RIP Rafael Molina

 

The world of Almeria cinema and the universe of action actors from the towns of the West of Tabernas are in mourning after losing one of the most important figures of the audiovisual population of the province: the businessman Rafael Molina Perales, owner and manager of the town of Fort Bravo-Texas Hollywood, died on September 29^th in Almeria, Spain at the age of 74. Born in the Valencian town of Enguera on June 21, 1952, Rafael Molina arrived at the cinema in the mid-seventies, where he developed for 25 years a career as a stuntman, horseman and stunt double. In 1981 he acquired, together with Paco Ardura, coordinator of semovantes, what was then known as the town of Juan García (its original owner), created in the mid-sixties. A year later they founded the company Decorados Cinematográficos Almería with the aim of continuing to host filming in their facilities. Soon after, the town opened to the public and in 1984 they began to hold specialist shows for visitors. At the beginning of the nineties, the venue was renamed Texas Hollywood and continued to grow with new services and facilities. And since 2008 it has added Fort Bravo to its name. Recently, Molina bought his share from Ardura and was left as the sole owner and manager of the town. Rafael Molina appeared in many westerns in an uncredited capacity. What I can find are four films: “Silver Saddle in 1978 where he performed stunts, “Sons of Trinity” in 1994 as a gambler, ‘El Fantasmo de Fort Bravo (TV)’ in 2014 as himself and the 2014 documentary “Spaghetti Western” as himself.

 

Little Known Spaghetti Western Actors ~ Brian Edwards

[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.]

Brian Edwards is credited by the BFI as a rider in 1965’s” Carry on Cowboy”. Most likely of British origin this is his only credit that I can find and no biographical information on him is available.

EDWARDS, Brian [British] – theater, film actor.

Carry on Cowboy – 1965 (rider)

Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

Spaghetti Western Director ~ Claude Lelouch

 

Claude Lelouch is a French film director, screenwriter, producer, and cinematographer, born on October 30, 1937, in Paris, whose career spanning over six decades has produced over 60 feature films noted for their emotional depth, romantic themes, and technical innovation.

Born to a Sephardic Jewish family—his father from an Algerian Jewish lineage and his mother a convert to Judaism—Lelouch endured a traumatic early childhood in Nazi-occupied France, hiding with his parents to evade persecution during World War II. After the war, his passion for cinema ignited young; at age 13, he won an amateur film prize at the Cannes Film Festival, and shortly after high school, his father gifted him a 16mm camera, encouraging him to document the world. In his late teens, Lelouch traveled to Moscow, where he secretly filmed the Lenin and Stalin mausoleum, earning his first directing fee of $10,000, which funded his early experiments.

Lelouch entered professional filmmaking in the military's film unit before founding his production company, Les Films 13, in 1960—a name reflecting his superstitious affinity for the number 13, tied to his birth year and name. His directorial debut was the feature “Le Propre de l'homme” (1960), but international acclaim arrived with “Un homme et une femme” (A Man and a Woman, 1966), which he wrote, directed, produced, photographed, and edited; the film won the Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Original Screenplay, along with a Best Director nomination, and the Grand Prix at Cannes. This breakthrough launched a prolific output of romantic dramas and ensemble narratives, often exploring love, fate, and human resilience, with recurring collaborators like actors Jean-Louis Trintignant, Anouk Aimée, and Jean-Paul Belmondo.

Among his most notable works are “Vivre pour vivre” (Live for Life, 1967), which earned a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film; “Et maintenant, mon amour” (And Now My Love, 1974), nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film; “Les Uns et les Autres” (1981), winner of the César Award for Best Film; Itinéraire d'un enfant gâté (Itinerary of a Spoiled Child, 1988), featuring Belmondo; and “Les Misérables” (1995), a Golden Globe winner for Best Foreign Language Film. Lelouch's style emphasizes spontaneity, with long takes, natural lighting, and autobiographical elements, often drawing from real-life observations; he has described directing as capturing life's unpredictability, refusing gaps between projects to maintain creative momentum.

Lelouch remains active, directing sequels like “Les Meilleures Années d'une vie” (The Best Years of a Life, 2019), reuniting Trintignant and Aimée from his 1966 classic, “L'Amour c'est mieux à deux” (Love Is Better Than Life, 2022), and “Finalement” (2024). His contributions have been honored with lifetime achievements, including the Directors Guild of America Award nomination in 1967, multiple César Awards, and the Cartier Glory to the Filmmaker Award at the 2024 Venice Film Festival.

Claude Lelouch directed one Euro-western, “Un autre homme, une autre chance” (Another Man, Another Chance) in 1977

LELOUCH, Claude [10/30/1937, Paris, Île-de-France, France -     ] – producer, director, writer, cinematographer, cameraman, film editor, actor, married to Christine Lelouch (1968-1972) father of Simon Lelouch [1969-    ], father of producer, director, actress Sarah Lelouch [1976-    ] with model Gunilla Friden [1950-    ], married to married to actress Evelyne Bouix [1953-    ] (1980-1985) father of Salomé Lelouch [1983-    ], married to actress, singer Marie-Sophie L. (Marie-Sophie Pochat) [1963-    ] (1986-1992) father of  father of actress Sabaya Lelouch [1987-    ], writer, actress Shaya Lelouch [1989-    ], director Seb Lelouch [1990-    ],  married to Alessandra Martines [1963-    ] (1993-2009) father of Stella Lelouch [1999-    ], married to Valérie Perrin [1967-    ] (2023-    ), founded the production company "Les Films 13", received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Cartier Glory to the Filmmaker Award in 2024

Another Man, Another Chance – 1977

 

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Axel Eggebrecht

 

Axel Constantin August Eggebrecht was a German journalist, writer, and screenwriter known for his extensive career spanning the Weimar Republic, Nazi Germany, and post-war period, during which he contributed to leftist journalism, film scripts, and pioneering radio broadcasting while navigating political persecution and regime changes.

Born on January 10, 1899, in Leipzig, Eggebrecht's early life included military service in World War I, where he was severely wounded, followed by political radicalization leading him to join the Communist Party of Germany (KPD) in 1920. He participated in revolutionary activities, worked in film propaganda promoting Soviet movies, attended the 1924 Comintern Congress in Moscow, and left the party disillusioned in 1925 before transitioning to roles as a dramaturge at UFA and contributor to “Die Weltbühne”. His first novel, Leben einer Prinzessin, appeared in 1928, alongside early screenwriting efforts.

A vocal opponent of National Socialism from 1930, Eggebrecht was arrested in 1933 and interned in the Hainewalde concentration camp for several months, with a second arrest later that year effectively barring him from open journalistic work. To survive during the Nazi era, he authored politically neutral screenplays for films including “Bel Ami” (1939), “Wiener Blut” (1942), and others, often under constraints or pseudonyms.

Following World War II, with his Berlin home destroyed by bombing, Eggebrecht relocated and at the invitation of British authorities co-founded Nordwestdeutscher Rundfunk (NWDR) in 1945, where he helped establish radio journalism in the occupation zone and reported on early Nazi war-crimes trials. He collaborated with Peter Lorre on the novelization and screenplay for “Der Verlorene” (1951), continued screenwriting into the 1950s with titles such as “Stresemann” (1956), and later produced television documentaries including ‘Der Röhm-Putsch’ (1970). His career reflects a politically mobile intellectual who adapted to successive German historical contexts while maintaining a commitment to cultural and journalistic work.

Axel Eggebrecht died in Hamburg, Germany on July 14, 1991 at the age of 92.

Axel Eggebrecht co-wrote the screenplay for one Euro-western, “Gold für Frisco” (Gold in New Frisco) with Ernst Hasselbach

EGGEBRECHT, Axel (Axel Constantin August Eggebrecht) [1/10/1899, Leipzig, Danzig, Germany – 7/14/1991, Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany] – writer, actor, married to writer, actress Inge Stolten [1921-1993] (1982-1991), co-founder of the Nordwestdeutscher Rundfunk (Northwest German Broadcasting Co.) [1945].

Gold in New Frisco – 1939 (co)

 

Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Thomas Pollock

 

Thomas Pollock is a freelance film producer, director and cinematographer. Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland and having studied film at both Ulster University and Montana State University, Thomas has worked across a variety of media, but with a focus on fiction drama. After graduating he founded Frontier Pictures where he made several short films, feature concepts, music videos and documentaries. Notable titles include Victories, a WW1 drama that had a successful festival run and is available on Amazon Prime Video. Another film Flags & Emblems screened at Dinard Festival of British CInema, Chicago Irish Film Festival and Louth International Film Festival. Rozkvet marks his directorial debut as a director. Alongside this his recent work as a producer includes The Unholylands; an Irish comedy that had a 6-week Nationwide theatrical run and is now streaming on BBC iPlayer.

Thomas Pollock was a cinematographer on two Euro-westerns: “Down There by the Train” and “King of Spades” both in 2017.

POLLOCK, Thomas [19??, Belfast, Northern Ireland -     ] – producer, director, cinematographer, film editor.

Down There by the Train – 2017

King of Spades - 2017

“Beyond”

 

Beyond – International title

 

A 2025 Belgium short film production [Deep Dreams Films ()]

Producers: Margaux Colarusso, Brandon Gotto, Vivian Audag

Director: Margaux Colarusso

Story: Margaux Colarusso

Screenplay: Margaux Colarusso

Cinematography: Brandon Gotto [color]

Music: Morgan De Carvalho

Running time: 20 minutes

 

Cast:

Narrator - Jacques Van Den Biggelaar

John Hayes - Kevin J. Ziane

Indian squaw - Margaux Colarusso

 

Story: As America plunges into a ruthless war against indigenous peoples, Private John Hayes loses faith in the cause he fought for. Destroyed and consumed by guilt, he defects and takes refuge in a remote cave in the heart of nature. Alone, he faces his inner demons.

 

Who Are Those Guys? ~ Vito Gagliardi

 

Vittorio (Vito) Gagliardi known to Spaghetti western film fans as Thomas Rudy was born in Puglia, Apulia, Italy on April 5, 1941. Usually billed as Thomas or Tomas Rudy he appeared in some 22 films between 1969 and 1981. His familiar face where he usually played Mexicans is remembered for the small roles, he appeared in ten Italian Spaghetti westerns and comedy sex films of the 1970s. He’s probably best remembered as Emiliano in “They Call Me Trinity”; and as Luis Miguel Cortejo in “Adiós, Sabata both 1970.

Gagliardi died after a short illness in Rome on September 15, 2021 at the age of 80.

GAGLIARDI, Vito (aka Thomas Rudi, Tomas Rudy, Rudy Thomas) (Vittorio Gagliardi) [4/5/1941, Puglia, Apulia, Italy – 9/15/2021, Rome, Lazio, Italy] – film actor, married to Enrica Paletta (19??-2021).

Night of the Serpent – 1969 (Mexican soldier) [as Thomas Rudy]

The Stranger’s Gundown – 1969 (Rowland) [as Tomas Rudi]

Adiós, Sabata – 1970 (Luis Miguel Cortejo) [as Thomas Rudy]

The Last Rebel – 1970 (deputy) [as Tomas Rudy]

They Call Me Trinity – 1970 (Emiliano) [as Thomas Rudy]

Bastard, Go and Kill - 1971 Corporal Manuel [as Tomas Rudy]

Blazing Guns – 1971 (lieutenant) [as Tomás Rudy

Blindman – 1971 (Mexican soldier) [as Thomas Rudy]

He was Called the Holy Ghost – 1971 (lieutenant)

Porno-Erotic Western – 1978 (The Son/Feet) [as Thomas Rudy]

Little Known Spaghetti Western Actors ~ Allan Edwall

[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.]

Johan Allan Edvall was a Swedish actor, director, author, composer, and singer renowned for his prolific career spanning theater, film, television, and music. Born into a working-class family in Rödön, Jämtland,on August 25, 1924. with a father active in trade unions and communism, Edwall trained at Stockholm's drama school from 1949 to 1952 and graduated from the Royal Dramatic Theatre's Acting School.

He amassed over 400 roles across various media, directed films, and contributed as a songwriter and performer on records.

Internationally, Edwall gained recognition for supporting roles in Ingmar Bergman's films, including “The Virgin Spring” (1960), “Through a Glass Darkly” (1961), “Fanny and Alexander” (1982), and “The Sacrifice” (1986).

Domestically, he earned acclaim for portraying Anton Svensson in “Emil and the Piglet” (1973), securing the Guldbagge Award for Best Actor in 1974, and appeared in adaptations like “The Brothers Lionheart” (1977) and “Ronia, the Robber's Daughter” (1984).

Edwall succumbed to prostate cancer in Stockholm on February 7, 1997, at age 72, leaving a legacy as one of Sweden's most versatile and beloved performers in stage and screen.

Allan Edwall appeared in two Euro-westerns: He appeared as Danjel in both “Utvandrarna” (The Emigrants) in 1970 and the sequel “Nybyggarna” (The New Land) in 1972.

EDWALL, Allan (aka Allan Edvall) (Johan Allan Edvall) [8/25/1924, Rödön, Jämtlands län, Sweden – 2/7/1997, Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden (prostate cancer)] – director, writer, songwriter, theater, film, TV actor, songwriter, singer, married to Berit Linnéa Larsson [1925-    2000] (1947-1952) father of Jan Mikael Edwall [1948-2016], married to director, actress Britt Elin Edwall (Britt Elin Halvarsson) [1935-2025] (1957-1965) father of cinematographer, photographer Mattias Edwall [1958-    ], playwright musician Måns Edwall [1960-    ], actress Malin Edwall [1961-    ].

The Emigrants – 1970 (Danjel)

The New Land – 1972 (Danjel)

Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

Spaghetti Western Director ~ Luciano Lelli

 

Luciano Lelli was an alias used by Luciano Sacripanti, an Italian assistant director and production manager known for his extensive work on international film and television productions, particularly those filmed in Italy during the mid-to-late 20th century. He contributed to numerous high-profile projects as first assistant director or second unit director, including the fantasy epics “Krull” (1983) and “Ladyhawke” (1985), where he oversaw Italian units. His career also encompassed early roles in unit management on major Hollywood productions shot in Italy, such as “Quo Vadis” (1951) and “War and Peace” (1956).

Born on December 29, 1927, in Rome, Lazio, Italy, Sacripanti entered the film industry in the early 1950s and built a long career focused on logistical and directorial support for both feature films and television. He accumulated dozens of assistant director credits on diverse projects, ranging from adventure films like “Clash of the Titans” (1981) to television miniseries such as ‘Noble House’ (1988) and ‘The Son of Sandokan’ (1998). He occasionally took on writing duties, including for “Bang Bang Kid” (1967), and held production management positions on several productions.

Sacripanti was married to Carole Murdoch and Winifred Richardson.  He died on March 20, 2000, in Rome, Lazio, Italy, after a career that bridged Italy's postwar cinema boom with the era of large-scale international co-productions filmed there.

As Luciano Lelli he co-directed one Spaghetti western, “Bang, Bang” (The Bang Bang Kid) with Stanley Prager and Giorgio Gentili in 1967.

LELLI, Luciano (aka Lucky Mildon, Lucky Sacripanti) (Luciano Sacripanti) [12/29/1927, Rome, Lazio, Italy – 3/20/2000, Rome, Lazio, Italy] – production manager, director, assistant director, writer, actor, brother of assistant director Mauro Sacripanti [1934-2015], married to Winifred Richardson (1956-19??), married to Carole Murdoch (1962-1980).

The Bang-Bang Kid – 1967 (co)

 

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Werner Ebert

German sources credit Werner Ebert as a co-writer on one film and that was the Spaghetti western, “Aventuras del Oeste” (7 Hours of Gunfire) with Jose Romero Marchent and Pino Passalaqua in 1965.

No other information is available on him.

EBERT, Werner [German] – writer.

7 Hours of Gunfire – 1965 (co)

 

Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Elio Polacchi

Elio Polacchi is/was an Italian cameraman and cinematographer. He worked behind the scenes as a cameraman on seventy-nine films between 1950 and 1981. He also worked as a cinematographer on three films between 1961 and 1973.

Polacchi was an Italian assistant cameraman, camera operator and director of photography, active in cinema from the first half of the forties at least until the seventies. The personal documentation on him is extremely scarce, while his professional career can be reconstructed with some precision thanks to film credits and above all to a long personal testimony released in 1999, when he declared that he was 74 years old and had already retired from the business for some time.

Polacchi recalled that he had started working in cinema in 1942, participating in a film directed by Mario Soldati. However, he did not indicate the title of the work, so it is preferable not to identify it arbitrarily. The second film of his career was “Il fanciullo del West”, directed by Giorgio Ferroni and starring Erminio Macario. This first phase was typical of the technical apprenticeship in the photography department, with camera assistance tasks.

Elio Polacchi was a co-cinematographer on one Spaghetti western, “La sceriffa” (The Sheriff) with Sergio Pesce in 1959. As a cameraman Elio worked on five westerns: “Una signora dell’ovest” (Lady of the West) in 1942, “Lo sceriffo che non spara” (The Sheriff Won’t Shoot) in 1965, “Un minuto per pregare, un istante per morire” (A Minute to Pray, a Second to Die) in 1967, “Un buco in fronte” (Hole in the Forehead) in 1968 and “Il mio nome è Nessuno” (My Name is Sobody) in 1973.

During the early fifties he progressively acquired greater professional autonomy. In 1952 he worked as a cameraman on La leggenda del Piave, while in 1953 he was a camera operator on Un giorno in pretura, directed by Steno, with photography by Marco Scarpelli. The film, built through several court cases, brought together performers such as Peppino De Filippo, Alberto Sordi, Silvana Pampanini, Walter Chiari and a young Sophia Loren.

POLACCHI, Elio [1925, Italy - ?] – cameraman, cinematographer.

The Lady of the West – 1942 [cameraman]

The Sheriff – 1959 (co) [cinematographer]

The Sheriff Won't Shoot – 1965 [cameraman]

A Minute to Pray, a Second to Die – 1967 [cameraman]

Hole in the Forehead – 1968 [cameraman]

My Name is Nobody - 1973 [cameraman]

“Dance to the Death”

 

A Dance to the Death – English title

 

A 2025 British short film production [8:32 Films (London)]

Producers: Eva Onsrud, Alexander Simkin

Director: Alexander Simkin

Story: Alexander Simkin

Screenplay: Alexander Simkin

Cinematography: Ashley Rees [color]

Music: Marcin Mazurek

Running time: 14 minutes

 

Cast:

Jack Parr, Aron Von Andrian, Alexander Simkin, Cecile Sinclair

 

Story: In 1880, somewhere in the West, a sheriff chasing two bank robbers stops a carriage with three ladies, but all is not as it seems.

 

Voices of the Spaghetti western “Zorro the Fox”

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today we’ll cover “Zorro the Fox”

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

Don Diego di Alcantara/Zorro – George Ardisson (I) Luciano Melani, (S) Manolo García, (G) Erich Räuker

Don Pedro – Giacomo Rossi Stuart (I) Michele Kalamera, (S) José Guardiola, (G) Christian Rode

John Gardner – Paolo Todisco (I) Rino Bolognesi, (S) Javier Dotú, (G) Bodo Wolf

Sergeant Gomez - Pedro Sanchez (I) Carlo Croccolo, (S) José Martínez Blanco, (G) Horst Lampe

 

 

 

 

Erich Räuker  (1953 -    )

Erich Räuker was born on June 25, 1953. He is a German musician, voice actor and radio play and audiobook speaker. He synchronizes performers of several series, for example Richard Dean Anderson in ‘Stargate’, Robert Duncan McNeill in ‘Star Trek: Spaceship Voyager’, Hugh Bonneville in ‘Downton Abbey’, Carlo Rota in ‘24’, Patrick Warburton in ‘Kim Possible’, Naoya Uchida in ‘Death Note Anime’, Yuji Mikimoto in : ‘Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2’, Nathaniel Parker ‘Neon Genesis Evangelionin’ Merlin Synchronized version), Hidekatsu Shibata in ‘Fullmetal Alchemist’ (Anime) and ‘Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood’, Hideyuki Hori in ‘Dragonball Z’, Katsuyuki Konishi in ‘Dragonball Z Kai’ and Shinpachi Tsuji in ‘Edens Zero’. He is also featured in films such as “The Seventh Papyrus Roll” and “The House of Damnation”. As a bass player he played until 1981 with the Berlin rock band Bleibtreu Revue and before with Ulla Meinecke. He was also a long-time member of the Rocktheater Reineke Fuchs.

Räuker lives and works in Großbeeren near Berlin. He is the father of Oscar Räuker, who also serves as a voice actor. He is the operator of Weltenton, a manufacturing publisher of music and audiobooks. Räuker is a sponsoring member of various non-profit organizations such as Amnesty, Greenpeace and Foodwatch.