RIP Whitey Hughes

Legendary stuntman Whitey Hughes passed away at his home in his sleep on July 7th. No matter how you look at it, stuntman, Robert "Whitey" Hughes' life can be described as one part Huck Finn and one part Mr. Hughes goes to Hollywood. Whitey has been a staple in the medium, working in over 40 different television series from the early 1950's to the present. Some of the work which he is most proud, includes his time as stunt coordinator/stuntman/actor for The Wild Wild West with Robert Conrad and Ross Martin, produced by Bruce Lansbury. Born Robert James Huges on November 9, 1920 in Arkoma, Oklahoma he grew up on a ranch with his brother Bill who would also become a stuntman in later life. Moving to Hollywood in 1936 and graduated from high school. He found his way into the film business in 1947.

Because of his small size Whitey was often called upon to double for women in these early days and would eventually do stunts for such luminaries as Rita Hayworth, Stephanie Powers, Barbara Hershey, Anne Baxter, Lana Turner, Kathleen Crowley and Virginia Mayo. Whitey was Johnny Crawford's double for four years on TV's "Rifleman" as well as Bobby Diamond's double during the run of the "Fury" TV series.

Whitey also worked on "U.S. Marshal", "Californians", "MacKenzie's Raiders", "Black Saddle", "WyattEarp", "Lassie", "Rawhide", "Bonanza", "Monroes", "Hondo", "Gunsmoke" ... and hundreds more including work for both Roy [Rogers] and Gene [Autry] on their respective series. His multitude of work is only highlighted in this article. For terrific stunt viewing, I recommend watching Whitey in action in almost every episode of "The Wild Wild West", which he coordinated for four seasons ('65-'68). Whitey and his stunt crew do some amazing action sequences.

Whitey was an active stuntman for 50 years. He was awarded a Golden Boot Award in 2002. Whitey Hughes passed away at home in his sleep on July 7, 2009, he was 87. Whitey was regarded as one of the greatest stuntmen of all time and one of the nicest gentlemen you would ever hope to meet. Whitey performed stunts in the 1969 Euro-western "Guns for San Sebastian".

Spaghetti Western Collectables

Silver rattlesnake inspired by the greatest westerns ever!
It won't get more authentic than this!

The silver rattlesnake was originally made by the late Andy Anderson for Clint Eastwood, who always brought his own guns and gunbelt to the movie set. Eastwood was fond of his Colt 45 with the pure silver rattlesnake in mid-strike, as it was a potent symbol of his character's deadly sharp shooting finesse with a pistol. He used these guns on Rawhide and brought the grips over to Italy when filming the “Dollar” trilogy.

We have a replica of the silver rattlesnake for you in a set for the left and right side of your favorite pistol or it can be purchased singly for either side. We've made it simple. They're designed to surface mount. You only need to drill 5 small holes in your grip for the pins on the back of the rattlesnake. They're thin and light. Each one is only a sixteenth of an inch thick. It's super easy! You'll need a 1/16th inch drill bit and a little epoxy glue. For the women fast draw fans, the silver rattlesnake can be ordered as a pendant!
$120 each or $185 for the pair!

Spaghetti western replicas link: http://www.spaghettiwesternreplicas.com/grip.html

THE BANDIT MALPELO

El bandido Malpelo – Spanish title
Il lungo giorno della violenza – Italian title
The Bandit Malpelo – English title

A 1971 Spanish, Italian co-production [Copercines (Madrid), Suprania Films (Rome)]
Producer: Gregorio Manzanos
Director: Giuseppe Maria Scotese
Story: Giuseppe Maria Scotese, Eduardo Manzano (Eduardo Manzano Brochero)
Screenplay: Eduardo M. Brochero (Eduardo Manzanos Brochero)
Cinematography: Giampaolo Santini (Gian Paolo Santini) [Eastmancolor, Panoramico]
Music: Marcello Giombini
Running time: 100 minutes

Cast:
Diego Medina/Mendoza - George Carvell
Juan Cisneros Malpelo - Eduardo Fajardo
Lupe - Charo López (Maria Pinuelas)
El Timbio - Sergio Doria
Fuentes - Gianni Pallavicino (Giovanni Pallavicino)
Captain Orozco - José Nieto
Maruja - Léa Nanni
Pamela - Rita Forzano
guerilla commandant - Giampaolo Santini
guerilla lieutenant - Ruggero Salvatori (Ruggero Salvadori)
Felix Dominguez - Miguel Del Castillo
padre - Sergio Serafini
with; Antonio Cintado, Rafael Albaicin, Rufino Inglés (Rufino Garcia)

“The only spaghetti western directed by Giuseppe Maria Scotese, in the 60s mainly known as a director of adventure movies and – especially – great documentaries. His name also appears as producer on the credits of Mateo Cano’s L’Ultimo dei Mohicani, and he is also named in relation to a script, written by Bruno Corbucci and Mario Amendola, for a movie called La lunga strada per Chihuaha (Que viva Mexico!) that should have been directed by him, but that was never realized. Possibly this script was also the starting point for this movie, Lungo giorno della violenza/El Bandito Malpelo. It must be said that this mysterious production seems to exist more on paper than as an actual film, because nobody saw it when it was first released, nor did anybody see it afterwards. It’s clear that this movie about a bandit called Malpelo, played by Eduardo Fajardo, set in Revolutionary Mexico, is mainly a Spanish production, with a considerable part of the Spanish spaghetti western force supporting it, in the first place Eduardo Manzanos Brochero as producer/screenwriter, the duo Calicia-Cubero signing for the production design and a lot of familiar faces in the cast. The story is about a young revolutionary called Diego Mendoza, who’s is looking for Pancho Villa, because he has some important documents for him. He is persecuted by the federales, and in the middle of the desert, he is captured by the bandit Malpelo. But when Malpelo finds out what is going on, he decides to help the young man fulfill his mission. Absolutely nothing is known of actor George Carvell, the film’s protagonist. It’s also the third film of the beautiful Charo Lopez, who would end up in the cast of Amaldovar’s Kika. Spanish critic Carlos Aguilar calls the film “insignificant”.” – Marco Giusti

You Tube link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbjTTAJIZwU

Spaghetti Western Locations

If you continue to drive down the dirt road from San Jose, Spain, past the “A Pistol for Ringo” windmill you will come to a public beach which features a huge boulder about 50 yards off shore. This boulder was seen in “The Wind and the Lion” opposite the boulder and the beach is the government park headquarters and across from it is a flat area with a few decaying rock walls and what looks like a well. These are the remains of the fort which was seen in the beginning of the film "Shalako". In this area of Spain it seems like there is a film location around every bend in the road and over every hill.

BANDIDOS

Crepo tue… che vivo io! – Italian title
La pistole della vendetta – Italian title
Bandidos – Spanish title
Bandidos - elä kostaaksesi – Finnish title
El Bandidos – French title
Le pistole della vendetta – French title
Bandidos – German title
Banditos – Greek title
Mannen med dom genomskjutna kanderna – Swedish title
Guns of Death – U.K. title
You Die… I Live – U.S.A. title
Bandidos – English title

A 1967 Italian, Spanish co-production [Epic Film (Rome), Hesperia Film (Madrid)]
Producer: Solly V. Bianco
Director: Max Dillman (Massimo Dallamano)
Story: Luis Laso, Juan Cobos (Juan de Cobos)
Screenplay: Juan Cobos (Juan de Cobos), Romano Migliorini, Gianbattista Mussetto
Cinematography: Emilio Foriscot [Technicolor, Techniscope]
Music: Egisto Macchi
Song: “La ballata del treno” sung by Nico Fidenco
Running time: 95 minutes

Cast:
Richard Martin - Enrico Maria Salerno
Ricky Shot/Philip Raymond - Terry Jenkins/Thomas (Terry Jenkins)
Betty Starr/Stuart - María Martin (María Vargas)
Billy Kane - Venantino Venantini (Enrico Venantini)
Kane henchman - Fred Robsahm (Frederik Robsahm)
Vigonza - Cris Huerta (Crisanto Brieva)
Kramer - Marco Guglielmi (Augusto Guglielmi)
Munoz - Massimo Sarchielli
Ezekial - Renzo Pevarello
Sam - Giancarlo Bastianoni
train conductor - Victor Israel (José Vilanova)
Mexican bandit - Aysanoa Runachagua
saloon patron - Osiride Pevarello
with; Roberto Messina, Valentino Macchi, Antonio Pica (Antonio Serrano), Arthur Chase, Jesús Puente (Jesús Alzaga), Gino Barbacane, Giancarlo Sisti, Claudio Scarchilli, Luciano Pallocchia, Juan José Milian, Franco Morici


During a train hold-up Richard Martin, a circus sharp shooter, tries to resist the attempts of the bandits and they leave him with both hands mangled. He finds and teaches a young protégé, Ricky Shot, the tricks of the trade. Together they tour the west giving shooting exhibitions until they run into Billy Kane the leader of the outlaws who maimed Martin during the train robbery. When Martin is killed trying to take his revenge he is avenged by Shot. The director Dallimano was the cinematographer for Sergio Leone on “Fistful of Dollars” who learned his craft well as this is a fine looking film and filled with what we expect in the best Spaghetti Westerns.

YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IsB0ZnWcEM

Who Are Those Guys - Ugo Adinolfi

Another Italian character actor, seen many times during the Spaghetti Western era, was Ugo Adinolfi. The good looking young actor who sometimes resembled a dark haired Peter Lee Lawrence, was seen on screen from 1966 – 1975. He appeared mainly in action and adventure films in small roles seldom with a name for his character. After 1975 he seems to have left the industry as no more films are listed for his filmography.

Ugo Adinolfi’s Euro-westerns:
Killer Kid – 1967 (Ramirez henchman)
The Moment to Kill – 1967 (Forrester henchman)
Rick & John Conquer the West – 1967
The Wild and the Dirty - 1967
Gatling Gun – 1968
Full House for the Devil – 1968 (Meredith henchman)
Kill Them All and Come Back Alone - 1968
The Long Day of the Massacre – 1968 (Alan)
The Mercenary – 1968 (land owner)
Two Pistols for a Coward – 1968
The Law of Violence – 1969 (Sidney)
Zorro, Marquis of Navarra – 1969 (Lieutenant Bombardi)
A Man Called Apocalypse Joe – 1970 [as Hugo Adinolfi]
Bullet for a Stranger – 1971 (breeder)
Drummer of Vengeance – 1971
Guns for Dollars – 1971 (Pablito)

RIP Allen Klein

Former Beatles, Stones manager Allen Klein dies

Record label mogul and film producer Allen Klein, who handled the affairs of both the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Tony Anthony, died in New York on Saturday July 4th, after a battle with Alzheimer's disease, he was 77. During a career spanning more than 50 years, the former New Jersey accountant secured a fortune as one of the savviest and most infamous players in the music and film business. He played a key role during the bitter demise of the Beatles, coming on board in 1969 at the behest of John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison. Paul McCartney was fiercely opposed to Klein, preferring the legal expertise of his high-powered father-in-law Lee Eastman. The feud set the scene for the court battle that led to the group's dissolution. Klein later reunited with Harrison to organize the all-star Concert for Bangladesh show in 1971 concert. It took a decade for the funds to reach the refugees because of complex tax problems. He also continued to work with Lennon and Yoko Ono. Klein also managed the Rolling Stones during the 1960s and ended up owning the rights to their recordings and copyrights from that decade -- to the eternal regret of Mick Jagger. Klein produced a trilogy of spaghetti westerns starring and written by Tony Anthony copying Clint Eastwood's The Man With No Name. A Stranger In Town and The Stranger Returns were released in the USA by MGM. A dispute with MGM over the last one, The Silent Stranger, led to it not being released for seven years after production. Klein and Anthony also collaborated on the film Blindman featuring Ringo Starr as a Mexican bandito. Klein also appeared briefly on camera, in a similar role. In later years Klein refused to allow the films to be released on video and DVD much to Anthony's dismay. He first made his mark in the music industry by auditing record labels on behalf of clients such as Bobby Darin and Connie Francis. When he invariably found that they were owed royalties, he took a percentage of the difference as a fee. he also managed Sam Cooke, helping the R&B star set up his own label and publishing company. Klein's family-owned ABKCO Music & Records also handled the recordings of such artists as the Animals, Herman's Hermits, Bobby Womack, Marianne Faithfull, the Kinks, Chubby Checker, Bobby Rydell and many others.

He is survived by his wife and three adult children. His funeral will take place in New York on Tuesday.