Veterans Day 2026

 

RIP Stacy Keach

 

American theater, film and television actor Stacy Keach died from heart disease and heart failure at his home in Magdalenka, Poland on November 10^th, he was 85. Born Walter Keach, Jr. in Savannah, Georgia on June 2, 1941, the son of producer, director, actor Stacy Krach Sr. [1914-2003], and brother of producer, director, writer, actor James Keach [1947- ] and uncle of producer actor Kalen Keach [1977.During his six-decade career, Keach earned recognition for his standout character roles, portraying a wide range of gruff, hard-nosed authority figures, troubled antiheroes, and morally complex men. Among his most famous roles are aging boxer Billy Tully in 1972’s “Fat City”, rookie cop Roy Fehler in 1972’s “The New Centurions”, bumbling narcotics officer Sergeant. Stedenko in 1978’s “Up in Smoke”, white supremacist leader Cameron Alexander in 1998’s “American History X”, and small-town bully Ed Pegram in 2013’s “Nebraska”. Keach appeared in one Spaghetti western ‘Doc’ as Doctor John Henry ‘Doc’ Holliday in 1970.

Little Known Spaghetti Western Actors ~ Mary Carmen Encalado

[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.]

Mary Carmen Encalado is/was a Spanish bailaora (flamenco dancer). Little if anything is known beyond that and I can find no biographical information on her.

Mary Carmen Encalado appeared in one Spaghetti western, “Il segno di Coyote” as Rocio in 1963.

ENCALADO, Mary Carmen (Maria Carmen Encalada) [Spanish] – film actress.

The Sign of the Coyote – 1963 (Rocio)

Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

Spaghetti Western Director ~ Aristide Massaccesi

Joe D'Amato born Aristide Massaccesi was a prolific Italian film director, cinematographer, screenwriter, and producer renowned for his extensive output in exploitation cinema, encompassing genres such as horror, erotic thrillers, and hardcore pornography. Over a career spanning more than four decades, he directed approximately 200 films, often working under numerous pseudonyms to navigate the Italian film industry's constraints and to appeal to international markets. His work frequently blurred boundaries between mainstream genre filmmaking and extreme content, including adaptations of popular series like the “Black Emanuelle” films and original horror entries such as “Anthropophagous” (1980).

Born in Rome on December 15, 1936, to a father employed as an electrician in the Italian film industry, Massaccesi entered the field at age 14, starting with menial tasks before advancing to roles as a still photographer and camera operator in the 1950s.2 By the late 1960s, he had established himself as a director of photography on notable genre productions. He made his directorial debut in 1972 with the spaghetti Western “Stay Away from Trinity When He Comes to Eldorado”, initially using pseudonyms to protect his cinematography reputation.

D'Amato's breakthrough came in the mid-1970s when he adopted his most famous alias for “Emanuelle in America” (1977), the third entry in the Black Emanuelle series, which mixed adventure with explicit eroticism and propelled him into international notoriety. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, he diversified into gothic horror with films like “Beyond the Darkness” (1979) and “Death Smiles on a Murderer” (1973), often eroticizing themes of decay and violence, while also producing post-apocalyptic sci-fi and fantasy series such as the Ator films, low-budget riffs on “Conan the Barbarian”. In 1980, he founded the production company Filmirage, which enabled him to control distribution and create multiple versions of his films, ranging from softcore to hardcore, to suit varying censorship standards.

In the 1980s and 1990s, D'Amato increasingly focused on hardcore pornography, directing titles like “Porno Holocaust” (1980) and “Erotic Nights of the Living Dead” (1979), which combined adult content with horror elements, solidifying his reputation in cult and underground cinema. His final film, “Showgirl” (1999), was another adult feature, released shortly before his death from a heart attack in Rome at age 62. Despite critical disdain for much of his output, D'Amato's versatility and sheer productivity have earned him a lasting place in discussions of Italian B-movies and exploitation genres.2

Aristide Massaccesi directed six Spaghetti and Euro-westerns: “Scansati... a Trinità arriva Eldorado” (Stay Away from Trinity When He Comes to Eldorado) and “Un bounty killer a Trinità” (A Bounty Killer for Trinity) with Oskar Santaniello 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,  Mel Rose,Joan Russel, 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, Dick Spitfire, 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, cinematogra”pher, cameraman Daniele Massaccesi, Francesca Massaccesi, founded Filmirage Productions, founded Kristal Productions.

Stay Away from Trinity When He Comes to Eldorado – 1972 [as Dick Spitfire]

A Bounty Killer for Trinity – 1972 (co) [as Oscar Faradine]

Red Coat – 1974 [as Joe D’Amato]

Outlaws Parts 1 & 2 – 1997 [as Joe D’Amato]

2020 Texas Gladiators – 1982 (co) [as Kevin Mancuso]

Calamity Jane 1 & 2 – 1999 [as Joe D’Amato]

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Paul Flon

Paul Nicolas Flon is a Belgian cinematographer and director known for his contributions to Belgian cinema, beginning his career in 1914 and working through the silent and sound eras up to the 1970s. Born on October 6, 1898, in Brussels, Belgium., Flon started as a cinematographer before directing silent films and propaganda features in the 1920s, later focusing primarily on cinematography while sporadically directing.

He began his film career in 1914 as cinematographer on “Maudite soit la guerre” (War Is Hell), directed by Alfred Machin. He gained recognition for directing films that highlighted technical proficiency and patriotic themes, including the propaganda feature “Belgique” (1920), which was praised for its quality in acting, photography, and overall production values comparable to leading foreign works. Among his most notable directorial efforts is “Dans Bruges-la-morte” (1924), an adaptation set in Bruges and filmed with Belgian actors such as Francis Martin and Suzanne Christy. He also directed “In the Way of Zorro” (1926) and later returned to directing with “Fête de quartier” (1955) and several documentary shorts in the 1970s.

Throughout his career, Flon worked extensively as a cinematographer on Belgian productions spanning from 1914 to the late 1950s, notably as chief cinematographer for Gaston Schoukens from 1926 to 1959, contributing to films such as “Bossemans et Coppenolle” (1938), “Naissance d'une cite” (1944), and “Scandale à la Belgique Joyeuse” (1959). His multifaceted involvement in both directing and cinematography helped bridge the silent and sound eras in Belgian film history.

Paul Flon remained active in the film industry until at least the late 1950s for cinematography credits, with directing continuing into the 1970s. His last known cinematography credit was on “Scandale à la Belgique Joyeuse” (1959).

Flon died on August 10, 1981, in Jette, Belgium at the age of 82.

Paul Flon was a screenwriter on one Silent Euo-western which he also directed. “À la manière de Zorro” (In the Way of Zorro) in 1926

FLON, Paul [10/6/1898, Brussels, Belgium – 8/10/1981, Jette, Belgium] – producer, director, assistant director, writer, cinematographer, cameraman,

In the Way of Zorro – 1926

 

Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Ferd Sebastian

Ferdinand ‘Ferd’ Sebastian was a self-described “redneck” and photographer-by-trade, Ferd, as with George Romero of Night of the Living Dead fame before him, transitioned from photography to directing television commercials. In a 2018 interview with VideoScope, Ferd recalled casting one of those early spots, for the National Bank of Austin, with a University of Texas friend of his cousin Scott: an aspiring model named Farrah Fawcett.

It began when a 19-year-old Ferdinand Sebastian met an 18-year-old Beverly Cawthorne at a Houston, Texas, roller skating rink in 1952; they ran away to get married a mere ten-days after they met and remained married for the next seven decades.

Ferdinand Sebastian as Fred Schulman was a cinematographer on one Euro-western, “Les chevauchées amoureuses de zorro” (The Erotic Adventures of Zorro) in 1972. The couple made some of the best grindhouse flicks of the 1970s. Their film “Gator Bait” (1974) is possibly the signature appearance by B-movie legend Claudia Jennings. The tragic starlet (she died in a car crash in 1979 aged just 29) also appeared in the couple's proto-slasher “The Single Girls” (also 1974). With a canny eye always on a trend, The Sebastians also rode the success of the early 80s slasher with the rock-themed “Rocktober Blood” (1984).

Ferd Sebastian died in Homosassa, Florida from a stroke on March 27, 2022 at the age of 88. Beverly died the same year at age 89.

Ferdinand Sebastian was a cinematographer on one Euro-western, “Les Chevauchées amoureuses de Zorro! (The Erotic Adventures of Zorro) in 1972.

SEBASTIAN, Ferd (aka Ferdinand Sebastien) (Ferdinand Sebastian Jr.) [7/25/1933, Travis County, Texas, U.S.A. - 3/27/2022, Homosassa, Florida, U.S.A. (stroke)] – producer, director, writer, cinematographer, cameraman, composer, film editor, actor, married to producer, director, writer, cinematographer, film editor, actress Beverly Sebastian [1933-2022] (1953-2022) father of producer, writer, SFX, stuntman, actor Ben Sebastian [1957-    ], actor Tracy L. Sebastian [1961-    ], founded Sebastian International Pictures,

The Erotic Adventures of Zorro – 1972

ONÉSIME ON THE WAR PATH

 

1913, France

Aka… Onésime Sur le Sentier de la Guerre / ‘Onésime On the War Path’ (Fr), Onésime Peau-Rouge / ‘Onésime the Indian’ / Onésime Correspondant de Guerre / ‘Onésime War Correspondent’ (alt Fr)

Running time: 335mt (Fr)

Production Company: Société des Etablissements L. Gaumont [Léon Gaumont]

Distributor: Société des Etablissements L. Gaumont [Léon Gaumont] (03/13, Fr)

Director: Jean Durand; P: Léon Gaumont

Cast: C: Onésime [Ernest Bourbon] (Onésime), Gaston Modot (Perno Gomez) & Berthe Dagmar [Albertine-Marie Hamon] (Carmencita Olavacca), Léon Pollos & Alphonse Fouché (Indians)

     Comments: ONÉSIME ON THE WAR PATH was the second of two westerns that starred Ernest Bourbon as ‘Onésime’. The other was ONÉSIME HAS A COWBOY-STYLE DUEL (1912, Fr).  Bourbon appeared in dozens of 'Onésime'  films. Gaumont took an ad out for 'Onésime Sur le Sentier de la Guerre' in the French Ciné-Journal on March 8, 1913, with the tagline ‘Aventures iresistiblement comiques du legendaire héros chez les Indiens’ / ‘The legendary heroes adventures among the Indians’.

     Miss Dagmar and director Jean Durand were married.

     Just for the record the name ‘Onésime’ is of Greek origin meaning "useful" or "beneficial” person.

[submitted by Michael Ferguson]

Who Are Those Gals ~ Dada Gallotti

 

Dada Gallotti was born Aldina Piera Gallotti, on April 8, 1935, in Milan, Italy. She is an Italian actress known for her prolific career as a character actress in Italian genre cinema during the 1960s and 1970s. She became one of the most active supporting performers in European popular films, appearing in a wide range of genres including spaghetti westerns, crime thrillers, giallo films, historical epics, and erotic dramas. She frequently performed under alternative stage names such as Diana Garson for international releases and was noted for her strong screen presence in supporting and character roles.

Gallotti began her screen career in the early 1960s and collaborated with directors such as Lucio Fulci and Gianfranco Parolini on projects including “Adiós, Sabata” and “The Psychic”. Her work contributed significantly to the stylistic identity of Italian commercial cinema in the post-neorealist era, and she remained active into the early 1990s. Her extensive filmography continues to attract interest among enthusiasts of cult and exploitation films.

During the 1960s and 1970s, Dada Gallotti established herself as one of the most prolific supporting actresses in Italian popular cinema, appearing in dozens of films across various genres and contributing to the era's prolific output of commercial genre pictures.

Her activity was especially dense from the early 1960s through the mid-1970s, with frequent supporting turns that capitalized on her ability to portray diverse character types including bourgeois ladies, adventuresses, and helpful friends or authority figures.

After a hiatus of several years, she made a single return to acting with a television role in 1992, appearing as Giornalista in six episodes of the Italian comedy series ‘Un inviato molto speciale’. This marked her last known credit, after which she retired permanently from the profession.

GALLOTTI, Dada (aka Dada Galloti, Dada Galore, Dada Galotti, Diana Garson, Diana Garsón) (Aldina Piera Gallotti) [4/8/1935, Milan, Lombardy, Italy -     ] – film, TV actress, married to entrepreneur Otto Lughin (198?-    ).

Lost Treasure of the Aztecs – 1964 (Ilona)

Epitaph for a Fast Gun – 1965 (Nora Kenton) [as Diana Garsón]

Johnny West – 1965 (Ginger) [as Diana Garsón]

Johnny Yuma – 1966 (Susan)

Pour un dollar amour – 1966 (sheriff’s daughter) [as Dada Galloti]

Lola Colt – 1967 (Virginia Blake)

Hate for Hate – 1967 (Mrs. Driscoll) [as Alba Gallotti]

Shotgun - 1967 (Mary Mulligan)

$10,000 Blood Money – 1967 (Scarface/Bobo’s woman)

Vengeance is Mine – 1967 (saloon singer)

Heads or Tails – 1968 (Lilly)

Saguaro – 1968 (Julie/Giulia)

Three Silver Dollars – 1968 (Mrs. Garland)

The Long Ride of Revenge – 1970 (Deborah Luke/Carter)

Blazing Guns – 1971 (Madam Mae)

These Damned Pounds of Gold – 1971 (Carol Wolley)

God in Heaven, Arizona on Earth – 1972 (Nora)

7 Devil’s on Horseback – 1972 (Sister)

Once Upon a Time in the Wild Wild West – 1973 (saloon girl)

The Son of Zorro – 1973 (Mathilda Leblanche)

Special Birthdays

Antonio Casas (actor) would have been 115 today but died in 1982.

Sergio Doré (actor) would have been 110 today but died in 1997.

Little Known Spaghetti Western Actors ~ Takis Emmanuel

[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.]

Takis Emmanuel was a Greek actor known for his contributions to Greek cinema and international films during the 1960s and 1970s, often appearing in dramatic productions.

His career featured roles in notable works such as “The Magus” (1968) directed by Guy Green, showcasing his versatility in English-language projects alongside prominent casts.

Born Takis Ammanuouil on January 4, 1933, in Missolonghi, Greece, Emmanuel developed his craft in the Greek film industry before gaining exposure in international co-productions. His performances often reflected dramatic themes, earning him recognition for his screen presence.

He continued acting into later decades and died on August 26, 2017, in Athens, leaving a legacy of memorable supporting roles in films addressing human drama. Emmanuel's work bridged Greek national cinema with global productions, making him a distinctive figure in mid-20th-century Mediterranean filmmaking.

Takis Emmanuel appeared in two Spaghetti westerns: “C’era un a volta il west” (Once Upon a Time in the West) as one of Frank’s henchmen at Harmonica’s brother’s hanging in 1968 and “Cañones para Córdoba” (Cannon for Cordoba) as Campo in 1970.

EMMANUEL, Takis (Takis Ammanuouil) [1/4/1933, Missolonghi, Etoloakarnania, Greece – 8/26/2017, Athens, Greece] – producer, director, author, writer, stage, film, TV actor.

Once Upon a Time in the West – 1968 (Frank henchman at hanging)

Cannon for Cordoba – 1970 (Campo)

Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

Spaghetti Western Director ~ Pere Marzo

Pere Marzo is a Spanish producer, production manager, director, film editor and film actor from Barcelona. He’s produced five films since 2019, edited ten since 2014 and directed one Euro-western, “Goodbye Ringo” in 2017 and the TV documentary ‘Esplugas City, West of Barcelona’ in 2016.

He lives and works in Barcelona where he graduated from the Universitat Pompeu Fabra and also attended post graduate studies. His award winning film “Goodbye Ringo” was a development as part of the Master in Creative Documentary at UPF Barcelona School of Management.

MARZO, Pere (Pere Marzo Font) [199?, Barcelona, Spain -     ] – producer, production manager, director, film editor, film actor, co-founded Colibris Studio [2015]

Esplugas City, West of Barcelona (TV) - 2016

Goodbye Ringo – 2017

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Walter Fleming

Walter Fleming is an alias used by Italian director, assistant director, writer, film editor Luigi Petrini. He is known for his work in 1970s and 1980s Italian genre cinema, particularly in action, crime, and exploitation films. Born in Rome on December 7, 1934 1, he directed and wrote several low-budget features that reflected the era's popular poliziotteschi and controversial exploitation trends.

His notable directorial credits include “Day of Violence” (1977), “White Pop Jesus” (1980), and “A suon di lupara” (1968), often blending violent action with social commentary or sensational elements. Petrini also contributed as a writer and assistant director on other projects during his career. He died in Rome on June 12, 2010 at the age of 75.

Luigi Petrini using the alias Walter Fleming wrote the screenplay for one Spaghetti western, “Porno erotico western” (Porno-Erotic Western) in 1978.

FLEMING, Walter (Luigi Petrini) [12/7/1934, Rome, Lazio, Italy – 6/12/2010, Rome, Lazio, Italy] – director, assistant director, writer, film editor.

Porno-Erotic Western – 1978

Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Georg Schubert

Georg Hermann Schubert was born in Berlin, Germany on June 14, 1869 and began his career in cinematography in 1913, during the early development of the German silent film industry when short films dominated production. His earliest documented credits include serving as cinematographer on several short films that year, among them “Das Fischermädchen von Skagen”, “Der Totenkopfhusar”, and “Helena, das lebende Torpedo”, all produced in the nascent era of German cinema. These works were typically created by short-lived production companies characteristic of the pre-war period, when the industry was still experimenting with narrative and technical possibilities in short formats.

In 1915, Schubert received another credit as cinematographer for the short film “Der schwarze Husar”, continuing his involvement in the evolving German film scene just before his transition to directing the following year. As an early artisan behind the camera, he contributed to the foundational phase of German silent cinema, working in an environment of rapid change and limited resources typical of the time.

Georg Schubert was a cinematographer on one silent Eur0-western, “Der Cowboy-Milliardär” (The Cowboy Millionaire) in 1920

SCHUBERT, Georg (aka Georg H. Schubert) (Georg Hermann Schubert) [6/14/1869, Berlin, Berlin, Germany – 1/2/1943, Anaheim, California, U.S.A.] – producer, director, writer, cinematographer, cameraman, actor, married to Dora  Katharina Cataharina Magdalena Carolina Vetter [1866-1948]  (1895-19??) father of union president Walter Schubert [1896-1980], associate professor at Hartford Theological Seminary Paulus Schubert, Dr. Felix Schubert, Dora Schubert Seng, Seventh-day Adventist evangelist, pastor, and church administrator.

The Cowboy Millionaire – 1920

Miguel Pedregosa Memoriam

The ecijano Miguel Pedregosa remembered in the "In Memoriam" of the Goya Awards

The master of arms Miguel Pedregosa, a native of Écija, died in August 2024 and has been remembered in the In Memoriam of the 39th edition of the Goya Awards held in Granada.

Ecija Web

9/2/2025

The In Memoriam of the Goya Awards, is the moment of the gala that is intended to remember people from different professions, linked to the world of cinema and who have died in the last year. Actors and actresses, directors, producers, makeup artists or chamber performers, are some of the professionals remembered in this edition and among them the Ecijano Miguel Pedregosa, master of weapons who died in 2024.

Miguel Pedregosa died on August 30, 2024. He was a renowned professional and throughout his career worked in over 500 films. It is considered one of the pioneers in Spain in working in major international productions, and proof of this are titles such as La Misión, Conan el Bárbaro, Rambo, Papillon, Marco Antonio and Cleopatra or The Bournen Ultimatum. Spanish productions such as Los Otros, La casa de los Espíritus, Mar in or Carmen -which was filmed in part in Écija-, are some of the degrees in which he demonstrated his mastery.

This Ecijan was more than a master of weapons, he was considered a master teacher, and this earned him several recognitions, among them the one offered by the Film Academy in November 2023, would be one of the last times he could be seen in public.

A master of weapons in the cinema is the head of the specialists, the people who are responsible for coordinating the work between the protagonists and the specialists, and this was the work of Miguel Pedregosa.

A life of cinema

On the occasion of the tribute of the academy, at ecijaweb.com there was a tour of the life of Miguel Pedregosa, a review that he himself carried out in an interview that same year in which he recognized that he arrived at the cinema thanks to the horses “I was born in Écija, where the horse dominates and everyone rides since childhood. We had the facility to ride because my father was a military cavalryman,” Pedregosa recalls. When moving to Madrid, opportunities arrived in the cinema, a sector that has changed a lot in these six decades. Local News Écija

Transiting through the falls of Iguazu – “no one else has done it before or after” – the departure of horse cars from a train, a house that had to take down on it, falls to the Red Sea where there were sharks ... are many risky anecdotes throughout its trajectory, where sometimes it came to work in up to three productions simultaneously, combined film and television. An example of this are the series The Commissioner and the Gran Prix program, with the heifer – “everything that the contestants did I tried it before so that nothing will happen to them”

About the profession today

“Today, specialists are better prepared and specialized. Before you did everything: high jump, horse fall, car drop... Now it is much safer, before it had to be done and already. You were hurt more because there were many more accidents”, compares Pedregosa who, when he started in this profession, did not even appear as specialists in the credits and accredited them as artistic distribution.

It was highlighted in this interview that Spanish specialists have always been very well considered, “especially in horse films, from El Cid. They have always been a point above foreign specialists because the mastery of horses in Spain is different from the whole world,” he boasted.

Miguel Pedrogosa was a reference until the end. When I was retired, I was still the teacher to consult doubts "It's weird the week that a master of arms doesn't call me to ask me how I would do such a thing and I tell you,”He said a few months before his passing.

In Memoriam

The last tribute and memory that has been had with Miguel Pedregosa has been during the 39 gala of the Goya Awards that have been held in Granada. In the section In Memoriam, in which he reminds the professionals who have died in the last year, the figure of the Ecijan Miguel Pedregosa has been highlighted.

Spaghetti Western Filmography:

The Savage Guns – 1961 (Ortega henchman) [stunts]

Billy the Kid – 1963 [stunts]

Gunfight at High Noon – 1963 [stunts]

Gunfight at Red Sands – 1963 [stunts]

Gunmen of the Rio Grande – 1964 [stunts]

The Last Tomahawk – 1964 [stunts]

Minnesota Clay – 1964 [stunts]

Seven from Texas – 1964 [stunts]

Dollars for a Fast Gun – 1965 [stunts]

A Pistol for Ringo – 1965 [Sancho henchman] [stunts]

The Relentless Four – 1965 (Anders’ ranch hand) [also stunts]

The Return of Ringo – 1965 [stunts]

7 Guns for the Mac Gregors – 1965 [stunts]

Vengeance Ranch - 1965

The Big Gundown – 1966 [stunts]

God Forgives... I Don’t! – 1966 [stunts]

The Hellbenders – 1966 [stunts]

Johnny Yuma – 1966 [stunts]

The Man from Nowhere – 1966 [stunts]

A Taste for Killing – 1966 [stunts]

The Ugly Ones – 1966 [stunts]

Any Gun Can Play – 1967 [stunts]

A Man, a Colt – 1967 [stunts]

Villa Rides! – 1967 (Villa guerilla) [stunts]

Dead Men Don’t Count! – 1968 [stunts]

Duel in the Eclipse – 1968 [stunts]

Guns of the Magnificent 7 – 1968 [stunts]

I Came, I Saw, I Shot – 1968 [stunts]

I Want Him Dead – 1968 [stunts]

Kill Them All and Come Back Alone – 1968 [stunts]

The Mercenary – 1968 [stunts]

Shalako – 1968 [stunts]

El Condor – 1969 [stunts]

Land Raiders – 1969 [stunts]

Sabata – 1969 [stunts]

Sundance Cassidy and Butch the Kid – 1969 [stunts]

Cannon for Cordoba – 1970 [stunts]

‘Doc’ – 1970 [stunts]

Hannie Caulder – 1970 [stunts]

Sabata the Killer – 1970 [stunts]

They Call Me Trinity – 1970 [stunts]

Catlow – 1971 [stunts]

Chato’s Land – 1971 [stunts]

The Deserter - 1971

Raise Your Hands Dead Man, You’re Under Arrest – 1971 [stunts]

What Am I Doing in the Middle of the Revolution? – 1971 [stunts]

Massacre at Fort Holman – 1972 [stunts]

The Sting of the West – 1972 (Branch)

Chino – 1973 [stunts]

The Man Called Noon – 1973 [stunts]

4 of the Apocalypse… - 1974 [stunts]

Zorro – 1975 [stunts]

The New Zorro (TV) – 1990-1993 [stunts]

Tomorrow I Could be Dead – 2012 [himself]

Special Birthdays

David Ashton (actor) is 85 today.

Josh Peck (actor) is 40 today.

Little Known Spaghetti Western Actors ~ Maria Andersen

[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 Andersen is another enigma. She appeared in eleven films and television appearances from 1961 to 1966 sometimes being billed as Mary Andersen. But no biographical information is available. From her appearance and name she appears to be of Scandinavian decent. Did she try and make a career in Spain and after five years and gave up and went a different direction? Did she marry and leave the business or did she return to where she came from and fade into obscurity.

Maria Andersen appeared in two Spaghetti westerns: “La venganza del Zorro” (Zorro the Avenger) as Juana in 1962 and “Gli eroi del West” (Heroes of the West) as Barbara in 1964.

ANDERSEN, María (aka Mary Andersen) – film, TV actress

Zorro the Avenger – 1962 (Juana)

Heroes of the West – 1964 (Barbara) [as Mary Andersen]

Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

Spaghetti Western Director ~ Sergio Martino

Sergio Martino is an Italian film director and producer born in Rome on July 19, 1938 and renowned for his prolific output in the giallo genre and other exploitation cinema during the 1970s and 1980s, blending suspense, horror, and erotic elements in over 60 feature films.

The grandson of pioneering silent film director Gennaro Righelli and brother to producer Luciano Martino, Sergio entered the industry in his early twenties, initially assisting on his brother's productions at companies like Devon Film and later Dania Cinematografica.3 He began as a screenwriter and assistant director before helming his debut features in the late 1960s, including Mondo-style documentaries, and quickly transitioned to narrative filmmaking across diverse genres such as spaghetti Westerns, sex comedies, crime thrillers, cannibal horror, and post-apocalyptic sci-fi.

His career exemplifies the fast-paced Italian filone system, where he balanced commercial demands with stylistic innovation, often collaborating with actors like Edwige Fenech, George Hilton, and Claudio Cassinelli.

Martino's most influential works are his giallo films from 1971 to 1973, which explore themes of psychological fragility, voyeurism, and murder mysteries, influencing later slasher subgenres. Key titles include “The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh” (1971), a tale of infidelity and anonymous threats starring Edwige Fenech; “The Case of the Scorpion's Tail” (1971), a globe-trotting thriller with exotic locales; “All the Colors of the Dark” (1972), delving into Satanic cults and trauma; “Your Vice Is a Locked Room” and “Only I Have the Key” (1972), a Poe-inspired locked-room puzzle; and Torso (1973), a proto-slasher set in Perugia with graphic violence.

Beyond giallo, he directed sci-fi adventures like 2019: “After the Fall of New York” (1983) and “Hands of Steel” (1986), the latter featuring cybernetic enhancements and arm-wrestling action, as well as horror entries such as “The Mountain of the Cannibal God” (1978) and “The Great Alligator” (1979).

In recognition of his contributions to genre cinema, Martino received the Silver Urania Award in 2017 and continues to be celebrated at film festivals.

Sergio Martino directed two Spaghetti westerns: “Arizona Vuelve” (Arizona Returns) in 1970 and “Mannaja” (A Man Called Blade) in 1977.

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], cousin of director, writer, film editor Michele Massimo Tarantini [1942-2026],  married to ? father of director Federica Martino.

Arizona Returns – 1970 [as John Hamilton]

A Man Called Blade - 1977

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Ettore Fizzarotti

Ettore Maria Fizzarotti was an Italian film director and screenwriter born in Naples on January 3, 1916, the son of director Armando Fizzarotti. He began his career as an assistant director before becoming known for his contributions to the musicarello genre, blending musical performances with lighthearted comedy in popular Italian films of the 1960s and early 1970s. His films frequently featured prominent pop singers of the era, particularly Gianni Morandi, and achieved notable commercial success during the heyday of youth-oriented musical comedies in Italy.

Over a career that spanned approximately a decade of active directing (1964–1973), Fizzarotti helmed about 15 films, with standout titles including “In ginocchio da te” (1964), “Non son degno di te” (1965), “Se non avessi più te” (1965), and “Nessuno mi può giudicare” (1966), all of which highlighted romantic and comedic storylines set against musical backdrops. He also ventured into other genres, directing comedies and adventure stories such as “Il suo nome è Donna Rosa” (1969), “Vendo cara la pelle” (1968), and “Venga a fare il soldato da noi” (1971), showcasing his versatility within the commercial Italian cinema landscape of the time.

Ettore Fizzarotti co-wrote on Spaghetti western, “Vendo cara la pelle” (I’ll Sell My Skin Dearly) with Giovanni Simonelli in 1967.

FIZZAROTTI, Ettore (aka Mike Fitzgerald, Ettore Fizzarotti, Ettore M. Fizzarotti) (Ettore Maria Fizzarotti) [1/3/1916, Naples, Campania, Italy – 9/10/1985, Rome, Lazio, Italy] – director, assistant director, writer, son of director Armando Fizzarotti [1892-1966].

I’ll Sell My Skin Dearly – 1967 (co)

Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Romano Scavolini

Romano Scavolini was born on June 18, 1940 in Fiume, Italy. He is an Italian film director, screenwriter, producer, and cinematographer renowned for his work in horror, cult, and independent cinema, particularly the commercially successful 1981 slasher film “Nightmare”, which grossed over $10 million domestically and became a worldwide cult classic.

Self-taught and recognized as an "enfant terrible" of Italian cinema, Scavolini has directed twelve feature films—six of which he self-produced—along with over fifty shorts and documentaries, blending poetic drama with explorations of violence, politics, and human psychology.

Scavolini left for Germany at age 18, where he created his debut film “The Ravaged One” (1958), which he wrote, directed, starred in, and produced, earning acclaim from Rome's Center of Cinematography.

His early career included award-winning works like the political essay “The Quiet Fever” (1964), which addressed human violence and secured international prizes, and the controversial “Blind Fly” (1966), a stark analysis of aimless aggression that toured major festivals and solidified his cult status. From 1964 to 1966, he freelanced for Italy's RAI Television, directing ten shorts and specials, before producing documentaries on anthropology and medicine in the late 1960s.

In the 1970s, Scavolini founded his production company Lido Cinematografica and directed films such as the psychodrama “Spirits of Death” (1972), the Mafia-inspired “Your Honor” (1973), and the children's adaptation “Heart” (1973), drawn from Edmondo De Amicis's novel Cuore. After covering the Vietnam War as a freelance photographer and traveling extensively in the Americas as a journalist, he relocated to the United States in 1976, where he lectured on film techniques at New York and Columbia Universities. There, he helmed American productions including “The Savage Hunt” (1980), the gore-filled Nightmare, featuring effects by Tom Savini and praised for its terror akin to “Friday the 13^th” and “Texas Chain Saw Massacre”, and the Vietnam War drama “Dog Tags” (1990), shot in Panavision with a premiere at the Singapore International Film Festival

Romano Scavolini was a cinematographer on one Spaghetti western, “Posate le pistole reverend” (Pistol Packin’ Preacher) in 1971.

SCAVOLINI, Romano [6/18/1940, Fiume, Italy -     ] – producer, director, writer, cinematographer, cameraman, brother of director, assistant director, writer Sauro Scavolini [1934-2022], married to ? father of actress, writer Amavy Scavolini [1986-    ], founded his Lido Cinematografica Productions [1971]

Pistol Packin’ Preacher – 1971

Spaghetti Western Locations Then & Now ~ “El Condor”

Here’s a screenshot from “El Condor” showing the cantina where Jim Brown’s character Luke meets Jaroo Lee played by Lee Van Cleef for the first time. The location was a real building with a few other buildings which had false fronts added to them to make it look like a town. It’s located right next to the location of the Steven’s ranch house that Van Cleef as Sentenza aka Angel Eyes rides up to.

Here’s what’s left of it today in 2026.

9 European Westerns - Collezione Nuova Frontiera

 

New Frontier Collection

This is a compilation series comprising of Winchester, Jonathan, Metal, and Super Totem lines. Each issue contains two original installments, including their respective covers. It was published in 1984 by EPC by editor Arturo G. Bernacchi. Each issue contained 104 black and white pages with color covers.

Special Birthdays

Anthony Roman (director, writer) would have been 115 today but died in 1989.

Richard Jones (actor) is 80 today.

From the WAI! vault

 

Little Known Spaghetti Western Actors ~ Steve Emerson

[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.]

Stephen ‘Steve’ John Emerson was born on October 31, 1934, in Lambeth, London, England. He’s a stuntman/actor best known for combining both skills as John the Bartender in “Shaun of the Dead”. His character, turned into a zombie, is beaten with pool cues to the Queen song "Don't Stop Me Now" before he gets his head bashed through the jukebox. Ironically, he also gets thrown into a jukebox in the John Wayne action film “Brannigan” as well, both filmed in England.

Steve appeared in forty-nine films as a stuntman from 1962 to 2021 and as an actor in seventy-five films and TV appearance between 1963 and 2005.

Steve Emerson appeared in one Euro-western, “Carry on Cowboy as a rider in 1965 and one Euro-western television series ‘Queen of Swords’ as Padre Quinterra in 2001.

EMERSON, Steve (Stephen John Emerson) [10/31/1934, Lambeth, London, England, U.K. -     ] – stuntman, film, TV actor.

Carry on Cowboy – 1965 (rider)

Queen of Swords (TV) – 2001 (Padre Quinterra)

Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

Spaghetti Western Director ~ Italo Martinenghi

Italo Martinenghi was an Italian film director, producer, and screenwriter known for his work in low-budget Italian genre cinema, particularly the long-running "Three Supermen" series of action-comedy films.

Born on October 25, 1930, in Milan, Italy, Martinenghi began his career in the film industry during the 1960s, initially focusing on production roles for genre pictures including “The Three Fantastic Supermen” (1967). He transitioned to directing in the 1970s, often handling writing and production duties as well, with notable works such as “Three Supermen of the West” (1973), “3 Supermen contro il Padrino” (1979), “Lady Football” (1979), and “Three Supermen in Santo Domingo” (1986).

These films typically featured parodic elements, blending superhero tropes, international intrigue, and humor within modest production constraints, contributing to the tradition of Italian B-movies and exploitation cinema during that era. Martinenghi continued working into the 1980s before his death on January 26, 2008, in Italy at the age of 77.

AS mentioned above Italo Martinenghi co-directed one Spaghetti western, “… e cosi divennero i 3 supermen del West” (Three Supermen in the West) with George Martin in 1973.

MARTINENGHI, Italo [10/25/1930, Milan, Lombardy, Italy – 1/26/2008, Milan, Lombardy Italy] – producer, production manager, director, writer, songwriter, film editor

Three Supermen in the West – 1973 (co)

 [photo courtesy Michael Ferguson]

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Benjamin Fisz

Benjamin Fisz was a Polish-born British film producer known for his contributions to British cinema, particularly through producing and occasionally writing action, adventure, and war films during the mid-20th century.

Born on November 4, 1922, in Poland, Fisz immigrated to England as a teenager and later served as a fighter pilot in the Polish Air Force squadron of the Royal Air Force during World War II, where he earned several medals for courage from the exiled Polish government. After the war, he settled in the United Kingdom and entered the film industry, establishing himself as a key producer of British films from the mid-1950s through the mid-1980s.

Among his most notable productions are the critically acclaimed war epics “The Heroes of Telemark” (1965) and “Battle of Britain” (1969), as well as the action thriller “Hell Drivers” (1957).

His work often featured high-stakes narratives and strong ensemble casts, contributing to the post-war British film landscape across various genres. Fisz continued producing into the 1980s with titles such as “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square” (1979) and “The Jigsaw Man” (1984), before his death on November 17, 1989, in London two weeks after turning 67.

Benjamin Fisz was a co-screenwriter on one Spaghetti western, “Una ciudad llamada bastarda” (A Town Called Hell) with Richard Aubrey in 1971.

FISZ, Benjamin (aka Ben Fisz) (Szlomo Benjamin Fisz) [11/4/1922, Poland – 11/17/1989, London, England, U.K.] – producer, writer, founded S.Benjamin Fisz Productions.

A Town Called Hell – 1971 (co)

Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Aldo Scavarda

Aldo Scavarda was an Italian cinematographer, director, and producer whose work significantly shaped post-war Italian cinema through his innovative visual style and collaborations with prominent directors. Born in Turin on August 22, 1923, he began his career in the 1950s as a camera operator and assistant on films such as “Viaggio in Italia” (1954) and “La signora senza camelie” (1953), before ascending to director of photography roles in the 1960s His most acclaimed contribution was the black-and-white cinematography for Michelangelo Antonioni's landmark film “L'Avventura” (1960), which captured the stark landscapes of Sicily and emphasized themes of alienation and existential isolation, earning international recognition at the Cannes Film Festival. Scavarda's career spanned over two decades, encompassing more than 20 films as cinematographer, including Bernardo Bertolucci's “Prima della rivoluzione” (1964) and Nelo Risi's “Una stagione all'inferno” (1971), where he also served as producer.

In addition to his technical prowess, Scavarda received prestigious accolades for his craft, notably the Nastro d'Argento for Best Cinematography in Black and White from the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists in 1969 for Salvatore Samperi's “Grazie zia” (1968, known internationally as “Come Play with Me”).

He ventured into directing with “La linea del fiume” (1976), a war drama featuring international stars like John Hurt and Riccardo Cucciolla, for which he also wrote the screenplay, demonstrating his multifaceted talents in the industry. Scavarda's passing in Rome marked the end of a legacy defined by his ability to blend technical precision with artistic depth, influencing generations of filmmakers in Italian and European cinema.

Scavarda died in Rome on May 6, 2000 at the age of 76.

Aldo Scavarda was a cinematographer on two Spaghetti westerns: “Que viva Carrancho!” (The Man from Canyon City) with Alfio Contini in 1965 and “Execution” in 1968

SCAVARDA, Aldo [8/22/1923, Turin, Piedmont, Italy – 5/6/2000, Rome, Lazio, Italy] – producer, cinematographer, cameraman.

The Man from Canyon City – 1965 (co)

Execution - 1968