Spaghetti Western Essential Library

Willkommen in der Hölle – Der Italo Western im àœberblick
Author: Christian Kessler
Publisher: Terroverlag (2002) paperback
328 pages
Kessler covers 420 films in detail plus another 150 films in the appendix. 300 rare photos and posters nicely accentuate the book. There’s also an interview with Gianni Garko and an actors index with filmography. A 16 page center section with color photos completes this encyclopedia. Only drawback is it’s in German only, but it’s easy enough to derive basic information on films so don’t let that hold you back.

BAD MAN'S RIVER

E continuavano a fregarsi il milione di dollari – Italian title
Et ils continuaient a se voler l’un l’autre le million de dollars – French title
Les quatre mercenaires d’El Paso – French title
…Y seguian robandose el millon de dolares – Spanish title
El hombre de rio Malo – Spanish title
Los hombres malos del río – Spanish title
Tappotuulella – Finnish title
Matalo – German title
King, o tromeros – Greek title
Rzeka zloczynców – Polish title
Vamos ter sarilho - Portuguese title
Hunt the Man Down – English title
And They Go on Losing the Million Dollars – English title
Bad Man’s River – U.S.A. title

A 1972 Italian, Spanish, French co-production [International Apollo Films (Rome),
Zurbano Films (Madrid), Les Productions Jacques Roitfeld (Paris)]
Producer: Bernard Gordon, Irving Lerner
Director: Eugenio Martin
Story: Gene Martin (Eugenio Marquez), Philip Yordan
Screenplay: Eugenio Martin (Eugenio Marquez), Philip Yordan
Cinematography: Alejandro Ulloa [Technicolor, Franscope]
Music: Waldo de los Rios (Osvaldo Guttierez)
Song: “Bad Man’s River” sung by Jade Warrior
Running time: 100 minutes

Cast:
Roy “Bomba” King - Lee Van Cleef (Clarence Van Cleef, Jr.)
Francisco “Paco” Montero - James Mason
Alicia/Alice - Gina Lollobrigida (Luigina Lollobrigida)
Angel Santos - Simón Andreu (Simón Trobat)
Dolores - Diana Lorys (Anna Vega)
Ed “Pupo” Pace - Gianni Garko (Giovanni Garcovich)
Canales - Aldo Sambrell (Alfredo Brell)
Tom Odie - Jess Hahn (Jesse Hahn)
false Montero - Daniel Martín (José Martinez)
Orozco - Luis Rivera
Conchita - Lone Ferk (Lone Ferck)
General Duarte - Eduardo Fajardo
Colonel Enrique Fierro - Sergio Fantoni
reverend - Per Barclay (Erik Atberg)
Mexican soldier - Ricardo Palacios (Ricardo Diez)
Lopez - José M. Martín (José Manuel Martín)
sheriff - Allen Russell
with: Barta Barry (Bernabe Barri), Francsico Nieto, José Riesgo (Jose Cortina), Tito García (Pablo Gonzalez), Vic Albert, Carmen Guardón (Carmen Gallen), Gene Collins, Tom Power, Carl Rapp, Robert Lombard, Dan van Husen (Daniel van Husen), Bruno Sismondi, Rupert Crabb, David Thompson, Jean Martin (Luigi Marturano), Francisco Braña (Francisco Pérez), Clovis Dave, Claudia Gravy (Marsa-Claude Perin)


Considered by many to be one of the worst Spaghetti Westerns of all-time, a band of tough Texas outlaws called the King gang race up and down the border robbing one bank after another. Their only worthy adversary is the devilishly sensuous Alicia who constantly outwits them. Finally they join forces when a Mexican revolutionary offers the outlaws a million dollars to destroy an arsenal owned by the Mexican army. The arsenal gets blasted, but the million dollars doesn't get delivered in this "outsmart the outsmarters" and "double-cross the double-crossers".

Happy 70th Birthday Rosalba Neri

Rosalba Neri was born on June 19, 1939 in Forli, Italy. She sometimes used the pseudonym Sara Bay. She won a beauty contest in 1956 and turned down a chance to attend the Actors Studio in New York. She began her film career a year prior to that, at the tender age of 15 with a role in the film “I Pinguini ci guardano” (The Penguins Watch Us) in which the animals at the zoo watched the humans around them and cultivated some very interesting thoughts. Many sources, however, list her first film as “Mogli pericolose”. She is uncredited in this comedy which was directored by Luigi Comencini. She appeared in several historical films, spy and erotic films. She had roles in several Spaghetti Westerns over the years. In 1965’s, “Dynamite Jim”, she played Margaret; and, in ’67 she was Rosita in Emimmo Salvi’s “Wanted: Johnny Texas”. That year she also made her most memorable Spaghetti Western appearance in “Johnny Yuma”, with Mark Damon which was directed by Romolo Guerrieri. One of the greatest of Spaghetti western actresses, now living in retirement we celebrate her 70th birthday today.

RIP Danica Acimac

Serbian actress Danica Acimac died of natural causes on June 11, 2009 in Belgrade. Born in Belgrade on December 29, 1928 as Danica Pomorišac she became a TV actress starting in 1959 and appeared in a number of television series until 1976 when she retired from show business. Danica appeared in one European western 1967’s “Zlatna pracka” (The Golden Sling).

Spaghetti Western Locations

While Mini Hollywood is basically a theme park for tourists, Texas Hollywood is still a working set that allows visitors to roam the streets. Located only a stone’s throw away from each other Texas Hollywood is located on a dirt road a mile or so off the main highway. While only the saloon is open for business, Texas Hollywood gives you the feeling of what it must have been like at the peak of the Spaghetti Western era. Dusty streets, faded buildings and the smell of horse manure. There are Mexican and American towns constructed next to each other. Some of the buildings are only fronts while others are complete. If you see the film or DVD of “800 Bullets” you’ll get a feel for what the town is like today. Stunt shows are performed and you can rent a horse and ride around the area. Another must see for any Spaghetti Western fan.

RIP Fernando Delgado

Stage, TV and film actor Fernando Delgado died of lung disease on June 15, 2009 in Madrid, Spain. He was born Fernando Martinez Delgado on June 28, 1930 in Porucna, Jaén, Spain during the tour of his parents, actors Luis Martinez Tovar and Julia Delgado Caro. He began to make stage appearances with his mother in the mid-forties. His extraordinary voice allowed him to star in some of the major films of the second half of the last century. Among them were “Papillon” (1967). He was seen regularly both in front of and behind Spanish TV since 1956. His son Albert followed his father and became a theater actor. Fernando Delgado appeared in “El Coyote” in 1955 and in “Zorro the Avenger” 1962.

RIP Freddy Unger

From the Cinema Italiano website it has been learned that actor, stunt coordinator, stuntman Goffredo “Freddy” Unger passed away in mid May of this year. Word was passed down by his son. Born Goffredo Unger in Oslo, Norway on June 6, 1933 and acted under several pseudonyms such as Freddy Hagar, Fred Hunger, Freddy Hunger, Frederico Hunger and John Silver but is known by most of us as Freddy Unger. Besides his being an actor Unger was also an assistant director, stunt coordinator, stuntman and special effects expert. He appeared in many Spaghetti Westerns as an actor and stuntman but also the stunt coordinator on several. He was one of the best stuntmen who appeared in the genre.

Freddy Unger’s Euro-westerns:
The Hills Run Red – 1966 (Union Colonel) [as Goffredo Unger]
Face to Face – 1967 (Deputy of Purgatory City) [as Freddy Unger]
Run, Man Run! – 1967 (sheriff) [as Freddy Unger]
7 Pistols for a Massacre – 1967 [as Freddy Unger]
Vengeance – 1967 (Yuma) [as Freddy Unger]
Black Jack – 1968 (Billy) [as Freddy Unger]
Gatling Gun – 1968 (Tarpas henchman) [as Freddy Unger]
One After the Other – 1968 (Burt) [as Freddy Unger]
Full House for the Devil – 1968 (Ward henchman) [as Freddy Unger]
Run Man Run – 1968 – Master of Arms
The Magnificent Bandits – 1969 (Dutch geologist) [as Goffredo Unger] also Asst. Dir.
Chapaqua’s Gold – 1970 (Chapaqua henchman) [as Freddy Unger]
Django Defies Sartana – 1970 [as Freddy Unger]
Have a Good Funeral… Sartana will Pay – 1970 (Lee Tse Tung bouncer) [as Goffredo Unger]
Shoot the Living and Pray for the Dead – 1970 (Frank Skelton) [as Freddy Unger] also Stunt Coordinator
Blazing Guns – 1971 (Captain Ortega) [as Freddy Unger]
Bullet for a Stranger – 1971 (saloon patron) [as Freddy Unger]
The Buzzards and Crows Will Dig Your Grave – 1971 (Kovac henchman) [as Freddy Unger]
Dead Men Ride – 1971 (Chris) [as Goffredo Unger]
Guns for Dollars – 1971 (Slim) [as Freddy Unger]
His Name was King – 1971 (Ben Benson) [as John Silver]
Two Sons of Trinity – 1971 (friar) [as Freddy Hunger]
Deaf Smith & Johnny Ears – 1972 [as Freddy Unger]
Jesse and Lester, Two Brothers in a Place Called Trinity – 1972 [as Goffredo Unger]
The Return of Halleluia – 1972 (Sheriff of Laredo) [as Goffredo Unger] also Master of Arms
Sting of the West – 1972 (Grant henchman) [as Freddy Unger]
Trinity and Sartana those Dirty SOBs – 1972 StuntCoordinator
Another Try, Eh Providence – 1973 (soldier) [as Goffredo Unger]
Karate, Fists and Beans – 1973 (Freddy) [as Freddy Unger]
The Man Called Invincible – 1973 (Pokey) [as Goffredo Unger]
On the Third Day Arrived the Crow – 1973 Master of Arms
Challenge to White Fang – 1974 (brawler in saloon) [as Goffredo Unger] also Stunt Coordinator
The Crazy Bunch – 1974 [as Freddy Unger]
Four of the Apocalypse – 1974 (gambler) [as Goffredo Unger] also Stunt Coordinator
Apache Woman – 1976 Stunt Coordinator
Comin' at Ya! - 1981 Special Effects
Thunder Warrior – 1983 (Thomas’ friend) [as Goffredo Unger] also Asst. Dir.