RIP James Mitchum

 

American actor James Mitchum, son of actor Robert Mitchum and nephew of actor John Mitchum died at his Skull Valley, Arizona ranch on September 20^th. He was 84. Born James Robin Spence Mitchum in Los Angeles, California on May 8, 1941, he starred alongside his father in the 1958 moonshine drama “Thunder Road” while appearing in about three dozen films and TV shows during his career. Mitchum appeared in the war films “The Victors” (1963), the Otto Preminger-directed “In Harm’s Way” (1965), starring John Wayne and Kirk Douglas; and “Ambush Bay” (1966), starring Hugh O’Brian and Mickey Rooney. Among his westerns were appearances on “The High Chaparral” and “Have Gun – Will Travel” on TV and in the films “Colorado Territory” in 1949 and “Young Guns of Texas”. Jim appeared in two Spaghetti westerns staring as Wes Evans in 1963’s “Massacre at Grande Canyon” and then as Hoby Cordeen in 1966’s “The Tramplers” with Gordon Scott and Joseph Cotten.

Spaghetti Western Trivia – “They Call Me Trinity” = Box Office Gold

 

“They Call Me Trinity” was the highest grossing Italian film of all time until 1986. In Hungary the film wasn’t even released until 1988 and is that countries highest grossing film to this day.

Little Known Western actors ~ Renato De Carmine

 

Renato De Carmine was born on January 25, 1923, in Rome, Lazio, Italy. He made his acting debut at De Carmine Stagetabile of Naples and remained there for a long time. In 1961 he was working at the Piccolo Theatre in Milan with Giorgio Strehler. During his career he appeared in light and dramatic roles, demonstrating his great versatility, playing with Tino Carraro, Franco Parenti, Giancarlo Dettori under such directors as Franco Zeffirelli and Jerome Savary.

He was known to television audiences for his participation in early dramas, such as ‘Little Women’ and ‘The Little Ancient World’, in the 1950s, continuing his activities through the decade in such fictional performances as ‘The Octopus 7’ and ‘Linda and the Sergeant’. He was among the first actors to discover the potential of the new medium, bringing to the small screen in 1954 ‘The Tavern's Mail’ by Goldoni. He also had experience as a host of a variety show alongside Alicia Cheli in ‘Fickle’.

His work in the cinema began in 1948 with “William Tell”, appearing in films of various kinds, such as “The Merchant of Venice” (1953), “The Indomitable Angelica” (1967), “Seven Yellow Silk Shawls” (1969), “In the Name of the Pope King” (1977), “To Love Only for Love” (1993), “Romance of a Poor Young Man” (1995) and his only Euro-western “Challenge to White Fang” (1974) where he played the part of Lieutenant Charles Leclerc”. His last appearance was in the short film “La pacificazione” in 2009. De Carmine died on July 18, 2010, in Rome.

“Il ritorno di zanna bianca” (Challenge to White Fang) in 1974 as Lieutenant Charles Leclerc

De CARMINE, Renato [1/25/1923, Rome, Lazio, Italy – 7/18/2010, Rome, Lazio, Italy (acute anemia)] – theater, film, radio, TV, voice actor, married to Nella Bartoli (1946–2010), father of actor Leonardo De Carmine.

Challenge to White Fang – 1974 (Lieutenant Charles Leclerc)

Who was Agustin Medina?

By Michael Ferguson

MEDINA, Agustin [10/13/1913, Jerez, Cádiz, Spain – 6/5/1975, Spain] – married to ? father of cameraman Eduardo Pérez Climent [1942-    ], grandfather of producer Eduardo Pérez, founded La Ponderosa animal rentals.

The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw – 1958 (stagecoach driver) [wrangler]

He started as a horse wrangler and equipment supplier

It appears that the Centauro Films that made Marchent's “El Coyote” and “Justice of the Coyote” is the same outfit, but before Medina reactivated the company in 1964. [(diariodejerez.es by R.D. Jerez June 20, 2013 (two weeks after his death)]

     Agustín Medina Rodríguez, born of Gypsy stock, on October 13, 1913, in Jerez, the province of Cádiz, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Located in southwestern Iberia.  He was one of those key characters in the Spanish film industry of the great international co-productions of the 1950s and 1960s and now his life is going to be made into a documentary in 2013. (As of today we know of none that was filmed or released). His participation as a specialist in animal training and a skilled rider was highlighted with such titles such as: “Solomon and Sheba” (1959), “The Colossus of Rhodes” (1961), “King of Kings” (1961), “El Cid” (1961), “Lawrence of Arabia” (1962), “The Fall of the Roman Empire” (1964), “Doctor Zhivago” (1965), “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” (1966) and “The Wind and the Lion” (1975), among many others.

     At a very young age, Medina enlisted in the army, being assigned to the cavalry corps in various places, finally arriving in Madrid, where he reached the rank of sergeant and exercised his functions in the Headquarters of the Horse Breeding and Riding of the Army. He created the famous company 'La Ponderosa', Madrid, dedicated to the rental of all kinds of animals for films, especially horses. He died in a tragic traffic accident on June 5, 1975.  His son Eduardo Pérez Climent was born in 1942 (see YT interview).

     Now, his grandson Eduardo Pérez, the third generation of the family linked to the film industry and owner of the prestigious film camera equipment rental company EPC, has announced that he will travel to Jerez to record part of the documentary [?] as his personal tribute and tribute. To this end, he will have the collaboration of the president of the Cine-Club Popular de Jerez, José Luis Jiménez. The premiere of the production will take place in Madrid next autumn. 

Agustin Medina’s Spaghetti western films:

Savage Guns (1961) Wrangler

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966, PEA) Wrangler

The Hellbender (1966) Wrangler

The Ugly Ones (1966) Wrangler

Valley of Dancing Widows (1975) Wrangler [made the year he died]

Probably dozens more.

Agustin opened Centauro Films (Madrid) in 1964 and co-produced with Alberto Grimaldi of PEA

Seven from Texas (1965) Death Comes First

Seven Hours of Gunfire (1965) Heroes of the West

Sons of Vengeance (1965)

Dollars for a Fast Gun (1966) all for Marchent

 

Medina then on his own co-produced

Dirty Fifteen (1967)

I Want Him Dead (1968)

Kill Them All and Come Back Alone (1968)

 

Afterwards he returned to being a wrangler.

His son, Eduardo Pérez Climent, was born in 1942, and the grandson about 1970-75 (whose working on the documentary). He has five children, Oscar, Eduardo, Virginia, Mercedes & Carlos (youngest) the grand children of Agustín Medina. Eduardo who founded the Eduardo Pérez Climent equipment rental corporation in 1970 and at the end of the 1970’s he founded Camara Rent. Later EPC, Equipos Profesionales Cinematográficos, which he founded in 1987. He received the The Prisma of Honour award for his lifetime achievement in cinematography in 2010.

Eduardo Pérez Climent’s Spaghetti westerns cameraman:

The Implacable Three (1963) PEA and Marchent for Copercines

Sabata the Killer (1970) Producciones Cinematográficas A.B.

amongst others

There’s a long interview with Eduardo Pérez Climent (the son) on You Tube. CINE Y TELE PRO TV | Entrevista con Eduardo Pérez Climent, de EPC. Diario de Jerez article link: https://www.diariodejerez.es/ocio/Documental-especialista-peliculas-Agustin-Medina_0_708529348.html

Voices of the Spaghetti Western - “Two Faces of the Dollar”

As we know most of the Euro-westerns were co-productions from Italy, Spain, Germany and France which incorporated British and American actors to gain a worldwide audience. The films were shot silent and then dubbed into the various languages where they were sold for distribution. That means Italian, Spanish, German, French and English voice actors were hired to dub the films. Even actors from the countries where the film was to be shown were often dubbed by voice actors for various reasons such as the actors were already busy making another film, they wanted to be paid additional salaries for dubbing their voices, the actor’s voice didn’t fit the character they were playing, accidents to the actors and in some cases even death before the film could be dubbed.

I’ll list a Euro-western and the (I) Italian, (S) Spanish, (G) German and (F) French, (E) English voices that I can find and once in a while a bio on a specific voice actor as in Europe these actors are as well-known as the actors they voiced.

Today we’ll cover “Two Faces of the Dollar”

[(I) Italian, (S) Spanish, (G) German, (F) French, (E) English]

Miele/Honey/Django – Maurice Poli (I) Pino Locchi, (G) Klaus Kindler

Mathematica – Jacques Herlin (I) Sergio Graziani, (G) Gerd Martienzen

Jane – Gabriella Giorgelli (I) ?, (G) Beate Hasenau

Colonel Blackgrave – Gérard Herter (I) ?, (G) Arnold Marquis

Lieutenant Benjamin Sinclair – Andrea Scotti (I) ?, (G) Norbert Langer

Colonel Talbert – Andrea Bosic (I) ?, (G) Heinz Petruo

Norbert Langer  (1941 -     )

Norbert Langer was born March 9, 1941 in Silesia, Germany. He is a German actor, voice actor, radio play speaker, director and dialogue writer. He was the German voice of Clark Gable and Burt Reynolds.

After graduating from school in Hamburg and training as an industrial clerk, Langer completed acting training at Hildburg Frese's Hamburg Acting Studio. In order to avoid military service in the Bundeswehr, he moved to West Berlin in 1962. Between 1962 and 1972 he worked in theatre engagements at the Staatliche Schauspielbühnen and also at the Grips-Theater and the Kleines Theater am Südwestkorso. He was rarely seen in cinema and television. There he appeared as a staunch opponent of the modern typewriter in the socially critical film “Liebe Mutter, mir geht es gut” (Dear Mother, I'm Doing Well) (1972) and in the school television series ‘Wer hat die Bürokratie erfunden?’ (Who Invented Bureaucracy?)

As early as 1962, Langer worked as a radio and dubbing actor. At the beginning of the 1970s, he shifted his artistic focus completely to dubbing. Since then, he has been used as a voice actor in over 1000 productions. He became particularly popular as the voice actor of Tom Selleck since his role as private detective Thomas Magnum in the series ‘Magnum’. He also voiced this role again in the RTL dubbing, as ARD had not secured the broadcasting rights, which expired towards the end of the 1980s. RTL bought the broadcasting rights, but ARD did not want to hand over the dubbing, whereupon the series was re-dubbed.

In the dubbed version of the British television crime series ‘Inspector Barnaby’, Langer lent his voice to John Nettles (DCI Tom Barnaby). In the television series ‘24’, he voiced the head of CTU, Bill Buchanan (James Morrison). In the US series ‘Blue Bloods – Crime Scene New York’, he voiced the main character of police chief Francis ("Frank") Reagan, again embodied by Tom Selleck. He can also be heard as the narrator voice in the US series ‘Pushing Daisies’ and ‘Coco, the Curious Monkey’ and the off-screen voice in Bugs Bunny and Looney Tunes and the science show ‘The Great Show of Natural Wonders’. Langer's voice was also used for commercials and radio plays. He became particularly famous as He-Man in the radio play series ‘Masters of the Universe’.

Special Birthdays

Henry Hull (actor) would have been 135 today but died in 1977.

Franco Cobianchi D’Este (actor) would have been 95 today but died in 1970.

Krešo Branković (actor) would have been 80 today but died in 2019.

Cinzia de Ponti (actress) is 65 today.

 

Little Known Spaghetti Western actors ~ Sybil de Brée

[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.]

Sybil de Brée was a Silent Film actress who appeared in 10 films between 1920 and 1922. I can find no biographical information on her.

Her only Euro-western film appearance was in 1920’s “Apachenrache, 3. Teil - Die Verschwundene Million”.

de BREE, Sybil (Sybil de Brée) – film actress.

Apachenrache, 3. Teil - Die Verschwundene Million - 1920