Remembering Franco Ressel

He was born Domenico Orobana on February 8, 1925 in Naples, Italy. He was a former theater actor with the Pagnanip-Ninchi company. He acted along such actors as Salvo Randone, Antonio Gandusio and Dina Galli and spent most of the decade of the 1950s on stage. In the 1960s he made a shift to films and became a great character actor. With that prissy face he was perfect for playing crooked bankers, crazies and town bosses. He appeared under such aliases as Franco Ressel Frank Ressel, Walter Frank Ressel and Ray Russell. Some of his standout westerns were “A Taste of Killing” (1966), “Dead for a Dollar” (1968), “The Mercenary” (1968), “Trinity is Still My Name” (1971) and “California” (1977). His most remembered roles was as the evil Stengel in 1969's “Sabata”. As the Italian film industry declined he was seen less and less but he amased roles in over 125 films and TV appearances before death claimed him on January 14, 1985 at the age of 59. Today we remember Franco Ressel on what would have been his 85th birthday.

CHATO'S LAND

De heuvels van de angst – Belgium title
Les collines de la terreur – French title
Chaton Maa – Finnish title
Chato’s Land – German title
Chato – Italian title
Ziemia Chato – Polish title
Chato el apache – Spanish title
Renegado Vengador – Spanish title
Chato’s Land – USA title

A 1971 British production [Scimitar Films (London)]
Producer: Michael Winner
Director: Michael Winner
Screenplay: Gerald Wilson
Cinematography: Robert Paynter [Technicolor]
Music: Jerry Fielding (Joshua Feldman)
Running time: 100 minutes

Cast:
Pardon Chato - Charles Bronson (Charles Buchinsky)
Captain Quincy Whitmore - Jack Palance (Volodymyr Palahnyuk, Jr.)
Nye Buell - Richard Basehart (John Basehart)
Joshua Everette - James Whitmore
Jubal Hooker - Simon Oakland
Elias Hooker - Ralph Waite
Earl Hooker - Richard Jordan (Robert Jordan)
Martin Hall - Victor French
Chato’s woman - Sonia Rangan
Harvey Lansing - William Watson
Gavin Malechie - Roddy McMillan
Brady Logan - Paul Young
Mexican scout - Raúl Castro
George Dunn - Lee Patterson
Ezra Meade - Peter Dyneley
George the bartender - Hugh McDermott
Shelby Hooker - Verna Harvey
Moira Logan - Sally Adez
Jacob Meade - Clive Endersby
Edna Malechie - Rebecca Wilson
Will Coop - Rudy Ugland (Rudy Ugland, Jr.)
with; Roland Brand, Florencio Amarilla, Luis Amarilla, Celestino González


Pardon Chato, a halfbreed is confronted by a lawman in a local saloon. When Chato shoots and kills the lawman in self-defense he runs in order to keep from being lynched. A posse is formed and headed by an ex-Confederate Captain named Quincy Whitmore. The posse pursues Chato into the desert badlands and find his wife which is raped by the vengeful posse. Chato at that point stops running and turns-the-table on the posse. He outwits them at every turn, let's them argue and turn against themselbes and begins to pick them off one by one letting the enviornment take it's toll.


You tube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPaQT-NzJeM

Remembering Romolo Valli

Romolo Valli was born on February 7, 1925 in Reggio Emilia, Italy. He was one of Italy's leading actors in both theater and film from the 1950s until his untimely death in a road accident in Rome on February 1, 1980. Valli worked with such top directors as Vittorio De Sica, Roman Polanski, Roger Vadim and Luchino Visconti. He appeared in such films as “The Leopard” (1963), “Death in Venice” (1971), “Gruppo di famiglia in un interno” (1974). Among the films he made was one Euro-western, Sergio Leone's “Duck You Sucker” (1971) in the role of Doctor Villega. Today we remember Romolo Valli on what would have been his 85th birthday.

RIP Manuel Esteba

Director Manuel Esteba died in Barcelona, Spain on Febraury 4. He was 68 years-old. He was born Manuel Esteba Gallego on April 17, 1941 in Barcelona. He was a director, assistant director, screenwriter and over his 33 year career. Among these were two Eurowesterns: “Saranda” (aka “Twenty Paces to Death” 1970) starring Dean Reed and “A Cry of Death” (1971) starring Pierre Brice and Steven Tedd. Later in his career he directed several comedies for the Calatrava Brothers.

Spaghetti Western Locations

In Hoyo de Manzanares a movie set had been constructed for several early Spanish westerns including “Bullets Don't Argue” with Rod Cameron. The set, sometimes called Golden City, was used extensively for Sergio Leone's “Fistful of Dollars” which I have posted before. The set was also used for the site of Tucumcarri in the opening of “For a Few Dollars More”. Little is left of the site except for a few foundations and pieces of wood and false brick used for the exteriors of the town's buildings and a few posts used for hitching posts. The mountains in the background are called the Sierra de Hoyo.



For a more detailed view of this site and other Spaghetti Western locations please visit my friend Yoshi “Garring” Yasuda’s excellent website: http://garringo.cool.ne.jp/

Guess Who I Am?

I will leave this up all weekend and post the answer on Monday morning if no one guesses who it is. I'll leave a clue on Friday, another on Saturday and a third on Sunday if needed.

Clue this is a Spanish actress from the Spaghetti Western era.

WE HAVE A WINNER! CARLOS correctly identified the face as Claudia Gravi.

Robert Woods - Gatling Gun showing

Come on down to Spudics Videos at 5910 Van Nuys Blvd. in Van Nuys, California on Sunday February 21st from 1-4 p.m. for a showing of “Gatling Gun” with celebrity guest speaker Robert Woods himself appearing to answer questions and sign autographs.