The Hooker brother’s ranch house and barn are the same as the McBain house and barn in “Once Upon a Time in the West” (1968). Today the site is called Rancho Leone.
Friday, July 31, 2026
RIP Manolo Solo
Spanish actor and voice dubber Manolo Solo died in
Madrid, Spain on July 30th. The Goya-winning actor shaped Spanish
cinema with over 55 films and a unique on-screen presence. Manolo Solo, one of
the most distinctive faces in Spanish cinema of the past two decades, died at
the age of 62 after a prolonged illness with cancer. Known for his roles in “La
isla minima”, “Tarde para la ira”, and “El buen patron”, Solo's passing marks
the end of a career that left a significant mark on the industry. His real
name, Manuel Jesús Fernández Serrano, rarely appeared in credits, but his stage
name became synonymous with complex, layered performances that resonated with
audiences and critics alike. Solo voiced several Spaghetti westerns released in
Spain such as “Lucky Luke: The Daltons on the Run” in 1983 [Spanish voice of
Jack Dalton] and voiced multiple characters in the 1996-2003 animated TV series
“The Legend of Zorro”.
Little Known Spaghetti Western Actors ~ Diawara Dramane
[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.]
Diawara Dramane is/was an actor who appeared in East German film and television actor. Most likely he came from North Africa.
He appeared in two films and a TV series in 1970 and 1971.
Diawara Dramane appeared in one Euro-western “Osceola” as a Moore henchman in 1970.
DRAMANE, Diawara – [Yugoslavian] – film, TV actor.
Osceola – 1970 (Moore worker)
Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers
Spaghetti Western Director ~ Juan Rafael Gómez Heredia
Rafael Gómez Heredia, born n Almeria, Spain on October 12, 1974, is a self-taught gypsy. With an overflowing creative capacity, author of several books, playwright, poet, screenwriter, director, painter, producer, composer, project technician and musician, among other artistic aspects. Working in the world of cinema for more than 50 years. He has recently been awarded the honorary award by the Andalusian Film Academy. 2025. with the documentary "Los Jerraos". The family from which he comes, where through a documentary film, he exposes the biography of Los Jerraos, where this past 2025 they commemorate their 75th anniversary of cinematographic work, working on more than 450 film productions, currently working on international productions of great cinematographic relevance.
Juan Rafael Gómez Heredia directed one Spaghetti western, “The Ghost Band y el intrépido Ralph Lee” (The Incredible Stories of the Intrepid Ralph Lee, The Ghost Band) in 2023. He also directed the documentary “The Jerraos” in 2025.
HEREDIA, Juan Rafael
Gómez [8/18/1974, Villajoyosa, Alicante, Andalusia, Spain - ] – director, writer, married to ?
The Incredible
Stories of the Intrepid Ralph Lee, The Ghost Band – 2023
The Jerraos - 2025
Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Mario Damiani
Mario Damiani’s main career in films was as a production manager of which he worked on fourteen films between 1953 and 1969. He also produced one film “Fontana di Trevi” in 1960. Mario cowrote two screenplays both for two Spaghetti westerns: "Dieci bianchi uccisi da un piccolo indiano" (Blood River) with Gianfranco Baldanello and Juan Antonio Verdugo in 1969 and “El Zorro de Monterrey” (Zorro the Conqueror) with Enzo Gica and María del Carmen Martínez Román and Mario Damiani
DAMIANI, Mario [Italian] –
producer, production manager, writer.
Blood River - 1969 (co)
Zorro the Conqueror – 1971 (co)
Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Aristide Massaccesi
Aristide Massaccesi was born on December 15 1936,. He was an Italian film director, producer, cinematographer, and screenwriter who worked in many genres (westerns, decamerotici, peplum, war films, swashbuckler, comedy, fantasy, postapocalyptic film, and erotic thriller) but is best known for his horror, erotic and adult films.
Aristide worked in the 1950s as electric and set photographer, in the 1960s as camera operator, and from 1969 onwards as cinematographer. Starting in 1972, he directed and co-directed around 200 films under numerous pseudonyms, regularly acting as cinematographer as well, starting in the early 1980s, D'Amato produced many of his own and other directors' genre films through the companies he founded or co-founded, the best-known being Filmirage. From 1979 to 1982 and from 1993 to 1999, D'Amato also produced and directed about 120 adult films.
Aristide Massaccesi died from a heart attack 62 in Rome on January 23, 1999, at the age of
Arisited Massaccesi was a cinematographer on thirteen Spaghetti Westerns: “Los cinco de la venganza” (5 Giants from Texas) with Victor Monreal in 1966, “Passa Sartana… e l'ombra della tua morte” (Shadow of Sartana… Shadow of Death) in 1968 with Franco Villa and “Arrivano Django e Sartana… è la fine” (Django and Sartana are Coming… It’s the End) both in 1970, “Amico, stammi lontano almeno un palmo” (The Ballad of Ben and Charlie) and “Giù la testa… hombre!” IA Fistful of Death) and “Per una bara piena di dollari” (Showdown for a Badman) all in 1971, “Un bounty killer a Trinità” (A Bounty Killer for Trinity), “Scansati... a Trinità arriva Eldorado” (Stay Away from Trinity When He Comes to Eldorado) both in 1972, “Giubbe rosse” (Red Coat) in 1974, “Rocco e i magnifici 7” (Outlaws Parts 1 & 2) in 1997, “Anno 2020 – I gladiatori de futoro” (2020 Texas Gladiators) in 1982 and “Calamity Jane contro tutti” (Calamity Jane 1 & 2) in 1999.
MASSACCESI, Aristide (aka Joe D' Amato, Donna Aubert, Steven Benson,
Anna Bergman, John Bird, Enrico Biribicchi, Jim Black, Alexander Boroscky,
Alexandre Borsky, Bernard Brel, James Burke, Jim Burke, David Carson, Lynn
Clark, O.J. Clarke, Oliver J. Clarke, Hugo Clevers, Joe De Mato, Joe d'Amato,
Raf De Palma, Rad de Palma, Michael Di Caprio, Dario Donati, Robert Duke, Oscar
Faradine, Dirk Frey, Romano Gastaldi, John Gelardi, Robert Hall, Richard
Haller, David Hills, Igor Horwess, George Hudson, Fred Sloniscko Jr, John
Larson, Kevin Mancuso, A. Massaccesi, Aristice Massaccesi, Aristide
Massaccessi, Aristede Massacesi, Aristide Massacesi, Arizona Massachuset,
Ariston Massachusetts, Andrea Massai, J. Metheus, Peter Newton, Una Pierre,
Robert Price-Jones, Zak Roberts, Joan Russel, Mel Rose, Joan Russell, Tom
Salima, John Shadow, Fred Sloniscko Jr., Federico Slonisco, Frederick Slonisco,
Fédérico Slonisco, Federico Slonisko Jr., Federiko Slonisko Jr., Frederico
Slonisko Jr., Dan Slonisko, Federico Slonisko, Federiko Slonisko, Frederico
Slonisko, Frederic Slonisko, Frederiko Slonisko, Fred Slonisko, Chana Lee Sun,
Chang Lee Sun, Michael Wotruba, Robert Yip, Joe d'Amato, Raf de Palma
[12/15/1936, Rome, Lazio, Italy – 1/23/1999, Rome, Lazio, Italy (heart attack)]
– producer, director, assistant director, writer, cinematographer, cameraman,
film editor, actor, married to Carmela Massaccesi (19??–1999) father of
assistant director, cinematographer, cameraman Daniele Massaccesi, Francesca
Massaccesi, founded Filmirage Productions, founded Kristal Productions.
5 Giants from Texas
– 1966 (co)
Shadow of Sartana…
Shadow of Death – 1968 (co)
Dead Men Don’t Make
Shadows – 1970 [as Joe D’Amato]
Django and Sartana
are Coming… It’s the End – 1970 [as Joe D’Amato]
The Ballad of Ben
and Charlie – 1971
A Fistful of Death –
1971
Showdown for a
Badman – 1971 [as Joe D’Amato]
A Bounty Killer for
Trinity – 1972 [as Joe D' Amato]
Stay Away from
Trinity When He Comes to Eldorado - 1972
Red Coat – 1974 [as
Joe D’Amato]
Outlaws Parts 1
& 2 – 1997 [as Fred Slonisko]
2020 Texas
Gladiators – 1982 [as John Larson]
Calamity Jane 1
& 2 – 1999 [as Fred Slonisko]
One Thousand Golden Bullets
One Thousand Golden Bullets – International title
A 2025 Spanish short film production [Almanzora Video
Production (Almeria)]
Producer: José Corral (José Corral Martinez)
Director: José Corral (José Corral Martinez)
Story: José Corral Martinez
Screenplay: José Corral Martinez
Cinematography: Martin Michiels [color]
Music: various
Running time: 12 minutes
Story: A gang of outlaws led by a woman rob a bank and
try and bury the loot but are discovered and dispensed by a sheriff and his
deputy.
Cast:
Outlaw leader - Laura Felices
Bartender - Julia Lagoa
With: Manuel López, Juan Guirado, Julio Laso, Juan Marin,
Y Bill Carson, Cristóbal López, Jose Mezcua, Atrezzo Leonardo, José Corral
(José Corral Martinez), Frederic Bret Garcia, Bob Van Denderen, Harrie Baur,
Aad Eikema
1966 Clint Eastwood Western Beat Out 'Avatar' to Be Named 'Greatest Adventure Movie of All Time'
Men’s Journal
By Rachel Schneider
July 19, 2026
More than half a century after it first hit theaters, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is still setting the standard for adventure films. In IMDb's ranking of the greatest adventure movies of all time, the 1966 Western claimed the No. 1 spot, finishing ahead of modern blockbusters like Avatar and other beloved classics.
'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly' Named Greatest Adventure Movie of All-Time
Directed by Sergio Leone, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly stars Clint Eastwood as the mysterious gunslinger Blondie, Lee Van Cleef as ruthless bounty hunter Angel Eyes, and Eli Wallach as the cunning outlaw Tuco. Set during the American Civil War, the three men form an uneasy rivalry as they race to uncover a cache of buried Confederate gold.
Widely regarded as the defining spaghetti Western, the film helped cement Eastwood as one of Hollywood's biggest stars while influencing generations of filmmakers with its sweeping cinematography, tense standoffs, and Ennio Morricone's instantly recognizable score.
IMDb's ranking places The Good, the Bad and the Ugly above several legendary adventure films, including James Cameron's Avatar, along with enduring favorites like Raiders of the Lost Ark, Lawrence of Arabia, and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. The placement underscores the film's remarkable staying power nearly 60 years after its release.
Initial Reviews for 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly' Were Mixed
Although it initially received mixed reviews from some critics in 1966, the film's reputation has only grown with time. Today, it's routinely cited among the greatest Westerns ever made and is considered one of the most influential films in cinema history.
For many fans, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly remains the gold standard for the genre. Its unforgettable performances, masterful direction, and iconic musical score continue to attract new audiences, proving that some classics never lose their impact.
Nearly six decades later, Leone's masterpiece isn't just
one of the best western movies ever made, it ranks high in the adventure
category too.
Thursday, July 30, 2026
Little Known Spaghetti Western Actors ~ Andrea Drahota
[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.]
Andrea Drahota was born in Veszprém, Hungary on July 15, 1941, her mother travelled there from Perkáta in Fejér County to give birth. At that time, her father served at the Don as an officer in the Hungarian 2nd Army. Her mother worked as a sculptor. She had a younger sister, Agnes, who was a doctor. Later, they moved to Abaújszántó, where her father worked as a teacher. Her mother died in tragic circumstances in 1953, committing suicide. Her father remarried and Andrea’s stepmother was a high school teacher of mathematics and physics.
Drahota graduated from the Kossuth Lajos High School in Cegléd and studied industry at the Karl Marx University of Economics between 1959 and 1961. She graduated from the Academy of Theatre and Film Arts in 1965.
Andrea has been appearing in films since 1963. She played for a year at the Szigligeti Theatre in Szolnok (1965–1966). Between 1966 and 1991 she was a member of the Thália Theatre and the Arizona Theatre. Between 1991 and 1993 she was a freelance actor. Between 1993 and 2001 she was an actress at the National Theatre and the Hungarian Theatre of Pest. From 2001 she was an artist at the Vörösmarty Theatre and the Vidám Theatre in Székesfehérvár.
Drahota retired from the stage at the age of 70 and since the 2000s, she has been living in Gyermely.
Andrea Drahota was in one Euro-western, “Chingachgook, die große Schlange” (Chingachgook, the Great Snake) Wahtawa in 1967.
DRAHOTA, Andrea [7/15/1941,
Veszprém, Hungary - ] – theater, film,
TV, voice actress, married to actor András Kozák [1943-2005] (1964-2005) mother
of actress Ágnes Kozák [1965- ],
actor Dénes Kozák [1975- ], awarded
Artist of Merit [1986].
Chingachgook, the Great Snake – 1967
(Wahtawa)
Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers
Spaghetti Western Director ~ Michael “Bully” Herbig
Michael "Bully" Herbig was born April 29, 1968, in Munich, West Germany. He is a prominent German comedian, actor, director, producer, writer, and voice actor, best known by his childhood nickname "Bully". He rose to fame as the creator, writer, director, and star of the influential late-night sketch comedy television series ‘Bullyparade’ (1997–2002) on ProSieben, where he frequently collaborated with actors Christian Tramitz and Rick Kavanian to parody films, television, and pop culture in over-the-top style.
‘Bullyparade’ spawned highly successful feature film adaptations, most notably the Western parody “Der Schuh des Manitu” (2001), which attracted 11,721,183 admissions in Germany and became one of the country's highest-grossing films ever, followed by the science fiction spoof “(T)Raumschiff Surprise – Periode 1” (2004) with over 9 million viewers. These works cemented Herbig's reputation for blockbuster parody cinema in the German-speaking world.
Herbig began his career in Munich's radio scene, including morning shows, before transitioning to television and film; he also studied photography and is recognized for his multifaceted contributions to German entertainment, including voice acting in animated films and later projects such as the 2025 sequel “Das Kanu des Manitu” and the BAMBI jury's honorary award for his body of work.
Michael “Bully” Herbig directed three Euro-westerns, “Der Schuh des Manitu” (The Shoe of Manitu) in 2000, “Bullyparade der film” in 2017 and “Das Kanu des Manitu” (Manitou's Canoe) in 2024.
HERBIG, Michael ‘Bully’ (aka 'Bully'
Herbig, Bully Herbig, Michael 'Bully' Herbig) [4/29/1968, Munich,
Bavaria, Germany - ]- producer,
director, writer, songwriter, actor, married to Daniela Herbig (2003- ) father of Ben Herbig [2012].
The Shoe of Manitu –
2000
Bullyparade der film
– 2017
Das Kanu des Manitu –
2024
Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Damiano Damiani
Damiano Damiani was born in Pasiano, Pordenone, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Udine, Italy on July 23, 1922. He was an Italian screenwriter, film director, actor, and writer whose career spanned over five decades, focusing on socially conscious narratives often centered on organized crime and institutional corruption. He began with short films in the late 1940s before directing features like “Arturo's Island” (1962), which earned the Golden Shell at the San Sebastián International Film Festival. Damiani gained prominence for mafia-themed works, including “Confessions of a Police Captain” (1971) and the long-running television series ‘La Piovra’ (The Octopus, 1984–2001), which depicted systemic mafia influence in Italian society and became a cultural phenomenon for its unflinching portrayal of real-world criminal networks. His films received international recognition, such as a Silver Bear Honorable Mention at the 1985 Berlin International Film Festival for The Sicilian Connection, and multiple David di Donatello Awards in Italy. Damiani's oeuvre emphasized moral ambiguity and critique of power, influencing Italian genre cinema while avoiding sensationalism in favor of structural analysis of societal decay.
Damiani died in Rome on March 7, 2013, at the age of 90.
Damiano Damiani wrote the screenplays for two Spaghetti westerns: “Quién sabe?” (A Bullet for the General) with Salvatore Laurani and Franco Solinas and “Un genio, due compari, un pollo” (The Genius) with Fulvio Morsella and Ernesto Gastaldi in 1975.
DAMIANI, Damiano [7/23/1922, Pasiano,
Pordenone, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Udine, Italy - 3/7/2013, Rome, Lazio, Italy
(respiratory failure)] director, screenwriter, actor, married to Rosa Zetti
[19??-2008] (1945–2008) father of Cristina Damiani [1951- ], Sibilla Damiani [1955- ], Francesco Damiani [1959- ].
A Bullet for the
General – 1966 (co)
The Genius – 1975
(co)
Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Marcello Masciocchi
Marcello Masciocchi was an Italian cinematographer and cameraman. He worked as a cameraman on fifteen films between 1951 and 1992 and a cinematographer on sixty-one films between 1960 and 1991. He often was credited using such aliases as Marc Lane, Mark March, Mark Marsch, Marcel Mascot. He also worked sporadically as an assistant cameraman, and a production manager.
He’s best known for his work on “Treasure of the Four Crowns” (1982), “Ultimo mondo cannibal” and “La polizia è sconfitta” both in 1977. Birth date unknown but apparently died on July 10, 2022.
Marcello Masciocchi was a cinematographer on nine Spaghetti westerns: “30 Winchester per El Diablo” (Gold Train), “Uccidete Johnny Ringo” (Kill Johnny Ringo) both in 1965, “Un dollaro tra i denti” (A Stranger in Town) in 1966, “I quattro dell’Ave Maria” (Ace High), “Un uomo, un cavallo, una pistola” (The Stranger Returns) both in 1967, “La collina degli stivali” (Boot Hill) and “El Zorro justiciero” (Zorro the Lawman) both in 1969, “W Django!” (A Man Called Django), “Una Colt in mano del diavolo” (When the Devil Grips a Colt) with Alvaro Lanzo in 1972.
[Thanks to Michael Ferguson for providing me with his presumed date of death.]
MASCIOCCHI, Marcello (aka Marc Lane,
Mark March, Mark Marsch, Marcel Mascot) [190? Italy - 7/10/2022, Italy] – cinematographer, cameraman.
Gold Train – 1965 [as Marcel Mascot]
Kill Johnny Ringo – 1965 [as Marc Lane]
A Stranger in Town – 1966
Ace High - 1967
The Stranger Returns - 1967
Boot Hill – 1969
Zorro the Lawman – 1969
A Man Called Django! – 1971
When the Devil Grips a Colt – 1972 (co) [as Marcel
Mascot]
‘How We Conquered the West and Where It Took Us’, the documentary about Aragonese emigration to America
Secuenciadas
by Ana and Marisa
January 7, 2026
In black and white and with very epic music, at the beginning of the 20th century, more than a thousand men and women left their villages in Turel, such as Jabaloyas, La Puebla de Valverde or Camarena de la Sierra, towards the far American west. They crossed the Atlantic, with nothing in their pockets and in search of a better future. Flat detail of a captain rolling on the ground. Circular to black transition. Title.
‘How we conquered the west and where it took us’, led by
Elsa Tercero, tells the story of these migrants who dared to travel to the
unknown, without knowing the language and without more luggage than their
desire to fulfill a dream. The film is from the Aragonese production company
Prolight AudioVisual with Jorge De Bautista in front and part of an idea by
Roberto Roldán. “This story comes to us through Roberto, who is a friend of
both Jorge and my lifelong friend, and we have developed a lot of projects together.
We fell in love, we wanted to do something more of our own, and that’s where we
started,” director Elsa Tercero explains to Sequenciados.
[The good, the
ugly, the bad and the least bad.]
They crossed more than 10,000 kilometers, as our protagonists years ago, and learned the stories of relatives living in Utah, Idaho and Baja California (Mexico). “It was very frantic, in a very short time. We tried to scratch everything we could and the people were wonderful,” the director recalls.
[Elsa Tercero, Jorge De Bautista and Santiago Gracia to the conquest of the best testimonies.]
To tell this film story, the team formed by Elsa, Jorge and Roberto, decided that it was best to make a fictional part. “We wanted to make a kind of hybrid between documentary and fiction, since we couldn’t make a whole fiction about the subject,” says Tercero. For the recordings they contacted a horse ranch that has been in Teruel for twenty years and took a pleasant surprise. “Just the founder of this association had a descendant within the Puebla de Valverde.” Thanks to this they suddenly added to that family that they had not signed.
For the recreations they did not have actors, they are
the descendants themselves. “They are collaborations of the neighbors and
protagonists of the story,” the conference emphasizes about a very special
participation. “We must name because this year she turned 100 and is the
daughter of an emigrant. She returned from Barcelona to live in Jabaloyas and
her daughter who is taking care of her.” The centenary steals very nice shots
on the screen.
[The longest-living descendants of the
Turolense conquistadors]
Now this legacy is in the audiovisual ‘How we conquer the west and where it took us’ a memory of all those Aragonese who dared to embark on an uncertain journey to the American conquest. “It’s a tribute to be left in memory, because these stories are lost, forgotten. At least with this documentary it will last over time,” the director confides. The docu had a very emotional preview at the Cine Maravillas de Teruel. More than fifty relatives came from Tijuana, Mexico, to learn about their origins. After its premiere in cinemas, you can see later in Aragon TV.
The team is composed
by Pilar Bellé in the script, photography of Jorge De Bautista, Santiago Gracia
as camera operator, Daniel Orta and Isabel Chaverri in sound, Nerea Moreno in
art direction, the makeup is Cristina Sánchez, in graphic design are Pablo Pellicer
and Juan Flores, the costumes is by Arantxa Ezquerro and Laura Sanz, the music
is by José María Rubio and the edition is José Manuel Fandos.
How We Conquered
theWest and Where It Took Us – English translated title
A 2025 Spanish
documentary film [Prolight AudioVisual (Zaragoza)]
Producer: Jorge De
Bautista
Director: Elsa
Tercero
Story: Roberto
Roldán, Raúl Ibáñez
Screenplay: Pilar
Bellé
Cinematography:
Jorge De Bautista, Santiago Gracia
Music: José María
Rubio
Running time: 72
minutes
Story: At the
beginning of the twentieth century, more than a thousand men and women left
behind the lonely lands of Teruel. They embarked into the unknown. They crossed
the ocean in search of a future that overflowed their dreams and entered the
American Wild West, which also held challenges.
Cast:
Holly George, Linda
Lopez, Teodoro Pradas, Ismael Yagües Ames, Mona Yagües, Fermín Yagües, Águeda, Jabaloyas. Maruja Izquierdo Izquierdo,
John Urresti, Raul Ibanez
Trailer link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBbWifVVqBk
Special Birthdays
Wolf Ackva [voice actor] would have been 115 today but died in 2000.
Gene
Kauer (composer) would have been 105 today but died in 1983.
Nello
Appodia (actor) would have been 100 today but died in 2004.
Bruno
Mattei (director) would have been 95 today but died in 2007.
Gian
(Gian Fabio Bosco) (actor) would have been 90 today but died in 2010.
Dragomir
Stanojevic (actress) would have been 85 today but died in 2017.
Wednesday, July 29, 2026
Little Known Spaghetti Western Actors ~ Ely Draco
Ely Draco is an alias used by Italian actress Ely Drago. Either the name Draco was a misspelling in the credits, or an actual alias is unknown.
Ely appeared in only five films between 1959 and 1965. She’s best remembered for playing Jocasta in “Ercole al centro della terrra” (1961, directed by Mario Bava and starring Christopher Lee, Leonora Ruffo and Marisa Belli, and as Gina in “Eccellenza si fermo a mangiare” (1961) directed by Mario Mattoli.
Other than that, I can find no biographical information on her.
As Ely Draco she appeared in one Spaghetti western, “Que viva Carrancho!” (The Man from Canyon City) as Rosario in 1965.
DRACO, Ely (aka Ely Dracò) (Ely Drago) [Italian] – film actress.
The Man from Canyon City – 1965 (Rosario)
Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers
Spaghetti Western Director ~ Cecil M. Hepworth
Born on March 19, 1874, in Lambeth, London, the son of a celebrated magic lantern showman, Hepworth entered the film industry in 1899 after assisting early cinematographers and authoring the first British book on the subject, Animated Photography, The ABC of the Cinematograph (1897). He converted a house in Walton-on-Thames into a studio that same year, where he and his company—initially Hepworth and Co, later the Hepworth Manufacturing Company and Hepworth Picture Plays—produced a wide range of films, from scenic actualities and trick shorts to more developed narratives. His early works included innovative comic shorts such as “How It Feels to Be Run Over” (1900) and “Explosion of a Motor Car” (1900), which demonstrated early special effects and editing.
Hepworth's most notable achievements include “Alice in Wonderland” (1903), the first screen adaptation of Lewis Carroll's story, and “Rescued by Rover” (1905), a major success that popularized continuous narrative editing, camera movement, and the use of animal performers in British cinema. He developed a distinctive pictorial style emphasizing scenic beauty, long takes, and frontal staging, while nurturing stars like Alma Taylor and producing adaptations such as “Oliver Twist” (1912) and “Hamlet” (1913). His company thrived for decades but collapsed in 1924 due to financial over-expansion, leading to the loss of most original negatives.
After the bankruptcy, Hepworth toured with lectures on the origins of cinema and published his autobiography, Came the Dawn, in 1951. He died on February 9, 1953 in Greenford, Middlesex, a month shy of turning 80. having outlasted many of his contemporaries among British film pioneers despite his adherence to a traditional aesthetic that became outdated in the face of Hollywood's narrative advances.
HEPWORTH, Cecil M. (aka Cecil Hepworth) (Cecil Milton Hepworth) [3/19/1873, Lewisham, London,
England, U.K. – 2/9/1953, Greenford, Middlesex, England, U.K.] – producer,
director, cinematographer, actor, married to writer, actress Mrs. Hepworth (Margaret Hope McGuffie) [1874–1917] (1902-1917) father of
actress Barbara Hepworth (Elizabeth
Barbara Hepworth) [1904-1997], Blanche Margaret Hepworth
[1907-19??], Thomas Andrew Hepworth [1910-19??], married to singer Olive
Elizabeth ‘Betty’ Walter [1903-1972] (1929-1953) father of Valerie Hepworth
[1932-2009], co-founded Hepwix Pictures [1899], founded Hepworth Film Mfg. Co.
later known as Hepworth Picture Plays.
The Indian Chief and
the Seidlitz Powder - 1901
Spaghetti Western Screenwriters ~ Alberto Damiani
Alberto Damiani is was an Italian screenwriter and script supervisor of which little is known. He worked as script advisor on nine films between 1977 and 1992 and as a screenwriter on five films between 1964 and 1999.
He’s the brother of director Amasi Damiani aand they worked together on several films.
Alberto Damiani wrote the screenplay for one Spaghetti western, “Una forca per un Bastardo” (A Rope for a Bastard) in 1967 and a western that was never released called “I Fantasmi di Omah-Ri” (The Giant’s Nail, the Legend of Phantom City) with his brother Amasi Damiani in 1971 which was to star Richard Harrison.
DAMIANI, Alberto [Italian] – writer,
brother of director, writer Amasi Damiani [1927-2023].
A Rope for a Bastard
- 1967
I Fantasmi di
Omah-Ri – 1971 (co) [film was never released]
Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Luciano Marzetti
Luciano Marzetti is/was an Italian cinematographer, cameraman, film editor and Special Effects artist. He worked as a cinematographer on fourteen films between 1960 and 1995, was an SFX artist on two films in 1965 and 1968 and was a cameraman on one film in 1992.
I can find no biographical information on him.
Luciano worked as a cinematographer on two Euro-westerns: The Italian television animated western series ‘Unca Dunca’ from 1961-1970 and the animated film “West and Soda” with Roberto Scarpa in 1964.
MARZETTI, Luciano [Italian] –
cinematographer, cameraman, film editor, SFX.
Unca Dunca (TV) – 1961-1970
West and Soda – 1964
(co)
John Sayles Returns to Directing with Western ‘I Passed This Way,’ Filming in Spain in Fall 2026.
Production List
June 19, 2026
One of American independent cinema’s most distinctive
voices is stepping behind the camera again, John Sayles, the writer-director
who work on films like Lone Star, Matewan, and Passion Fish helped define a
generation of American independent storytelling is set to direct I Passed This
Way, a period Western adapted from Eugene Manlove Rhodes’ 1927 novella Paso Por
Aqui. Principal photography is scheduled to begin October 1, 2026, giving
department heads, crew and location professionals well over a year to position
themselves for what promises to be one of the more creatively ambitious
independent productions of that year. The project is currently in pre-
production, and with its Cannes Film Market introduction already underway, the
timeline to key hiring decisions is accelerating.
Who Are Those Guys? ~ Victor French
Victor French was an American actor and director best known for his portrayals of Isaiah Edwards in the NBC series ‘Little House on the Prairie’ (1974–1983) and Mark Gordon in the CBS series ‘Highway to Heaven’ (1984–1989).
Born in Santa Barbara, California on December 4, 1934, to a Hollywood stuntman father, French began his career in the 1950s as a stunt performer and in uncredited acting roles, including an early appearance in ‘Lassie’. He gained prominence through recurring roles in Western television programs such as ‘Gunsmoke’, where he appeared in over 20 episodes and later directed five. French also featured in other notable shows like ‘Get Smart’ as the bumbling Agent 44 and ‘Carter Country’ as Chief Roy Mobey, while making film appearances in “Charro!” (1969) opposite Elvis Presley and “An Officer and a Gentleman” (1982). In addition to acting, he directed episodes of his signature series and earned the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for directing a 1971 production of “12 Angry Men”. A lifelong boxing enthusiast who supported the Ten Goose Boxing Club, French was a close collaborator with producer Michael Landon on their family dramas and passed away from lung cancer at age 54 in Sherman Oaks, California on June 15, 1989.
FRENCH, Victor (Victor Edwin
French) [12/4/1934, Santa
Barbara, California, U.S.A. – 6/15/1989, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. (lung
cancer)] – director, film, TV actor, son of stuntman, actor Ted French (Victor Trenwith French) [1899-1978], married to Judith K.
Schenz [1939- ] (1959-1975) father
Victor A. French Jr. [1960- ], twins
Kelly French [1962- ], producer,
actress Tracy French [1962- ], married
to director, writer, actress, singer Julie Cobb (Julie Frances Cobb)
[1947- ] (1976-1978), inducted into
the Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western
Heritage Museum [1998].
Chato’s Land – 1971 (Martin Hall)
Special Birthdays
Javier De Rivera (actor) would have been 125 today but died in 1993.
Gianfranco
Clerici (actor) is 85 today.
Gabriella
Giorgelli (actress) is 85 today.
Tuesday, July 28, 2026
Little Known Spaghetti Western Actors ~ Charles Drace
[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.]
Charles Drace was born in San Mateo, California on October 31, 1944. The family moved about during his childhood, living in California and Colorado, and eventually he settled with his mother and Richard in Santa Maria, California, for his high school and college years. During his high school and college years he discovered a love of acting which stayed with him for life. He performed in amateur theatre at school and college, and he later went on the train formally at a drama school in London. Throughout his life he performed in more than 60 theatrical pieces, films, videos or TV productions. He even had a couple of stints in Spain filming spaghetti Westerns which was a highlight for him.
After leaving college in Santa Maria, he realized he was in danger of being drafted into the forces and posted to Vietnam, but when walking down the street one day he saw a "Join the Army and see the world" billboard. He enlisted and signed up for four years in West Germany rather than three in South Vietnam. He had some previous experience in electronics and was trained and assigned to be a missile technician. He did not like Army life but appreciated being in Europe and travelled away from his base as often as he could.
When his time finished with the Army he stayed and travelled some more. While he was living and working in Zermatt, he met and married Rachael (a New Zealander working there as a physio), and after some time spent in London, Spain and California they eventually settled in Christchurch. They had two daughters, Lisa and Felicity, and lived in Burwood, on the banks of the Avon River, in a house which he built himself.
It’s impossible to know how many films Drace appeared in as many were small bit parts and uncredited roles.
Charles Drace was in two Spaghetti western, “Cuatro cabalgaron” (Four Rode Out) as Mr. Polson in 1968 and as Mr. Reynolds in the 1993-1994 Euro-television series “Croc blanc” (White Fang) as Mt. Reynolds and a bit part in “C'era una volta il West” (Once Upon a Time in the West) 1968. He also played the part of Mr. Reynolds in the Euro-western TV series “Croc blanc” (White Fang) from 1993-1994.
DRACE, Charles (Charles Albert Drace)
[10/31/1944, San Mateo, California, U.S.A. -
6/24/2025, Christchurch, New Zealand] – author, theater, film, TV actor,
married Rachael Elizabeth Barnes (1971-19??) father of Lisa Elizabeth Drace,
Felicity Judith Drace.
Four Rode Out – 1968 (Mr. Polson)
Once Upon a Time in the West - 1968
White Fang (TV) 1993-1994 (Mr. Reynolds)
Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers
Spaghetti Western Director ~ Peter Henkel
Peter Henkel was a German director, cinematographer, film editor, film actor. Peter Louis Richard Henkel was born in 1924, the son of Benjamin Henkel and his wife, Winifred Maud Hawken. His first known credit was on “The Stolen Cigarette”, a short film made by J. Blake Dalrymple for Tom Tom Cigarettes in what was then Rhodesia. For that he handled the sound, though during his subsequent career he became best known as an editor, working more than once with directors such as Emil Nofal, Jans Rautenbach and Dirk de Villiers. His first feature as editor was “Rip van Wyk”, directed by Emil Nofal for Jamie Uys Filmproduksies and amongst his best-known films were “Die Kandidaat” (1968) and “Katrina” (1969), both directed by Jans Rautenbach. For Truida Pohl’s “Huis op Horings” (1963) he was the main technical advisor, handling the cinematography, the editing and the sound. In the early 1970s he turned to direction and made three South African derivatives of the Italian spaghetti western: “Scotty Smith” (1970), “Three Bullets… for a Long Gun” (1971) and “They Call Me Lucky” (1973). He also worked on a number of sponsored documentaries, frequently returning to J. Blake Dalrymple when he launched Films of Africa.
He was married twice, first to Laura Katharine Cherry and then to Diane Thelma Perry. His grandfather was Caesar Carl Hans Henkel, a German immigrant to South Africa who became a noted cartographer, painter, forester and botanist, especially in the Eastern Cape.
Peter Henkel directed three Spaghetti westerns: “Scotty Smith” 1970 and “3 Bullets... for a Long Gun” in 1970 and “They Call Me Lucky” in 1973.
HENKEL, Peter (aka Peter Henckel)
(Peter Louis Richard Henkel)
[8/12/1924, Dortmund, Duitsland, Germany - 2/14/1992, South Africa] –
director, cinematographer, film editor, film actor, married to Laura Katharine Cherry, married to Diane
Thelma Perry.
Scotty Smith - 1970
3 Bullets... for a
Long Gun – 1970
They Call Me Lucky –
1973
Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Arthur Dales
Arthur Dales was born Arthur L. Dimsdale on April 21, 1914 in Sioux City Iowa. He began his career scripting film shorts in 1938, and went on to write episodes for dozens of television shows up until 1988, including ‘The Adventures of Robin Hood’, ‘Zane Grey Theater’, ‘Ben Casey’, ‘Mannix’, ‘Planet of the Apes’, ‘Medical Center’ and ‘The Six-Million-Dollar Man’. In addition, Dimsdale served as story consultant/story editor for ‘Mannix’, ‘The Zoo Gang’, ‘Planet of the Apes’, ‘Quincy M.E.’, ‘The Six-Million-Dollar Man’ and ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’. He had been blacklisted during the McCarthy era, and was only able to work using a toupee and dark glasses, along with his pseudonym of Arthur Howard Dales. After retiring, he accepted a teaching position with the American Film Institute, where two writers/creators/producers of ‘The X-Files’ Frank Spotnitz and John Shiban, studied under him in 1990 and 1991. They later included tributes to him in several episodes, including using his pseudonym of Arthur Dales for one character and Dimsdale's name in a newspaper in another episode. Howard Dimsdale died in Los Angeles on August 27, 1991.
As Arthur Dales he wrote the screenplay for the Euro-western “The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw” (1958)
DALES, Arthur (aka Arthur Howard
Dales, Arthur Dimsdale) (Howard
Lawrence Dimsdale) [4/21/1914, Sioux
City, Iowa, U.S.A. – 8/27/1991, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. (suicide)] –
producer, writer, married to Harriet R. Dimsdale [1913-1991] (193?-1991) father
of Lynn Donna Dimsdale [1940- ],
Jeffrey Mark Dimsdale [1945- ].
The Sheriff of
Fractured Jaw – 1958
Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Sergio Martino
Sergio Martino was born in Rome, Italy on July 19, 1938 and he is an Italian film director and producer, notable for his contributions to the giallo genre.
Martino is the brother of the late producer Luciano Martino. They collaborated frequently in their respective professions. Their grandfather was director Gennaro Righelli.
Sergio Martino worked for both the big screen as well as for Italian television, where he does most of his current work. He often worked with actress Edwige Fenech, who throughout the 1970s was married to his brother Luciano. He also worked with many genre actors such as George Hilton (who was married to Sergio's cousin), Anita Strindberg, Ivan Rassimov and Claudio Cassinelli, as well as famed Italian screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi.
Martino's pseudonyms include Julian Barry, Martin Dolman, Serge Martin, Christian Plummer, and George Raminto.
Sergio Martino co-wrote the screenplay for one Spaghetti western, “7 pistole per un massacre” (7 Pistols for a Massacre” (Mannaja) in 1967 with Julio Ortas
MARTINO, Sergio (aka Julian Barry,
Martin Dolman, John Hamilton, Serge Martin, Christian Plummer, George Raminto)
[7/19/1938, Rome, Lazio, Italy - ] –
producer, production manager, director, assistant director, writer, cinematographer,
cameraman, actor, grandson of producer, director, writer, film editor, actor
Gennaro Righelli (Gennari Salvatore
Righelli) [1886-1949] actress Maria
Jacobini Righelli [1892-1944], brother of
brother producer, production manager, director, assistant director,
writer, actor Luciano Martino [1933-2013], married to ? father of director
Federica Martino.
7 Pistols for a
Massacre – 1967 (co)
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