Little Known Spaghetti Western Actors ~ Werner Ehrlicher

[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.]

Werner Ehrlicher was born in Oer-Erkenschwick, Germany om March 4, 1927. Ehrlicher was a much sought-after performer, especially in the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s. Among other things, he was in front of the camera in three episodes of the television series ‘Polizeiruf 110’, played in 1972 in the drama “Januskopf” at the side of Armin Mueller-Stahl and in 1982 took on a supporting role in “Dein unbekannter Bruder”.

As a voice actor, he loaned his voice to, for example, Richard Harris in “Gladiator” and “The Bible”, “The Pianist” in 2002, “The Manchurian Candidate” in 2004 and “The Legend of Bagger Vance”. He also played the role of Martin Crane in the ‘Frasier’ series.

He appeared in Seventy-one films and television series as an actor, and as a voice actor for some seven hundred, forty-one films.

EHRLICHER, Werner [3/4/1927, Oer-Erkenschwick, Germany – 10/7/2016, Berlin, Berlin, Germany] – film, TV, voice actor.

A Stranger in Sacramento – 1965 [German voice of Mario Lanfranchi]

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly – 1966 [German voice of Mario Brega in the 2004 DVD release]

My Friend Winnetou (TV) – 1979 (Marshall Bazaine)

The Scout – 1983 [German voice of Luwsan-Osorijn Njamsüren]

White Apache – 1985 [German voice of Luciano Pigozzi]

The New Zorro (TV) – 1991 [German voice of Bernard Kay]

Ravenous – 1999 [German voice of John Spencer]

Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

Spaghetti Western Director ~ Oldřich Lipský

Oldřich Lipský was a Czech film director and screenwriter renowned for his influential contributions to comedy in Czechoslovak and later Czech cinema.

Born on July 4, 1924, in Pelhřimov, Czechoslovakia, Lipský began his career as an actor and stage director before making his directorial debut with a comedy in 1950. He became a leading figure in popular Czech filmmaking, directing over twenty comedies that characteristically mixed parody, absurd humor, science-fiction and fantasy elements, fairytale motifs, and circus-inspired visual spectacle.

His frequent collaborators included screenwriters Jiří Brdečka and Miloš Macourek, as well as animator Jan Švankmajer, whose contributions enhanced the inventive and playful style of many of his works.

Lipský's films often achieved lasting popularity in Czech culture, with notable examples including “Lemonade Joe” (1964), “Happy End” (1967), “Adela Has Not Had Her Supper Yet” (1978), “The Mysterious Castle in the Carpathians” (1981), and “Three Veterans” (1983).

Oldrich died on October 19, 1986, in Prague during the production of his final film, “The Great Movie Robbery”, which was completed posthumously. He was 62.

His body of work has been recognized for bridging popular entertainment with formal experimentation, particularly in films like “Happy End”, which employed radical narrative structures and has been compared to the most innovative achievements of the Czechoslovak New Wave, despite its grounding in comedy. Lipský remains celebrated as a master of Czech film comedy whose eccentric and visually dynamic approach left a significant legacy in the region's popular cinema.

Oldrich Lipsky directed one Euro-western, “Limonádový Joe aneb Konská opera” (Lemonade Joe) in 1964.

LIPSKY, Oldrich (Oldrich Lipský) [7/4/1924, Pelhrimov, Czechoslovakia – 10/19/1986, Prague, Czechoslovakia] – director, assistant director, writer, actor, brother of actor, singer Lubomír Lipský [1923–2015], actor Borek Lipský [1930-1947], married to Šárka Lipská [1926- 2014] (195?–1986) father film editor Dalibor Lipský [1954-    ], doctor Ludmila  Lipský, grandfather of cinematographer Tomáš Lipsky [1990-    ], awarded Meritorious Artist (1974) and National Artist (1979),Thalia Award for lifelong mastery in the field of drama [2006].

Lemonade Joe – 1964

 

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Francesco Degli Espinosa

Francesco Degli Espinosa was an Italian assistant director, film editor and writer. He was born in Rome on December 19, 1933. Degli Espinosa was already an assistant director to Michelangelo Antonioni at the age of twenty, and later, until 1955, to Valerio Zurlini and Franco Maselli. After working in this function twice more in the following decade, he did not work for feature films again until the 1970s. The Giallo “Giochi erotichi du una famiglia perbene”, for example, he directed himself in 1975; he wrote the book for an erotic crime film the following year. In 1983, he was finally listed as the organizer of a small film by Vincenzo Matassi.

Some sources claim an identity with Matassi, which Roberto Poppi denies in his standard work on directors of Italian film, as does Luca Rea in "I colori nel buio".

Francesco died in Rome, sometime in June of 2006 at the age of 72.

Degli Espinosa was an assistant director on five films between 1953 and 1975, film editor on three films between 1966 and 1968 and was a screenwriter on five films between 1966 and 1976.

Francesco Degli Espinosa wrote and co-wrote screenplays for two Spaghetti westerns: “La vendetta è il mio perdono” (Shotgun) with Tito Carpi, Roberto Natale and Luciana Ribet and “C’era una volta questo pazzo pazzo west” (Once Upon a Time in the Wild Wild West) in 1973.

ESPINOSA, Francesco Degli (Francisco Degli Espinosa, Enzo Matassi, Vincenzo Matassi, Tom Scott) [12/19/1933, Rome, Lazio, Italy – 6/?/2006, Rome, Lazio, Italy] – production manager, director, assistant director, writer, film editor.

Shotgun – 1967 (co)

Once Upon a Time in the Wild Wild West – 1973

 

Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ C. Richardson

C. Richardson was an alias used by Claudio Catozzo. He is/was an Italian cameraman and cinematographer. He worked as a cameraman on two films in 1952 and 1956. He was a cinematographer on nine films between 1958 and 1979.

This little-known cinematographer’s career is filled with films considered bizarre and bottom drawer such as 1968’s A Hyena in the Safe”, “The Nude Pricness” and 1977’s “The Gestapo’s Last Orgy”.

Why he used an alias for his only Spaghetti western 1964’s “Per un dollaro a Tucson si muore” (Died for a Dollar in Tucson) is unknown but early in his career he may have set his sights on a career in ore prestigious films.

RICHARDSON, C (Claudio Catozzo) [Italian] – cameraman, cinematographer.

Die for a Dollar in Tucson – 1964

Almeria Western Film Festival 2026 3rd day

 

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10 IN TABERNAS

10:00 a.m. / Theater / Screening

of the Official International Short Film Section I

(Miscellaneous / 100', VOSE).

With the presence of its directors.

'Crossroad', by Austin Ellsworth (USA, 16′, 2026).

'Tame', by Grant Jordan (USA, 16′, 2025).

'Il Vagabondo', by Joseph Ragnedda (Italy, 20′, 2025).

'A Dance to the Death', by Alexander Simkin (United Kingdom, 15′, 2025).

'Ovest', by Stevie Cavalier (USA, 18′, 2026).

'The Tale of the Girl and the Horse', by Lorenzo Fuga Simi (Italy, 7′, 2026).

'Terra Bruta', by Allan Riggs and Guilherme Suman (Brazil, 20′, 2026).

11:00 a.m. / Plaza del Pueblo / Presentation and book signing

Literary Western: 'Lily the cowgirl and Tina the princess', with its author Ana M. Rubio. +info

12:00 h / Plaza del Pueblo / Theatre'A

Ton Town West', by Almozandia Teatro (65').

Family show.

12:00 p.m. / Theater / Screening

Official Section: 'This Bloody Country'

(Craig Packard / USA / 2026 / 100' / +13, VOSE).

European premiere. With the presence of its director and its producer.

12:30 p.m. / Los Pinos / Reading Club and Book

Signing Literary Western: 'Las fronteras', with its author Carolina Sarmiento.

2:00 p.m. / People's Square / Music

Concert: The Yellow Rose Trio

4:00 p.m. / Theater / Screening

of Found Treasures Section: 'Rodeo de campo'

(Rodrigo Domínguez and José Lecaros / Chile / 2026 / 60' / +13, VOSE).

5:00 p.m. / La Serrata / Master class

'How I designed the AWFF 2026 poster', by Juan Fardo.

6:00 p.m. / Theater / Screening

of the Canal Sur Radio and Television Section: 'La espantada'

(Ana Villa and Guillermo P. Sevilla / Spain / 2026 / 15' / +12, VOSE).

With the presence of its directors.

Official Selection: 'Gatillero'

(Chris Tapia Marchiori / Argentina / 2026 / 80' / +13, VOSE).

European premiere. With the presence of the leading actor.

7:30 p.m. / La Serrata / Presentation and book

signing Literary Western: 'Clic Clic Bang Bang', with its author Chema Artero.

8:30 p.m. / Theater / Screening

Official Section: 'Día de caza' +Info

(Pedro Aguilera / Spain / 2026 / 93' / +12, VOSI).

With the presence of its director.

10:00 p.m. / Theater / Western Classic 60th Anniversary Screening

: 'La caza'

(C. Saura / Spain / 1966 / 93' / NR, Spanish).

10:00 p.m. / People's Square / Music

Folk and rock concert: The Violet Cluster.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

XIII Western Tapa Route

From October 2 to 12, 2026.

Get your brochure at participating bars or on our website.

Photographic exhibition 'The sea of the Tabernas Desert'

In the Hermitage of San Sebastián.

From 8 to 17 October, from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

IX Window Decoration Contest

One more attraction to visit the town of Tabernas and enjoy the western atmosphere in its streets and shops.

“The Cowboy Village”

1915, United Kingdom

Aka… Cowboy Village 

Production company: Gaumont British Picture Corporation [A. C. Bromhead]

Distributor: Gaumont British Distributors [A. C. Bromhead] (10/15, UK); Société des Etablissements L. Gaumont [Léon Gaumont] (?)

Director: J.L.V. Leigh [John Louis Victor Leigh]

Running time 607 feet

Cast: J.L.V. Leigh [?]

Syn: UK. Village boys emulate the film cowboys they watch.

Comments: The British branch was established in 1898 as an offshoot of France’s Gaumont Film Company.

Director Leigh was a British filmmaker active in the silent film era, best known for directing and acting in a handful of early 1910s–1919 productions. He worked with such performers as Peggy Hyland & Malcolm Mortimer, who may have appeared in THE COWBOY VILLAGE.

Leigh as an actor had been in the earlier feature length western THE SCAPEGRACE (1913, UK) playing a Mexican.

Producer Alfred Claude Bromhead, who ran Gaumont British, was also an actor and a cameraman, may have done the same here.

Despite the war (1914-18) it is believed that Gaumont France was still involved in decision making within Gaumont British during those years. After the war their films may have been too primitive for audience consumption.

 

By Michael Ferguson

Spaghetti Western Locations for “Companeros”.

We continue our hunt for filming locations for “Companeros”. The scene now changes to find El Vasco lying in bed after a romp in the hay with Zaira. The Swede enters Zaira tells the Swede to get El Vasco and leave as she has to get her girls together to get to Fort Yuma for the U.S. commandant’s birthday party

 

This was filmed at a Madrid sound stage.

 

For a more detailed view of this site and other Spaghetti Western locations please visit my friend Yoshi Yasuda’s location site: http://y-yasuda.net/film-location.htm and Captain Douglas Film Locations http://www.western-locations-spain.com/

Special Birthdays

Thomas Petruo [voice actor] would have been 70 today but died in 2018.

Spaghetti Western Trivia ~ Off screen affair

 

During the making of the 1971 film “Su le mani, cadavere! Sei in arresto” Raise Your Hands, Dead Man,You're Under Arrest” starring actor Espartaco Santoni and Mary Zan (Maria Zanandrea) a brief relationship while making this movie.