RIP Anne Francis

American actress Anne Francis died on January 2, 2011 in a retirement home in Santa Barbara, California as a result of complications from pancreatic cancer. She was 80. Francis was born Anne Lloyd Francis on September 16, 1930 in Ossining, New York and was featured in the film “Forbidden Planet” (1956) along with the recently deceased Leslie Nielsen. Anne would go on to gain fame in the TV series “Honey West” as one of TV’s first female detectives and her character was similar to James Bond and ran from 1965-1966. Francis began her career as a child model and progressed to radio and TV. Anne appeared in one Euro-western as Flo in 1972's “Pancho Villa” starring Telly Savalas.

New DVD Release

Arizona Colt & Arizona Colt: Hired Gun

Label: Wild East # WE038
Region: 0 NTSC
Widescreen 16X9 enhanced
Language: English
Extras: Picture galleries, trailers
Available: December 24, 2010

A Fistful of Balls

Por un puñado de polvos - Spanish title
A Fistful of Balls - English title

A 1998 Spanish production [Canal X, N.T.C. (Madrid)]
Producer: Antonio Marcos
Director: Anton Frames (Antonio Marcos)
Story: Anton Frames (Antonio Marcos)
Screenplay: Anton Frames (Antonio Marcos)
Cinematography: Anton Frames (Antonio Marcos) [color]
Music: ?
Running time: 88 minutes

Cast:
Nacho Vidal, Sophie Evans (Sophia Szabo), Tony Ribas (Toni Ribas), Susana del Alba, El Portillo, Paola, Andy, Taia, Claudia

Porno film using the sets and ramblas of the classic Spaghetti westerns.


YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbZ0IP7AcoU

RIP Per Oscarsson

Legendary Swedish actor Per Oscarsson has apparently died along with his wife Kia Ostling in Bjärka Långöna, Skara, Sweden, when their house burned to the ground on Thursday December 30, 2010. Born Per Oscar Heinrich Oscarsson on January 28, 1927 in Stockholm, he was best known for his role as Pontus in the film "Hunger" for which he won Bodil and Cannes Film Festival best actor awards. His last film was 2009's "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest". During his career he appeared in over 100 films and TV appearances including the semi Euro-western "The New Land" in 1972 and also in the West German/Swedish TV film "The Blue Hotel" in 1973. Per’s son Boman [1960- ] is also an actor.

Spaghetti Western Locations

When Blondie finds Tuco taking a bath in a deserted and wrecked hotel rooms he informs him that Angel Eyes and his gang are in town. Tuco says, “I’ll get dressed, I’ll kill ‘em and be right back.” Blondie informs him how many they are, but carrying the hatred of being beat up and sent to die puts Tuco on the edge. He gets dressed and roams the streets of Aberdeen City looking for the gang. Blondie appears and asks, “Were you going to die alone?” The two walk up the street killing potential assassins until they reach the deserted building Angel Eyes had made his camp. Part of this location is on the military base and part on the cow pasture next to it. It is located 1.5 miles north of Colmenar Viejo. If you carry a camera and are seen taking pictures you may be stopped and questioned by one of the soldiers from the military base.

For a more detailed view of this site and other Spaghetti Western locations please visit my friend Yoshi "Garringo" Yasuda’s excellent website: http://garringo.cool.ne.jp/

Remembering Roger Miller

Roger Dean Miller was born on January 2, 1936 in Fort Worth, Texas. Roger was 2 years-old when his father died and his mother unable to care for him and his two brothers because of the Great Depression sent each one to live with a different brother of hers. Miller grew up on a farm in Erick, Oklahoma. A shy child Miller would often daydream and compose songs. When he grew older he would listen to the radio, especially the Grand Ole Opry with his cousin’s husband Sheb Wooley, of ‘Purple People Eater’ and the Rawhide TV series fame. Wooley taught Miller guitar chords and bought him a fiddle. Roger joined the Army to avoid jail for stealing guitar out of desperation to write songs. After his military service he played with ‘The Circle A Wranglers” a musical group started by Faron Young. Roger was convinced by his sergeant whose brother was Kenneth C. Burns of Homer and Jethro fame to travel to Nashville. There he met Chet Atkins who took him under his wing and gave him a guitar. He was soon hired by Minnie Pearl to play fiddle in her band. Roger began to write songs and was hired by Decca Records to a recording contract in 1958. After numerous late night comedy appearances he decided to go to Hollywood an become an actor. Short of money he signed a recording contract with Smash Records and recorder ‘Dang Me’ and it went to #1 on the Country charts and #7 on the Pop charts. The song transformed his career. Miller recorded a number of top songs including his biggest hit ‘King of the Road’. He was given his own TV show in 1966. After it’s cancellation in 1967 he continued to write and record country and novelty songs. He played Johnny Appleseed on the Daniel Boone TV series. He was hired to write a Broadway show based on Tom Sawyer and in 18 months turned out what was called “Big River” which received 7 Tony Awards. In 1990 he took his family and moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico but continued to write and tour. In Santa Fe he met Terence Hill and recorded the theme song for Hill’s TV series “Lucky Luke” when the series was made into a feature length film Miller was hired as the voice of Lucky Luke’s horse Jolly Jumper. Soon after he was diagnosed with lung cancer and died in Los Angeles, California on October 25, 1992. He was inducted into the Country Western Hall of Fame. Roger was married three times and had seven children among them singer, song writer Dean Miller [1965- ]. Today we celebrate what would have been Roger Miller’s 75th birthday.

New Year's Day 2011