Remembering Horst Kube

Horst Kube was born on September 19, 1920 in Berlin, Germany. He spent his school days aspiring to be circus director. When reality set in he turned to becoming a naval engineer. He served in the German navy during World War II. After the war Horst devoted himself to acting. He began doing bit parts in theaters and cabarets while taking acting lessons from Harry Berber. Later he would perform in the Fairy Tale Theater in Berlin and in various production in Potsdam and Frankfurt. He joined the DEFA studio in the mid-1950s.. Kurt again worked his way up to supporting roles by acting in bit parts. His break through role was as a police officer who commits a criminal act in the 1956 film “Vergeßt mir meine Traudel nicht”. Kube appeared in five of the DEFA Indian films: “The Sons of Great Bear”, “The Falcon's Trail”, “Fatal Error”, “Tecumseh” and “Apaches” (1973). Later on in his career Horst would appear in satirical short films called 'Stinger Productions' and on DFF television. Horst died on Ocotber 18, 1976 in East Berlin, Germany. Today we remember Horst Kube on what would have been his 90th birthday.

New DVD Release!

“THE FIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS”
Label: Cornerstone Media
Format: PAL
Aspect Ratio:
Region: Region 2
Sound: Dolby Digital
Languages : English
Running time: 106 minutes
Subtitles : none
Extras : none
Catalog number: B003ZTE04K
Available: November 22, 2010

[Thanks to Howard Hughes for bringing this DVD release to my attention.]

Remembering Jack Warden

John H. Lebzelter (German for honey-cake baker) was born September 18, 1920 in Newark, New Jersey. His father was an engineer and technician and Jack was raised in Louisville, Kentucky. Expelled from school for fighting he took up the sport as a professional under the name Johnny Costello. He became a nightclub bouncer a deckhand on a tugboat and a lifeguard before joining the U.S. Navy in 1938. Jack was stationed in China for three years before joining the U.S. Merchant Marine and then the U.S. Army in 1942 and becoming a paratrooper. He severely broke his leg the night before D-Day during a practice jump. He spent almost a year recovering and at that time read a Clifford Odets play and decided to try acting after participating in the Battle of the Bulge in 1944. Leaving the army as a sergeant he moved to New York City. Under the G.I Bill he joined the Dallas Alley Theater and acted on stage for five years. He made his TV debut in 1948 on the 'Philco Playhouse' and 'Studio One'. In 1951 he appeared in his first film in an uncredited role in “You're in the Navy Now”. In 1953 he appeared in “From Here to Eternity” and in 1957 “12 Angry Men”. He received an Emmy for his portrayal of George Hallas the owner of the Chicago Bears in “Brian's Song” and twice more for the TV series “Crazy Like a Fox”. Warden was then nominated for an Academy Award for his supporting role in both “Shampoo” (1975) and “Heaven Can Wait” (1978). Jack would go on to make over 100 films among them his only Euro-western “Billy Two Hats” (1973) with Gregory Peck. Warden married French actress Vanda Dupre in 1958 and they had one son Christopher. Warden died on July 19, 2006 of heart and kidney failure in New York City. Today we remember Jack Warden on what would have been his 90th birthday.

Guess Who I Am

I'm a Spanish actor and voice actor who appeared in 35 Euro-westerns. Guess who I am.

Bill Connolly correctly identified this weeks photo as Eduardo Fajardo.

DJANGO STRIKES AGAIN

Django 2: il grande ritorno – Italian title
Ritorno di Django – Italian title
Il grande ritorno di Django – Italian title
El retorno de Django – Argentinian title
Django – A Volta do Vingador – Brazilian title
Django – teloittajan paluu – Finnish title
Django 2: Le grand retour de Django – French title
Django’s Rückkehr – German title
Powrót zza grobu – Polish title
El retorno del heroe – Spanish title
El regresso de un hero – Spanish title
Fruktad rebell – Swedish title
Cango'nun Dönüsü – Turkish title
Django 2 – English title
Django Rides Again – English title
Django Strikes Again – English title

A 1987 Italian production [National Cinematografica, Dania Films, Films International(Rome), Reteitalia (Milan)]
Producer: Spartaco Pizzi
Director: Ted Archer (Nello Rossati)
Story: Franco Reggiani, Nello Rossati
Screenplay: Franco Reggiani, Nello Rossati
Cinematography: Sandro Mancori (Alessandro Mancori) [Eastmancolor, widescreen]
Music: Gianfranco Plenizio
Running time: 99 minutes

Cast:
Django - Franco Nero (Francesco Sparanero)
Gunn - Donald Pleasence
Orlowsky/'El Diablo' - Christopher Connelly
old gunfighters - William Berger (Wilhelm Berger), Bill Moore
boy - Micky (Miguel Carreno)
Marisol - Consuelo Reina
Rosita - Licia Lee Lyon (Liciani Lentini)
with; Alessandro DiChio, Roberto Posse, Rodrigo Obregon


Sometime in the late 1800's Mexico we see two old gunfighters argue over who was the greatest gunfighter before they are killed.

The film then shifts to show Django, who has been living in a monastery in San Domingo preparing to take the vows that will make him a monk. A woman arrives and it is revealed it is Django's dying wife and she implores him to care for their daughter. He accepts and leaves the monastery to locate his daughter. When he arrives in the town where she is supposed to be he finds it deserted and almost everyone is dead.

We the see 'El Diablo', a Hungarian aristocrat who is in command of an armored riverboat. His Austrian crew was in the employ of Emperor Maximilian but after his overthrow they work for 'El Diablo' as pirates, looting and capturing natives to work in a silver mine. Django realizes it is 'El Diablo' who has attacked his daughter's village and now holds her prisoner.

Django locates the boat and asks 'El Diablo' for the return of his daughter. He's laughed at before he's shackled in chains, tortured and then taken to the silver mine.

At the silver mine he meets an entomologist named Gunn whose been enslaved by 'El Diablo' for several years because he failed to find the legendary 'Mariposa Negra' (Black Butterfly). With Gunn's help Django escapes the prison camp.

Django digs up his buried machine gun and and returns to the silver mine along with a fake 'Mariposa Negra' made by his friends the monks at the monastery. With the help of a young native boy who delivers the butterfly along with a note that tells where the insect was captured while Django waits in ambush. 'El Diablo' at first overjoyed discovers it's fake and does not fall into Django's trap. Django then attacks the silver mine with explosives and after the Austrian soldiers are all killed he frees Guinn and his daughter and leaves 'El Diablo' to the prisoners to exact their revenge.


You Tube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHxU3SIP-dU

Happy 70th Birthday Lorella DeLuca

Lorella De Luca was born on September 17, 1940 in Florence, Italy. At 15 she made her first film appearance in 1955's “Il bidone” directed by Federico Fellini followed in 1956 by an appearance in “Poveri ma belli” directed by Dino Risi. She became a symbol of the naive young girl in a series of films “Il medico e lo stregone” (1957), “Domenica è sempre domenica” and “Primo amore” both in 1958. She then appeared with Alessandro Panaro on the popular TV show “Il Musichiere” (1958). In 1965 she assumed the alias Hally Hammond in “A Pistol for Ringo” and “The Return of Ringo” directed by her future husband Duccio Tessari [1926-1994] who she would marry in 1971. With Tessarri she would make a number of films and also worked with him as an assistant director. Lorella would retire from films to raise their daughter Fiorenza Tessari who is also an actress. Lorella returned to films with a 1993 appearance in “Bonus Malus”. Today we celebrate Lorella De Luca's 70th birthday.

Happy 80th Birthday David Huddleston

David William Huddleston was born on September 17, 1930 in Vinton, Virginia. David attended Fork Union Military Academy before entering the U.S. the Air Force during World War II. He then entered the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. A character actor, his first major role was in the 1968 film “A Lovely Way to Die”. He was a featured guest star on many TV series during the 1960s and '70s. He was the manager of country and western star Roy Clark of “Hee-Haw” fame. A producer and stage actor, some of his best remembered film roles were in “Santa Claus: The Movie” (1985), “Blazing Saddles” and “McQ” (1974), “Breakhart Pass” (1975), “The Greatest” (1977), “Smokey and the Bandit II” (1980) and “Go For It” (1983). During the 1980s Huddleston was seen in commercials as well as films such as “Family Reunion” (1981) and “Frantic” (1988). After an appearance in 1998's “The Big Lebowski” he returned to television with appearances in “The West Wing”. Huddleston appeared in only one Euro-western “Billy Two Hats” (1973) with Gregory Peck. He also had a guest appearance in Terence Hill's TV series “Luck Luke” (1990) in the episode “Ghost Train”. David has a son Michael who is also an actor and has appeared in several of Terence Hill's TV series and films. Today we celebrate David Huddleston's 80th birthday.