FRONTIER HELLCAT

Unter geiern - German title
Winnetou und der Bärenjäger - German title
Parmi les vautours - French title
La dove scende il sole - Italian title
Medju jasterbovima - Yugoslavian title
Med Jasterbi - Yugoslavian title
De Gang der Aasgieren - Belgium title
Mezi Supy - Czechoslovakian title
Medzi Supmy - Czechoslovakian title
Winnetou og Vestens - Danish title
Winnetou ja Lännen haaskalinnut - Finnish title
Winnetou wsród Sepów - Polish title
Printre Vulturi - Romanian title
Los buitres - Spanish title
Vasterns Gamar - Swedish title
Yaylalar Kartali - Turkish title
Among Vultures - U.K. title
Frontier Hellcat - U.S.A. title

A 1964 West German, French, Italian, Yugoslavian co-production [Rialto Film (Munich), Société Nouvelle de Cinématographie (Paris), Atlantis (Rome), Jadran (Zagreb)]
Producer: Horst Wendlandt
Director: Alfred Vohrer
Story: Karl May
Screenplay: Eberhard Keindorff, Johanna Sibelius (Sibylle Freybe), Harlad G. Peterson
Cinematography: Karl Löb
Music: Martin Böttcher
Running time: 102 minutes

Cast:
Old Surehand - Stewart Granger (James Stewart)
Winnetou - Pierre Brice (Pierre de Bris)
Martin Baumann Jr. - Götz George
Annie Dillman - Elke Sommer (Elke Schletz)
Preston - Sieghardt Rupp
Martin Baumann - Walter Barnes
Jeremy ‘Old Wabbles’ Sanders - Paddy Fox (Milutin Srdoc)
Weller - Miha Baloh (Mihail Baloh)
Wokadeh - Georg Mitic (Gojko Mitic)
Wokadeh’s sister - Gordana Cosic
Betsy - Dunja Rajter
Judge Leader - Renato Baldini
Baker, Jr. - Mario Girotti
Gordon - Louis Velle
Stewart - Voja Miric (Voijislav Miric)
Milton - Stole Arandjelovic (Stojan Anrandjelovic)
Miller - George Heston (Djordje Nenadovic)
Bloomfield - Dusan Bulajic
Davy Long - Mirko Boman
Mr. Baker - Vladimir Medar
Jackie - Ilija Ivezic
Rod - Davor Antolic
Bill - Mirko Kraljev
Fred - Boris Dvornik
Joe - Dragomir Bojanic
Jimmy - Milan Micic
Bob - Joza Seb
Thomas - Marinko Cosic
Jemmy - Vlado Bacic (Vladimir Bacic)
Shoshone - Sime Jagarinac (Simun Jagarinac)
Sally - Mara Kajtas
with: Stjepan Spoljaric

In frontier Arizona, Old Surehand, a frontier scout and blood brother of the young Apache chief Winnetou, is the sworn enemy of the Vultures, a band of outlaws disguised as Indians who terrorize prospectors and settlers. When the Vultures capture Annie, who is transporting her father's moneybelt filled with diamonds, Martin Baumann, who is in love with Annie, rescues her. Baumann mistakenly believes that the Shoshone are responsible for the slaughter of his family, and he is captured by the tribe for insulting their chief, but Old Surehand saves Baumann's life by performing feats of skill and strength. Old Surehand, Winnetou, and Baumann then hear that the wagon train in which Annie is traveling is about to be ambushed by the Vultures, and they fight off the gang until the Shoshone braves come to the rescue.

YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gwl_XKK8GjA

Remembering Francisco Rabal

Francisco ‘Paco’ Rabal Valera was born on March 8, 1926 in Cuesta de Gos, Aguilas, Spain. When the Spanish Civil War began his family moved to Madrid. Paco took several jobs in order to help support his family while studying at The College Nuestra Señora del Recuerdo. He made his film debut as an extra and later small roles with theater groups starting with “La rueda de la vida” (1942). In 1946 he made his first credited film appearance in “ La pródiga” directed by Rafael Gil. In 1947 he met his future wife, actress Asuncion Balaguer [1925- ] (1950-2001), with whom he had two children Benito [1954 - ] a director and Teresa [1952 - ] an actress. By 1953 he was receiving awards for his acting as in “La guerra de Dios” and “Un camino a la derecha”. He then filmed Luis Buñuel’s “ Nazarín” (1958) in Mexico. In 1968 he played Che in “Che Guevara”. By the 1980s he was making television films and then more films followed such as “Goya in Bordeaux” for which he received a Goya award. On returning to Spain on August 29, 2001 from Montreal, Canada he died from respiratory failure. During his long and distinguished career Rabal made three Euro-westerns; “Legacy of the Incas” (1965), “Long Days of Vengeance” (1967) and “It Can Be Done Amigo” (1972). Paco was the brother actor Damián Rabal [19??-1991] and the grandfather of director, screenwriter, actor Liberto Rabal [1975- ]. Today we remember Francisco Rabal on what would have been his 85th birthday.

Remembering Wolfgang Greese

Wolfgang Greese was a German actor born on March 8, 1926 in Lübz, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. He studied acting from 1947-1948 at State Drama School in Schwerin Lucie Höflich. He then joined a theater groups Schwerin, Zeitz, Altenburg, Meiningen, Stralsund and Rostock. He then began working for the East German television network DFF. His familiar face would appear in overt 200 productions often in supporting roles as crooks, cultured villains and in humorous roles as intellectuals and clerics. He received a best supporting actor award for his performance in 1990 “The Architect” at the East German Film Festival. He married actress Manja Göring [1955- ] in 1987. Greese appeared in two Euro-westerns Osceola (1971) and Tecumseh (1972). Wolfgang died on May 2, 2001 in Berlin, Germany. We remember Wolfgang Greese today on what would have been his 85th birthday.

Who are Those Guys? - Martin Balsam

Martin Henry Balsam was born on November 4, 1919 in the Bronx, New York. His father manufactured women’s sports wear. Martin attended DeWitt Clinton High School and was a member of the drama club. He then studied at the Dramatic Workshop of The New School in New York under German director Erwin Piscator. He joined the U.S. Army Air Corp. during World War II. Before the war he made his stage debut in 1941's “The Play’s the Thing”. After the war he was selected by Elia Kazan and Lee Strasberg to be a member of the Actors Studio television program. He appeared in many ‘50s TV programs such as “The Twilight Zone”, “Breaking Point” and “Alfred Hitchcock Presents”. He also began making appearances in films such as “On the Waterfront”, “12 Angry Men”, “Psycho”, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”, “Seven Days in May”, “Hombre”, “Catch-22", “Tora-Tora-Tora”, “The Delta Force” and “All the President’s Men”. Balsam was married at one time to actresses Pearl Sommer [1923- ] from 1952-1954 and Joyce Van Patten [1934- ] from 1959-1962. There daughter is actress Talia Balsam [1959- ]. He is also the father of screenwriter Adam Balsam. Balsam made one Euro-western “Spaghetti Western” (1976) as Petrus Lamb with Franco Nero.. Martin died in Rome of a heart attack on February 13, 1996.

BALSAM, Martin (Martin Henry Balsam) [11/4/1919, Bronx, New York, U.S.A. - 2/13/1996, Rome, Lazio, Italy (heart attack)] - TV actor, married to actresses Pearl Somner [1923-    ] (1952-1954), Joyce Van Patten [1934-    ] (1959-1962), father of actress Talia Balsam [1959-    ], screenwriter Adam Balsam.
Spaghetti Western - 1976 (Petrus Lamb)

Happy 85th Birthday Luciano Vincenzoni

Luciano Vincenzoni was born on March 7, 1926, Treviso, Italy. He studied law in Rome and Padua. In 1952, along with his friend Tony Roma he produced “Oliva incantesimo tragico” starring Maria Felix. In 1954 he wrote his first script for the “Hanno rubato un tram” which was directed by Aldo Fabrizi. He then became acquainted with Pietro Germi and wrote “The Railroad Man”. He also wrote “The Great War”, “The Best Enemies”, “The Hunchback” and Sacco and Venzetti”, “Seduced and Abandoned” and “The Birds”. For his friend Sergio Leone he wrote “For A Few Dollars More”, “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” and “Duck You Sucker”. He also wrote “Death Rides a Horse (1967), “The Mercenary” and “Spaghetti Western” (1976). Today we celebrate the birthday of one of the great screenwriters in Italian film history, Luciano Vincenzoni’s 85th birthday.

RIP Angelo D'Alessandro

Italian director and screenwriter Angelo D’Alessandro passed away on February 1, 2011 in Rome. He was 84.

Most of D’Alessandro’s creative ability was spent on Italian television series and documentary films. He was the creator of the TV series “The Living Gospel” for RAI. Among his credits were as director and screenwriter of the Euro-western mini-series that was later released as a feature film, “The Jack London Story” (1973). Born in Putignano, Bari, Italy on April 17, 1926, he enrolles as a physics student at the Free Academy of Theatre run by director Peter Scharoff where he graduated in 1948. Later after attending the Centro Sperimentale di Cinema in 1951 he worked as an assistant to Lattuada, Fellini and Lizzani, making his debut as a director with “The Attic” (1955). In 1998 he was a collaborator on the magazine “Cinema” as a theater critic.

[Thanks to Daniel Maier for making me aware of Angelo's passing.]

FROM DUSK TILL DAWN 3: THE HANGMAN'S DAUGHTER

Um Drink No Inferno 3: A Filhado Carrasco - Brazilian title
Hämärästä aamunkoittoon 3 - Finnish title
Hämärästä aamunkoittoon IIIP: yovelin tytär - Finnish title
Une nuit en enfer 3: La fille du bourreau - French title
Alkonyattól pirkadatig 3. - A hóhér lánya - Hungarian title
Dal tramonto all’alba: la figlia del boia - Italian title
Abierto hasta el amanecer 3: La hija del verdugo - Spanish title
Del crepúsculo al amancer 3: La hija del verdugo - Venezuelan title
The Hangman’s Daughter - English title
From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman’s Daughter - English title

A 2000 U.S.A., South African co-production [A Band Apart, Dimension Films, Los Hooligans Productions (Hollywood), Movieworld (Johannesburg)]
Producers: Michael S. Murphey, Gianni Nunnari, Meir Teper, Elizabeth Avellan
Director: P.J. Pesce (Paul J. Pesce)
Story: Álvaro Rodríguez, Robert Rodriguez
Screenplay: Álvaro Rodríguez
Cinematography: Mike Bonvillain (Michael Bonvillain) [DeLuxe color]
Music: Nathan Barr
Running time: 94 minutes

Cast:
Johnny Madrid - Marco Leonardi
Ambrose Bierce - Michael Parks (Harry Parks, Jr.)
hangman - Temuera Morrison
Mary Newlie - Rebecca Gayheart
Esmeralda/Santanico Pandemonium - Ara Celi (Araceli Valdez)
John Newlie - Lennie Lofton
Quictla - Sonia Braga
Ezra Taylor - Orlando Jones
Razor Charlie - Danny Trejo (Daniel Trejo)
Catherine Reece - Jordana Spiro
Joaquin - Kevin Smith
Chato - Terence Bridgett
Erasmo - Mickey Giacomazzi
Shotgun - Ivan D. Lucas
stagecoach driver - Tom Berto
Lazaro - Graham Weir
Jaime - Carlos Vilela
Lalo - Richard Thomson
Rinaldo - Lance Kadish
Nano - Pierre Neethling
bartender - Danny Keough
old crone - Louis Kiss
beggar woman - Josephine Liedman (Josephine Liederman)
Pancho Villa - Peter Butler
Joaquin’s vamp - Sky (Sky Blue)
whore - Marguerite Steven
vamp girls - Leigh-Ann Belport, Mimmika, Lynne Rodgers
snake girl - Sabina Bonvillain
man in bar - P.J. Pesce (Paul J. Pesce)

A prequel to “Dusk Till Dawn” film series is set in Mexico in the early 1900s, and begins with outlaw Johnny Madrid escaping from the hangman with the executioner's daughter in tow. The two escapees are soon caught up in the adventure of their lives, meeting various characters along the way as they rob a stagecoach and become entangled with a coven of female vampires. It tells the origin of the vampire princess Santanico Pandemonium.

YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TStm_kgwAE