.Westerns...All'Italiana!

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Happy 95th Birthday Ernest Borgnine

Ermes Effron Borgnino was born on January 24, 1917 in Hamden, Connecticut. In recent decades he's been one of America's finest over-actors, but long ago Ernest Borgnine was the real deal. He was Fatso in “From Here to Eternity” (1953), got beaten up by Spencer Tracy in “Bad Day at Black Rock”, and won his Oscar for playing the sensitive butcher in “Marty” (both 1955). Borgnine is best known as Lt. Cdr. Quinton McHale on TV's “McHale's Navy” and two 1960s movies spawned from the sitcom (“McHale's Navy” and “McHale's Navy Joins the Air Force”). He was also the voice of "Mermaid Man" on TV's “SpongeBob SquarePants”, ‘Carface’ in “All Dogs Go to Heaven II”, and the first "center square" on Hollywood Squares when the game show first debuted in 1966. He was married to Katy Jurado [1924-2002] (1959-1963) and Ethel Merman [1908-1984] (1964-1964) and presently Tova Traesnaes [1941- ] (1973- ). Borgnine appeared in five Euro-westerns including “A Bullet for Sandoval” (1969) and “Hannie Caulder” (1970). Today we celebrate Ernest Borgnine’s 95^th birthday.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Remembering Dan Duryea

Daniel Duryea was born on January 23, 1907 in White Plains, New York. He became an American stage, motion picture, and television actor of the 1940s, ‘50s, and ‘60s. Dan appeared in several classic TV series such as "The Twilight Zone," "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour," and "Bonanza." He appeared in only one Euro-western “The Hills Run Red” (1966) as Colonel Winnie Getz. Dan is the father of actor Peter Duryea. Dan passed away on June 7, 1968 in Hollywood, California, U.S.A. Today we remember Dan Duryea on what would have been his 105^th birthday.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

The Last Pistolero

L’ultimo Pistolero – Italian title

The Last Pistolero – English title

A 2002 Italian production [Ass. Celluloide, CKS Cinema e Communications (Rome)]

Producer: Claudio Bronzo

Director: Alessandro Dominici

Story: Sebastiano Ruiz Mignone

Screenplay: Sebastiano Ruiz Mignone

Cinematography: Alessandro Dominici [black & white[

Music: Ennio Morricone

Running time: 8 minutes

Cast:

Pistolero – Franco Nero

An aging gunslinger conceives of a unique way to eliminate himself in a deserted warehouse.

Happy 75th Birthday Hugo Blanco

Hugo Blanco Galiasso’s parents were Spanish and he was born on January 22, 1937 in Chaco, Argentina. He made his stage debut at the age of five in Buenos Aires. He won a national award for his performance in “Clerambaro”. After a short career in television he followed several other Argentinian actors to Spain and made his 1961’s “La patota”. He was then contacted by director Jesus Franco who offered him the role of Ludwig von Klaus in 1962’s “La mano de un hombre muerto” (The Hand of a Dead Man). Blanco settled in Spain and made a career as a supporting actor in many genre’s and a total of over 50 films and television appearances including eleven Euro-westerns starting with “Hands of a Gunman” (1965) to “Tex and the Lord of the Deep” in 1985. He then returned to Argentina with his last film appearance was in “The Ebro Runs Dry” (1991). Blanco acted under the pseudonyms Ugo Blanco, John Clark, John Russell, Hugh White, and J. White. Today we celebrate Hugo Blanco’s 75^th birthday.