DJANGO THE LAST KILLER

L’ ultimo pistolero – Italian title
Django l’ultimate killer – Italian title
L’ultimo Killer – Italian title
El ultimo pistolero – Spanish title
Le dernier tueur – French title
Rocco - Ich leg' dich um – German title
Cangonun sonu – Turkish title
The Last Killer – English title
The Ultimate Killer – English title
Django the Last Gunfighter – U.K. title
Django, the Last Killer – English title

A 1967 Italian production [Garfilm, Jupiter Generale Cinematografica, (Rome), Rofilm, Castor Film (Madrid)]
Producer: Franco Committeri, Luciano Pappalardo, Mario Rossi
Director: Joseph Warren (Giuseppe Vari)
Story: Victor Cabot (Victor Catena), Arthur Frank
Screenplay: Augusto Caminito, Augusto Finocchi
Cinematography: Angelo Filippini [Technicolor, Techniscope]
Music: Roberto Pregadio
Running time: 88 minutes

Cast:
Ramón /Chico - George Eastman (Luigi Montefiore)
Raza/Rezza/Rocco/Django - Anthony Ghidra (Dragomir Bojanic)
Stevens - Mirko Ellis (Mirko Korcinsky)
Burt/Bart - John Hamilton (Gianni Medici)
Lola - Dana Ghia (Felicita Ghia)
John Barrett - Daniel Vargas (Daniele Pitani)
Ramón’s father - John McDouglas (Giuseppe Addobbati)
Slim - Fred Coplan (Fabio Coplan)
Mack McRay - Frank Fargas (Paolo Figlia)
sheriff - Valentino Macchi
Barrett henchman - Giuseppe Castellano
with; Anton de Cortes, John Matthews (Giuseppe Mattei), Paul Reale (Paolo Reale), Max Fraser


Ramon is on his way to the Barret ranch, to pay off a debt, when he is robbed by a group of bandits. Making it to Barrett's, he recognizes one of rancher’s henchmen as the leader of the men who robbed him, but instead of punishing the guilty man, Barrett orders his men to teach Ramon a lesson. In spite of the robbery and beating Ramon refuses to join his neighboring ranchers and farmers, who have decided to stand up against the tyrannical landowner. Things change when Ramon's father is killed and their ranch is burned down, he wants revenge. In a resulting battle with Barrett's henchmen, Ramon is wounded, but also manages to save the life of a famous gunman, Raza/Django who has come to his aid. The gunman becomes Ramon's mentor and teaches him everything he needs to know about the noble art of self-defense. Eventually Ramon is so quick on the draw that he is able to take his revenge on Barret, but he’ll also have to face his mentor in a final duel.

RIP Kevin McCarthy

Kevin McCarthy, the veteran stage and screen actor best known for his starring role as the panicked doctor who tried to warn the world about the alien "pod people" who were taking over in the 1956 science-fiction suspense classic "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," died Saturday September 11th 2010. He was 96. McCarthy died of natural causes at Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis, Mass., said his daughter Lillah.

During a career that spanned more than 70 years, beginning on stage in New York in the late 1930s, McCarthy played Biff Loman opposite Paul Muni's Willy in the 1949 London production of "Death of a Salesman." McCarthy's long career included numerous guest appearances on TV series such as "The Twilight Zone," "Burke's Law," "Flamingo Road" and "Murder, She Wrote." He also appeared in about 50 films, including "An Annapolis Story," "40 Pounds of Trouble," "The Prize," "The Best Man," "Kansas City Bomber," Buffalo Bill and the Indians," "Piranha" and "The Howling." In addition to his many Broadway and other stage credits, McCarthy toured for many years as President Harry Truman in the one-man show "Give 'Em Hell, Harry."

The son of a lawyer and his homemaker wife, McCarthy was born Feb. 15, 1914, in Seattle, Washington. He and his two brothers and sister — Mary McCarthy [1912-1989], who later became an author and wrote the bestselling novel "The Group" — were orphaned when both parents died in the 1918 flu epidemic and were sent to live with relatives.

McCarthy began acting in the 1930s at the University of Minnesota, where, on a dare from a friend, he played a bit part in "Henry IV, Part 1."
"That day, I realized that I could do something," he told the Bangor Daily News in 1997. "I didn't study acting. I didn't even think about it. But evidently I have some innate ability, some talent. It was maybe a gift. In any case, I was in one play after another after that."

After moving to New York, he made his Broadway debut in a small role in " Abe Lincoln in Illinois," starring Raymond Massey, in 1938. As Sgt. Kevin McCarthy during World War II, he appeared in Moss Hart's "Winged Victory," the Broadway play produced by the Army Air Forces.

McCarthy appeared in several Broadway plays in the years immediately after the war, including Maxwell Anderson's short-lived "Truckline Cafe" with Marlon Brando and Karl Malden. He also was a founding member of the Actors Studio.

In addition to his daughter, he is survived by his wife of 31 years, Kate Crane McCarthy; children James Kevin McCarthy, Mary Dabney McCarthy, Tess McCarthy and Patrick McCarthy; stepdaughter Kara Lichtman; and three grandchildren. He was divorced from actress Augusta Dabney [1918-2008], who died in 2008.

Kevin McCarthy appeared as Drake along with Terence Hill, Bud Spencer and Eli Wallach in 1969's “Ace High”.

Spaghetti Western Locations

Continuing our locations for “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”, when the Confederate soldiers drop Maria off after a night of having their way with her, Angel Eyes is waiting. The building with the the three rounded false fronts is clearly visible in the background. This building is a sure clue that Mini Hollywood was used for the town site as it appears in a number of Spanish location westerns. Here it is supposed to represent Santa Ana where Bill Carson was said to be in hiding. Earlier this was the same location for Tuco's hanging as you can also see the Fire Station to the left where the hanging tree was located.




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

Patriot Day 2010

New DVD Release!

Title: Dead or Alive Western Collection
Individual titles in collection: “Black Killer”, “His Name was King”, “There's a Noose Waiting for You Trinity”, “They Call Me Halleluja”, “The Moment to Kill”
Starring: Klaus Kinski, Richard Harrison, George Martin, George Hilton
Label: Pop Flix
2 Discs
Format: NTSC
Aspect Ratio: Widescreen
Region: Region 1
Languages : English
Running time: 431 minutes
Subtitles : none
Extras : none
Catalog number: B003YCL122
Available: September 14, 2010

DJANGO KILLS SILENTLY

Bill il taciturno – Italian title
Django, le taciturne – French title
Django tötet leise – German title
Django - Der lautlose Killer - German title
Django skotonei siopila – Greek title
Django Kills Softly – English title
Django Kills Silently – English title

A 1967 Italian, French co-production [Avis Film (Rome), Films Jacques Leitienne (Paris)]
Producer: Alberto Puccini
Director: Max Hunter (Massimo Pupillo)
Story: Leonide Preston (Renato Polselli)
Screenplay: Lina Caterini, Paul Farjon, Marcello Malvestito, Leonide Preston (Renato Polselli)
Cinematography: Mario Parapetti [Eastmancolor, widescreen]
Music: Berto Pisano
Song: “Chi non e’ con te” sung by Anna Rita Spinaci
Running time: 98 minutes

Cast:
Bill/Django - George Eastman (Luigi Montefiori)
Linda/Liana - Liana Orfei
Doctor Thompson - Edwin G. Ross (Luciano Rossi)
'El Santo' - Mimmo Maggio (Vincenzo Maggio)
'The Nervous One' - Rick Boyd (Federico Boido)
Miguel - Spartaco Conversi
Steven - Paul Maru
Pedro - Antonio Toma
Sue - Jeannette Len (Giovanna Lenzi)
with; Peter Hellman, Ilona Drash, Claudio Biava (Claudio Biavati), Martial Boschero, Enrico Manera, Federico Pietrabruna


A small party of pioneers is fighting off an attack by a band of Mexican outlaws, when a young cowboy named Bill/Django happens along and helps them turn back the assault. He saves a young woman, Linda/Liana, whose husband was previously killed by Doc Thompson, the leader of an arms-smuggling gang. Linda/Liana joins Bill/Django as he travels to Santa Anna where Thompson and his gang hang out. Bill/Django decides to take on both gangs.

Guess Who I Am

I was born in the U.S.A. but have spent my entire adult life in Italy making films. Guess who I am.

An Anonymous poster correctly guessed this week's photo of Sydne Rome.