.Westerns...All'Italiana!

Friday, December 23, 2022

Spaghetti Western Trivia ~ Indian cliff dwelling

In 1968’s “Once Upon a Time in the West” there is a scene where hired gun Frank (Henry Fonda) meets Mr. Morton Gabriele Ferzetti at an Indian cliff dwelling. I always thought this was an actual cliff dwelling in or near Monument Valley but all or part of the set was designed by Carlo Sim and his crew.

RIP James J. Murakami

American art director and set designer James Junichi Murakami died in Los Angeles, California on December 15, 2022. He was 91. Born in Sacramento, California on June 4, 1931. He is best known for his Emmy-winning work as the art director on HBO's Deadwood, and his many collaborations with Clint Eastwood. He got his start in movies and television with a job at ZIV Studio, where he spent a number of years in various art departments. Murakami was an assistant art director on the 1977 Euro-western “Another Man, Another Chance” with James Caan and Genevieve Bujold.

50th anniversary of the premier of “Now They Call Him Sacramento”

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the premier of “Now They Call Him Sacramento”, directed by Alfonso Balcazar using the alias Al Bagran and starring Michael Forest, Gigi Bonos and Fred Harrison. The film tells the story of Sacramento (Michael Forest), Big Jim (Fred Harrison) and Jim's father Old Tequila (Gigi Bonos) get into a fight with a gang of outlaws planning to rob a shipment of gold from a train. Believing the money belongs to the government they take it for themselves, but the cash actually belongs to a community of farmers who now face eviction from their land. It seems that the outlaw trio were outsmarted were working for a crooked banker, Cray (Antonio Molino Rojo), who is attempting to take control of the farmers' land. When he discovers that the farmland is inhabited by a colony of beautiful women who have left their husbands because they refused to stand up to the banker's bullies, Sacramento tries to make amends. However, Old Tequila runs off with the money and Cray sends his thugs after Sacramento and Jim. In a dramatic ending the entire town is destroyed in a series of explosions. The film grossed 155,423 lire on its original release.

Hijos de pobres, pero deshonestos padres… le llamaban Calamidad – Spanish title

Les llamaban Calamidad – Spanish title

Los bandoleros – Spanish title

I bandoleros della dodicesima ora – Italian title

Agora Eles o Chamam Sacramento – Brazilian title

Oi anoihtoherides – Greek title

Os Bandoleiros da 12 ª Hora – Greek title

De kalte ham amen – Norwegian title

Они называют его Сакраменто – Russian title

Sacramento - värst i västern – Swedish title

Desperado – English title

Now They Call Him Amen – English title

Now They Call Him Sacramento – English title

A 1972 Spanish, Italian film co-production [Balcázar Producciones Cinematográficas

S.A. (Barcelona), Variety Film (Rome)]

Producer: Francisco Balcázar

Director: Al Bagran (Alfoso Balcázar)

Story: Alfonso Balcázar

Screenplay: Alfonso Balcázar, Giovanni Simonelli

Cinematography: Jaime Deu Casas [Eastmancolor]

Music: Willy Brezza (Willi Columbini)

Song: “Sundown Son” sung by Dream Bags

Running time: 90 minutes

Cast:

Sacramento/Amen – Michael Forest (Gerald Charlebois)

Old Tequila – Gigi Bonos (Luigi Bonos)

Big Jim – Fred Harrison (Fernando Bilbao)

Barbara/Jenny McKinley – Malisa Longo (Maria Longo)

Mr. Cray – Antonio Molino Rojo

Sheriff – Paolo Gozlino

Jack – Gaspar 'Indio' González

Sam - Fernando Rubio (Fernando Peña)

Sheriff Jack - Antonio Almorós (Ramona Almorós)

Tony - Johnny Fairen (Juan Fairen),

Widower – Pajarito (Manuel Muñiz)

Blinky - Juan Torres

Barber - Mario Del Vago

Daisy - Bruno Arié

Bartender – Armando Tortorici

Woman on train – Irene D’Astrea

Man on train - César Ojinaga

Train guard – Manuel Bronchud (Manuel Bronchud i Guisoni)

Poker players – Oscar Giustini, Bruno Ukmar

Saloon patrons – Roberto Messina, Giancarlo Ukmar, Giovanni Ukmar

Cray henchmen - Raúl Aparici, Sergio Aparici

With: Luigi Antonio Guerra, Fabio Garriba

50th anniversary of “A Bounty Hunter for Trinity”

Today marks the 50th anniversary of “A Bounty Hunter in Trinity” premier. Directed by Oscar Farradine (Oscar Santaniello) and starred Jeff Cameron, Attilio Dottestio and Paul Cren. The film is about yhe town of Trinity which is invaded by Mexican bandits led by the Sancho brothers, Ramon and Pedro, who rob, kill and terrorize the town. Aided by their informer and accomplice Pizzaro (Antonio Cantafora), who runs the local saloon but who wants to run the rest of the town. The local sheriff (Silvio Klein) is inept to handle the situation and when a federal marshal is sent in to help he is ambushed and killed. Desperate, the town folk of Trinity hire a notorious bounty killer to rid the town of the Mexicans. Alan Boyd (Jeff Vameron) is more of a killing machine than a bounty hunter and one who enjoys his profession to the hilt. He demands money up front plus the rewards on the gang member’s heads. The tricks of his trade are a crossbow mounted with a telescope and of course the always efficient dynamite which he has attached to some of his arrows. When the job is completed, he's contacted by a neighboring town that also need him to rid their village of another band of Mexicans.

Un bounty killer a Trinità – Italian title

Matem Trinity - Brazilian title

Един ловец на глави в Тринита – Bulgarian title

Tueur a cages a trinita – French title

Bounty Killer a Trinita – French title

Un bounty-killer en Trinita – Spanish title

Un asesino en Trinidad – Spanish title

Kopfgeld – German title

Kopfgeld für einen Killer – German title

Gia mia houfta katharmata - Greek title

Bounty Hunter in Trinity – U.K. title

A Bounty Killer for Trinity – U.S.A. title

A 1972 Italian film production [Transglobe Italiana (Rome)]

Producer: Oscar Santaniello

Director: Oscar Faradine (Oskar Santaniello, Aristide Massaccesi)

Story: Joe D’Amato (Aristide Massaccesi), Romano Scandariato

Screenplay: Joe D’Amato (Aristide Massaccesi), Romano Scandariato

Cinematography: Joe D’Amato (Aristide Massaccesi) [Telecolor, CinemaScope]

Music: Vassil Kojucharov (Vasco Kojucharov)

Running time: 87 minutes

Cast:

Alan Boyd - Jeff Cameron (Giovanni Scarciofolo)

John - Attilio Dottesio

Mayor George - Filippo Perego

Pizzaro - Antonio Cantafora

Sancho Navajero - Paul Cren (Enzo Pulcrano)

Annie - Carla Mancini

Carmen - Tiziana Dini

Ted Jones - Calogero Caruana

Sam’s daughter - Pati Minar (Marina Rabbissi)

Sheriff – Silvio Klein

Town council member - Antonio Cantafora

Willie - Ari Hanow

Pizarro henchman - Xiro Papas

Navajero henchmen - Amerigo Castrighella, Antonio Danesi, Mimmo Maggio

Wagon guard - Gilberto Galimberti

With: Emanuele Seguino

50th Anniversary of the premier of “An Animal Called Man”

Today marks the 50^th anniversary of the premier of “An Animal Called Man” directed by Roberto Mauri and starring Vassili Karis, Craig Hill, Omero Capanna and Lillian Bray. The story tells of two drifters Bill Matson (Vassili Karis) and his brother Johnny (Omero Capanna), arrive in the town of Silver City, which is run by Mark Forrester (Craig Hill) and his gangsters. Our heroes try and compete with Forrester and Bill even beats him in a shooting contest, winning $500 and the admiration of Yvette (Lillian Bray), a doctor from Paris. Bill and Johnny then pose as tax collectors and try to con the townspeople out of their hard-earned money. They end up getting rid of Forrester and his gang and are given a huge reward by the town but being the conmen they are they decide to move on with Yvette. The film grossed 73, 525 lire on its original release.

Un animale chiamato uomo – Italian title

Um Animal Chamado Homem – Brazilian title

Bill oc John vaelter byen – Danish title

Bill & John - Lännenveijarit vauhdissa - Finnish title

Cei homme est un animal – French title

Cet homme est un animal – French title

Les 2 pistoleros de Sylver City – French title

Violence dans la valle – French title

Enas Satanas pou ton legane anthropo – Greek title

El cadaver nuestro de cada dia – Spanish title

Bill & John – westerns storsta oljud – Swedish title

Dom kallar mig odjuret - Swedish title