Spaghetti Western Trivia - Charles Bronson’s real name

 My friend Mike Malloy “Tough Guy Filmmaker” film researcher and archivist found some interesting information on Charles Bronson’s real name. It’s been said by film historians that Bronson’s real last name was Bučhinsky, but Mike discovered – “Doing some Bronson-related vid cutting, and I needed an illustration of Charlie's Lithuanian extraction. So, I found his pop's death certificate. Every single instance of their surname on this 1933 document is BuNčhinsky, further backing up the fact that it really was Bronson's birth name (as opposed to the commonly cited Bunčhinsky).”

Little Known Spaghetti Western actors ~ Yang Chiang

[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.]

Yang Chiang was born in Taipei, Taiwan, China in 1941. He appeared in 105 films from 1970 to 1999. He is best known for his appearances in such films as “The Flying Guillotine” (1975), “Challenge of the Masters” (1976) and “Jing nu chu zheng” (1988).

Yang appeared in one Spaghetti western as the temple abbott in 1974’s “La dove non batte il sole” (The Stranger and the Gunfighter).

CHIANG, Yang (aka Yang Chiang, Kong Yang, Yeung Kong, Walter Kong Yang, Kong Yeung) [1941, Taipei, Taiwan, China -     ] – film actor.

The Stranger and the Gunfighter – 1974 (Temple Abbott)

New German Blu-ray, DVD release of “Matalo”

 

“Matalo”

(Bad Man’s River)

(1971)

 

Director: Eugenio Martin

Starring: Lee Van Cleef, Gina Lollobrigida  , Gianni Garko, Jess Hahn

 

Country: Germany

Label: Hansesound / Lighthouse

Blu-ray, DVD It’s a limited Mediabook release

Aspect ratio: 16:9 - 1.85:1

Languages: Dolby Digital, German, English

ASIN: ‎B0DNKLMTCN

Running time: 92 minutes

Available: February 28, 2025

50th Anniversary of “The Return of Shanghai Joe”

 

Today marks the 50^th anniversary of the release of “The Return of Shanghai Joe”. The film was directed by Mario Caiano and Luigi Russo and starred Chen Lie, Tommy Polgár and Klaus Kinski. The Fim tells the story of Two rogues, Shanghai Joe and his partner a traveling salesman, who help a Mexican village defend its newly discovered oil deposits from a crooked businessman. In the end the town boss Barnes turns out to be the villain and is unmasked and defeated.

 

Che botte ragazzi – Italian title

Il ritorno di Shanghai Joe – Italian title

Retirno di Shanghai Joe – Italian title

Zwei durch dick und dünn – German title

The Return of Shanghai Joe – English title

 

A 1974 Italian, German film co-production [C.B.A. (Rome), Divina Film (Madrid)]

Producers: Ennio Onorati, Gerd Scheede

Director: Bitto Albertini (Adalberto Albertini)

Story: Mariano Caiano, Luigi Russo

Screenplay: Bitto Albertini (Adalberto Albertini), Carlo Alberto Alfieri

Cinematography: Pier Luigi Santi [Telecolor]

Music: Mario Chiari

Song: “Shanghai Joe” sung by Dream Bags (Franco Bixio, Fabio Frizi, Vicenzo Tempera)

Running time: 90 minutes

 

Cast:

Shanghai Joe – Chen Lie (Ernest Van-Mohr)

Bill Cannon – Tommy Polgár (Tomasso Polgár)

Pat Barnes – Klaus Kinski (Nikolaus Nakaszynski)

Judge Finney – Tom Felleghy (Tamás Fellegi)

Carol Finney – Karin Field

Sheriff Wilson – Fortunato Arena

Manuel – Claudio Giorgi (Claudio Giorgiutti)

Mexican elder – Attilio Dottesio

Jeff – Paolo Casella

Manuel’s father – Consalvo dell’Arti

Stagecoach driver - Gennarino Pappagalli

Townswoman – Ines Pellegrini (Macia Pellegrini)

Villager – Sergio Ukmar

Barnes henchman - Riccardo Petrazzi

Peasant – Angelo Susani

Mexican – Giuseppe Carbone

With: Fausto Ulisse, Primiano Muratori, Paul Sholer, Milano Caiano, Luigi Russo, Nguen Duong, Claudio Ruffini, Chen Hsin (Hsin Chen), Chiang Ling, Rick Boyd (Federico Boido), Dante Cleri, Renato Malavasi, Roberto dell’Acqua, Renzo Pevarello, Osiride Pevarelloi, Pietro Torrisi, Elio Angelucci (Aurelio Angelucci), Franco Ukmar, Giovanni Ukmar, Oskar Giustini

Stunts: Pietro Torrisi

Special Birthdays

Werner W. Wallroth (director) would have been 95 today but died in 2011.

Odón Alonso (composer) would have been 90 today but died in 2011.

Gloria Paul (actress, singer) is 85 today.

Robin Smith (actor) is 70 today.

RIP Gene Hackman

 

Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman, his wife and their dog were found dead in their New Mexico home in Santa Fe, New Mexico on February 27^th. He was 95. Foul play was not suspected, but authorities did not release circumstances of their deaths and said an investigation was ongoing. Born in San Bernardino, California on January 30, 1930, the gruff-but-beloved Hackman was among the finest actors of his generation, appearing as villains, heroes and antiheroes in dozens of dramas, comedies and action films from the 1960s until his retirement in the early 2000s. He was a five-time Oscar nominee who won for “The French Connection” in 1972 and “Unforgiven” two decades later. Hackman starred in the Spaghetti western “The Hunting Party” as Brand Ruger in 1972.

Little Known Spaghetti Western actors ~ Jon Chevron

[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.]

Jon Chevron was born Paul Flynn in 1934 in San Bernadino, California and graduated from San Bernadino High School in 1951. He was employed at Norton Air Force Base from 1952-57. His acting career is rather curious and inconsistent. He has at least 7 known or rumored appearances in American films and TV shows between 1959-62.

Chevron next shows up in Italy in 1962, where he stayed for a few years appearing in a handful of peplums. From newspaper articles he went there to appear in a film titled “Iron Men” which was never made but wound up staying after landing a role in “Cleopatra”.

In 1966 he was back in the U.S., before returning to Italy for 2 further roles in 1969 and 1972. In 1973 he showed up in “Shaft in Africa”, a U.S. production shot in Spain and on location in Africa, then he was back in the U.S. for one final TV appearance in 1976. Chevron then disappeared off the radar until news appeared of his death on February 22, 2021.

Jon appeared in two Spaghetti westerns: “Sansone e il Tesoro degli Incas” (Lost Treasure of the Aztecs) in 1964 as a school helper and “Franco e Ciccio sentiero di Guerra” (Paths of War) in 1969 in an uncredited role.

CHEVRON, Jon (Paul F. Flynn) [1934, San Bernardino, California, U.S.A. – 2/22/2021] – film actor.

Lost Treasure of the Aztecs – 1964 (school helper)

Paths of War – 1969

Voices of the Spaghetti Westerns – “Dirty Outlaws”

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 “Dirty Outlaws”

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

Steve – Chip Corman (I) Massimo Turci

Katy - Rosemarie Dexter (I) Fiorella Betti

Asher – Franco Giornelli (I) Sergio Graziani

Lucy – Dana Ghia (I) Maria Pia Di Meo

Jonathan – Aldo Berti (I) Pino Locchi

Sam – Piero Lulli (I) Carlo D’Angelo

Special Birthdays

Charles Rolfe (actor) would have been 140 today but died in 1965.

Dorin Dron (actor) would have been 105 today but died in 1995.

Carlo Leva [production designer] would have been 95 today but died in 2020.

Ulrich Gressieker [voice actor] would have been 80 today but died in 1990.

Little Known Spaghetti Western actors ~ Eva Almaya

[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.]

Eva Almaya was born in Almería, Andalucía, Spain in 1975. She trained at the Cristina Rota Acting School and has appeared in 35 films from 2001 to 2022. She also co-wrote the 2013 short film ‘Semental”. She’s known for her appearances in “Tiovivo c. 1950” (2004), “Countdown” (2007) and “Águila Roja” (2009)

Almaya has appeared in one Euro-western “Limoncella” in 2007 as Michelle and an unmade 2016 western called Bloody West.

ALMAYA, Eva [1975. Almería, Andalucía, Spain -     ] – writer, theater, film, radio, TV actress,

Limoncella – 2007 (Michelle)

Bloody West – 2016 [film was never completed]

New CD Release ~ “Buffalo Kids”

 

Buffalo Kids

(2024)

 

Composer: Fernando Velázquez

 

Country: Spain

Label: Quartet Records

#QR565

Tracks: 28

Listening time: 65:21

 

1 THE ARRIVAL 1:21

2 WHERE’S UNCLE NEIL? 3:47

3 GATHERING MONEY 2:43

4 A JOURNEY STARTS 2:44

5 THE WAY 2:13

6 DIFFERENT 2:17

7 ADVENTURES IN THE TRAIN 1:50

8 AMAZING BUFFALOS 2:48

9 FIXING THE CARRIAGE 1:51

10 THE ATTACK 1:23

11 ON OUR WAY 2:21

12 A DARK NIGHT 2:52

13 THE CHEYENNE ENCOUNTER 2:01

14 MONEY 2:00

15 THE MOON DANCE 1:59

16 SOUND OF THE EAGLE / GOODBYE 2:37

17 THE BANDITS 2:28

18 THE MINE / BROTHER’S LULLABY 2:51

19 I HAVE A PLAN 2:02

20 UNCLE NEIL 1:33

21 IN ACTION 2:28

22 ESCAPE & CHASE 2:46

23 CHEYENNE & CALVARY 2:45

24 RESCUE PLAN EXECUTED 3:34

25 NICK’S DREAM 1:20

26 ALL TOGETHER IN THE END 3:53

27 SHOW ME THE THINGS YOU LIKE 2:31

28 WE ARE TOGETHER ON THE ROAD 0:52

 

TOTAL DISC TIME: 65:21

Who Are Those Guys? ~ Josef Egger

 

Josef Egger was born in Donawitz, Styria, Austria-Hungary on February 22, 1889. He started his stage career at the Leoben Theater when he was eighteen years old. During the next few decades, he appeared in stage productions at the Raimund Theater in Vienna and at the Deutsches Theater in Munich. Egger was also performed at music halls as a comedian and was known for doing tricks with his beard.

He received his first film offers during the 1930s and specialized on portraying eccentric old men in supporting roles. During the 1950s, he appeared in comedic roles in numerous Austrian Heimatfilms of that era.

In all he appeared in some 76 films between 1935 and 1965. He’s best known to Spaghetti western fans as a character actor in the first two films of the Sergio Leone western "Dollars Trilogy": As the coffin-builder, Piripero, in “A Fistful of Dollars” (1964) and as ‘The Prophet’ in “For a Few Dollars More” (1965). He also appeared in four other Euro-westerns listed below.

Joseph Egger was married to Erna and had three sons. He worked as an actor until his death in 1966 at the age of 77.

EGGER, Josef (aka Joe Edger, J. Egger, Joseph Egger [2/22/1889, Donawitz, Styria, Austria-Hungary – 8/29/1966, Gablitz, Lower Austria, Austria] – theater, film actor, singer, married to Erna Egger [1895-1989] (19??-1966) father of three sons.

The Terrible Sheriff – 1962 [as Joe Egger]

Fistful of Dollars – 1964 (Piripero) [as Joe Edger]

Massacre at Marble City – 1964 (Fishbury) [as Joseph Egger]

Black Eagle of Santa Fe – 1965 (Buddy)

For a Few Dollars More – 1965 (‘The Prophet’)

The Man from Nowhere – 1966 (old man at stage station)

Special Birthdays

Arthur Brough (actor) would have been 120 today but died in 1978.

Sunday Wilshin (actress) would have been 120 today but died in 1991.

Anthony Hulme (actor) would have been 115 today but died in 2007.

Michael Pate (actor) would have been 105 today but died in 2008.

Mario Novelli (actor) would have been 85 today but died in 2016.

Tina Saínz (actress) is 80 today. 

 

Little Known Spaghetti Western actors ~ Javier Botet

[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.]

Javier Botet López was born on 30 July 30, 1977, in Ciudad Madrid, Spain. At age five, he was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome. The hyperlaxity of certain body tissues brought about by Botet's condition has given him extremely long and fine fingers along with a tall, thin build, standing at 6 feet 7 inches and weighing 123 pounds He is a Spanish actor who is often cast in creature roles, he portrayed Tristana Medeiros in the “REC” franchise (2007–2009), the title character in “Mama” (2013), Set in “The Mummy” (2017), Slender Man in the 2018 film of the same name, and Dracula in “The Last Voyage of the Demeter” (2023). His appearances in horror films also include “Crimson Peak” (2015), “The Conjuring 2” (2016), “It” (2017) and its 2019 sequel, “Insidious: The Last Key” (2018), and “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” (2019).

In addition to film, Botet has acted in theatre productions, such as his portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in Teatros del Canal's stage adaptation of “Frankenstein” (2010). He has also appeared on television, including as a member of an alien species known as the Ba'ul in a 2019 episode of ‘Star Trek: Discovery’. Additionally, that same year Botet appeared as a wight in the ‘Game of Thrones’ episode ‘The Long Night’ (2019).

Javier has appeared in two Spaghetti western in recent years: “…Y la muerte lo seguía” in 2014 as El Manco and “Bloody West” a 2016 western that was never competed.

BOTET, Javier (Javier Lopez) [7/30/1977, Ciudad Real, Madrid, Spain -     ] – producer, director, writer, film editor, composer, film, TV actor.

And Death Followed Him - 2014 (El Manco)

Bloody West – 2016 [film was never completed]

Save Your Skin McCoy

 

Every Eye.it

By Ivan Marra

2/17/2025

Italy, the western, knows how to do it: it is useless to be here to remember the many examples of genre films that have populated our cinema, from Sergio Leone down. The latest to be added to the list is “Save Your Skin McCoy”, the film by Giovanni Bufalini of which we can show you a preview of the teaser shot during the COLT live role-playing session of Spaghetti LARP and presented in Rome on February 15th.

As shown to us in the short trailer, “Save Your Skin McCoy” is the story of a man, the Joe McCoy of the title, fleeing from serious danger: chasing him is the fearsome Moore gang, who seems to want him dead. Bitten by a snake during the escape and now close to death, he finds refuge in a village where he receives the necessary care to get back on his feet.

Here, McCoy decides to lie about his identity and pretends to be a bounty hunter who has killed several members of the gang, who now seeks revenge: also hiding a great secret is Lucy, the woman of the gang leader, of whom McCoy is her lover. Set in Louisiana in the 1800s, “Save Your Skin McCoy” proposes, starting from the trailer, to re-propose the style that made the spaghetti western and the twilight western great, from the settings to the secrets, up to the characters with dubious morals. Filming should start during the summer: we will share, of course, when we know something more.

Teaser Trailer link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OqzckMJC54

Special Birthdays

André Philip (actor) would have been 120 today but died in 1988.

Louis Oana (actor) would have been 75 today but died in 2020.

Adriana Vega (actress) is 65 today.

Little Known Spaghetti Western actors ~ Lee Arenberg

[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.]

Lee Arenberg was born in Palo Alto, California on July 18, 1962. He attended Santa Monica High School with future "brat pack" actors Sean Penn, Robert Downey Jr. and Emilio Estevez, Lee then attended UCLA as a theater major and is best known for his role as Pintel, one of Captain Barbossa's crew, in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise. He also had a recurring role as the dwarf Grumpy/Leroy in the television series ‘Once Upon a Time’.

Arenberg has appeared in more than 30 movies and also wrote, directed and starred in his own “Private” DVD featurette.  

He’s appeared in two Euro-westerns: “Bloody Fury” in 2022 as Cleef Johnson and a so far uncredited role in the not yet released “Last Train to Fortune” in 2024.

ARENBERG, Lee (Lee Todd Arenberg) [7/18/1962, Palo Alto, California, U.S.A. -     ] – theater, film, TV actor, married to journalist Lisa Anne Derrick [1945-    ] (1999-2006), Katie Meehan (2007-    ) father of Samuel Arenberg, co-founded The Actors Gang collective.

Bloody Fury – 2022 (Cleef Johnson)

Last Train to Fortune – 2024 

Spaghetti Western locations Then & Now “Ringo, the Face of Revenge”

Here we see Eduardo Fajardo and Frank Wolff in a scene from 1966’s “Ringo, the Face of Revenge which also starred Anthony Steffen.

Here’s the same location in Rambla Otero/Gádor in Almería, Andalucia, Spain. Things don’t change much in the arid ramblas of Almeria.

European Western Comic Books – Capitan Miki 3

 

Captain Miki 3

This comic book series represents in color booklet format the adventures of Captain Miki from the first 35 comic strip series and then continuing with material created by various authors for the French market and previously unpublished in Italy. The covers are by Emilio Uberti (#1-50, #107-162, #165-166, #170), Apal (#51-106), Roberto Sangalli and Franco Bignotti. 

I was published in 1962 with issue #1 being released on July 1^st and ended with issue #454 in August of 1972. It was published in Milan, Italy by Casa Editrice Dardo (CED) under editor Franco Baglioni. Each issue contain 32-128 black and white pages with color covers.

Special Birthdays

Pete Duel (actor) would have been 85 today but died in 1971.

Thadd Turner (actor) is 65 today.

From the WAI! Vault

 

Little Known Spaghetti Western Actors ~ Lucy Chevalier

[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.]

Lucy Chevalier is an unknown actress who, according to the IMDb, appeared in only three films between 1968 and 1974. It’s unknown what her nationality is or was and whether this is her real name or a stage name.

She appeared in only one Spaghetti western and that was an uncredited role in “Crisantemi per un branco di carogne” (A Wreath for the Bandits) in 1967.

CHEVALIER, Lucy – film actress, singer.

A Wreath for the Bandits – 1967

Spaghetti Western Locations for “The Forgotten Pistolero”

We continue our search for locations for “The Forgotten Pistolero”. The blanket vendor has located Francsico and his men and shows them where Rafael is. Francisco pays the peon and goes to Rafael’s room. The men enter the room and find Rafael still sleeping. In the adjoining room Elisa, the maid, who has spent the night in Sebastian’s bed, wakes him telling him she’s heard noises in the next room. She scurries away and Sebastian washes and gets dressed. He hears men outside and looks out the window only to see Sebastian being taken away by Francisco and his men.

The scene was filmed in Talamanca de Jarma, Spain.

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

Francesco Scardamaglia (writer) would have been 80 today but died in 2010.

Hans-Jürgen Müller-Hohensee (actor) is 75 today.

Spaghetti Western Podcast Season 9, Episode 5 #145

 

 Please join me today for another episode of The Spaghetti Western Podcast We’ll cover in our ongoing series of the History of the Spaghetti Western the 1965 film “The Last Ride to Santa Cruz” starring Edmund Purdom, Mario Adorf and Klaus Kinski. Then we’ll discover who Antoine Saint-John was and Whatever Happened to actor Mario Adorf. The Film of the Week is “The Genius” starring Terence Hill and we’ll discuss the LP/CD of the week. We’ll have some posters and an autograph to show. So please join me at high noon today PST as we kick off another interesting season of podcasts.

From the WAI Vault