Remembering Francesca Ramona Coluzzi

Francesca Romana Coluzzi Bartoccioni was born on May 20, 1943 in Tirana, Albania. The daughter of an epidemiologist Alberto Umbrian Coluzzi, and Anna Wimmer, German educator of Passau. She was born in Albania, because her father had been sent to carry out research and the fight against malaria by the Institute of malariology Ettore Marchiafava, during the period of Italian occupation. The family returned to Perugia, then moved to the district Monticelli, Italy

 
From an early age she became interested in art from music, poetry, painting. Equipped with a powerful physique and athleticism, during her university studies she made contact with the world of cinema thanks to her cousin stuntman Biagio Gambini, working there occasionally as a stuntwoman, and doubling actresses like Mylène Demongeot in the Fantomas films during the 1970s and Marisa Mell in the film “Diabolik” (1968). She was also the stunt double for Gastone Moschin for underwater filming of the movie “Il grande colpo dei sette uomini d'oro”.
 
At the same time she also played in small roles for director Lucio Fulci and was contacted by Federico Fellini for a major part in the film “8 ½” (1963), to which she decided to give up to continue her studies. However, in 1967 she agreed to play the role of Asmara in the film “Serafino” directed by of Pietro Germi, which became very popular.
 
The film with Germi was a turning point in her life and made her decide to abandon her studies and devote herself entirely to the commitment of film. Despite her success as an actress, she devoted herself first to scenery designing and creating the interiors for films “The Untouchables” staged by Giuliano Montaldo, “The Nun” by Monza Eriprando Visconti,“The Prophet” by Dino Risi. During the 1970s Francesca appeared in two Euro-westerns: “Sting of the West” (1972) as Betty Brown and “Karate, Fists and Beans” (1973) as ‘Baby’ Morgan.
 
Her film career was divided, within the next 15 years, including roles as a character actress in Italian erotic comedy, and participating in experimental films. Coluzzi became a true icon of the commercial films of the 1970s, almost always playing authoritative women's roles ready to fight, often teaming up with Lino Banfi and Mario Carotenuto, in the part of the submissive husbands with faithless aspirations.
 
In the 1980s, after the birth of her two daughters Laila and Swabian she cut back on her film appearances. She founded in Rome a theater workshop Minestrone, then renamed Cultural Association Minestrone Art which became an acting school run by Coluzzi until her death from lung cancer on July 15, 2009.
 
Today we remember Francesca Romana Coluzzi on what would have been her 70^th birthday.
 

THE RUNNING GUN

The Gunfighter – English title

The Running Gun – U.K. title
 
A 1992 British production [Screenwest LSF Productions (Berkshire)]
Producer: Lindsay Craig Shonteff
Director: Lindsay Craig Shonteff
Story: “The Running Gun” by Robert McLeod
Screenplay: Jay Cameron
Cinematography: Len McClure [Techincolor]
Music: Caleb King (Caleb Lindsay)
Running time: 96 minutes
 
Cast:
Father/Frank – James E. Coates
Cowboy – Michael Collins
Woman – Becky Davies (Rebecca Davies)
Small boys – Holden Dwyer, Crispin Woods
Lone figure – Jack Dwyer
Undertaker – Kerry Ellis
Sonny – Mato Grbavac
Billy – Mathew Henley
Deputy – Kurt Johnson
Gunfighter – Lawrence Day
Sheriff – Bill Stickland (William Strickland)
With: Tyler Todd, Raymond Delehoy, E.B. Myers, Richard Trujillo
 
A gunfighter drifts into a small Arizona town offering his gun for hire he finds what life is all about and that his has been wasted.

Remembering Horst Jonischkan

Horst Jonischkan was born on May 19, 1938 in Liepaja, Latvia. Even during his early school years Jonischkan acted in various school plays, which aroused his passion for the theater. Later he became a full-time thespian, took private acting lessons from Marie Borchardt and studied until 1961 at the School for Film and Television in Potsdam-Babelsberg, where he finished and received his diploma.

 
During his studies Jonischkan debuted as an actor at the Deutsches Theater in East Berlin, and appeared in a small supporting roles as an actor before the camera in DEFA films. This was followed by several film and television productions for DEFA and GDR television, such as the anti-fascist film “Das Lied vom Trompeter”, which made him well known. His one Euro-western was as Adams in “The Sons of Great Bear” (1966)
 
In addition to his work as a film actor Jonischkan appeared on stage in the Deutsches Theater in Berlin, in Brandenburg, Görlitz and Stendal.
 
Horst died in Rostock East Germany on October 31, 1979.
 
Today we remember Horst Jonischkan on what would have been his 75^th birthday.

Happy 80th Birthday Anton Garcia Abril

Antón García Abril was born on May 19, 1933 in Teruel, Aragón, Spain. Abril has composed many orchestral works as well as chamber and vocal pieces, and he has composed music for movies and television series such as ‘El Hombre y la Tierra’, ‘Fortunata y Jacinta’, ‘Anillos de oro’, ‘El perro’, ‘Segunda ensenanza’, ‘Brigada Central’, ‘Ramon y Cajal’, and ‘Compuesta y sin novio’.

 
In 1966, he composed the soundtrack for the Euro-western “Texas Adios”, starring Franco Nero. In 1969, he worked with director Rafael Romero Marchent, on the sound track of the movie “When Satan Grips the Colt”, another spaghetti western. In all Abril composed scores for five Euro-westerns. He also composed the music for Amando de Ossorio's “Blind Dead” film series.
 
Between 1974 and 2003, he was the head of the department of Compositions and Musical Forms (Composicion y Formas Musicales) of the Real Conservatorio Superior de Música in Madrid, and in 1982 he was elected a member of the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando in Madrid. In 1994, he was awarded Spain's Premio Nacional de Música for composition, and in 2008, he was also named a member of the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Carlos in Valencia.
 
Today we celebrate Antón García Abril’s 80^th birthday.

Remembering Alberto Bonucci

Alberto Bonucci was born in Campobasso, Italy on May 19, 1918. He was an Italian actor and voice actor, active in theater, radio and television.

 
After acting for various theater companies and on the radio until the early 1940s, he moved to Paris in 1949, performing with Vittorio Caprioli and Luciano Salce in th Rose Rouge cabaret, and building the foundations for the company that would give him fame and success .
 
In 1950 he was in the cast in the original Neapolitan Carousel, with the theatrical debut at the Teatro La Pergola in Florence. The same year he founded, together with Franca Valeri Caprioli, the famous Theatre Company of Gobbi, which launched a new style of comedy, made of satire, and which also gave rise to various radio broadcasts such The Nutcracker (1952), Women by James Thurber (1953), and Courteline all'italiana (1954).
 
Bonucci is best remember, for his participation in plays such as Intrighi d'amore (1951), Senza rete (1954) and films like “Luci del varietà” (1950) and “Carosello napoletano” (1954). In 1963 he also directed the episode "Il serpente", from the story by Mario Soldati, for the movie “L'amore difficile”. In 1959 he appeared in his only Euro-western “The Terror of Oklahoma” as Benny.
 
Praised for his natural virtues in comedy and dry humor, he played in numerous radio programs for RAI. He was also a narrator of the Nutcracker weekly radio series.
 
Alberto was the father of actress Nicoletta and actor Emilio Bonucci. He died in Rome from a brain tumor on April 5, 1969.
 
Today we remember Alberto Bonucci on what would have been his 95^th birthday.

Armed Forces Day 2013

Spaghetti Western Locations

 

We continue our search for film locations from “Death Rides a Horse”. Once Ryan eludes the two men who are following him, we see him at the Meceita Ranch staring at the graves of Bill’s parents and sister. Bill appears and asks him if he can help him. Ryan says he’s been away for a while but had heard about the massacre and gives his condolences to Bill and rides away.

 
This is the same ranch location in Italy called Manziana/la casaccia which was used in “One Silver Dollar” (1965) starring Giuliano Gemma.

For a more detailed view of this site and other Spaghetti Western locations please visit my friend Captain Douglas’ excellent website: http://www.western-locations-spain.co       

and Yoshi Yasuda’s location site: http://y-yasuda.net/film-location.htm