Spaghetti Collectables

A scarce gum card issued in the Netherlands and distributed in Sweden and Finland in the 1960's by Maple Leaf showing a wonderful picture of Spaghetti Western star George Martin.

Trivia: “George Martin was a high level gymnast before devoting himself to the cinema. He gave up the sport after the plane, which took the Spanish gymnastic team off to the Olympic Games trials in 1959 crashed. He was the only survivor as he missed the bus taking the team to the plane.”

Adiós Bandido

Adiós Bandido – International title

A 1981 Spanish production [Cinema del Callejón (Benidorm)]
Producer: ?
Director: José Rios
Story: José Rios
Screenplay: José Rios
Cinematography: Luis Colombo [color, Panoramico]
Music: ?
Running time: 8 minutes

Story: ?

Cast:
Students at the University of Bachillerato in Benidorm, Spain

Story: A 35mm films short film shot in and around Benidorm Spain using the students from the University of Bachillerato as actors and behind the scene personnel.

Remembering John Ireland

John Ireland always appeared as a rough, gruff and tough guy. Seldom a leading man he was always a reliable supporting actor. Born John Benjamin Ireland on January 30, 1914 in Vancouver, British Columbia he was raised in New York City. He became a professional swimmer and often performed in water shows. In the late 1930s he caught the acting bug and plied his trade on Broadway in Shakespearean plays before turning to film in the ‘40s. His first film role was in 1945’s “A Walk in the Sun” as Private Windy. He followed this up by appearing in John Ford’s classic 1946 western “My Darling Clementine” as Billy Clanton. He then appeared in another classic western, Howard Hawks 1948 film “Red River” as Cherry Valance. In 1949 he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor as the tough newspaper reporter Jack Burden in 1949’s “All the King’s Men”. He developed a reputation in Hollywood as a womanizer during the 1950s and his career began to decline. He was relegated to TV roles and in films playing villains. Still he appeared in classics such as “Vengeance Valley” (1951) with Burt Lancaster “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral” (1956) again with Lancaster and Kirk Douglas and as a gladiator in the 1960 spectacle “Spartacus”. Still he could not break into leading man roles and took lesser roles and then ventured to Europe to try and capitalize on his name. It was here he would make his impact in Spaghetti Westerns appearing in more than a dozen and starring in “Hate for Hate” and “Run, Man, Run” (1967), “Gatling Gun”, “Go for Broke” and “A Pistol for 100 Coffins” (1968). His final Spaghetti role being in a Spanish, Mexican co-production called “Garden of Venus” (1979). He returned to the US and back to stage plays and dinner theater. He even ran an ad in Variety asking for work. He eventually retired and moved to Santa Barbara, California where he died of leukemia on March 21, 1992. Always the tough guy but always reliable and the equal to most of the white hats he butted heads with in America and Europe. Today we remember John Ireland on what would have been his 95th birthday.

RIP Armand Meffre

French actor and screenwriter Armand Mefre died on January 22, 2009 of natural causes in Auxerre, Burgundy, France. He was 79. Born Armand Marius Meffre on March 16, 1929 in Maubee, Voucluse, France, he was active as a stage, radio and TV actor and also wrote a few screenplays. He was married to actress Pomme Meffre and appeared in the 1967 French western TV series “Fortune”.

The Actress, the Dollars and the Transylvanians

Artista, aurul si ardelenii – Romanian title
Artista, dolarii si ardelenii – Romanian title
Johnny schießt quer – German title
Gesucht wird Johnny – German title
The Actress, the Dollars and the Transylvanians – English title

A 1978 Romanian production [Filmstudio Bucuresti (Bucharest)]
Producer: Nicolae Mitcan
Director: Mircea Veroiu
Screenplay: Titus Popovici
Cinematography: Calin Ghibu [color]
Music: Adrian Enescu
Running time: 97 minutes

Cast:
Traian Brad - Ilarion Ciobanu
Romulus Brad - Mircea Daiconu
Johnny Brad - Ovidiu Iulio Moldovan
Anabelle Lee - Rosica Tapalaga
sharpshooter - Marcel Lures
with: Mircea Albulescu, Tania Filip, Francisc Bács (Ferenc Bács), Alöd Kiss, Traian Costea, Ahmed Gabbany, Ion Craciunescu, Constantin Brînzea, Radu Stoeneuscu, Mihai Oroveanu, Ioan Henter, Iosif Naghiu, Sorin Balaban, Mihai Persa, Dan Nasta, Ion Pascu, Dan Bubulici, Petrur Traian, Ion Niciu

Story: Although filmed in Bucharest this film has nothing to do with vampires. It is the second of a trilogy of Romanian westerns starring the same actors and characters. The other two are “The Prophet, the Gold and the Transylvanians” (1977) and “The Oil, the Baby and the Transylvanians” (1979). The films revolve around a Transylvanian family of three brothers trying to make a better life for themselves in the Wild West. Although often referred to as comedies they are full of drama and feature Romanian traditions which may be difficult for the rest of us to understand. One of the brothers becomes a noted gunman while the other two become farmers. They meet up with each other over the course of the trilogy and whenever they do trouble always catches up with them and they must band together to keep the family unit safe.

Film sequence link: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=Artista%2C+urul+si+ardelenii+&aq=f

New Spaghetti Western CD

La belva (The Beast) / Se t'incontro t'ammazzo (Finders Killers) by Stelvio Cipriani
Now available on GDM Music #4122

Track listing

1. La belva

2. Cantina messicana

3. Spinetta polka

4. Attesa torbida

5. Inseguimento

6. Tramonto di sangue

7. Crudele e spietato

8. Cantina messicana (versione 2)

9. Ombra della morte

10. Fine della belva
tracks 1-10 from "La belva"
11. Cavalcata al west

12. Un grande amore nel west

13. Cavalcata al west (ripresa)
tracks 11-13 from "Se t'incontro t'ammazzo"

RIP Mino Reitano

One of Italy's greatest pop singers has died. Mino Reitano died today January 27th at his home in Agrate Brianza, Lombardy, Italy. He had been ill with cancer for the past two years. He was born Beniamino Reitano on December 7, 1944 in Fiumara, Reggio Calabria, Italy into a musical family which included his brother composer Franco Reitano. In 1967 Mino and his brothers formed a rock group called "I Fratelli Reitano". From it he became one of Italy's most well known pop singers of the late 1960s and continued his popularity until he fell with cancer, selling out concerts all over Italy. Because of his star status he was given the lead role in the 1971 Italian Western "Tara Poki". The Reitano brothers joined forces as composers and singers on the soundtrack. Mino also sang the title song "Devil was an Angel" for the 1967 Spaghetti Western "A Colt in the Hand of the Devil" starring Bob Henry.