Remembering Laura Nucci

Maria Laura Lodovici was born on February 26, 1913 in Carrara, Tuscany Italy. She was the sister of director and actor Carlo Lodovici [1912-1982]. Using the stage name Laura Nucci  she began a collaboration with Alessandro Blasetti participating in many of his films, usually in the role of the antagonist or the femme fatale She would appear in over 60 films and TV appearances including the role of Mrs. Baxter in her only Euro-western “Ramon the Mexican” (1966). In 1981 she played the role of Ida in the movie “Ricomincio da tre” directed by Massimo Troisi. On television, she was part of the cast of the 1957 television series “Orgoglio e pregiudizio” (Pride and Prejudice), directed by Daniele D'Anza. Nucci passed away on January 10, 1994 in Rome at the age of 80. Today we remember Laura Nucci on what would have been her 100^th birthday.

Remembering Fanfulla

Luigi Visconti was born on February 26, 1913 in Rome, Italy. He was the son of the actress Mercedes Menolesi who was called Diavolina, and not bound by kinship to the noble family of Visconti, from the mid-1940s to the late 1950s he was known as Fanfulla and was a famous comedian of the variety theaters, acclaimed for his brilliant style. Famous were his costume changes from one scene to another, his clothes were always bright, detailed and of different colors.

In the cinema, he appeared in only marginal roles since 1951 in such films as “Toto and Marcellino” (1958) directed by Antonio Musu, “The Showman” (1960) directed by Dino Risi, “The Thief of Bagdad” (1961) directed by Arthur Lubin and Bruno Vailati, and “Che gioia vivere” (1961) directed by René Clément. His only two Euro-westerns were: “The Sheriff” (1959) and “The Magnificent Three” (1961) as Pedro.

In 1969 he was chosen to take part in Federico Fellini's Fellini “Satyricon”, where Fanfulla plays the heavy Vernacchio, a role that earned him a Silver Ribbon. The following year, again with Fellini, he returned in the television film “The Clowns”.

He died of a heart attack on January 5, 1971 in Bologna, Italy at the age of fifty-seven.

Today we remember Fanfulla on what would have been his 100^th birthday.

Who Are Those Guys? - Manuel Bermudez

Manuel Bermúdez was born on March 20, 1913 in Madrid, Spain. He teamed with Eduardo Ruiz de Velasco [1919-1995] where he gained fame as one-half of the children’s comedy team ‘Pototo y Boliche’ which performed on Radio Madrid in the 1940s. The pair even starred in a 1948 film “Pototo, Boliche y Compañía”. By 1950 the comedy team had split and Bermudez pursued a film career appearing in over 15 films, one of which was the Euro-western “Ringo the Face of Revenge” (1966) as Paco, which starred Anthony Steffen, Eduardo Fajardo and Frank Wolff. Bermudez’s last film was a voice actor in 1973’s “Magic Adventure”. Manuel passed away in Alicante, Valencia, Spain on September 4, 1978.

BERMUDEZ, Manuel (aka Boliche, Manolo Bermudez) (Manuel Bermúdez) [3/20/1913, Madrid, Madrid, Spain – 9/4/1978, Alicante, Valencia, Spain] – radio comedian, voice actor, half of the radio comedy team ‘Pototo y Boliche’

Ringo the Face of Revenge – 1966 (Paco)

Red Bull the Last Apache

Red Bull, der letzte Apache – German title

Red Bull, the Last Apache – English title

A 1920 German production [International Film-Institute GmbH (Heidelberg)]

Producer:

Director: Piel Jutzi (Philipp Jutzi)

Story: Piel Jutzi (Philipp Jutzi)

Screenplay: Piel Jutzi (Philipp Jutzi)

Cinematography: Ernst Vachenauer [black & white]

Running time: 1264 meters

Cast:

Red Bull – Conny Carstennsen (Friedrich Worth)

With: Frau Marlow, Dorle Rebah

Story: Unknown

Remembering Al Lettieri

Alessandro Lettieri was born on February 24, 1928 in New York City. He was born from Italian heritage and projected an aura of menace, ruthlessness and brooding malevolence in his film roles, which he attributed to his acquaintance with real-life gangsters, including Joey Gallo. Al appeared in TV series starting in 1957’s ‘Official Detective’.At the age of 36, he made his screen debut in the television film ‘The Hanged Man’ (1964). Lettieri went on to act with some of Hollywood's biggest screen names including his only Euro-western “A Town Called Hell” (1971) as La Bomba with Telly Savalas, Martin Landau and Robert Shaw, Steve McQueen in “The Getaway” (1972), Charles Bronson in “Mr. Majestyk”, John Wayne in “McQ” (both 1974) and both Marlon Brando and Al Pacino in “The Godfather” (1972). Lettieri died of a heart attack in 1975, at the age of 47, leaving two children. Today we remember Al Lettieri on what would have been his 85^th birthday.