Heidi’ (1975). Although she also voiced Miss Cassandra in ‘The Mayan Bee’, Flower in ‘Once Upon a Time... the man’, Barbara Bain (Hellen Russell) in ‘Space 1999’, Doris Roberts (Mildred Krebbs) in ‘Remington Steele’ and Peg Phillips (Ruth Miller) in ‘Doctor in Alaska’.

She retired in the late 1990s and died in Madrid on December 19, 2013.

Little Known Spaghetti Western Actors ~ Franco Antonelli

 [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.]

Franco Antonelli is/was an Italian costumer and wardrobe supervisor but was credited as an actor in “California” starring Guliano Gemma. His career began in 1962 with his participation as a costume designer on “Black Invaders” with Amedeo Nazzari and his last credit was as a wardrobe coordinator on 1987’s “The Last Emperor” with Peter O’Toole. Antonelli also worked on “Flash Gordon” in 1980, “Conan the Barbarian” 1982 and “Red Sonja” in 1985.

ANTONELLI, Franco (aka Antonelli) [Italian] – costumer, stuntman, film actor.

Face to Face – 1967 [costumer]

Little Rita in the West – 1967 [costumer]

Viva Django -1968 [costumer]

A Long Ride from Hell – 1968 [costumer]

Halleluja to Vera Cruz – 1973 [wardrobe]

California – 1977

 

New Italian CD “L'uomo della valle maledetta”

 

“L'uomo della valle maledetta”

(Man of the Cursed Valley)

(1964)

 

Composer: Francesco De Masi)

Country: Italy

Label BEAT

#CDCR149

Tracks: 25

Listening time: 48:58

Extras: 12-page booklet

Available May 31, 2023

 

Beat Records is glad to present the expanded original motion picture soundtrack by Francesco de Masi for the Western movie “L'uomo della valle maledetta”, one of the very first Italian productions inspired of the super popular Hollywood cinematic genre.

Already available in the CDCR series with the code 47, a selection of this score made part of a trio of soundtracks together with the OSTs of “La sfida dei MacKenna” and “…e venne il tempo di uccidere”, a long time sold out.

Transferring the first generation tapes it has been possible to prepare a single CD featuring a lot of unreleased material which will excite all Francesco de Masi and Western symphonic soundtracks fans, it will be a precious complement for all of those who missed the old edition too.

The CD is proposed in a transparent jewel case with a 12 pages colored booklet, graphic layout by Daniele De Gemini, liner notes by Filippo de Masi and mastering by Enrico de Gemini.

Tracklist

1 L'uomo della valle maledetta – Seq. 1 1:34

2 L'uomo della valle maledetta – Seq. 2 1:58

3 L'uomo della valle maledetta – Seq. 3 1:37

4 L'uomo della valle maledetta – Seq. 4 2:12

5 L'uomo della valle maledetta – Seq. 5 * 2:29

6 L'uomo della valle maledetta – Seq. 6 * 2:44

7 L'uomo della valle maledetta – Seq. 7 * 2:32

8 L'uomo della valle maledetta – Seq. 8 * 1:45

9 L'uomo della valle maledetta – Seq. 9 2:23

10 L'uomo della valle maledetta – Seq. 10 1:59

11 L'uomo della valle maledetta – Seq. 11 * 0:48

12 L'uomo della valle maledetta – Seq. 12 * 2:35

13 L'uomo della valle maledetta – Seq. 13 * 1:09

14 L'uomo della valle maledetta – Seq.14 2:28

15 L'uomo della valle maledetta – Seq.15 2:00

16 L'uomo della valle maledetta – Seq.16 2:07

17 L'uomo della valle maledetta – Seq.17 1:31

18 L'uomo della valle maledetta – Seq.18 3:20

19 L'uomo della valle maledetta – Seq.19 0:48

20 L'uomo della valle maledetta – Seq.20 2:12

21 L'uomo della valle maledetta – Seq.21 1:49

22 L'uomo della valle maledetta – Seq.22 1:14

23 L'uomo della valle maledetta – Seq.23 # 1:36

24 L'uomo della valle maledetta – Seq.24 # 1:09

25 L'uomo della valle maledetta – Seq.25 # 1:35

Who Are Those Guys ~ Xan das Bolas

 

Tomás Ares Pena was born in La Coruña, Galicia Spain on October 30, 1908. He was the son of Tomás Ares Alonso [1883-1962], by profession an industrialist, and Ángela Pena Valiño [1888-1938]. He began his acting career in the theater in the 1930s as a comedian and variety actor. After the Spanish Civil War, he began his film career beginning with with “Salomé” (1940).

In the following years he became one of the secondary actors with the longest career in the history of Spanish cinema. His filmography exceeds two hundred and forty titles, and he worked under the direction of some of the most distinguished national filmmakers such as Florián Rey, Luis Lucía, José Luis Sáenz de Heredia, Juan de Orduña, Luis García Berlanga or Juan Antonio Bardem.

On television he worked on the series ‘Crónicas de un pueblo’ and co-starred with Fernando Fernán Gómez in ‘El pícaro’ (1974).

Bolas appeared in 30 European westerns beginning with a role as a beggar in 1954’s “The Coyote” and ending 20 years later as Sam in “Spaghetti Western”.

Xan das Bolas was married to artist Lina Chiverto [1905-19??] (193?-1977)and was the father of  three children. He died on October 13, 1977, in the Clinical Hospital of Madrid.

das BOLAS, Xan (aka Fernando Tomás Ares, Tomas Ares, Tomás Ares, Xan D'as Bolas, Xan Das Bolas, Xan dax Bolas, Xandas Bolas, Xan-Das-Bolas, Xan de Bolas) (Tomás Ares Pena) [10/30/1908, La Coruña, Galicia, Spain – 10/13/1977, Madrid, Madrid, Spain] – theater, film, TV actor, married to artist Lina Chiverto [1905-19??] (193?-1977) father of  three children.

The Coyote – 1954 (beggar)

Three Were Three - 1954

Savage Guns – 1961 (Pedro)

Shadow of Zorro – 1962 (John)

The Sign of Zorro – 1962 (Mexican)

The Terrible Sheriff – 1962 (wagonloader)

Welcome Padre Murray – 1962 (Lopez)

Torrejón City – 1962 (Hawkeye)

Zorro the Avenger – 1962 (soldiers)

Gunfight at Red Sands – 1963 (barber)

Gunfighters of Casa Grande – 1963 (Vasco)

Heroes of the West – 1963 (doctor)

The Implacable Three – 1963 (postmaster)

Relevo para un pistolero – 1963 (hotel desk clerk)

Shoot to Kill – 1963 (Pedro)

Cavalry Charge – 1964 (settler)

Gunmen of the Rio Grande – 1964 (Mexican peon)

In a Colt’s Shadow – 1965 (doctor)

7 Guns for the Mac Gregors – 1965 (barman)

Clint the Stranger – 1967 (Simpson)

Two Crosses at Danger Pass – 1967 (bartender)

Villa Rides! – 1967 (telegrapher)

Between God, the Devil and a Winchester – 1968 (Hoagie)

One by One – 1968 (Ben)

Death on High Mountain – 1969 (saloon waiter)

Garringo – 1969 (Potter)

A Talent for Loving – 1969 (Molina soldier)

Cut-Throats Nine – 1970 (Buddy)

Sabata the Killer – 1970 (telegrapher)

Spaghetti Western – 1974 (Sam)

Little Known Spaghetti Western Actors ~ Filippo Antonelli

 [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.]

Italian actor Filippo Antonelli is credited with only five films from 1964 to 1975. They are all Spaghetti westerns. He played henchmen in four of the films and was credited with the character name of Henry in his last film “The Tiger from the River Kawi” with Gordon Mitchell and George Eastman. I can find no other information on him.

ANTONELLI, Filippo [Italian] – film actor.

Minnesota Clay – 1964 (Fox henchman)

The Stranger Returns – 1967 (En Plein henchman)

No Graves on Boot Hill – 1968 (Fletcher henchman)

The 4 Gunmen of the Holy Trinity – 1970 (henchman)

The Tiger from the River Kwai – 1975 (Henry)

New Japanese Blu-ray, DVD “いとこのためのジャンゴ”

 

いとこのためのジャンゴ

(Django Shoots First)

(1966)

 

Director: Alberto De Martino

Starring: Glenn Saxson, Fernando Sancho, Evelyn Stewart, Nando Gazzolo

 

Country: Japan

Label: Eizō bunka-sha / ORUSTAK SOFT

Bulu-ray / DVD combo and DVD

Region A

Aspect ratio: 16:0 (4k remastered)

Languages: DTS-HDMA 2.0 Italian

Subtitles: Japanese

Running time: 96 minutes

Release date: May 30, 2023

Memorial Day 2023

 

Little Known Spaghetti Western Actors ~ Alex Antonelli

 [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.]

Italian actor Alex Antonelli is credited as appearing in 1967’s “Lola Colt” (Black Tigress) starring Lola Falana and Peter Martell. He’s not credited with a named character and he’s not appeared in any other films that I can find.

ANTONELLI, Alex [Italian] – film actor.

Black Tigress – 1967

New Spanish CDs “Extraña forma de vida”, “Hannie Caulder”, “Requiem per un Gringo”

 

“Extraña forma de vida”

(Strange Way of Life)

(2023)

 

Composer: Alberto Iglesias

Director: Pedro Almodóvar

Starring: Ethan Hawke, Pedro Pascal

 

Country: Spain

Label: Quartet Records

#QR524

Tracks: 6

Limited edition 500 copies

Total listening time: 1827

Extras: ?

Available: May 26, 2023

 

Track list:

Arrebato (2:02)

El despertar (1:22)

Las segundas intenciones (4:40)

En una bodega mejicana (0:47)

El hijo asesino (4:53)

Los caballos retozan al anochecer (4:37)

 

Alberto Iglesias has composed a memorable, nostalgic and crepuscular symphonic score for orchestra and male choir—music that shows the fatalistic nature of the story and its impossible love.

Although it’s a short piece—barely 20 minutes long—this score is of such quality and importance that we believe it should be digitally released, in a strictly limited CD edition of 500 units.

Hannie Caulder

1971

 

Composer: Ken Thorne

Director: Burt Kennedy

Starring: Raquel Welch, Robert Culp, Ernest Borgnine, Jack Elam, Strother Martin

 

Country: Spain

Label: Quartet Records

#QR515

Tracks: 29

Limited edition 1000 copies

Total listening time: 40:44

Extras: ?

Available: May 26, 2023

 

Track list:

1. Main Title / Bank Raid (3:42)

2. Chase From Bank (1:31)

3. Caulder Killed / Rape Of Hannie (1:46)

4. Hannie Leaves (2:34)

5. Hannie Takes Gun (1:22)

6. Thomas Rejects Hannie (1:37)

7. Mexican Chase (0:38)

8. Riding To Town (1:18)

9. Hannie Takes Bath (0:51)

10. Riding To Mexico (2:41)

11. Thomas And Bailey Talk (1:32)

12. Gun Montage (1:50)

13. Preacher Visits (1:32)

14. Beach Scene (2:24)

15. Mexican Raid (2:20)

16. Hannie Shoots Bandit (1:01)

17. Quitting Ranch (1:51)

18. Brothers Into Town (1:10)

19. Shotting Thomas (1:16)

20. Death Of Thomas (2:06)

21. Killing Of Frank / Killing Of Rufus / Old Prison / Killing Of Emmett (2:17)

22. Finale (1:16)

23. Life’s Never Peaceful (2:07)

Bonus Tracks

24. Saloon Band (2:17)

25. Rape Of Hannie (Alternate) (1:17)

26. Finale And End Title (Orchestral Version) (2:07)

27. Hannie Takes Bath (Alternate) (0:50)

28. Mexican Raid (Alternate) (2:21)

29. Finale And End Title (Film Version) (2:10)

 

An intended LP mock-up was previously released on an unauthorized promotional mono CD. This premiere CD includes the complete score—almost entirely in expansive stereo—restored and mastered by Chris Malone from pristine master tapes vaulted at Paramount. The lavishly illustrated 12-page liner notes by Gergely Hubai discuss the film and the score with a cue-by-cue breakdown, explaining every step of the rebuilding process.

Requiem per un Gringo

(1968)

 

Composer: Angelo Francesco Lavagnino

Directors: Eugenio Martin, José Luis Merino

Starring: Lang Jeffries, Fernando Sancho, Femi Benussi

 

Country: Spain

Label: Quartet Records

#QR521

Tracks: 32

Limited edition 300 copies

Total listening time: 61:29

Extras: ?

Available: May 26, 2023

 

Track list:

The Original Album

1. Sandstorm (2:18)

2. Twilight (2:15)

3. The moon and you (1:51)

4. Trouble in Store (0:59)

5. Fear and Pleasure (1:47)

6. Feather weight heart (1:40)

7. Pistols Galore (1:55)

8. Don’t look now (1:31)

9. Moody mountain (1:01)

10. Take that (1:38)

11. Far from now (0:38)

12. Single handed (1:01)

13. The Price of a Gun (1:00)

14. Heartbeat (1:47)

15. Cloudy Prairy (1:39)

16. Follow me (1:46)

17. Thoughtless Greenery (1:38)

18. Misty tree (2:56)

Bonus tracks

19. Requiem per un gringo (Nocturne) (2:57)

20. Requiem per un gringo (Waiting) (1:49)

21. follow me (Film version) (1:01)

22. Requiem per un gringo (Cavalcade) (1:48)

23. Requiem per un gringo (Cavalcade #2) (1:06)

24. Requiem per un gringo (Ambush) (1:32)

25. Requiem per un gringo (Fear in the night) (2:36)

26. Requiem per un gringo (Guitar cantina) (3:01)

27. Requiem per un gringo (Western story) (1:33)

28. Requiem per un gringo (Bandidos) (1:55)

29. Requiem per un gringo (Nostalgic moment) (1:58)

30. Requiem per un gringo (Before the attack) (2:13)

31. Requiem per un gringo (Gringo) (2:29)

32. Requiem per un gringo (Suite in stereo) (4:11)

 

A selection of 18 tracks was issued on LP by Cinevox when the film came out, and the same program (plus an 11-minute suite with unreleased cues and takes) was reissued in a Lavagnino western compilation on Saimel in 2006. This new CD, produced by Claudio Fuiano and mastered by Chris Malone from first-generation master tapes courtesy of Cinevox, features the original program augmented with previously unreleased cues and a bonus suite of surviving stereo cues. The lavishly illustrated 12-page liner notes by Gergely Hubai discuss the film and the score.

European Western Comic Books - Albo d'Oro Western American Magazine

 

Albo d'Oro Western American Magazine

This comic book series consisted of only two albums with "The Devil of the Prairie" (BIG BILL) by Raffaele Paparella and "I dominatori dell'abisso" by Antonio Canale. The stories had previously appeared in the weekly Cow Boy. They were presented under various names: American Magazine, Far West, Western Magazine, Albi Western and Albo d'Oro Western.

The series was published in 1946 by Far West Edition and the two issues were released in November 1946 and January 1947. They contained 16 black and white pages with color covers.  

 

Titles

1 (00.11.46) - "Il diavolo della prateria" (The Prairie Devil)

2 (00.01.47) - "I dominatori dell'abisso" (The Rulers of the Abyss)

Little Known Spaghetti Western Actors ~ Jack Anton

 [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.]

Jacques Anton was born in Paris, France on October 28, 1941. Anton would appear in 10 films as an actor from 1971-1986 and as a stuntman and coordinator from 1967-1990 in both films and television. His only Euro-western appearance was in 1971’s “In the Dust of the Sun” where he was credited as Jack Anton. He played the role of Flynt and also acted as stunt coordinator.

ANTON, Jack (aka Jacques Hantonne) (Jacques Anton) [10/28/1941, Paris, Île-de-France, France -     ] – stunt coordinator, stuntman, film, TV actor.

In the Dust of the Sun – 1971 (Flynt) [stunt coordinator]

Esplugus remembers its golden years as a set of 'Spaghetti Westerns' [archived newspaper article]

 The Balcázar Film Studios hosted fifty shootings of western films in the 1960s, until a Francoist minister ordered their demolition

La Vanguardia

By Mari Carmen Gallego

1/20/2014

    [Image of the filming of 'Pistoleros de Arizona' in the Esplugas City]

Almeria was not the only home of the Spanish Spaghetti Western. In Catalonia it also had its small set, located in the middle of the first metropolitan crown, although there is almost no trace of it. Neither in physical space nor in collective cultural memory. “Gunmen of Arizona”, “A Pistol for Ringo” and “Now They Call Him Sacramento” are some of the western films that were shot during the 1960s in the town known as Esplugas City, a large set built by the Balcázar Film Studios in Esplugus de Llobregat. The company, one of the most important of the time, already had some filming studios in the same city, playing Cornellà, and looked for a plot in which to record the exteriors.

"The western was a genuinely American genre, but those responsible for Balcázar had a vision and detected that the genre would grow in Europe," recalls Juan Salvador, a resident of Esplugus who knew the town firsthand and author of the book Más allá de Esplugas City. Those responsible for Balcázar Film Productions, the brothers Alfonso, Francisco and Jaime Jesús, detected the importance of having a stage to shoot films known as Spaghetti Westerns, set in the Far West but shot in Europe, since it would lower recording costs.

Time proved them right and in fact after Esplugas City the three villages of the West were built in the desert of Tabernas de Almeria: Fraile (1965), Juan García (1966), and in Gérgal the town of Tecisa (1966).

Next year marks the 50^th anniversary of the town’s construction. “We want to remember it from a playful point of view,” explains the Councilor for Culture, Eduard Sanz, who recalls that the consistory has commissioned the Consell de Nens to propose activities to publicize this heritage of the city.

Studios and exteriors

The Balcázars had no relationship with Esplugus but the fire of the facilities they used on the mountain of Montjuïc in Barcelona and the impossibility of restoring them made them look for a new space in the Barcelona area. "The place chosen was Esplugus where they placed the studios, with more than 5,500 square meters of sets, and the sets in which the exteriors were recorded, with more than 10,000 square meters that were previously fields," recalls Juan. In the Esplugas City more than forty buildings were recreated, from the saloon to the sheriff's office through the warehouse, the barbershop, the blacksmith shop, the hotel, the bank or the church. Most of the buildings were complete although others had only built the façade and there was nothing inside.

Juan Salvador recalls that the town operated at full capacity between 1964 and 1967. "It was filmed throughout the day and even at night," he recalls, and points out that "the construction of the B-23 motorway meant the expropriation of the town and the construction of a much smaller one on the other side of the highway, where the school of La Mallola is currently located."

Although the village was in the center of the town, it was a closed space that could not be accessed by neighbors. "The relationship more than economic was anecdotal," explains the Councilor for Culture. "I entered once thanks to the mediation of the guard of the enclosure, a retired civil guard," explains Juan. The actors and workers also did not relate to the neighbors. The expert Juan Salvador recalls that "the company had a hotel in Barcelona where the actors stayed, who were transferred to the Esplugues studios to make them up and then to Esplugas City to shoot".

The operation of the installation did involve a certain relationship with some company in the city, such as the Fíguls pastry shop that made the candy with which the windows of the living room were built so that they could be broken without the actors suffering damage. "The students of the Isidre Martí school when they left class went to collect the remains of caramel crystals and ate them like lollipops," explains Juan, who remembers that some neighbors had also collaborated as extras in some of the productions. The neighbors of the area also lived with the noise of the shots coming from Esplugas City.

The artistic director of the town, Juan Alberto Soler, also had to look for resources to prevent the reality of the city from sneaking into the shootings. To do this, for example, he placed a tower with a large water tank to cover the antennas of the buildings or a chimney two meters high to make sense of the smoke coming out of the Pujol i Baussis ceramics factory, which had two chimneys that worked alternately.

From theme park to pasture of the flames

The move to the new location, at the end of the sixties, coincided with the decline of the genre, which revived with the saga “Now They Call Him Sacramento”. At the beginning of the seventies, the Balcázar brothers, seeing the decline of the genre, tried to convert the space into a theme park, which would have been the first in Spain. They got the permits but couldn't make it happen.

If a fire took away the studios of the Balcázar in Barcelona, another did it with those of Esplugus, although for different reasons. The Francoist Minister of Information and Tourism Alfredo Sánchez Bella discovered the town one day when he was driving into the city of Barcelona from El Prat airport. He considered that it "gave a bad image" to Barcelona and decreed its dismantling. Faced with the high cost of demolishing the village, those responsible for the company decided to record one last film, “Now They Call Him Sacramento”, which ends with a fire that destroys the entire town. "It was a spectacular fire that was recorded with three cameras, in case one failed, because it could not be repeated," recalls Juan, who believes that in this way there was a dignified exit to Esplugas City.

On the occasion of the half century of the launch of the town, the city council also proposes activities to publicize this past of the city. In this way, for example, the medieval market that is organized within the framework of the festival will be this year a western market and an exhibition with images of the time is also prepared.

[Image of the arson that destroyed the town in 'Now They Call Him Sacramento']