RIP Frank Barrie

 

British director, writer and theater, film and TV actor Frank Barrie died at his home on June 30, 2025). Born Frank Smith in Scarborough, North Riding, Yorkshire, England on September 19, 1940, he made his acting debut in 1959 in a production of “Henry IV, Part 2” at the York Theatre Royal. He was a successful Shakespearean actor throughout his career. In 2008 he starred in “Lunch with Marlene”, a tribute to Noël Coward and Marlene Dietrich, and in 2010 was cast as Edward Bishop, a gentleman friend of Dot Cotton in TV’s ‘Eastenders’. At Hull he met his future wife, Maryann Lloyd. They married in 1960 and had a daughter Julie. Barrie appeared in the Euro-western television series ‘Queen of Swords’ in 2000 as Gonzalo.

From the WAI! vault

 

Little Known Spaghetti Western actors ~ Karl-Axel Dahlgren

[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.]

Karl-Axel Dahlgren is/was a Swedish character actor who appeared in only one film and that was the Euro-western “The Frozen Star in 1974.

I can find no biographical information on him.

DAHLGREN, Karl-Axel – film actor.

The Frozen Star – 1974

Irpinia celebrates Sergio Leone and the western with Sapori Antichi

 

Eroica Fenice

By Claudia

July 5, 2025

In Torella dei Lombardi, in the heart of Alta Irpinia, between June 27 and 29 the Sapori Antichi festival was held, which celebrates Sergio Leone and the Wild West, bringing back to life the unique atmosphere of the western myth.

We at Eroica Fenice were present at the closing day of the event, and we fully captured its essence, closely following the various events that marked the grand finale of the festival and that have, in fact, shown us the authentic soul of the town.

The Irpinian village is transformed: three days of westerns and tradition

The event, promoted by the Municipality of Torella dei Lombardi and the Pro Loco Candriano, is a fixed appointment in the Torella summer calendar. It takes place in the large square of the village, dominated by the imposing Candriano Castle, a stone fortress that throws the entire village into an atmosphere with medieval features.

And it is precisely this meeting of apparently distant worlds, but which intertwine for the occasion, that makes it all truly special: popular and frontier culture merge in a magical explosion of flavors, sounds and customs

Sergio Leone: Irpinia celebrates the prodigy of cinema and his bond with the land

Not everyone knows, in fact, that Torella dei Lombardi is linked to an important cinematographic name, that of Sergio Leone, master of the spaghetti western, also known as the Italian western.

The director's father, Vincenzo Leone — known by the pseudonym of Roberto Roberti and a pioneer of silent cinema — was originally from Torella.

Strengthened by this legacy, Sergio Leone has been able, throughout his life, to combine

knowledge and talent with the awareness of his roots, giving light to true masterpieces of cinema that have made him an unforgettable icon of the big screen.

It is a deep bond, which explains why today Irpinia celebrates Sergio Leone with such a heartfelt festival: anexhibition inside the castle dedicated to the director, together with various cultural events focused both on his figure and on the territory and local traditions, accompanies the food and wine journey that for years, in this period, has unfolded through the streets of the town.

The last act of Sapori Antichi 2025: a day in the name of Sergio Leone

In addition to the entertainment activities for children, a sign that the organization has taken care to make the event accessible to all ages, and the performances of various blues and popular music groups, which followed one another on a stage placed in front of a room cleverly used as a saloon, we attended an interesting in-depth study on the figure of Sergio Leone, in the atrium of the Castle. A meeting embellished above all by the presence of Fabio Santini, journalist, radio host and lover of Leone's cinema, who has paid tribute to the great director several times through various artistic productions.

Sergio Leone's cinema and the suggestions of Irpinia

Santini told numerous anecdotes, both cinematographic and personal, about Sergio Leone, which helped to highlight the director's deep bond with the territory that gave birth to his father. A bond that Leone jealously guarded in his heart and that he tried to bring out in his films through small details, capable of giving his works a unique and profound richness.

In his speech, the journalist, in fact, highlighted how several recurring elements in Leone's cinematography recall the peculiarities of Irpinia: the wind, for example, recreated in Cinecittà with a simple crank fan, faithfully evokes the harsh mountain climate; in the same way, the intense colors and natural backgrounds typical of Leone's films reflect the characteristic features of the Irpinian landscape, thus integrating its roots into the visual dimension of his cinema.

The two geniuses of cinema: a tribute to Leone and Morricone

In the evening, then, the show The Two Geniuses of Cinema was held, during which Fabio Santini, once again the narrator, retraced the main stages of the collaboration between Sergio Leone and the illustrious composer, right on the notes of Morricone's epic music. An artistic and human partnership that has given life to legendary productions capable of changing the face of cinema forever: from schoolmates to colleagues on the set, Santini told us about the difficulties that two brilliant minds like theirs had to face to make their respective artistic visions coexist without coming into conflict.

The authentic taste of Irpinia blends with the charm of the western

Between the good Irpinian food and the carefully reconstructed western atmosphere, the festival was able to involve visitors, many of whom showed off cowboy hats and boots, thanks to faithful scenery full of symbolic elements of the Far West, such as the saloon, the bank, the sheriff's office and the prison.

Behind the scenes of Sapori Antichi: interview with artistic director Roberto D'Agnese

Finally, we had the opportunity to talk to the artistic director of the festival, Roberto D'Agnese, to find out the vision behind this original project, which intertwines local popular culture and Sergio Leone's cinematographic universe, and to learn about the news related to the next editions.

Enhancing the territory: how the festival celebrating Sergio Leone promotes Irpinia

Below is the full interview.

Sapori Antichi was born as a traditional food and wine journey, but over the years it has also taken on a cultural connotation. How did the idea of linking the event to the name of Sergio Leone come about?

When the guys from the Pro Loco contacted me, they were organizing this festival called "Ancient Flavors". They asked me for an idea to renew it: the new board had just taken office, there was a desire for change. For me it was a perfect opportunity: linking food and wine to the imagery of Sergio Leone's films was almost natural. We are talking about a direction of the highest level, of course, but which also tells a territorial cross-section. The scenes, the characters, the subjects of his films belong, after all, to the popular tradition. Hence the idea of recreating a western village and combining the two components: that of taste and that of imagination.

Does the Festival have an impact on the local community? And how was this new formula of the event, which integrates local traditions with western imagery, received by people?

I must say that the guys of the Pro Loco were immediately enthusiastic. I understood from the first edition that it would work: in the street I saw people walking around in western attire, spontaneously. So I said to myself: "Ok, this is something that can really grow". Because when a territory participates with this naturalness, it means that the idea has entered the heart of the community.

Irpinia is a land rich in stories and traditions, but it often remains outside the main tourist and cultural circuits, and events like this can represent a concrete opportunity to enhance the territory. What aspects of Torella dei Lombardi do you try to promote the most through Sapori Antichi?

I believe that every event is a 360-degree showcase of the territory. Those who participate can grasp different aspects: the artistic, the food and wine, the popular, and even the logistical.

An event becomes productive when it manages to gather many people and make them perceive the value of the territory. In this sense, "Ancient Flavors" is also an invitation to look out on a reality that, perhaps, was not known.

How much work is behind the artistic organization of a festival like this? And is there, in your opinion, an appointment in the program that best represents the spirit of the event?

Every event requires careful study. For me, organizing it is like writing the script of a film: I can already imagine what will happen, night after night. Every activity, whether it's music, theater or performance, is not put there by chance: it is part of a coherent story. What for some may seem like a simple jumble of events, for me is a narrative, a single body that develops over time.

And finally, are there any news or future projects for Sapori Antichi? What are your hopes for the next editions?

The idea is to be inspired more and more by Sergio Leone's style, following his example in the attention to detail and in the ability to evoke deep emotions with essential elements.

We try to convey, through the festival, that kind of narrative intensity: made up of atmospheres, but also of living contact with the territory and its popular traditions.

At the same time, we want to broaden the horizon, also musically, by exploring genres such as blues, rock, rockabilly, which, although not strictly western, tell a popular identity close to ours. After all, this is how Irpinia celebrates Sergio Leone: not only by looking at the past, but by innovating, remaining faithful to our soul but opening up to new ways of telling the story of the territory»

Who Are Those Singers & Musicians ~ Mircea Romcescu

 

Mircea Romcescu is a Romanian guitarist and composer born on February 5, 1957, in Bucharest, Romania. He has participated in Eurovision Song Contest finals with seven self-composed songs (three in Denmark and four in Romania). Mircea studied at music institutions in Bucharest and has been a member of rock bands, including Academica and Sfinx. Romcescu has received several accolades, including being appointed 'Composer of the Year' in 1981. He has lived in Denmark and returned to Romania in 2012 with his wife, singer Olimpia Panciu.

Mircea sang the song “Dor de tara” in the 1978 Romanian western “The Actress, the Dollars and the Transylvanians”.

ROMCESCU, Mircea [2/5/1957, Bucharest, Romania -     ] – composer, singer, musician (guitar), married to of singer Olimpia Panciu [1953-    ] (1988-    ).

The Actress, the Dollars and the Transylvanians – 1978 [sings: “Dor de tara”]

Special Birthdays

Scott Peters (actor) would have been 95 today but died in 1994.

Monica Teuber (actress) is 80 today.

Spaghetti Western Trivia – Bud Spencer stamp

To mark what would’ve been his 90th birthday, Togo released five beautiful stamps featuring none other than Bud Spencer himself — the gentle giant of spaghetti westerns.

For fans like us, this isn’t just a collector’s item. It’s a reminder of the man who redefined what a western hero could be tough, funny, and always standing up for the little guy (with a mighty slap if needed).

Whether he was riding through dusty towns with Terence Hill or clearing out saloons with just his fists and that look, Bud brought something special to the screen: heart, humor, and unforgettable presence.

Now, his face lives on   not just in our memories, but on postage stamps from across the world.

Because legends like Bud don’t ride off into the sunset... they get immortalized.

 

Little Known Spaghetti Western actors ~ Martin Dagman

[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.]

Martin Dagman is a Swedish part time actor and stuntman who’s also an airbrush expert. Martin has been working at Sweden’s High Chaparral Theme Park since 1977. During part of the year when the theme park is closed, he owns and operates Dagmans HotArt

Martin has appeared in three films two of which are Euro-westerns: “Danny Lou & Donna Starr” in 2016 as Mister Corps and “Peggy Ray” in 2017 as Longhaired Larry.

DAGMAN, Martin – stuntman, film actor.

Danny Lou & Donna Starr – 2016 (Mister Corps)

Peggy Ray – 2017 (Longhaired Larry)

Bushwhacker Blues

 

Bushwhacker Blues – International title

 

A 2022 British short film production [Eighties Doubt Productions (London)]

Producer: Kris Smith, James Campbell, Geoff Woodman, Jacob Anderton

Director: James Campbell

Story: James Campbell

Screenplay: James Campbell

Cinematography: Sam Walker [color]

Music: Paul Duffy, Nick Power, Ian Skelly

Running time: 12 minutes

 

Cast:

Luke Walters - Alex Brock (Alex Brockdorff

Tracker – Nick Cornwall

Butch Walters - Cornelius Geaney Jr.

Preacher – Lee Jackson

Armorer – Dennis Hewitt

Luke and Butch Walters stumble upon an unconscious Preacher deep within the Black Hills of South Dakota. They decide to take him captive and do unspeakable things to him - only it seems they may have bitten off more than they can chew.

 

Film link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyNKJ85H1Fg&list=RDSyNKJ85H1Fg&start_radio=1

Special Birthdays

Yul Brynner (actor) would have been 105 today but died in 1985.

David Graham [voice actor] would have been 100 today but died in 2024.

Csuja Imre [voice actor] is 65 today.

Little Known Spaghetti Western actors ~ Danny da Costa

[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.]

Danny da Costa is from Harderwijk, Netherlands. He’s an actor, comedian, host/presenter, composer, musician, singer and voice actor. He’s appeared in five films between 2001 and 2012.

Danyy’s appeared in three Euro-western short films: “Blind Tom” as Banjo as “Draw Your Gun” as Rupert Crebbs in 2011 and “Water” in 2012 as Slim Corbett.

I can find no biographical information about him.

da COSTA, Danny – film, voice, actor composer, musician, singer.

Blind Tom – 2011 (Banjo)

Draw Your Gun – 2011 (Rupert Crebbs)

Water – 2012 (Slim Corbet)

New Italian book release Altrimenti mi arrabbio – Silenzio, parla Bud Spencer

 

Altrimenti mi arrabbio – Silenzio, parla Bud Spencer

(Otherwise I Get Angry – Silence, Bud Spencer is Speaking)

Authors: Bud Spencer, David De Filippi, Lorenzo De Luca

(2025)

 

Country: Italy

Publisher: Burno

Language: Italian

Pages: 192

ISBN9791280772275

 

The two souls of the gentle giant, that of the young swimming champion and the famous actor now in his eighties, meet one night by the pool and begin to tell each other.

In an imaginary dialogue, this exciting autobiography traces the lively life of Carlo Pedersoli who became famous under the pseudonym of Bud Spencer.

From his childhood in Naples to his move to South America, from his great victories in sport to his resounding success in international cinema, passing through his passion for aviation, his love for music, his studies, his family and his professional and fraternal relationship with Terence Hill.

The first-person account of a cult icon, which here reveals itself between reflection and irony.

Bud Spencer has also written a "sequel" to his autobiography, entitled Around the World in Eighty Years (Burno Edizioni).

"Otherwise, I get angry" is much more than a simple autobiography: it is an exciting and surprising journey through the thousand lives of Carlo Pedersoli. With a frank, direct style steeped in humor, the author accompanies us between adventures lived in the four corners of the planet and private moments full of humanity.

Through a compelling story full of sincerity, the portrait of a man of a thousand passions emerges, capable of reinventing himself with courage and determination. From his experiences in the most disparate contexts, Bud Spencer proves that talent and curiosity know no boundaries.

Each episode is narrated with a contagious spirit, alternating comic episodes with deep reflections, and outlining an existence full of surprises, memorable encounters, and unconventional choices.

The book gives the reader back not only the public figure of the actor loved for his roles as a gruff and generous giant, but above all that of the man who was able to face life with enthusiasm, freedom and consistency.

A scene in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly inspired one of AC/DC's best-known songs

Hobby Cine

By David Hernandez

July 3, 2025

A scene from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly directly inspired AC/DC to compose one of their best-known songs, and I'm sure you've heard it more than once.

Clint Eastwood's impact on popular culture is enormous, not only because of his memorable performances in a multitude of western films and also as a tough guy in the big city, but also because of the impact he is currently having as a director.

But perhaps one of Clint Eastwood's most remembered roles is in the film The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, and especially the final scene of the three-way duel, a sequence that even inspired the rock group AC/DC to compose one of their most iconic songs: Shoot to Thrill.

"Shoot to Thrill" was included on AC/DC's 1980 album Back in Black, a song that was inspired by the final duel in the film The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

During a VH1 special, Angus Young, the band's guitarist, explained that the tension and rhythm of the final shootout, accompanied by the music of Ennio Morricone, directly influenced the structure of the song.

So the band was directly inspired by scenes from the entire film's ending sequence to compose the song, at least its breakdown.

"We wanted to capture that same kind of energy and rising rhythm in the song," Angus Young said in the interview.

In this way, the breakdown of Shoot to Thrill was designed to reflect the crescendo of Morricone's music, especially in the way the composer builds tension with long notes, pauses and repetitions before the final outburst.

The Australian band sought to emulate the emotional atmosphere of that sequence in the film.

"If you pay attention, you can notice that both pieces have that same feeling of a heartbeat that accelerates, as if something imminent is about to happen. It's a tribute disguised as rock," Young added.

In fact, today the song Shoot to Thrill exceeds 460 million plays on digital platforms and remains one of the most powerful anthems in rock.

The final duel scene in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is still studied in film schools. It is considered a masterful example of how to capture tension, direction, editing and, above all, the use of music in cinema.

You Tube link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v64aqSHxr38&list=RDv64aqSHxr38&start_radio=1

Voices of the Spaghetti Western – “Poker With Pistols”

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 “Poker With Pistols”

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

Ponson – George Hilton (I) Stefano Satta Flores, (G) Herbert Stass, (F) Gabriel Cattand

Lucas – George Eastman (I) Pino Colizzi, (G) Christian Brückner, (F) Marc de Georgi

Lola - Annabella Incontrera (I) Benita Martini, (G) ?, (F) ?

Master - Dick Palmer (I) Silvano Tranquilli, (G) Heinz Petruo, (F) Georges Aminel

Lazar - José Torres (I) Nino Dal Fabbro, (G) Gerd Martienzen, (F) William Sabatier

Stefano Satta Flores  (1937 – 1985)

Stefano Satta Flores was born in Naples, Italy on January 14, 1937. He was an Italian actor, voice actor and playwright.

In addition to his film successes (“The Girl with the Gun”, 1968; “We Loved Each Other So Much”, 1974; “The Iron Prefect”, 1977) Stefano Satta Flores was also active in theater and television, for which he played the screenplay Luisa Sanfelice in 1966.

He enrolled in the Faculty of Law in Naples. He dropped out of university to attend the Experimental Center of Cinematography in Rome, where he graduated in acting in 1962 appearing in a documentary by Marco Bellocchio, who was a classmate. He began acting in amateur shows and, having obtained a contract at the Piccolo Teatro in Milan, between 1966 and 1968. After leaving the Piccolo Teatro, he joined the theatrical cooperative I compagni di scena with Cristiano Censi and Isabella Del Bianco; The group, politically engaged, carried out research work and followed the policy of decentralization, staging shows in spaces other than the traditional ones in order to intercept a new audience.

Parallel to cinema, theater and television he also had an intense radio activity, in 1973 he participated in the broadcast “Il girasole”, in 1974 on the National Program Radiorai he was the host of “Ma guarda che tipo” (But Look What Kind) typical and atypical types of the time. The radio show was with the participation of big names in show buisness who interacted with the presenter, in March 1975.

Satta Flores died in Rome on October 22, 1985, at the age of 48, due to a severe form of leukemia. He left two daughters: Francesca an actress, director, playwright and screenwriter, by his wife, and Margherita, a voice actress, by actress and voice actress Teresa Ricci.

Special Birthdays

Wilfried Pucher (actor) is 85 today.

Little Known Spaghetti Western actors ~ Ivi D’Annunzio

[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.]

Ivi D’Annunzio is/was an Italian character actress. She has only two film appearances both of which were for producer Elo Pannacciò so there may have been a family connection. The first film was “Così, così... più forte” in 1970 and her only Spaghetti western appearance as Martha, the faithful servant of Dr. Simon in “Lo ammazzo come un cane ma lui rideva ancora” (Death Played the Flute) in 1971.

I can find no biographical information on her.

D’ANNUNZIO, Ivi [Italian] – film actress.

Death Played the Flute – 1971 (Martha)

Dubbed in Rome ~ Irene Guest

By Johan Melle

July 1, 2025

Irene Guest was a dubbing actress who was very active on the English dubbing scene in Rome throughout the 1960s and 70s. In the early days of her career, she dubbed several glamorous supporting roles as well as occasional leads, but it was not until the early 1970s that Irene really came into her own by establishing herself as a character dubber with a specialty for voicing mature or middle-aged women – of both the seductive and the more matronly sort.

Sadly, Irene is another of those Rome dubbers who is so obscure that there isn’t even a picture available of her, despite the fact that she was a very good and versatile dubber who could do both serious and comedic parts, and if you have an interest in giallo, western Eurocrime, Nazisploitation and the like, then you’ll surely recognize Irene’s characteristic voice in the video below:

As initially mentioned, there are very few biographical details available on Irene. In fact, I had never even heard of her until dubbing actor Roger Browne mentioned her to me in an email in 2023 that Irene was someone who often dubbed older women.

“Irene Guest was essentially an opera singer, I think,” Browne went on to explain. “She dubbed some but was never one of the top women like Susan [Spafford] or Carolyn [de Fonseca]. More of a brusio type. Not a sweet voice. I guess a coloratura, as if I knew what that was! She went with Tommy Lo Monaco, a teacher.”

Dubbing actor Rodd Dana, who used to supplement his acting and dubbing career in Rome with a lot of opera work, remembered Irene very fondly when I asked him about her:

“Dear friend. She and I sang Aida together, and duets from Rigoletto, many times,” Dana recalled. “Lovely lady and a wonderful talent. Her long-time beau was my last singing teacher, Thomas Lo Monaco, who in 1968-9 (I forget) deserted us all to move to New York.”

Further information has been very difficult to come by, but I do believe that Irene was originally from Millburn, New Jersey (c1932), as I’ve come across a notice in the ‘Club and Social News’ section of the New Jersey newspaper The Item of Millburn and Short Hills (October 3, 1963) stating that “Miss Irene Guest, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Guest of Woodfield drive, left last week for Rome, Italy, where she will spend a year studying opera.” This has to be the same person as our Irene Guest – especially since it is indeed around 1963 that Irene’s voice starts popping up in various Italian films, suggesting that she became involved in the English dubbing scene rather quickly upon her arrival in Rome.

Initially, Irene was used to dub a lot of supporting or co-starring roles – as well as the odd lead – played by such glamorous Italian starlets as Femi Benussi, Dominique Boschero, Ursula Davis, Wandisa Guida, Hélène Chanel, Gianna Serra and Rosalba Neri.

The early 1970s saw Irene shifting more and more towards character parts played by older actresses, but unlike her dubbing colleagues Cicely Browne and Louise Lambert, who were the go-to actresses for dubbing old ladies, Irene instead established herself as somewhat of a specialist in providing voices for more mature or middle-aged women. Her talent and versatility ensured that she was very successful in this field and kept herself busy all through the 1970s.

Irene remained a much in-demand character dubber until the early 1980s, but then all trace of her stops after 1981. What became of her is not known, although Rodd Dana believed she had left Rome for New York at some point. In a very surprising turn of events, however, Irene would go on to resurface on the Roman dubbing scene more than 20 years later – as part of the dubbing cast for the English version of the animated Italian Christmas film Opopomoz (2003)!

The English dub of Opopomoz has not been widely seen, but it was included as an alternate language track on the film’s Italian DVD release. The English opening and closing credits are not included on this release, but instead a text of the full English dubbing credits is included among the supplement material – revealing that the role of Adele the grandmother is voiced by none other than Irene Guest!

Now, this was a most fortuitous discovery indeed as this is Irene’s only known credited acting role, and it is thanks to this that it was possible to identify her voice, albeit with some difficulty given the large time gap between this role and her old dubbing parts from the 60s and 70s. Irene obviously sounds much older in Opopomoz, but one can nevertheless recognize several of the more characteristic inflections – especially when comparing with her dubbing of Clara Colosimo in The Gun (1978), featured in the video at the top.

But how did Irene end up back in Rome doing dubbing again in the early 2000s!? Unfortunately, I have no idea, but it’s my hope that more information about her life and career can eventually be unearthed. But in the meantime, we no at least have a name to go with the voice of this very talented and long-time dubbing actress who throughout the years enriched dozens upon dozens of Italian genre films with her colorful dubbing performances.

English dubbing filmography:

(Highlighted titles are Spaghetti westerns)

- The Scourge of the Barbarians (1964) - voice of Grenda (Moira Orfei)

- Death on the Fourposter (1964) - voice of Frankie (Gloria Milland)

- A Game of Crime (1964) - voice of A Friend of the Luganis (Elisa Mainardi)

- Maciste in King Solomon’s Mines (1964) - voice of Queen Fazira (Wandisa Guida)

- Zorikan the Barbarian (1964) - voice of Anna (Anita Todesco)

- A Coffin for the Sheriff (1965) - voice of Lupe’s Woman (Maria Vico)

- The Desert Renegades (1965) - voice of Farida (Leila Sheir)

- Ghosts of Rome (1961; dubbed in 1965) - voice of Nella (Franca Marzi)

- Pia of Ptolemy (1958; dubbed in the mid 1960s) - voice of Pia (Ilaria Occhini)

- An Angel for Satan (1966) - voice of Rita (Ursula Davis)

- Target for Killing (1966) - voice of Sandra Perkins (Karin Dor)

- The Wild, Wild Planet (1966) - voice of Vicky Halstead (unidentified actress)

- Death Walks in Laredo (1967) - voice of Debra Smith (Gianna Serra)

- The Fantastic Argoman (1967) - voice of Regina Sullivan/Jenabell (Dominique Boschero)

- A Fistful of Diamonds (1967) - voice of Sherry (Antonella Murgia)

- Deadly Inheritance (1968) - voice of Simone Marot (Femi Benussi)

- Killer, Goodbye (1968) - voice of Fanny Sand (Rosalba Neri)

- The King of Kong Island (1968) - voice of Ursula (Adriana Alben)

- This Man Can’t Die (1968) - voice of Melina (Rosalba Neri)

- Naked Violence (1969) - voice of Signorina Romani (Danika La Loggia)

- A Place in Hell (1969) - voice of Betsy (Hélène Chanel)

- The Case of the Scorpion’s Tail (1971) - voice of Lara Florakis (Janine Reynaud)

- Finders Killers (1971) - voice of Connie (Femi Benussi)

- Hands Up, Dead Man! You’re Under Arrest (1971) - voice of Maybelle (Helga Liné)

- The Naked Cello (1971) - voice of Costanza’s Mother (Elsa Vazzoler)

- Paid in Blood (1971) - voice of Zenda (Esmeralda Barros)

- The Price of Death (1971) - voice of Mrs. Randall (Laura Gianoli)

- When Men Carried Clubs and Women Played Ding-Dong (1971) - voice of Didi (Valeria Fabrizi)

- An Animal Called Man (1972) - voice of Yvette (Gillian Bray)

- Christiana the Devil Nun (1972) voice of Mother Superior (unidentified actress)

- Cry Out in Terror (1972) - voice of Vanessa (Giuliana Rivera)

- Don’t Torture a Duckling (1972) - voice of Signora Spriano (Rosalia Maggio)

- The Eye in the Labyrinth (1972) - voice of Orphanage Directress (Elisa Mainardi)

- Hector the Mighty (1972) - voice of Cassandra (Franca Valeri)

- It Can Be Done... Amigo (1972) - voice of Mrs. Warren (Serena Michelotti)

- Knife of Ice (1972) - voice of Mrs. Britton (Silvia Monelli)

- More Sexy Canterbury Tales (1972) - voice of Lucrezia (Monica Audras)

- The Murder Mansion (1972) - voice of Mrs. Tremont (Yelena Samarina)

- The Other Canterbury Tales (1972) - voice of Widow Collagia (Assunta Costanzo)

- The Poseidon Explosion (1972) - voice of Angela (Draga Olteanu Matei)

- Hospitals, the White Mafia (1973) - voice of Baronessa Lanciani (unidentified actress)

- Suppose... I Break Your Neck (1973) - voice of Prostitute (Lina Franchi)

- Women in Cell Block 7 (1973) - voice of Chief Matron (Olga Bisera)

- The Eerie Midnight Horror Show (1974) - voice of Satanic Priestess (Bruna Beani)

- Erotomania (1974) - voice of Gertrude (Maria Antonietta Beluzzi)

- Innocence and Desire (1974) - voice of Lola (Anna Maria Pescatori)

- My Darling Domestic (1974) - voice of Lola Mandragali (Femi Benussi)

- Spasmo (1974) - voice of Woman in Car (Rosita Torosh)

- The Three with Pink Leaves (1974) - voice of Mrs. Terenzi (Marisa Merlini)

- Women’s Prison (1974) - voice of Susanna (Marilù Tolo)

- C.I.A. Secret Story (1975) - voice of Licia Pinelli (Dominique Boschero)

- Eyeball (1975) - voice of Nurse (Rina Mascetti)

- The Masters (1975) - voice of Sebastiano’s Mother (Carla Calò)

- The Teenage Prostitution Racket (1975) - voice of Gisella’s Mother (Giuliana Rivera) and Psychiatrist (Franca Aldrovandi)

- The Au Pair Girl (1976) - voice of Maddalena (Patrizia Webley)

- The Cop in Blue Jeans (1976) - voice of Mamma Teresa (Iolanda Fortini)

- Live Like a Cop, Die Like a Man (1976) - voice of Menica (Gina Mascetti)

- Smooth Velvet, Raw Silk (1976) - voice of Crystal (Susan Scott)

- The Tough Ones (1976) - voice of Signora Assante (Mara Mariani)

- The Cat’s Victims (1977) - voice of Signora Dezzan (Jill Pratt)

- The Cynic, the Rat and the Fist (1977) - voice of Landlady at the ‘Gabriella’ (Ermelinda De Felice)

- In the Beach House (1977) - voice of Gloria (Clara Algranti)

- The Red Nights of the Gestapo (1977) - voice of Esther (Niki Penati)

- Sister Emanuelle (1977) - voice of Sister Cécile (Pia Velsi)

- SS Camp 5 – Women’s Hell (1977) - voice of Alina (Rita Manna)

- SS Girls (1977) - voice of Frau Inge (Marina Daunia)

- Stunt Squad (1977) - voice of Anna (Claudia Giannotti)

- Women’s Camp 119 (1977) - voice of Kapo Marta (Ria De Simone)

- Fearless Fuzz (1978) - voice of Teresa Vincenzo (Luciana Turina)

- The Gun (1978) - voice of Pitta Callini (Clara Colosimo)

- Last Feelings (1978) - voice of School Teacher (Deddi Savagnone)

- Loggerheads (1978) - voice of Gerda (Lea Lander)

- The War of the Robots (1978) - voice of Commander King’s Assistant (Licinia Lentini)

- Emanuelle and Joanna (1979) - voice of Emanuela’s Mother (Catherine Zago)

- Escape from Hell (1980) - voice of Marie Antoinette (Anna Maria Panaro)

- Honey (1981) - voice of The School Mistress (Susan Scott)

Animation dubbing:

- Opopomoz (2003) - voice of Grandma Adele

Who Are Those Gals? ~ Lone Ferk

 

Lone Faerch was born in Aarhusing, Denmark along with her twin sister actress Mariann on July 5, 1945. Fleming's film career began in the early 1970s in Spanish genre films, especially horror movies, erotic dramas and some Spaghetti westerns. She was often billed under the aliases Lone Ferk and Lone Fleming during her 40-film career. Her most famous film is probably the 1972 “Tombs of the Blind Dead”. Following her marriage to film director Eugenio Martín [1925-2023] in 1970, she retired from films for over a decade. After four films in 1983-1984 she did not return to the screen until age 70.

Lone appeared in eight Spaghetti westerns usually in small supporting and character roles. 

In 2014, she received an Algeciras Fantástika award in recognition of her work in horror movies.

She’s still active today, appearing at film festivals and in documentaries.

FAERCH, Lone (aka Lone Ferck, Lone Ferk, Lane Fleming, Lone Flem, Lone Fleming) [7/5/1945, Aarhusing, Denmark -     ] – film, voice actress, twin sister of actress Mariann Faerch [1945-    ], married to producer, director, assistant director, writer, songwriter, film editor, actor Eugenio Martin (Eugenio Martín Márquez) [1925-2023] (1970-2023), awarded Algeciras Fantástika in 2014.

Pancho Villa – 1971 (nurse) [as Lone Ferk]

Bad Man’s River – 1972 (Conchita) [as Lone Ferk]

4 of the Apocalypse… - 1974 (Mormon girl) [as Lone Ferk]

Valley of the Dancing Widows – 1974 (Lily Dykler/Dotson) [as Lone Ferk]

Red Harvest – 1976 (Mrs. Wilson) [as Lone Fleming]

Contra el tiempo – 2011 [herself] [as Lone Fleming]

El Tenedor – 2013

…and Then the Vultures had a Feast – 2014 (senora)

Special Birthdays

Hesperia (actress) would have been 140 today but died in 1959.

Sheldon Lawrence (actor) would have been 100 today but died in 2021.

Jackie Bezard (actor) would have been 95 today but died in 2004.

Reginald Samso (actor) would have been 90 today but died in 1998.

Little Known Spaghetti Western actors ~ Irta d’angel

[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.]

Maria Rita D’Angelis was an Italian actress who appeared in four films from 1974 to 1977. Her only Spaghetti western film “7 monache a Kansas City” (Seven Nuns in Kansas City) in 1973 as Jessica/Susanna Rourke. Here she was billed as Irta d’angel.

Michael Ferguson found a Maria Rita Pars1 (married name) who is currently a psychpedagogist, psychotherapist, university professor, essayist and writer who was born in 1947 which would have made her roughly 26 at the time of her only film experience.

D’ANGEL Irta (aka Rita D’Angelis) (Maria Rita De Angelis) [8/5/1947, Italy -     ] – psychotherapist, writer, television commentator, film actress

Seven Nuns in Kansas City – 1973 (Jessica/Susanna Rourke)

French Blu-ray, DVD re-leases of Vendetta Collezione

 

Vendetta Collezione: “Pistolets pour un Massacre”, “Et Sabata les tua touss”, “Garringo”, “Bena & Charlie” (Pistol for a Hundred Coffins, Santana Kills Them All, Garringo, The Ballad of Ben & Charlie)

(1968, 1970, 1969, 1972)

Directors: Umberto Lenzi, Rafael Romero Marchent, Rafael Romero Marchent, Michele Lupo

Starring: Peter Lee Lawrence, John Ireland, Gianni Garko, Anthony Steffen, Peter Lee Lawrence, Giuliano Gemma, George Eastman)

 

Country: France

Label: Elephant Films

BluRay and DVD

Resolution: 1080p

Aspect ratio: 2.35:1

Languages: French, English, Italian, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French

Running times 86 minutes, 85 minutes, 90 minutes, 112 minutes

ASIN: ‎B0FD838XMT

A Day at Mini Hollywood

 Mi madre en Oasys MiniHollywood en 1983. Pepe Cantó

Oasys MiniHollywood, currently owned by the Playa Senator hotel chain, was built in 1965 to record Sergio Leone's For a Few Dollars More. Since then, it has operated as a film studio and, from the 1980s, also as a theme park. Now it is a Western city where foreigners are welcome: we are offered the experience of walking through the same desert that Clint Eastwood kicked, seeing specialists handing out slaps as in good westerns, a cancan show... And even a safari and an aquatic area. It is easy to know who we outsiders are, you just have to look at our faces. Instead of having a sun-tanned face, we have it full of white furrows, a mixture of sweat and sunscreen. I'm also armed with a selfie stick. The millennial outlaw has arrived.

It's 11:00 in the morning, Oasys MiniHollywood has been open for just an hour and the parking lot is almost full. While I'm queuing to buy my ticket (€34.60 with free buffet included), three buses from hotels in the area unloading passengers. They are the anti-western: they wear a towel, swimsuit and flip-flops. In 1997, Oasys MiniHollywood premiered a safari and an aquatic area that have given the park an aura of implausibility. Like seeing someone with a watch in a Roman movie. I thought there could be nothing more ridiculous than walking through a Western town in a bathing suit until I went to the pool with a cowboy hat and a plastic gun in my pocket.

I bought the pistol as a joke in the souvenir shop (3,50 €, the cheapest), but the hat (8,50 €) was out of necessity. The dozens of tourists who are now wearing swimsuits, towels, flip-flops and cowboy hats must have thought the same. It is noon, which means that the sun is at its worst and that, shortly, the spectacle of the West will begin in the town square. I ask the manager of the gift shop where she recommends me to watch it from. "From anywhere, but in the shadows." I listen to him and cram under a balcony with a group of Britons.

The show concentrates in fifteen minutes everything that can be asked of a western: shootings, escapes from prison, galloping horses dragging fugitives, falls from buildings... A delight for fans of the genre and fans of making boomerangs on Instagram:

I am calmer when, at the end, its protagonists tell me that it is not always the same one who receives the slaps – "we rotate and we have several shows," they say. I also ask them how they cope with the heat. I am short-sleeved and on the verge of fainting, and they wear long fur coats, leather pants and scarves around their necks. "In the end you get used to it," they say. I don't think I could even carry those suits, but since everything is to try, I go to the photo studio. For 10 euros, outsiders can dress up from head to toe as characters from the West and take some photos in sepia. After dressing inside the tent, the photographer takes me out into the sun, and I feel infinite respect for the workers of the park. What a bad minute. Luckily, the photographer knows the poses by heart. "Shotgun on the shoulder, knee up, draw," he orders. Hopefully someone like that in the party photos: "Beer down, cigar out, eyes open."

To get over the suffocation I head to the Saloon, so authentic that I have to restrain myself from throwing a stool in the air and starting a bar fight. On stage, Ezequiel and Molly Dedos de Azúcar – I have serious suspicions that they are not their real names – perform some of Ennio Morricone's songs for the Dollar Trilogy. In the Wild West there are minijobs: Molly has also received me at the entrance of the park; she was checking that the audience did not approach the horses in the Western show and now she plays the guitar. A while later, I found Ezequiel unsaddling horses.

The changing city of the desert Although I don't remember much, it's not the first time I've been in MiniHollywood. My parents went to this town in the West in 1983. They liked it and in 1999, when I was 11 years old, they took me to feel the heat of the West. I have photos of the two trips, but I can't find either of the locations. So, I ask for help from the musician of the Saloon, Ezequiel. "It doesn't sound like anything, but if anyone can help you, it's the sheriff." His name is Manolo, he is one of the stars of the Western show and one of the most well-known and beloved faces of the park. The kids greet him and ask for photos. Between flashes, he takes a look at the ones I show him.

Manolo tells me that he started working at the park in '93, so it is difficult for him to locate some of the images of my parents' first trip. "All those houses [in the photos] don't exist anymore, although I think they were behind the Saloon, which is one of the oldest buildings," he explains. It does help me to locate the rest of the photographs that my parents took in '99, already in my company. And now I repeat them. This is how the park has changed in the last 20 years.

Oasys MiniHollywood is the third installment of España Park, Verne's summer route through little-known but very fun theme parks. Every week, you can find a new park at this link. If you want to know more about professions and places in this and other parks, you can visit España Park's Instagram.

 

By Pablo Cantó Tabernas 14 August 2019

Special Birthdays

Julius Kantorez (actor) would have been 155 today but died in 1945. 

Danny Gürtler (actor) would have been 150 today but died in 1917.

Hans Elwenspoek (actor) would have been 115 today but died in 1989.

Manuel Tejada (actor) would have been 85 today but died in 2019.