PISTOL PACKIN' PREACHER

Posate le pistole reverend – Italian title

Déposez les colts – French title

Pizza, Pater und Pistolen – German title

El predicador bandido – Spanish title

En packe dollar – Swedish title

Leave Your Guns at the Door – English title

Pistol Packin’ Preacher – English title

A 1971 Italian production [Agata Film (Rome)]

Producer: Maurizio Pastrovich

Director: Leopoldo Savona

Story: Norbert Blake (Aldo Marcovecchio), Leopoldo Savona

Screenplay: Norbert Blake (Aldo Marcovecchio), Leopoldo Savona

Cinematography: Romano Scavolini [Eastmancolor]

Music: Coriolano Gori

Running time: 85 minutes

Cast:

Slim – Mark Damon (Alan Herskovitz)

Barney Solvey/Garvey/Goldwater - Richard Melvill (Rosario Borelli)

Geremia/Jeremiah – Pietro Ceccarelli

Lisa – Veronica Korosec

Linda – Floranna di Bernardo

Mary – Giovanna di Bernardo

Sacristan – Ugo Fangareggi

Albert - Amerigo Castrighella

Doctor - Enzo Maggio (Vincente Maggio)

Bandit – Pietro Torrisi

Solvey/Garvey henchman - Alessandro Perrella

With: Carla Mancini, Raimondo Fulli, Francesco Corso

The Neapolitan Jeremiah, a pizza peddler, and Slim, a wanderer with a fertile imagination to steal from the country squire, Goldwater, a treasure which he has obtained through criminal means and has hidden. Sacristan disguised as a priest and who, with the help of Slim, fakes two miracles. Jeremiah tries to induce Goldwater, who is aware of the harm he has done, to confess where the treasure is. The attempt fails so it is up to Slim and Lucy, one of Jeremiah’s two daughters, to achieve their goal. Meanwhile, however, Goldwater is suspicious about the true identity of the strange priest and orders his men to eliminate him. Jeremiah is saved by Slim and  but pretends to be dead and later reappears as the ghost of himself which terrifies Goldwater, causing him to reveal the hiding place of the treasure, which is then found. Jeremiah and the others, however, do not get to enjoy their bounty, but are forced to give to the people of the town.

Remembering Leo Gordon

Leo Vincent Gordon was born in Brooklyn, New York on December 2, 1922. He joined the Army in 1941, but chafed under military discipline and left the service after two years. He then drifted to Southern California, into crime and eventually to a four-year stretch at San Quentin Prison. After serving his time, he returned to New York and was working a construction job when he decided to use his military benefits to take acting classes. He attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, where he met his future wife, actress Lynn Cartwright [1927-2004]. They were married in 1950. Gordon went on to stage work and was discovered by a Hollywood agent in a Los Angeles production of "Darkness at Noon.'' Thus began a career that included over 185 films and TV shows, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound Gordon, made good use of his broad-shoulders and steely blue eyes to create many memorable characters. Director Don Siegel, who used Gordon in his prison film "Riot in Cell Block 11" (1954), said that "Leo Gordon was the scariest man I have ever met."Riot in Cell Block 11" was filmed at San Quentin and several of the guards remembered Gordon from his time there, when he was regarded as a troublemaker. Prison officials would not let Gordon enter or leave the prison with the other cast and crew members; he was only allowed to enter and exit by himself and was thoroughly searched each time. Gordon was best known as a Western bad guy in films from 1953's "Hondo" to 1994's "Maverick." During the 1950s and 1960s, he seemed to make an appearance on virtually every Western TV show, from "Bonanza" to "Rin Tin Tin". For TV, he wrote about 50 scripts for shows such as "Bonanza'" and "Cheyenne," including 21 episodes of "Adam-12." Leo appeared in one Euro-western as Red in “My Name is Nobody” (1973). Gordon died of heart failure on December 26, 2000 in Los Angeles, California. When I met him at the Tuolumne Film Festival in the 1990s and asked for his autograph he said, “Sure, thanks for remembering me.” Today we all remember Leo Gordon on what would have been his 90^th birthday. 

RIP Konrad Halver

Konrad Halver (1944-2012)

German radio is poorer as one of their legends Konrad Halver died  on November 30, 2012. The actor, director and voice actor Konrad Halver has died at the age of 68 years, from cancer.

In recent years, Halver, which for some time had been semi-retired, again appeared producing and directing his remarkable radio play roles and audio books which attracted attention, including two stage readings, a study commissioned by KARL MAY & Co. in 2005, first the story "Blutrache" one year later "Der Kutb". In May 2009, Konrad who was the radio voice of Winnetou appeared at the 25th anniversary celebration of KARL MAY & Co. in Radebeul near Dresden.

Halver made himself virtually immortal in the Karl May universe through the decades of the 1960s and 1970s for his performances as Winnetou, where he spoke in almost 40 radio plays. Halvers last encounter with Karl May was held this year: In the on-Brendow Publishing's radio version of "Old Cursing Dry" he read the title role.

Halver was a widower and leaves a brother.

Spaghetti Western Locations

We continue with locations for “A Taste for Killing”. After Fellows is confronted by banker Aarons and mine owner Collins about the movement of the gold from the bank the night before Mingo, Kennebeck’s right-hand man, is seen riding into town. He’s there with a message from Gus for his wife Isabel and his son to leave town, as the gang intends to rob the bank the following morning. Mingo’s been observed by Fellows and before he can leave town he’s confronted by Hank and taken to the sheriff’s office where he’s beaten to find out information. Mingo confesses and Fellows, the sheriff and his deputies take positions all night to defend the bank for the suspected attack at dawn. The sheriff is seen walking on the balcony of a building opposite the bank.

This building has a three rounded columns that face the street. This building is seen in many Euro-westerns that use Mini Hollywood for locations such as “For a Few Dollars More” and more prominently “Navajo Joe”.

For a more detailed view of this site and other Spaghetti Western locations please visit my friend Captain Douglas’ excellent website: http://www.western-locations-spain.com/

Remembering Paul Picerni

Paul Vincent Picerni was born on December 1, 1922 in Corona, New York. He is the brother of director, actor ansd stuntman Charles Picerni and stuntwoman Paula Picerni. He was a

bombardier in World War II and he was on the plane that destroyed the bridge made famous in “The Bridge on the River Kwai” (1957). After the war Picerni signed a seven-year contract with Warner Brothers Studio. He appeared in supporting roles in the war films “Twelve O’Clock High” (1949), “Breakthrough” (1950), “Operation Pacific” (1951) and “To Hell and Back” (1955). He also appeared opposite Errol Flynn in “Mara Maru” (1952) and played the romantic lead in the horror classic “House of Wax” (1953) starring Vincent Price. Paul is best remembered for his role as Elliot Ness’s right-hand man, Agent Lee Hobson from 1960-1963 on the ABC gangster series ‘The Untouchables’. He appeared in two roles in his only Euro-western “Landraiders” (1969) as Carney and under the alias H.P. Picerni the role of Arturo. Paul was married to actress Marie Mason [1927- ] (1947-2011). He is the father of actor, stuntman Paul V. Picerni, Jr. stuntwoman Marilyn Picerni and grandfather of stuntman Rick Picerni, uncle of stuntman Chuck Picerni, Jr. [1953- ] and director, actor, stuntman Steve Picerni. Picerni served as the halftime master of ceremonies for Los Angeles Rams home games for decades before the NFL team moved to Anaheim after the 1979 season. Paul die of a heart attack on January 12, 2011 in Llano, California. Today we remember Paul Picerni on what would have been his 90^th birthday.