RIP Herbert Léonard

 

French entertainer and historian Herbert Léonard died from lung cancer on March 2, 2025, he was 80. Born Hubert Lœnhard in Strasbourg, Bas-Rhin, France on February 25, 1945, he was a French entertainer and historian, who was principally known as a singer. He was also a historian of Russian airplanes from World War II. His first success "Quelque chose tient mon cœur" (Somethings Got a Hold of My Heart) opened the doors of the hit-parade to him in 1968. His 1982 album Ça donne envie d'aimer and the song "Amoureux fous" was done in a duo with Julie Pietri, perpetuating his image as a crooner. Léonard appeared in one Euro-western the 1969 TV film “The Man Who Came from Cher” as the Baron. Coincidentally composer and singer Jean Sarrus of Les Charlots who also appeared in the film died on February 19^th.

Little Known Spaghetti Western actors ~ Calogero Chiarenza

[These daily posts will cover little known actors or people that have appeared in more recent films and TV series. Various degrees of information that I was able to find will be given and anything that you can add would be appreciated.]

Calogero Chiarenza Was born in Campobello di Licata, Agrigento, Sicily, Italy in 1900. He began his acting career around 1924 when he was discovered by the director Carmine Gallone, who liked his face so much that brought him to become a character actor in movies. When he was not playing in movies, he was selling brooms in his own shop.

He appeared in various genres during the early-mid-sixties, and he appeared in some fifty plus roles where he is clean-shaven. He’s usually identifiable by his bushy beard, round elongated face, thinning hair and a notable lack of eyebrows.

Unfortunately, like so many character actors as time passes their participation in films declines and they disappear from the screen. Out of sight, out of mind and by now he’s long passed. Once again another neglected face once prominent on the screen is forgotten.

He appeared in two Spaghetti westerns: “Un dollaro di fifa” (A Dollar of Fear) in 1960 as a townsman and “Arizona Colt” (The Man from Nowhere”) in 1966 as a saloon patron.

CHIARENZA, Calogero [1900, Campobello di Licata, Agrigento, Sicily, Italy – 19??, Italy] – film actor.

A Dollar of Fear – 1960 (townsman)

The Man from Nowhere – 1966 (card player)

Spaghetti Western locations Then and Now – Villa Mussolini

In the years 1967/1968 the Villa Mussolini found itself in an incredible amount of films. Franco and Ciccio, with their parodies, frequently used the setting (see for example “Two Rrringos from Texas”); It was the haunt of Señor Zorro (where he holds  the sadistic feast which will cost Ray Lovelock his virginity) in “Django Kill”, a fort in “7 Winchesters for a Massacre”; “The Time of the Vultures” opens in the villa and is explored during the opening credits. It was home of the villain Stengel in “Sabata”. The same Sicilian duo used it in “The Barbers of Sicily” and “The Grandchildren of Zorro”.

Here is the villa today showing the entire grounds from an aerial shot.

European Western Comic Books – Capitan Miki 4

 

Captain Miki

This comic book series was re-issue of the adventures of Capitan Miki previously published in a color booklet format. It offered three episodes per issue, thus republishing the #1-114 of Gli Albi di Capitan Miki (Dardo, 1962). Unpublished covers were by Severino Baraldi.

The magazine was published in 1979 with issue #1 being released on June 1^st of that year and ending with issue #38 on December 15, 1980. It was published in Milan, Italy bvy CED under the direction of Elvio Fantini. Each issue contained 96 black and white pages with color covers.

Titles

01 (01.06.79) - "I rangers del Nevada" (The Nevada Rangers)

02 (15.06.79) - "Ai ferri corti" (At Loggerheads)

03 (01.07.79) - "La sfida di Miki" (Miki’s Challenge)

04 (15.07.79) - "Tirannia a San Pedro" (Tyranny in San Pedro)

05 (01.08.79) - "Nel covo dei patrioti" (In the Patriots Den)

06 (15.08.79) - "La pazzesca impresa" (The Crazy Business)

07 (01.09.79) - "La casa del commediante" (The Comedian’s House)

08 (15.09.79) - "Rangers, carica!" (Rangers, Charge!)

09 (01.10.79) - "Ruiz alle strette" (Ruiz in the Corner)

10 (15.10.79) - "La regina dei vikinghi" (The Viking Queen)

11 (01.11.79) - "La valle del silenzio" (The Valley of Silence)

12 (15.11.79) - "La notte degli ardimenti" (The Night of Dares)

13 (01.12.79) - "Magic Face" (Magic Face)

14 (15.12.79) - "I due sceriffi" (The Two Sheriffs)

15 (01.01.80) - "Assedio fra le rovine" (Siege in the Ruins)

16 (15.01.80) - "Il Ranch De La Fuente" (The Ranch of the Fountain)

17 (01.02.80) - "Il tempio del Sole" (The Temple of the Sun)

18 (15.02.80) - "La casa del Drago" (The House of the Dragon)

19 (01.03.80) - "La fine di Magic Face" (The End of Magioc Face)

20 (15.03.80) - "La bocca del guerriero" (The Mouth of the Warrior)

21 (01.04.80) - "L'uomo della caverna" (The Caveman)

22 (15.04.80) - "La tregua infranta" (The Broken Truce)

23 (01.05.80) - "Il fortino segreto" (The Secret Fort)

24 (15.05.80) - "Il capitano York" (Captain York)

25 (01.06.80) - "Salvataggio in extremis" (Rescue in Extremis)

26 (15.06.80) - "Battaglia sul treno" (Battle on the Train)

27 (01.07.80) - "L'artiglio del Falco Nero" (The Claw of the Black Hawk)

28 (15.07.80) - "La principessa selvaggia" (The Savage Princess)

29 (01.08.80) - "Fuga nella notte" (Escape into the Night)

30 (15.08.80) - "Il drammatico salvataggio" (The Dramatic Rescue)

31 (01.09.80) - "Missione speciale" (Special Mission)

32 (15.09.80) - "Ascensione movimentata" (Eventlful Ascension)

33 (01.10.80) - "L'archeologo in pericolo" (The Archeologist in Danger)

34 (15.10.80) - "La valle della Calavera" (The Valley of Calavera)

35 (01.11.80) - "Il ritorno di Doppio Rhum" (The Return of Double Rhum)

36 (15.11.80) - "Il diabolico piano" (The Diabolical Plan)

37 (01.12.80) - "Diablito colpisce" (Diablito Strikes)

38 (15.12.80) - "Diablito all'assalto" (Diablito Attacks)

Special Birthdays

 Alfredo Capitani (actor) would have been 130 today but died in 1985.

Hans Ivens (actor) would have been 130 today but died in 1938.

Stefan Pejchev (actor) would have been 120 today but died in 1979.

Herbert Tiede [voice actor] would have been 110 today but died in 1987.

James Doohan (actor) would have been 105 today but died in 2005.

Rino Sentieri (actor) would have been 100 today but died in 2007.

Isarco Ravaioli (actor) would have been 90 today but died in 2004.

Dunja Rajter (actress) is 85 today. 

 

From the WAI! Vault

 

New German DVD release “Mein Freund Winnetou”

 

“Mein Freund Winnetou”

(My Friend Winnetou)

(1980)

 

Director: Marcel Camus

Starring: Pierre Brice, Siegfried Rauch, Ralf Wolter, Carlos East

 

Country: Germany

Re-release

Label: Pidax Film

Discs – 3

18 episodes

Fullscreen, widescreen

Aspect ratio: 4:3 - 1.33:1

Languages: Dolby Digital German

Total running time: 6 hours

ASIN: ‎B08Y4FHKNG