Spaghetti Western Trivia - “Kid Vengeance”

During a fight scene in “Kid Vengeance” you’ll see Leif Garrett with a bloody nose. He actually broke his nose during this scene.

RIP Ted Kotcheff

 

Canadian director Ted Kotcheff died on April 11^th four days after turning 94. Born Velichko Todorov Tsochev in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on April 7, 1931, Ted studied and received an English degree at the University of Toronto before joining the Canadia Broadcasting Company in 1952 where he directed drama programs. He then relocated to London in 1957. Here he worked in the theater and television, receiving several awards. He returned to Canada and then the United States. Many of Kotcheff's movies have been comedic and have met with much success at the box office including “Fun with Dick and Jane” (1977), “Who is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?” (1978), “Switching Channels” (1988), and both “Weekend at Bernie's” movies (1989 and 1993). He also directed Sylvester Stallone's first Rambo movie, “First Blood”, in 1982. Ted directed one Euro-western, “Billy Two Hats” in 1973 with Gregory Peck and Desi Arnaz Jr.

Little Known Spaghetti Western actors ~ Larry Clementson

[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.]

I can find no biographical information on Larry Clementson. Was he Swedish or an American.

His only Euro-western role was in 1972’s “Nybyggarna” (The New Land) as Mr. Abbot.

CLEMENTSON, Larry – film actor.

The New Land – 1972 (Mr. Abbot)

New British book release - Italian Western – Violent Image – Savage Soundtrack – The Music of Spaghetti Westerns

 

Violent Image – Savage Soundtrack – The Music of Spaghetti Westerns

Author: John Mansell

(2025)

 

Country: England

Language: English

Publisher: ‎ Bear Manor Media

Pages: 212

ASIN: ‎B0F47BKPHH

Available: April 8, 2025

 

Music in an Italian western is far more than a background to the action; the music becomes an important and integral component of the film making process. It elevates and underlines the narrative and adds a new and greater dimension to each storyline. The composer interviews within this book are an insight into the workings of various Maestro’s who were involved with this quirky and innovative genre of films. The interviews were conducted over a period of twenty-five years. As most of the composers are now sadly deceased, it is a valuable and interesting look at how the music worked and the way in which each composer approached the genre.

Composers interviewed included. Alessandro Alessandroni, Piero Piccioni, Franco De Gemini, Franco Micalizzi, Francesco De Masi, Nico Fidenco, Guido, and Maurizio De Angelis, Stelvio Cipriani, Nora Orlandi and others, all of whom contributed original and thematic music to the genre. The book also contains chapters on the songs from the movies and the vocalists who performed them. Biographies of key composers such as Bruno Nicolai, Benedetto Ghiglia, Gianni Ferrio, Gianni Marchetti, Luis Enriquez Bacalov, Riz Ortolani, and many more.

The author John Mansell also discusses the use of music in the gunfight scenes, the screams, squeals, and whistles, which became the trademark of the movies and gives a brief history of the genre and how it was born. John Mansell is a British film music critic, soundtrack collector, and a member of the International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA).

Lucky Luke, la fabrique du western européen

 

Lucky Luke, la fabrique du western européen – French title

 

A 2016 French television film production [Label Image (France)]

Producers: Thibaut Chatel, Guillaume Galliot

Director: Guillaume Podrovnik         

Story: Morris

Screenplay: Guillaume Podrovnik

Cinematography: Pierre Maillis-Laval [color]

Music: Samuel Hirsch

Running time: 52 minutes

 

Cast:

Narrator - Garance Thenault

Carttonists – Achdé (Hervé Darmenton), Jean-Claude Mézières

Livestock farmer - Pierre Aubanel

Lucky Luke exhibition curator – Willem Bruynooghe, Jean-Pierre Mercier

Comic book historian - Thierry Groensteen

Comic book writer – Jul (Julien Berjeaut)

Journalist - Hugues Dayez, Geert de Weyer

Publisher - Alexis Dragonetti

Producers - Marc Du Pontavice, Benoît Gillain

Horseriders - Stephan Escavis, Marina Gianesello, Indra Monnier, Jean-Marie Reïssi

Sales representative - Michael Walz

A French television documentary by French filmmaker Guillaume Podrovnik who presents the mythical cartoon cowboy from a variety of angles on the 70th birthday of the creation of the cartoon character.

Special Birthdays

Mimmo Poli (actor) would have been 105 today but died in 1986.

Jose Luis Ayestaran (actor) is 80 today.

RIP Colin Fox

 

Beloved Canadian actor Colin Fox passed away unexpectedly at the age of 86 on April 5, 2025, in Fergus, Ontario, Canada. Born Colin R. Fox in Aldershot, Ontario on November 20, 1938, hestarred in a huge number of films, but it was his TV appearances that really cemented his acting skills. Between 1986 and 1987, he featured in two dramas, thrillers, and mystery series, ‘Alfred Hitchcock Presents’. He also appeared in ‘Law & Order’ and the children's ghost series ‘Goosebumps’ by R.L Stine. He also voiced the character of Dragster of Doom on ‘Beetlejuice: The Animated Series’, which ran from 1989-91. Fox appeared as Gavin Hume in the Euro-western TV series ‘The Campbells’ in 1986 and again in 1990.

Little Known Spaghetti Western actors ~ Frank Clement

[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.]

Francisco Clement is/was a Spanish supporting and character actor. He first appeared on screen in 1973’s “La llamaban La Madrina” in an uncredited role. He went on to appear in 19 more films until his career ended with an appearance in 1985’s “La hoz y el Martínez” in another uncredited role. What became of him is unknown as I can find no biographical information on him.

I’ve seen all three of his Spaghetti westerns and rewatched all of “China 9, Liberty 37” and heard no one called Tom. I rewatched clips of “Red Harvest” and heard no one called Dan Rolff so I was not able to get a photo of Clement.

Among his 20-film career he appeared in three Spaghetti westerns: “Tutti per uno, botte per tutti” (The Three Musketeers of the West) in 1973, “Amore, piombo e furore” (China 9, Liberty 37) in 1978 as Tom and “La ciudad maldita” (Red Harvest) in 1976 as Dan Rolff.

CLEMENT, Frank (aka Franc Clement, Frank Climent) (Francisco Clement) – film, TV actor.

The Three Musketeers of the West – 1973

China 9, Liberty 37 – 1978 (Tom)

Red Harvest – 1976 (Dan Rolff)

The glories of the Italian western at the Custodi di sogni Festival

The legends of the spaghetti western genre told their stories in the meeting moderated by Steve Della Casa and Marco Giusti

Cinecitta News

By Caterina Cesari

April 3, 2025

The Custodians of Dreams Festival, underway at the Centro Sperimentale, hosted the meeting "Cavalcano ancora", moderated by Steve Della Casa and Marco Giusti, which brought together some of the most significant voices of the Italian western. The panel, full of testimonies and anecdotes, saw the participation of directors, actors and producers who have contributed to the birth and success of the genre in Italy.

Among the participants, the names of Eugenio Alabiso, Maurizio Amati, Marco Tullio Barboni, Enzo G. Castellari and Roberto Di Girolamo stand out, together with legends such as Ida Galli (Evelyn Stewart), Gianni Garko, Romolo Guerrieri, Malisa Longo, Sergio Martino, Luc Merenda, Giuseppe Pedersoli and Renato Rossini. All called to retrace the golden age of spaghetti westerns, a genre that revolutionized Italian cinema and which, between dusty sets and epic atmospheres, was able to tell the frontier in a unique and irreverent way.

A vivid memory of an Italy that, in the 60s and 70s, was a laboratory of cinematographic experimentation, where the western became one of the main attractions for European audiences. The Spanish sets, the preferred backdrop for outdoor shooting, were often numerous and active at the same time: real protagonists alongside the stars. An era that still leaves an indelible imprint on the collective cinematographic memory

From ‘Django’ to ‘Pope’: Actor Franco Nero Talks a Life in Film INTERVIEW: The film legend discusses his faith, evangelization, and a life of versatility.

 National Catholic Register

By Christian Peschken

January 12, 2025

[Film actor Franco Nero and his wife, Vanessa Redgrave, pose for the Lifetime Achievement Awards during the 75th Venice Film Festival on August 29, 2018 in Venice, Italy. (photo: Andrea Raffin / Shutterstock)]

Film legend Franco Nero is among the most prolific actors in modern cinema, with nearly 240 film appearances since the 1960s. Born in Parma, Italy, in 1941, to a carabinieri (police officer), Nero gained international recognition in John Huston’s The Bible (1966) as Abel, murdered by Richard Harris’ Cain. That same year, he starred in Sergio Corbucci’s Django, a cult-favorite Spaghetti Western, and played Sir Lancelot in Camelot, stealing Queen Guenevere (Vanessa Redgrave) from Harris’ King Arthur.

Nero became an international star, acting on nearly every continent. He reprised his role as Django in a few films and became a staple of Italian crime cinema. Periodically appearing in Hollywood productions, Nero featured in Letter to Juliette, Force 10 From Navarone, Enter the Ninja, Die Hard 2, and some TV movies and miniseries.

In recent years, he appeared in Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained, John Wick: Chapter 2, and several films by director Vladislav Kozlov, including Death of the Sheik, American Superman, Immortalist and Silent Life.

In a recent interview with Christian Peschken, a correspondent for CNA Deutsch, Nero opened up about his Catholic faith, passion for acting, his adventurous spirit, and the wisdom he has gained throughout his illustrious career. He described his love for the craft and his insatiable curiosity as the driving forces behind his decision to work across numerous countries and cinematic traditions.

Nero attributed his restless drive for exploration partly to his heritage, noting, “My grandmother was a gypsy from Spain ... and maybe I have some gypsy blood that helped me to seek always a new adventure.”

This wanderlust and openness to new experiences have kept Nero constantly on the move, ready to embrace diverse roles and stories. He worked with renowned directors such as Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Robert Altman, Claude Chabrol and John Huston.

Reflecting on the varied roles in his career, Nero shared a conversation with the iconic actor of stage and screen, Sir Laurence Olivier.

“He told me, ‘You’re beautiful. You can play the hero all the time, like American stars do. But if you want to be an actor, change roles all the time, risk a lot in your career.’”

Nero took this advice to heart, embracing a versatile and daring approach to acting. “In the long run, you get the fruits,” he said Olivier had told him, and Nero’s career exemplifies this philosophy. His faith, dedication to service, and passion for storytelling continue to define his legacy in cinema.

His latest film, The Estate, co-stars his wife, Academy Award-winning actress Vanessa Redgrave, whom he has been married to since 2006. It is a social thriller that tells the story of an aristocratic family that is unable to save its ancestral estate due to insurmountable debts. The film was directed by Nero and Redgrave’s son, Carlo (born in 1966 before they were married), and will be released this year.

Your breakthrough role as Django in 1966 has achieved cult status. Do you see any connection between the struggles of your characters and your personal faith or values?

No, I don’t think so. Django was just a character created by film director Sergio Corbucci, and I was very young. That movie was for workers. ... All the workers, they want to be Django. They want to go to the chief or the head of the office and say, “Listen, from today on, things are different.” … I’m very humble. I’ve been working for 58 years in a village of orphans [film industry]. ... That is my mission in life.

In the often-chaotic world of filmmaking, what role does your Catholic faith play in your daily life and career?

It’s not easy to answer. I played a friar once in The Betrothed. ... That is a great role, very close to me. St. Augustine was the best saint in the world. Up until the age of 36, 37, he was a terrible man ... but then he had the conversion and became an incredible saint.

Many of your characters face moral dilemmas and questions of integrity. Do you believe films can serve as a medium to communicate spiritual values?

I think so. Films can be very useful ... to make the audience think about faith, about your religion, and also about justice and injustice. It’s very important.

Movies are powerful tools for storytelling and reaching people. How important is it to you that your work leaves behind a positive message?

I don’t know. I read the script and think, “This is a great role for me.” Sometimes, yes, they can give a message to the audience, but not always. It depends on the film.

Is your Catholic faith important to you?

Absolutely!  Every morning I thank God that I’m still alive ... and at night I say to myself, “Today, I’ve been a good man. If I did something wrong, forgive me, God.” In that sense, I’m very religious.

In the movie The Pope’s Exorcist (2023) with Russell Crowe, you played the Pope. You live in Italy and you are Catholic, and you are a prominent actor. Did you ever meet the Pope?

Oh, yes. I was on a plane to Budapest, and there was an ambassador from Slovakia who was a fan of mine. He said, “Do you want to meet the Pope?” and I said, “Yes, I would love to.”

Then while working on a movie in Cornwall, England, I received an unexpected phone call from the Pope’s secretary. “Mr. Nero, would you like to meet the Pope next weekend?” the secretary asked. I was caught off guard and responded, “No, I cannot. I’m here in England working. I cannot do it.” There was a pause before the secretary suggested another date: Nov. 4. I quickly agreed, as my filming wrapped on Oct. 31. Everything was organized for me to meet the Pope.

[My son Carlo said,] “Papa, I would like to come, too,” he said to me. I called the Pope’s secretary again, and said, “The family has to be together.” A few days later, my wife [Vanessa Redgrave] also expressed interest in attending. “Now Mom wants to come, too,” Carlo said, prompting me to make yet another call. Once more, I said to the secretary, “As I told you already, the family has to be together.”

[It was nothing short of] incredible. They told me the Pope usually stays 15, 20 minutes. ... With me, it was almost 40 minutes. We talked about many things, including the village for orphan boys I work with. I gave him a bottle of Franco Nero wine, and he said, “Oh, you want the Pope to get drunk?” I said, “No, I want the Pope to be stronger through the wine.”

I brought him a book by a journalist friend of mine. It was a story about the Pope’s grandmother. When I gave it to him, he laughed and said, “Oh, my grandmother is more famous than prezzemolo.”

Prezzemolo [parsley] is a little herb, very popular in Italy. We use it in so many dishes.

Special Birthdays

Spede Pasanen (director, writer, actor) would have been 95 today but died in 2001.

Álvaro De Luna (actor) would have been 90 today but died in 2018.

Little Known Spaghetti Western actors ~ Hans Walter Clasen

[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.]

Hans Walter Clasen was born in Unkel, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany on April 30, 1923. He received his acting training in Düsseldorf and was involved in the founding of the political cabaret Kom(m)ödchen in 1947. Clasen later performed on stage in Stuttgart, Frankfurt am Main, and Hamburg. Since 1955, he regularly appeared in front of television cameras and played small roles in a variety of productions, including several soft-sex films in the early 1970s. Clasen also frequently worked as a voice actor. He also continued to act in theater, for example, he was a member of the ensemble at Berlin's Hebbel Theater in the 1970s.

Clasen was married to Gisela Frieda, née Stöck, on October 9, 1956. He was the father of two daughters. The marriage took place at the Düsseldorf-Mitte registry office. Walter Hans Clasen died on 24 September 1979.

Hans appeared on screen in only one Euro-western as a bandit in 1965’s “Der Ölprinz” (Rampage at Apache Wells). His voice was heard many times as the list of voice credits listed below shows.

CLASEN, Hans Walter (aka H.W. Clasen) [4/30/1923, Unkel, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany – 9/24/1979, West Berlin, Berlin, Germany] – theater, film, TV, voice actor, married to Gisela Stock (1956-1979) father of two daughters.

The Treasure of Silver Lake – 1962 [German voice of Ilija Ivezic]

Apaches Last Battle – 1963 [German voice of Mirko Ellis]

Last of the Renegades – 1964 [German voice of Gojko Mitic]

Duel at Sundown – 1965 [Germn voice of Vladimir Bacic]

Rampage at Apache Wells – 1965 (bandit)

Renegade Gunfighter – 1965 [German voice of barkeeper]

The Tramplers – 1965 [German voice of Georges Lycan]

A Few Dollars for Django – 1966 [German voice of José Luis Lluch]

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly – 1966 [German voice of Aldo Sambrell]

Kill or Be Killed – 1966 [German voice of Gordon Mitchell]

Savage Gringo – 1966 [German voice of José Canalejas]

Seven Dollars to Kill – 1966 [German voice of barkeeper]

7 Guns for the MacGregors – 1966 [German voice of a José Riesgo]

Stranger in Town – 1966 [German voice of bandit]

Three Graves for a Winchester – 1966 [German voice of Dante Maggio]

Ballad of a Gunman – 1967 [German voice of bartender]

Face to Face – 1967 [German voice of Nello Pazzafni]

Gentleman Killer – 1967 [German voice of Vincent]

Kill and Pray – 1967 [German voice of a poker player

A Man a Colt – 1967 [German voice of Carlos’ henchman]

The Man Who Killed Billy the Kid – 1967 [German voice of Milo Quesada]

The Stranger Returns – 1967 [German voice of Fred Coplan]

Ace High – 1968 [German voice of Remo Capitani]

Find a Place to Die – 1968 [German voice of Mario Dardanelli]

The Great Silence – 1968 [German voice of Bruno Corazzari]

The Man Who Cried Revenge – 1968 [German voice of Mario Brega]

Once Upon a Time in the West – 1968 [German voice of Aldo Sambrell]

Sonora – 1968 [German voice of Gérard Tichy]

Alive or Preferably Dead – 1969 [German voice of Dan van Husen]

Twenty Paces to Death – 1969 [German voice of Gilberto Galimberti]

The Unholy Four – 1969 [German voice of Osiride Pevarello, Fortunato Arena]

Companeros! – 1970 [German voice of Gérard Tichy,

Have a Good Funeral – 1970 [German voice of Fortunato Arena]

A Man Called Apocalypse Joe – 1970 [German voice of Fernando Bilbao]

Sartana's Here... Trade Your Pistol for a Coffin – 1970 [German voice of Spartaco Conversi]

Winnetou and Shatterhand in the Valley of Death – 1970 [German voice of Nikola Gec, Vladimr Bacic]

Lucky Luke: Daisy Town – 1971 [German voice of Jacques Hilling]

Man of the East – 1972 [German voice of Fortunato Arena]

The Genius – 1975 [German voice of Gérard Boucaron]

Who Aare Those Guys? Hans Elwenspoek

 

Hans Elsenspoek was born in Köthen, Anhalt-Bitterfeld, Germany on July 8, 1910, He was the son of director and actor Curt Elwenspoek [1884-1959]. After finishing school, he received his acting training in Berlin with Ernst Legal. He made his debut in 1930 at the Württembergische Landesbühne Esslingen. From the 1930/31 season he was engaged at the "Württembergische Volksbühne" in Stuttgart. This was followed by a permanent engagement at the Landestheater Schneidemühl, where he was engaged as an "assistant director of the drama" and as an actor in the 1937/38 season. In the 1939/40 season he was engaged as a director and actor at the Stadttheater Bremerhaven. After the Second World War, Elwenspoek continued his theatre career.

Elwenspoek appeared in numerous films since the 1950s, where he usually portrayed rather unsympathetic or funny innkeepers, military personnel, cooks, priests, porters, judges or even detectives. In the 1950s, he played supporting roles in several very successful fairy tale films such as “Zwerg Nase” (1953, as head kitchen master), “Die goldene Gans” (1953, as mayor) and “Tischlein deck dich” (1956, as an innkeeper, on the S. of Margarete Henning-Roth as a landlady).

He worked in television since the first experimental broadcasts in 1954. He appeared in numerous television films, television plays and television series. He was seen, sometimes several times, in the TV crime series ‘Der Kommissar’, ‘Derrick’ and ‘Der Alte’ (The Old One). From 1969 to 1971, he played the male lead alongside Lilo Hartmann in the nine-part television series ‘Familie Bergmann’, which depicted the everyday life of a family in the GDR.

Elwenspoek was married. He last lived in Geretsried in the district of Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen. He died on January 13, 1989, at the age of 78 in Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany.

ELWENSPOEK, Hans (aka Hans Elwenspoeck) [7/8/1910, Köthen, Anhalt-Bitterfeld, Germany – 1/13/1989, Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany] – theater, film, radio, TV actor, son of director, actor Curt Elwenspoek [1884-1959], married to ?.

Beyond the Law – 1967 (Mr. Davis/Abe Pik)

Doppelschach - 1972

Special Birthdays

Michel Simon (actor) would have been 130 today but died in 1975.

Jurica Dijakovic (actor) would have been 105 today but died in 1993.

Mario Donen (actor) is 90 today.

Victoriano Terrón [stunts] – is 70 today.

Little Known Spaghetti Western actors ~ Doris Clary

[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.]

According to the IMDb Doris Clary appeared in only one film and that was for the Spaghetti western “I magnifici brutos del West” (The Magnificent Brutes of the West) in 1964.

I can find no specific information on her. I did find an obituary for a Shirley Doris Clary who was a former actress and was born Shirley Doris Musselman in Altoona, Pennsylvania on December 26, 1927. Clary acted in plays and musicals with the Westerleigh Players and sang with Sweet Adelines. She was married to John Joseph Clary; they had two daughters named Nancy and Barbara. Doris died in Charleston, North Carolina on January 26, 2014.

CLARY, Doris – film actress.

The Magnificent Brutes of the West – 1964

Voices of the Spaghetti Wester - “Don’t Wait Django Shoot”

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 “Don’t Wait Django…Shoot”

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

Django Foster - Sean Todd (G) Rainer Brandt

Barrica - Pedro Sanchez (G) Martin Hirthe

Mary Foster - Rada Rassimov (G) Renate Küster

Hondo - Vincenzo Musolino (G) Edgar Ott

Don Alvarez - Gino Buzzanca (G) Konrad Wagner

Undertaker - Franco Pesce (G) Knut Hartwig

Knut Hartwig  (1891-1977)

Knut Hartwig was born in Münster, Germany on September 16, 1891. He began his acting career in the theatre, where he also found work again and again – for example at the Oldenburg State Theatre and, after the end of the war, at the theatre club in the British Centre Berlin.

In addition, he was a busy actor in German sound film since his debut in the film “Ich für dich – Du für mich” in the role of a settler and his participation as a landowner in the 1934 film “Glückspilze”. Hartwig appeared almost exclusively in supporting roles but was present as a character actor in numerous major film productions of the time. He starred in comedies such as “Paradise of the Bachelors”, crime films such as “Dr. Crippen on Board”, historical films such as “The Great King”, the Zarah Leander film dramas “The Way to the Open and Then”. In 1944, Hartwig was on the list of the God-gifted of the Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda. After the end of the war, Hartwig was able to continue this career seamlessly. He was seen in “Ehe im Schatten” (Marriage in the Shadow), which deals with the Nazi past and the fate of the actor Joachim Gottschalk, in “Dr. Semmelweis – Retter der Mütter” and alongside Heinz Rühmann in “Der Jugendrichter” (The Juvenile Judge).

Hartwig became familiar to a wide audience not as an actor, but as a speaker. He was heard in numerous radio productions (including as "von Borcke" in a SFB production by Effi Briest) and worked extensively in film dubbing from 1948 until the end of his life. His voice sounded brittle and worn out over the years, so that he was often used for sick and old characters. He lent his voice to John Carradine “Ghost Party”, Jack MacGowran “Doctor Zhivago”, John McIntire “Elmer Gantry”, Alan Napier “36 Hours”, Gig Young “The Three Musketeers” and also many cartoon characters such as "Mr. Sexton" (John Fiedler) in Disney's Robin Hood and most recently in 1976 to the "Venerable" (Gérard Hernandez) in Asterix conquers Rome.

Knut Hartwig died on February 12, 1977, at the age of 85.

Special Birthdays

Curt Ackerman (actor) would have been 120 today but died in 1988.

Helmut Schmid (actor) would have been 100 today but died in 1992.

Dada Gallotti (actress) is 90 today.

 

Ingolf Gorges [voice actor] would have been 85 today but died in 2008.

Little Known Spaghetti Western actors ~ Graham Clarke

[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.]

Graham was born in South Africa in 1942. He started out as a dancer, but realized he required something a little extra as the parts he landed in musicals in the 1960s came with lines as well. "I started taking acting classes and I eventually turned pro in 1965," he says.

Graham Clarke was one of the first faces to ever grace South African television in the TV series ‘The Villagers’. He has worked consistently in the South African film and television industry since its inception as well as performing in stage dramas, musicals, and comedies. One of the stalwarts of the industry is his voice which lends any read gravitas and the conviction of age.

Graham appeared in 87 films from 1972 until this year. He’s also produced four films. His film appearances include ‘The Wild Geese’ (which starred Richard Burton and Roger Moore),

Clarke has appeared in two Euro-westerns: “Guns of Honor” (TV) in 1994 as La Salle and “Hooded Angels” in 2000 as a gunman.

CLARKE, Graham (aka Graham Clark) [1942, South Africa -     ] – producer, theater, film, TV, voice actor, dancer, married to ?, married to ? father of Jason Graham, Bianca Graham.

Guns of Honor (TV) – 1994 (La Salle)

Hooded Angels – 2000 (gunman)

Spaghetti Western locations Then and Now – “The Hunting Party”

In this scene from “The Hunting Party” we see the men stopping in a village to water their horses and refresh themselves. This location was a set not an actual village. It was located in Mimbrero, La Sartilla, Tabernas, Almeria, Spain.

Here is the same location as seen in 2023.