50th anniversary of the premier of “Carambola”

 

Today marks the 50^th anniversary of the film premier of “Carambola”. Producer Manolo Bolognini who produced “Django” decided to cash in on the Trinity craze and produced a series of films starring Michael Coby (Antonio Cantafora) and Paul Smith who were clones of Terence Hill and Bud Spencer. The first of these was “Carambola” a western. It tells the story of Coby an ex-soldier and billiard champion and his friend Len Rothman who accept the sum of $50,000 dollars to investigate the trafficking of arms across the Mexican border. However, the film takes a twist when the pair come across a new, revolutionary revolver. This film was followed by a sequel “The Crazy Adventures of Len and Coby”. After Bud Spencer turned down the role of Bluto in Robin Williams 1980 movie “Popeye” Paul Smith was offered and accepted the rôle.

 

Carambola – Italian title

Carambola – Brazilian title

Mon nom est Trinita – Belgium title

Caramba-veljekset – Finnish title

Si ce n’est toi…c’est donc ton frere – French title

Vier Fäuste schlagen wieder zu – German title

Nos llaman Carambola – Spanish title

Carambola! – Slår alltid först – Swedish title

Karambol – Turkish title

Strange Adventures of Coby and Ben – English title

Carambola – English title

 

A 1973 Italian film production [B.R.C., Aetos (Rome)]

Producers: Manolo Bolognini, Armando Todaro

Director: Ferdinando Baldi

Story: Nico Ducci, Mino Roli

Screenplay: Ferdinando Baldi, Nico Ducci, Mino Roli(Erminio Pontiroli)

Cinematography: Aiace Parolin [Eastmancolor, CinemaScope]

Music: Franco Bixio, Fabio Frizzi, Vince Tempera (Vincenzo Tempera)

     Songs: “You Can Fly”, “Milk Serenade” sung by Dreambags

Running time: 100 minutes

 

Cast:

Coby/Toby/Trinity - Michael Coby (Antonio Cantafora)

Clem/Ben/Lynn/Butch/Len Rothman - Paul Smith

Kelly - William Bogart (Guglielmo Spoletini)

Captain Howard Johnson - Luciano Catenacci

Lieutenant Stevens - Remo De Angelis

Clydeson - Horst Frank

Sheriff - Pino Ferrara

Professor Max Lager - Franco Fantasia (Francesco Fantasia)

Mexican revolutionary - Pedro Sanchez (Ignacio Spalla)

Roger - Pietro Ceccarelli

Laredo merchant – Lina Franchi

Clydeson henchmen - Nello Pazzafini (Giovanni Pazzafini), Elio Bonadonna, Artemio

     Antonini, Enrico Chiappafreddo, Roberto Dell Acqua, Wladimiro Daddi (Wladimir

     Daddi), Roberto Messina, Giovanni Bonadonna, Sergio Testori

Howard's assistants - Pietro Torrisi, Gianlorenzo Bernini, Fred Robsahm

Bartender - Benjamin Lev

Tug-o’-war brawler – Angelo Susani, Claudio Ruffini

Tug-o’-war observer – Paolo Sceusan

Indian – Giglio Gigli (Pio Giglio)

Pamela - Melissa Chimenti (Maria Chimenti)

billiard player - Gaetano Russo

Billiard bookmaker - Mike Morris (Horst Weinert)

Billiard spectator - Angelo Boscariol

Saloon bouncer – Armando Bottin

Townsman – Marcello Meconizzi

With: Luigi Antonio Guerra

Stunts: Pietro Torrisi