RIP Ted Kotcheff

 

Canadian director Ted Kotcheff died on April 11^th four days after turning 94. Born Velichko Todorov Tsochev in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on April 7, 1931, Ted studied and received an English degree at the University of Toronto before joining the Canadia Broadcasting Company in 1952 where he directed drama programs. He then relocated to London in 1957. Here he worked in the theater and television, receiving several awards. He returned to Canada and then the United States. Many of Kotcheff's movies have been comedic and have met with much success at the box office including “Fun with Dick and Jane” (1977), “Who is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?” (1978), “Switching Channels” (1988), and both “Weekend at Bernie's” movies (1989 and 1993). He also directed Sylvester Stallone's first Rambo movie, “First Blood”, in 1982. Ted directed one Euro-western, “Billy Two Hats” in 1973 with Gregory Peck and Desi Arnaz Jr.

Little Known Spaghetti Western actors ~ Larry Clementson

[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.]

I can find no biographical information on Larry Clementson. Was he Swedish or an American.

His only Euro-western role was in 1972’s “Nybyggarna” (The New Land) as Mr. Abbot.

CLEMENTSON, Larry – film actor.

The New Land – 1972 (Mr. Abbot)

New British book release - Italian Western – Violent Image – Savage Soundtrack – The Music of Spaghetti Westerns

 

Violent Image – Savage Soundtrack – The Music of Spaghetti Westerns

Author: John Mansell

(2025)

 

Country: England

Language: English

Publisher: ‎ Bear Manor Media

Pages: 212

ASIN: ‎B0F47BKPHH

Available: April 8, 2025

 

Music in an Italian western is far more than a background to the action; the music becomes an important and integral component of the film making process. It elevates and underlines the narrative and adds a new and greater dimension to each storyline. The composer interviews within this book are an insight into the workings of various Maestro’s who were involved with this quirky and innovative genre of films. The interviews were conducted over a period of twenty-five years. As most of the composers are now sadly deceased, it is a valuable and interesting look at how the music worked and the way in which each composer approached the genre.

Composers interviewed included. Alessandro Alessandroni, Piero Piccioni, Franco De Gemini, Franco Micalizzi, Francesco De Masi, Nico Fidenco, Guido, and Maurizio De Angelis, Stelvio Cipriani, Nora Orlandi and others, all of whom contributed original and thematic music to the genre. The book also contains chapters on the songs from the movies and the vocalists who performed them. Biographies of key composers such as Bruno Nicolai, Benedetto Ghiglia, Gianni Ferrio, Gianni Marchetti, Luis Enriquez Bacalov, Riz Ortolani, and many more.

The author John Mansell also discusses the use of music in the gunfight scenes, the screams, squeals, and whistles, which became the trademark of the movies and gives a brief history of the genre and how it was born. John Mansell is a British film music critic, soundtrack collector, and a member of the International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA).

Lucky Luke, la fabrique du western européen

 

Lucky Luke, la fabrique du western européen – French title

 

A 2016 French television film production [Label Image (France)]

Producers: Thibaut Chatel, Guillaume Galliot

Director: Guillaume Podrovnik         

Story: Morris

Screenplay: Guillaume Podrovnik

Cinematography: Pierre Maillis-Laval [color]

Music: Samuel Hirsch

Running time: 52 minutes

 

Cast:

Narrator - Garance Thenault

Carttonists – Achdé (Hervé Darmenton), Jean-Claude Mézières

Livestock farmer - Pierre Aubanel

Lucky Luke exhibition curator – Willem Bruynooghe, Jean-Pierre Mercier

Comic book historian - Thierry Groensteen

Comic book writer – Jul (Julien Berjeaut)

Journalist - Hugues Dayez, Geert de Weyer

Publisher - Alexis Dragonetti

Producers - Marc Du Pontavice, Benoît Gillain

Horseriders - Stephan Escavis, Marina Gianesello, Indra Monnier, Jean-Marie Reïssi

Sales representative - Michael Walz

A French television documentary by French filmmaker Guillaume Podrovnik who presents the mythical cartoon cowboy from a variety of angles on the 70th birthday of the creation of the cartoon character.

Special Birthdays

Mimmo Poli (actor) would have been 105 today but died in 1986.

Jose Luis Ayestaran (actor) is 80 today.

RIP Colin Fox

 

Beloved Canadian actor Colin Fox passed away unexpectedly at the age of 86 on April 5, 2025, in Fergus, Ontario, Canada. Born Colin R. Fox in Aldershot, Ontario on November 20, 1938, hestarred in a huge number of films, but it was his TV appearances that really cemented his acting skills. Between 1986 and 1987, he featured in two dramas, thrillers, and mystery series, ‘Alfred Hitchcock Presents’. He also appeared in ‘Law & Order’ and the children's ghost series ‘Goosebumps’ by R.L Stine. He also voiced the character of Dragster of Doom on ‘Beetlejuice: The Animated Series’, which ran from 1989-91. Fox appeared as Gavin Hume in the Euro-western TV series ‘The Campbells’ in 1986 and again in 1990.

Little Known Spaghetti Western actors ~ Frank Clement

[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.]

Francisco Clement is/was a Spanish supporting and character actor. He first appeared on screen in 1973’s “La llamaban La Madrina” in an uncredited role. He went on to appear in 19 more films until his career ended with an appearance in 1985’s “La hoz y el Martínez” in another uncredited role. What became of him is unknown as I can find no biographical information on him.

I’ve seen all three of his Spaghetti westerns and rewatched all of “China 9, Liberty 37” and heard no one called Tom. I rewatched clips of “Red Harvest” and heard no one called Dan Rolff so I was not able to get a photo of Clement.

Among his 20-film career he appeared in three Spaghetti westerns: “Tutti per uno, botte per tutti” (The Three Musketeers of the West) in 1973, “Amore, piombo e furore” (China 9, Liberty 37) in 1978 as Tom and “La ciudad maldita” (Red Harvest) in 1976 as Dan Rolff.

CLEMENT, Frank (aka Franc Clement, Frank Climent) (Francisco Clement) – film, TV actor.

The Three Musketeers of the West – 1973

China 9, Liberty 37 – 1978 (Tom)

Red Harvest – 1976 (Dan Rolff)