Monday, January 31, 2011

New DVD Release

"Triggerman" is the second episode of the Doc West TV series. Filmed near Santa Fe, New Mexico in 2008, the film stars Terence Hill, a retired doctor, now a wandering gambler who after episode one wants to start a hospital in the town of Holly Sand.

West is a twinkly-eyed, stubble-faced softy who leaps at the chance to help a small town in its quest to build a hospital. To raise the money, West and the town’s sheriff, played by Paul Sorvino, decide to put together a high-stakes poker tournament, one Doc West is sure to win, as he’s not only a medical expert and an uncannily accurate quick gun, he’s the world’s best poker player.

In a scene that’s reminiscent of Sam Raimi’s The Quick and the Dead, the small town in need of a hospital quickly becomes a beacon light to some of the nastiest, most ill tempered ruffians in the west. They make their way to town in order to participate in the tournament, all bringing with them a back-story that somehow ties them in their past to Doc West.

 
Among the new visitors to town is the movie’s titular Triggerman, a Dutch hooligan with a quick temper and a vengeance towards Doc West for previously besting him in a poker tournament. The film’s villain is the type of coward that will shoot a man in the back or kidnap a woman to ensure Doc West is too distracted to win a game. Don’t expect many shoot-outs or acts of daring-do in "Triggerman", though. The film’s idea of high stakes is scene after scene of poker playing — all the games relying on that same tired paused reveal of a player’s hands that every bad poker movie relies on.

The film is filled with secondary plots, from a young boy’s determination to become a gunslinger to two brother’s wooing of young women. Many of these sub-plots seem to be carry overs from the previous film, Doc West. None of them add anything of substance to "Triggerman", though — they only lengthen the running time of the movie.

Even though the movie was filmed in New Mexico, directors Giulio Base and Terence Hill filled the movie with a lot of Italian actors, necessitating the dubbing of many of the movie’s lines. While, for the most part, this dubbing is not too distracting, it certainly doesn’t help to add to the film’s appeal either. In a movie that’s easy to mock, the dubbing of Italian actors’ lines is just fuel for the fire.

Region 1, presented in 1.78.1 widescreen ration with 5.1 Dolby sound the production values are top notch and the film is sharp with lush, crisp colors. English and Spanish subtitles. Running time 97 minutes.

Available January 18, 2011

FOR A BOOK OF DOLLARS

Più forte sorelle - Italian title
Per un breviario di dollari - Italian title
Más fuerte, hermanas - Argentinian title
Kansas City - French title
Des dollars plein la gueule - French title
Drei Nonnen auf dem Weg zur Hölle - German title
For a Book of Dollars - English title

A 1973 Italian production [New Films (Rome)]
Producers: Silvio Battistini, Alan Steel
Director: Renzo Spaziani (Renzo Girolami)
Story: Franco Vietri (Francesco Vietri)
Screenplay: Franco Vietri (Francesco Vietri)
Cinematography: Mario Parapetti [color]
Song: “Catapult” sung by Eldorado Stones
Running time: 82 minutes

Cast:
Amen - Lincoln Tate
Amen henchman - Omero Cappana
Catapult - Jean-Claude Jabes (Gianclaudio Jabes)
Catapult henchman - Gill Roland (Gilberto Galimberti)
Sister Angela/Clementine Jackson/Jane - Gabriella Farinon
Timothy - Gigi Bonos (Luigi Bonos)
nuns - Clara Colosimo, Franca Maresa, Suzy Monen
dentist - Carlo Monni
cowboy - Lorenzo Piani
with: Sandro Scarchilli, Francesco D’Adda (Francesco Salvaterra), Serafino Profumo


A bounty hunter name Amen is hired by a group of nuns to recover stolen money. The nuns are however, female desperadoes in disguise, who want the booty pillaged by an outlaw named Catapult and his gang.

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Carlo Simi exhibit in Rome

The creations of Carlo Simi at the Church of the Artists in Rome

The exhibition in Rome is hosted by the wife of the architect, set designer and costume designer.

The exhibition is at the Church of the Artists in the Piazza del Popolo in Rome, and is dedicated to the great architect, designer and Italian costume designer Carlo Simi. Creator of the extraordinary sets and costumes of the Spaghetti Westerns of Sergio Leone and Sergio Sollima, the founder of western Spanish Joaquin Romero Marchent, B-movies directed by Enzo G. Castellari, He also worked with Pupi Avati in 'Bix'e' The Way of the Angels' last film he worked on in 1999 before passing on the following year in Rome.

His costumes were used by Carlo Verdone in the hit comedy “Un sacco bello”, as well as those of the 'Magnificent Stranger’s' star performer Clint Eastwood in "A Fistful of Dollars", "For a Few Dollars More", and "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly". Simi’s signature sets and furnishings were used for the extraordinary “Once Upon a Time in America” and “Once Upon a Time in the West”. The exhibition, strongly supported by his wife Elizabeth Simi to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the death of her husband, it is home to many original sketches of sets and costumes from the "Once Upon a Time in America” to “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”, “The Big Gundown” and “Face to Face", but also the plans for the houses he designed and built, the set designs first belonged to producer Alberto Grimaldi and then Sergio Leone then to PEA, Film Productions the same company that gave rise not only to the films of Leone, but also the unforgettable films of Bernardo Bertolucci, Pier Paolo Pasolini and Federico Fellini. The exhibition, which features some previously unseen photos of sets and designs shown in 3-D by Delta Star Pictures, which has provided for the occasion special 3-D glasses. The exhibit is a reminders to visitors that Simi was one of the reasons the films of Leone and others were so successful, is sponsored by the ASC, an Italian association of set and costume designers, Associazone Teatroi Carlo Terron, and The Sipario e del Consiglio regionale del Lazio.
 

Spaghetti Western Locations


Continuing with locations from “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”. After Blondie and Tuco blow-up the Langstone bridge they awake the next morning to find both the Union and Confederate soldiers gone. Only corpses and discarded equipment litter what is left of both military camps. Blondie and Tuco cross the river and continue their trek to Sad Hill Cemetery where $200,000 in gold is buried. To get to the opposite side of the river you have to do what Clint and Eli did, wade the river. It’s best to do this in late summer when the river is at its lowest level. The area is completely changed since the film was made as pine trees and other vegetation have grown back and the scenery looks much different.

 
For a more detailed view of this site and other Spaghetti Western locations please visit my friend Yoshi "Garringo" Yasuda’s excellent website: http://garringo.cool.ne.jp/

Saturday, January 29, 2011

The Flaming Journey of the Pacific Express

Die Flammenfahrt des Pacific-Express - German title
The Flaming Journey of the Pacific Express - English title

A 1921 German production [Arnold & Richter, Wiwefco Wildwest-Film Co. (Munich)]
Producer: Arnold & Richter (August Arnold, Robert Richter)
Director: Alfred Paster (Alfred Paster-Saterp)
Story: Alfred Paster (Alfred Paster-Saterp)
Screenplay: Alfred Paster (Alfred Paster-Saterp)
Cinematography: August Arnold, Robert Richter [black & white]
Running time: 2184 meters

Story: Unknown.

Cast:
Lisa Kresse, Alfred Paster (Alfred Paster-Saterp), Henri Peters-Arnolds, Anneliese Halbe, Kathi Kobus, Willy Stettner (Willi Stettner)

Friday, January 28, 2011

Guess Who I Am


I am a former Bond girl and appeared in two James Bond films. Guess who I am.

William Connolly has correctly guessed this week's photo as Martine Beswick.

New DVD Release

Faccia a faccia (Face to Face)

Director: Sergio Sollima
Starring: Tomas Milian, Gian Maria Volonte, William Berger
Label: Eureka Entertainment Ltd.
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1 High Definition Blu Ray
Language: English, Italian
Optional English subtitles
Sound: Stereo
Running time: 107 minutes
Extras: Italian, U.S.A. trailers, Sergio Sollima interview, 16 page booklet by Howard Hughes
Release date: March 2011

Happy 80th Birthday Lucia Bose

Lucia Borlani was born on January 28, 1931 and became Miss Italy of 1947. This led to a career in films under the name Lucia Bosé with her first movie “Under the Olive Tree” (1950), followed by “La signora senza camelie” (1953). She then worked in Spain and France before returning to the Italian cinema in the late sixties with “Sotto il segno dello scorpione” (1969). Semi active her last appearance was in “The Viceroy” (2007) directed by Roberto Faenza and in 2010' TV appearance in “Capri 3". Bosé was married to the famous Spanish bullfighter and acotr Luis Miguel Dominguín [1926-1996] from 1955 until 1967. Lucia is the mother of singer, actor Miguel Bosé [1956- ] and actresses Lucia Dominguín Bosé [1957- ] and Paola Dominguín [1960- ] and the grandmother of actress Bimba Bosé [1975- ]. Lucia appeared in one Euro-western “Night of the Serpent” (1969) with Luke Askew. Today we celebrate Lucia Bosé’s 80th birthday.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

FLAMING FRONTIER

Old Surehand - I. Teil - German title
Lavrint smrti - Yugoslavian title
Winnetou og Nevada-banditterne - Danish title
Lännen sankarit - Winnetou ja Old Surehand - Finnish title
Winnetou bosszúja - Hungarian title
Surehand - mano veloce - Italian title
Surehand - Italian title
Winnetou i Old Surehand - Polish title
O Grito de Guerra dos Comanches - Portuguese title
El justiciero de Kansas - Spanish title
La frontera in llamas - Spanish title
Säker man i western - Swedish title
Nevada banditerna - Swedish title
Flaming Frontier - English title

A 1965 German, Yugoslavian co-production [Rialto (Berlin), Jadran-Film (Zagreb)]
Producers: Horst Wendlandt, Preben Phillipsen, Wolfgang Kühnlenz
Director: Alfred Vohrer
Story: Karl May
Screenplay: Fred Denger, Eberhard Keindorff, Johanna Sibelius (Sibylle Freybe)
Cinematography: Karl Löb [Eastmancolor, Ultrascope]
Music: Martin Böttcher
Running time: 92 minutes

Cast:
Old Surehand - Stewart Granger (James Stewart)
Winnetou - Pierre Brice (Pierre de Bris)
General Jack O’Neal - Larry Pennell (Alessandro Pennelli)
Jeremy ‘Old Wabbles’ Sanders - Paddy Fox (Milutin Srdoc)
Judith - Leticia Román (Letizia Novarese)
Toby - Mario Girotti
Judge Dick Edwards - Wolfgang Lukschy
Captain Miller - Erik Schumann
Mahki-Moteh - Duslan Antonijevic
Jim Potter - Bata Ziviojinovic (Velimir Zirijinovic)
Clinch - Dusko Janicijevic (Dusan Janicijevic)
Uncle Ben O’Brian - Vladimir Medar
Molly - Hermina Pipinic
Delia - Jelena Jovanovic
old Indian - Joso Martincevic (Jozo Martincevic)
Mac Hara/O’Hara - Veljko Maricic
Ton-Wan - Sime Jagarinec (Simun Jagarinec)
Bob Hara/O’Hara - Miro Buhin (Miroslav Buhin)
Bonoja - Martin Sagner
Surehand’s scout - Predag Ceramilac
Joe - Voja Miric (Vojislav Miric)
Wynand - Mate Ivankovic
Blacky - Dani Segina (Djani Segina)
Buster - Marijan Habazin
Cat - Nicola Gec
Bini - Lujo Knezevic (Luka Knezevic)
medicine man - Marin Ercegovic
Kellner - Leo Butorac
Burger - Josip Zappalorto
desperado - Ivo Kristof (Ivan Kristof)
Bude owner - Stjepan Jurcevic
townsman - Josip Zappalorto
desperado - Ivo Kristof


A bandit gang led by Jack O’Neal nicknamed "The General" robs a train of the Railway Union Bank-Insurance (UBRI) Ltd.. of an army payroll. A short time later, some settlers are on the run from what they think are a band of Indians, after they have killed a buffalo. The son of Farmer Mac O’Hara is shot and killed and it is made to look as though the Indians were to blame for his death.

Old Surehand has just enough time to free the passengers trapped by the bandits in the train shortly before they blow it up. On the way to Mason City Surehand meets a group of gold miners and one named Ben accompanies him to town. In Mason City, Ben meets his niece Judith and her fiancé Toby, who works as a lawyer under Judge Edwards. Judge Edwards informs Surehand that he still has no new information on the killer of his brother.

Tou-Wan, the son of Comanche chief's Maki-Moteh who wants to pursue justice in Mason City against the attacks of the bandits is shot and killed by a sniper. Behind the murder is ‘The General’ who is also behind the killing of the buffalo in order to incite the Indians to start a war with the whites so he can sell them weapons.

The Comanches, now on the verge of war, because of the murder of their chief's son. They kidnap Toby, and Judith, and prepare to let them die at the stake. With the promise to uncover the true murderer, Old Surehand is able to obtain their release.

The bandits try to get rid of Old Surehand through the treachery of a beautiful woman named Delia. Surehand and his crew spend a night in an old coaching inn and are given ample glasses of wine. Surehand sees through the plan and thwarts the bandits waiting in ambush. Meanwhile, Toby is again taken prisoner by ‘The General’ and hidden in a limestone cave. Winnetou silently sneaks into the cave and frees Toby.

‘The General’ has provided the Comanches with defective cartridges, who lay in ambush to attack a group led by Army Captain Miller. Old Surehand warns them in time and, together with Winnetou, and Maki-Moteh the Comanches are convinced of the false promises of ‘The General’. The Indians and soldiers stage a fire fight to lure in the bandits and they defeat them together. As ‘The General’ is seen fleeing with Old Wabble as a hostage, Surehand kills him with one well aimed shot.

YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hkpbWWY9Yw

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

The Dollar Books part III - Brian Fox

Dollar author Brian Fox was actually born Willis Todhunter Ballard on December 13, 1903 in Cleveland, Ohio. After trying to follow in his father’s footsteps and become an electrical engineer. He realized he did not like working for anyone and found himself quickly fired from every job he took. He found he had a way with words and so he took jobs as a staff writer for Warner Brothers and Columbia in the early 1920s. Often going uncredited and going nowhere he began his writing career in 1927 and since then produced over 100 novels and over 50 movie and television screenplays and stories. He wrote over 1000 short stories and novelettes which appeared in pulp magazines and elite publications such as The Saturday Evening Post, Esquire, This Week and McCalls. Known for his Westerns and mystery novels, he was a major crime writer for Black Mask creating the character Bill Lennox, with a long, prolific career, often fast, sometimes proto-hardboiled, frequently complicated, usually slick and with human warmth. After World War II he turned to writing western novels exclusively and turned out an amazing 78 books. He was past vice-president of the Western Writers of America. He never won any MWA award, although he did capture the 1965 Western Writers of America Spur Award for his novel ‘Gold in California’ (1965). In the 1970s he retired to Florida and passed away on December 27, 1980 in Mt. Dora, Florida. Ballard used a number of aliases such as Brian Agar, P D Ballard, W.T. Ballard, Parker Bonner, Sam Bowie, Walt Bruce, Hunter D'Allard, Brian Fox, John Grange, Harrison Hunt (with Norbert Davis), John Hunter, Neil MacNeil, Clint Reno, John Shepherd, Jack Slade, Clay Turner. As Brian Fox he turned out the Dollar book ‘A Dollar to Die For’.

Happy 40th Birthday Rick Kavanian

Richard Horatio Kavanian was born on January 26, 1971 in Munich Bavaria. Rick’s parents immigrated from Bucharest, Romania to Munich in the 1950s. Kavanian learned to speak Romanian, Armenian, German and English while growing up. From 1990 - 1994 he studied political science, North American history and psychology in Munich and Augsburg. He began a friendship with TV star Michael Herbig in 1990 while both were working in radio comedy. Richard moved to New York City and attended the Lee Strasberg Theare Institute. After returning to Germany he appeared in several episodes of ‘Bullyparade’. This launched his career as a standup comedian and he’s had many TV appearances, and film roles including his only Euro-western Herbig’s 2001 comedy hit “The Shoe of Manitou” as Dimitri. Kavanian is also a voice dubber and currently lives in Munich with his wife Ingrid. Today we celebrate Rick Kavanians 40th birthday.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

RIP Bernd Eichinger

German movie producer, director Bernd Eichinger dies in Los Angeles of heart attack at age 61.

German movie producer, director and screenplay writer Bernd Eichinger, who produced well-known films "The Neverending Story" and "Downfall," has died. He was 61. Film production firm Constantin Film AG said in a statement Tuesday that Eichinger suffered a deadly heart attack Monday night during a dinner with family and friends in Los Angeles.

One of Eichinger's recent successful productions was "Downfall," for which he also wrote the screenplay. The movie depicts the last days of Nazi Germany in Adolf Hitler's bunker and was nominated for an Academy Award in 2005.

Eichinger was a major Constantin shareholder and one of the firm's leading executives. Bernd was a producer on the highly successful western comedy "The Shoe of Manitu" (2001) starring Michael Herbig and Christian Tramitz. He also produced "The Name of the Rose" and "The House of the Spirits."

Though there had been rumors Eichinger might be in poor health after he failed to attend the Bavarian Film Awards earlier this year, his death comes a shock. Eichinger is survived by his wife Katja, a film journalist and daughter Nina, a well-known TV personality and jury member on the German version of American Idol.

Flaming Arrow

De wigwam - Dutch title
Brandende Straal - Dutch title
La fleche ardente - French title
La hutte de wigwam - French title
Wigwam - English title
Flaming Arrow - English title

A 1911 Dutch production [Pays-Bas (Amsterdam)]
Producer: Joris Ivens (George Ivens)
Director: Joris Ivens (George Ivens)
Story: Joris Ivens (George Ivens)
Screenplay: Joris Ivens (George Ivens)
Cinematography: Joris Ivens (George Ivens) [black & white]
Running time: 7 minutes

Cast:
Brandende Straal/Flaming Arrow - Joris Ivens (George Ivens)
Zwarte Adelaar/Black Eagle - Willem Ivens
father - Peter Ivens (Cornelis Ivens)
mother - Dorothea Ivens (Dorothea Muskens)
boy - Hans Ivens (George Ivens)
girl - Theodora Ivens
kidnapped girl - Jacoba Ivens (Wilhelmina Ivens)

Flaming Arrow, a good Indian, jumps into action, when Black Eagle kidnaps the young daughter of white farmer after he hears his son has been treated harshly by the farmers. After rescuing the child, a peace pipe is smoked at Flaming Arrow’s wigwam.

YouTube link: http://il.youtube.com/watch?v=fYRm6PbLz-0

Monday, January 24, 2011

RIP Hellmut Lange

Hellmut Lange has died.

He was one of the most distinctive and important television actor of the 1960s and early 1970s. Hellmut Lange, German actor in dozens of movies and TV series and a pioneer of the West German Radio, has died. Lange passed away on January 13, 2010 after a long battle with dementia. He died in Berlin a few days before his 88th birthday said his wife Ingrid on Monday.

Hellmut born on January 19, 1923 in Berlin and had the title role in the four-part 1969 TV series "The Leatherstocking Tales”. His last major TV appearance was in 1995 in the Sat.1-production "Ferry to Death." There he played the lead investigator, who must judge the crew of a sunken ferry. Even as a little boy he played children's parts on Berlin Radio. From 1946 to 1948 he attended acting school in Hanover. His first stage engagements were in the young theater in Munich and Stuttgart. For 50 years, Lange worked as a director and spokesman for Radio Bremen.

The "exciting years," he once called his time in film and television in the ‘60s and ‘70s. He is best known as host of the ARD television quiz series "Do You Know Movies?" Which ran from 1971 to 1981. Remembered above all for his starring roles such TV series and films such as “The Leatherstocking Tales”, "The Scarf", "The Deerslayer" and "The Last of the Mohicans."

In the postwar period acting was an "unprofitable art”, he said in an interview. Only five marks he received per performance. For the first time he appeared on TV at the end of the 1950's in the "Steel Mesh - Oberhausen Murder Case." Then, his first major role in "Forest Home Road 20", the first feature-length film on German television. Here he played a Swedish pastor who hid Jews in his church.

Lange was also in several German comedy films. He appeared in 1965 as "006" in Michael Pfleger’s James Bond spoof "Serenade for Two Spies" alongside Heath Weis. Whether as Northumberland in the television film "Richard II" or as in "Leatherstocking Tales" - he played the man with the wrinkled face in such historical works as the war-tested soldier in “Hitler - A Film from Germany" or as in the documentary feature on the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Lange was not spared the blows of life. In 1965, his three year old son Jonathan drowned in the Würm in Bavaria while fishing. "The worst thing was I was not there," Long said later. At the time he was shooting a film in America. Long retired and last lived in Berlin, where he is to be buried in the coming days by his immediate family.

Who are Those Guys? - Franco Balducci

Franco Balducci was born on November 23, 1922 in Bettone, Umbria, Italy. He was another of the more familiar faces of the Italian cinema. His first credited film appearances was in 1947 as Giacomo in “Bullet for Stefano” directed by Diulio Coletti. During his career he would appear in over 75 films and a few television appearances until retiring in the late 1970s. Franco appeared in 15 Euro-westerns during his career. Among his most memorable roles was as Pete Wiley in 1965's “The Tramplers” with Gordon Scott and Joseph Cotten. In “Day of Anger” he played Slim and the sheriff of Lyndon City in “Death Rides a Horse” both in 1967. He was one of Kraut’s (Mario Brega) henchman in “A Minute to Pray, a Second to Die” (1968).

BALDUCCI, Franco [11/23/1922, Bettone, Perugia, Umbria, Italy -     ] - TV actor.
The Sheriff - 1959 (Jimmy)
The Man Who Came to Kill - 1965
The Tramplers - 1965 (Pete Wiley)
Black Tigress - 1967
Day of Anger - 1967 (Slim)
Death Rides a Horse - 1967 (Lyndon City Sheriff)
Last of the Badmen - 1967 (Big John/Francisco)
Viva Django - 1967 (sheriff)
Wanted - 1967 (Cuzack)
A Long Ride from Hell - 1968 (Mason)
A Minute to Pray, a Second to Die - 1968 (Kraut henchman)
A Sky Full of Stars for a Roof - 1968 (Brent)
Night of the Serpent - 1969 (Luciano)
A Man Called Sledge - 1970 (prisoner)
The Grand Duel - 1972 (Bulls friend)

Sunday, January 23, 2011

$5,000 ON ONE ACE

Cinquemilla dollari sull’asso - Italian title
5.000 dollari sull’asso - Italian title
Los pistoleros de Arizona - Spanish title
El rancho de los implacables - Spanish title
Die Gejagten der Sierra Nevada - German title
Ruudinsavun sankarit - Finnish title
5000 dollars sur l’as - French title
5000 dollari aston asso - Greek title
5.000 dollar på ett äss – Swedish title
$5,000 on One Ace - English title

A 1964 Spanish, Italian, West German co-production [Blacazar P.C. (Barcelona), Fida Cinematografica (Rome), International Germania Film (Cologne)]
Producers: Alfonso Balcazar (Alfonso Granda), Edmondo Amati
Director: Al Bagran (Alfonso Granda)
Story: Helmut Harum
Screenplay: José Antonio de la Loma (José Hernandez), Alfonso Balcazar (Alfonso Granda), Sandro Continenza (Alessandro Continenza)
Cinematography: Carlo Carlini, Roberto Reale, Christian Matras (Jean Matras) [Eastmancolor, Techniscope]
Music: A.F. Lavagnino (Angelo Francesco Lavagnino)
Songs: “A Gambling Man” sung by Don Powell
“Die Gejagten der Sierra Nevada” sung by Ralf Paulsen
“Kein Gold am Blue River” sung by Ronny (Wolfgang Roloff)
Running time: 95 minutes

Cast:
Jeff Clayton - Robert Wood (Robert Woods)
Juan Carrancho - Fernando Sancho (Fernando Les)
Helen Greenwood - Maria Sevalt (Maria Sebalt)
David - Jack Stewart (Giacomo Rossi Stuart)
Jimmy Black/Burke - Helmut Schmidt
Attorney Dundee - Richard Häussler
Judge Keystone - Hans Nielsen
Dingus - Antonio Molino Rojo
Jack - Norman Preston (Nino Persello)
Cray - Paco Sanz (Francisco Sanz)
Don - Miguel de la Riva
Glenn - César Ojinaga
Black/Burke henchman - Alberto Gadea
saloon girl - Barbara Frey (Barbara Freyd)
shopkeeper - Rafael Anglada
with: Jaime Avellán, Fernando Rubio, Pedro Gil, Alberto Gadea, Carlos Hurtado, Juan Torres, Francisco Garcia, José Castellví


Jeff Clayton wins $5,000 and a ranch in a poker game, half of which belongs to the brother and sister David and Helen. He’s robbed of the money by a Mexican bandit named Carrancho. They see the intrusion as hostile and they try to challenge the validity of Jeff’s claim by call in a lawyer named Dundee. He, in fact, intends to seize the property, with the help of a group of outlaws led by Jimmy Black. Pursuing his goal, Dundee makes sure that David is accused of the murder of the former banker of the city, but has actually been killed by Jimmy’s henchmen. The young man is taken away to be hanged but the intervention of Jeff, who, thanks to the testimony of his friend, David, and proves Jimmy’s innocence. The clash between Jeff and the outlaws is inevitable, but Jeff with the help of Carrancho, who turns out not to be such a bad guy after all, emerges victorious and in time exposes to all that Helen is in love with the wicked and deceitful Dundee, who is killed in dramatic fashion. Finally liberated from the dishonest and ambitious Dundee, Jeff comes into possession of the ranch by marrying Helen.

Happy 65th Birthday Silvia Monti

Silvia Monti was born on January 23, 1946 in Venice, Italy. She had a short film career beginning with an appearance in 1969's “Fraulein Doctor” and ending in 1974 with “The Last Desperate Hours”. She’s best known for her role as Sofia, the sister of a Mafiosa in the Gerard Oury film “Le Cerveau”. Apart from that role she appeared in a few horror films and one Euro-western “Judge Roy Bean” with Robert Hossein. In 1974 she stopped her film career and disappeared. Today we celebrate Silvia Monti’s 65th birthday.

Remembering Emmimo Salvi

Domenico Salvi was born on January 23, 1926 in Rome, Italy. Commonly called Emimmo or Mimmo Salvi he was active in multiple capacities in the film industry from 1950 until the mid-1960s. He began his film career in 1950 as a production manager on “First Communion” and then worked in several capacities as producer, director and screenwriter during the Sword and Sandal era on such films as “David and Goliath” (1959), “The Tarttars” (1960), “Vulcan Son of Jupiter” (1961) “The Seven Adventures of Ali Baba” (1962), “Sinbad Against the Seven Saracens” (1964). Salvi then continued on during the Spaghetti western genre directing and writing screenplays for “Three Graves for a Winchester” starring two Peplum stars Gordon Mitchell and Mickey Hargitay and “Wanted Johnny Texas” starring James Newman (?) And Fernando Sancho. His last film was “Pugni, dollari e spinaci” (1978) again with Gordon Mitchell. Mitchell told me that Salvi committed suicide in 1989 because he developed diabetes. He was 63. Today we remember Emimmo Salvi on what would have been his 85th birthday.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Spaghetti Western Locations

Continuing with locations for "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" the Langstone bridge is, as in the movie" directly across from the Uninon encampment location covered last week. The area has completely grown back all the trees that must have been cut down by the Spanish army in constructing the bridge. The heavily wooded are covers both sides of the river banks and finding any remains of the bridge or its exact location is almost impossible.


For a more detailed view of this site and other Spaghetti Western locations please visit my friend Yoshi "Garringo" Yasuda’s excellent website: http://garringo.cool.ne.jp/

Remembering Fernando Cicero

Fernando ‘Nando’ Cicero was born on January 22, 1931 in Asmara, Ethiopia and moved to Rome, Italy. He began his career in films as an actor under such famous Italian directors as Luchino Visconti [1906-1976], Roberto Rossellini [1906-1977], Francesco Rosi [1922- ] and Alberto Lattuada [1914-2005]. His parts were small and limited so he decided a career behind the camera was a better choice. Initially he was an assistant director under Visconti and Rosi and in 1966 began his own directing career with “Lo scippo” but his films were of little success. In 1970 he formed a partnership with the comedy team of Francho Franchi [1928-1992] and Ciccio Ingrassia [1922-2003]. In 1973 he made his most famous film “The Last Tango in Zagarolo”, a parody of “Last Tango in Paris” starring Franco & Ciccio. He then moved on to making several Italian sex comedies featuring actress Edwige Fenech [1948- ]. Nicknamed “The Fellini of Trastevere” by his fans, Cicero retired from films in 1983. Nando Cicero died on July 30, 1995 in Rome. Today we celebrate what would have been Fernando Cicero’s 80th birthday.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Guess Who I Am


I am a Spanish actress born in Almeria in 1938. Guess who I am.

Fatman correctly identified this week's photo as that of Nieves Navarro.

The 5-Man Army

Un esercito di 5 uomini - Italian title
O exercito de cinco homens - Argentinian title
Ejército de cinco - Argentinian title
Exército de 5 Homens - Brazilian title
Præriens blodhunde - Danish title
Viiden miehen armeija - Finnish title
5 hommes armés - French title
Die 5 Gefurchteten - German title
Der Dampfhammer - German title
Dicker, laß die Fetzen fliegen - German title
Die fünf Gefürchteten - German title
Die fünf Gefürchteten une ein Halleluja - German title
Oi pente prodotes - Greek title
O stratos ton pente - Greek title
Személyes hadsereg - Hungarian title
Fem manns armeen - Norwegian title
Pieciu uzbrojonych mezczyzn - Polish title
Os cinco bandoleiros - Portuguese title
Un ejército de cinco hombres - Spanish title
Fem professionella män - Swedish title
5 Kisilik ordu - Turkish title
The 5-Man Army - English title

A 1969 Italian production [Tiger Film (Rome)]
Producer: Italo Zingarelli
Director: Don Taylor, Italo Zingarelli
Story: Dario Argento, Marc Richards
Screenplay: Dario Argento, Marc Richards
Cinematography: Enzo Barboni [Metrocolor, Deltavision]
Music: Ennio Morricone
Running time: 107 minutes

Cast:
Dutchman - Peter Graves (Peter Aurness)
Mesito/Panchito - Bud Spencer (Carlo Pedersoli)
Captain Nicholas Augustus Bennett - James Daly
Luis Dominguez - Nino Castelnuovo (Francesco Castelnuovo)
Samurai - Tetsurô Tanba (Shozaburo Tanba)
Manuel Esteban - Claudio Gora (Emilio Giordana)
Captain Gutierrez - Carlo Alighiero
Maria - Daniel Giordana
Mexican officers - Jack Stuart (Giacomo Rossi Stuart), Antonio Monselesan, Pietro Torrisi
Perla - Annabella Andreoli
Commandant of execution squad - Fortunato Arena
priest - Gigi Bonos (Luigi Bonos)
Alcalde - Dante Cleri
carnival barkers - Marc Lawrence (Max Goldstein), Dan Sturkie (Daniel Sturkie)
train engineer - Marino Masé
poker player - Steffen Zacharias
Mexican spy - Jose Torres
Mexican soldiers - William Conroy, Omero Cappana, Paola Figlia, Franco Pasquetto, Angelo Susani, Franco Ukmar, Giovani Ukmar, Bruno Arie
Mexicans - Gildo Di Marco, Osiride Pevarello
prison guard - Artemio Antonini
observers at Esteban’s execution - Alba Maiolini, Lina Franchi


During the Mexican Revolution a group of rebels convince the "Dutchman" to rob a train carrying $500,000 in gold to help finance their cause. The Dutchman enlists four other men, Mesito, a strong man, Luis Dominguez, an acrobat, Captain Bennett, an explosives specialist and Samurai, a blade specialist, promising to reward each one a thousand dollars. Their first undertaking is to save the rebel leader from being executed.

After thwarting the execution and having caused a riot in the village, the five men are forced to flee, along with all the civilians in order to prevent reprisals. Nevertheless, some soldiers still manage to find them and bring them to the local Mexican Army commandant. They again manage to escape, killing the soldiers and dynamiting the fort's armory but a squad of soldiers manage to pick up their trail. All seems lost when suddenly, in a gorge, dozens of revolutionaries cover the escape of the five men. The few revolutionaries are vastly outnumbered, but this serves to make the five men understand how important the success of their mission is. The train is heavily defended by a cannon, machine guns and a troop of soldiers. The difficult robbery succeeds but the men think the Dutchman will not really give the gold to the revolutionaries but divide it evenly between them. The Dutchman wants to respect the agreement, though, having his personal reasons. In the final showdown, the Five Man Army kill all the soldiers and the Mexicans arrive to celebrate and proclaim the men as heroes.

Happy 70th Birthday Lucio Rosato

Lucio Rosato was born on January 21, 1940 in Italy. Lucio graduated from the National Academy of Dramtic Arts in 1964 and started appearing in the theater. In 1966 he makes his first film appearance as Aldo Sambrell's brother Jeffrey Duncan in "Navajo Joe". He would go on to appear in over 30 films and television appearances with nine of them in Euro-westerns. His first film appearance was in the Robert Woods western “$4.00 for Revenge”.  Luciano would also appear in such Euro-westerns as “Days of Violence” (1967) with Peter Lee Lawrence, “Cry of Death” (1968) with Glenn Saxson “The Specialst” with Johnny Halliday (1969), “The Unholy Four” (1970) with Leonard Mann and “The Deserter” (1971) with Bekim Fehmiu. Lucio is still active and teaches acting and runs a theater called Gallicano nel Lazio and also makes an occasional TV appearance. Today we celebrate Lucio Rosato’s 70th birthday.
[My thanks to Daniel Maier for supplying me with additional information for this post]

Remembering Steve Reeves

Steve Reeves was born on a farm in Glasgow, Montana on January 21, 1926. His father was killed in a farming accident and the family moved to Oakland, California where Steve attended high school and became involved in weightlifting. Reeves joined the army after graduation and continued his weight lifting during off hours. After his enlistment ended he turned to bodybuilding as a profession and won the titles of Mr. Pacific Coast (1946), Mr. America (1947), Mr. World (1948) and Mr. Universe (1950). Reeves then decided to pursue an acting career and moved to New York and then onto Hollywood. After turning down the lead in Cecil B. DeMille’s “Sampson and Delilah” (1949), because he was asked to lose 15 lbs of muscle, he landed a small role as a detective in Ed Wood’s “Jail Bait” (1954) and a few parts on TV shows. His luck changed when Pietro Francisci saw him in “Athena” (1954) and persuaded him to come to Italy and star in “Hercules” (1958). Although critically admonished, it was a huge box-office smash and led to a new genre in film making. He followed “Herucles” with a series of films such as “Hercules Unchained”, “The White Warrior”, “Goliath and the Barbarians”, “Giant of Marathon” and “The Last Days of Pompeii” all in 1959. This genre also paved the way for other beefcake actors to seek their fame in films. Reeves was an accomplished horseman and did many of his own stunts before injuring his shoulder. Giovanni Cianfriglia (aka Ken Wood) [1935- ] was hired to be Steve’s stand-in for many of his films. Reeves last film appearance was his only Euro-western, “A Long Ride from Hell” (1968) for which he also wrote the screenplay. Steve retired to raise horses in Escondido and died there of cancer on May 1, 2000. Today we remember one of the great film personalities Steve Reeves on what would have been his 85th birthday.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

The Dollar Books part II - Joe Millard


Joseph John Millard was born in Canby, Minnesota on January 14, 1908, the fourth child of rancher Frank Earnest Millard and his wife Alice A. He received his education at the Pioneer School of Business in St. Paul, Minnesota, graduating in 1926, before joining an advertising agency. He subsequently worked as advertising manager on Northwest Furniture Digest in Minneapolis before becoming an account executive with Minneapolis-based Kraff Advertising Agency and Chicago-based Industrial Advertising Associates.

In Chicago, he began editing How To Sell magazine, subsequently editing and publishing National Mortician, before turning freelance as a writer in 1936.

He was a prolific contributor to pulp magazines, including Thrilling Mystery, G-Man Detective, Exciting Detective, Detective Novels Magazine, Popular Detective, RAF Aces, Exciting Western, Popular Sports, Sky Fighters, Fantastic Adventures, Amazing Stories, Thrilling Wonder Stories (as N. J. Westwood) and Startling Stories in the 1940s before contributing articles to Bluebook. He eventually contributed to around 100 different magazines and some 25 trade journals, including Holiday, Reader's Digest, Good Housekeeping and Argosy. Joe sometimes used the alias N.J. Westwood. Joe wrote six books in the ‘Dollar’ series - For a Few Dollars More and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, A Coffin Full of Dollars, The Devil’s Dollar Sign, The Million Dollar Bloodhunt and Blood for a Dirty Dollar.

Millard was married to Amy Leone Lee on February 14, 1931 and had one son. He died on February 18, 1989. - Steve Holland


Wednesday, January 19, 2011

5 GIANTS FROM TEXAS

Los cinco de la venganza - Spanish title
I 5 della vendetta - Italian title
I cinque della vendetta - Italian title
5 gigantes do Texas - Brazilian title
Les 5 de la vendetta - French title
Die unerbittlichen Fünf - German title
Oi pente paranomoi tou Texas - Greek title
Fem för hämnden - Swedish title
The Five Adventurers - English title
No Drums No Trumpets - U.K. title
Five for Revenge - U.S.A. title
5 Giants from Texas - U.S.A. title

A 1966 Spanish, Italian co-production [Miro Cinematografica (Rome), Balcázar P.C. (Barcelona)]
Producers: Roberto Capitani, Aldo Ricci, Alfonso Balcázar
Director: Aldo Florio
Story: Alfonso Balcázar (Alfonso Granda), Aldo Florio
Screenplay: Alfonso Balcázar (Alfonso Granda), José Antonio de la Loma (José Hernandez)
Dialogue: Bernard C. Schoenfield, Dirk Wayne Summers [English],
Cinematography: Victor Menreal (Victor Sarto), Aristide Massaccesi [Eastmancolor, widescreen]
Music: Franco Solina
Running time: 103 minutes

Cast:
John Latimore/Tex - Guy Madison (Robert Moseley)
Rosaria Latimore - Mónica Randall (Aurora Sarasa)
El Matanza - Antonio Molino Rojo
Dan/Joshua - Vassili Karamesinis
Alan - Vidal Molina (Mariano Molina)
Jesus/Indios - Giovanni Cianfriglia
Ramon - José Manuel Martín (José Pérez)
Jim Latimore - Germano Longo
González - Gianni Solaro
González’s sister - Rosella Bergamonti
González’s brothers - Evar Maran (Evaristo Maran), Giovanni Petti (Giovanni Petrucci)
barber - Victo Israel (José Vilanova)
saloon girl - Mirella Pamphili (Azzurra Pamphilli)
Manolo - Gaspar Gonzales (Gaspar González)
with: Silla Bettini, Nando Poggi (Ferdinando Poggi), Manuel Bronchud, Luisa Compagnoni, Ivan Scratuglia


Brotherhood and freedom is brought by Jim Latimore, a "Yankee" and veteran of the Civil War, among the peons of  the frontier along the Rio Grande. This provokes resentment by the three Gonzales brothers, owners of the entire area that they govern with cruel power and fierce feuds. The hatred of Gonzales' is increased after their cousin Rosa is joined in marriage to Jim Latimore, in preference to one of them. Jim is killed, Rosaria cynically humiliated. They kidnap her son who is educated in the merciless teachings of the Gonzales'. Then five friends of Rosa show up to find she is now a cleaning woman in a "saloon". The five men promise to return her to Jim's home, and also return her kidnapped son and avenge the death of Jim. Along with Rosa, the five men leave for the Rio Grande de la Frontera, where they face a gang of outlaws in the service of the Gonzales'. After the gang is vanquished, the three brothers are dealt with and they are killed for their misdeeds. Rosaria, reunited with her son, thanks the five executioners, and conitnues the work of peaceful evolution initiated by Jim.

Remembering Janez Vrhovec

Janez Vrhovec was born on Janauary 19, 1921 in Balgrade, Serbia, Yugoslavia. Janez film career spanned 5 decades from the 1950s until the end of the 1990s. Vrhovec appeared in Serbian, Yugoslavian and international films during this period. His first film was in the 1950 short “Govori Moskva” and his last appearance was in the 1996-1997 TV series “Gore dole”. In 1998 Janez received a Life Time Achievement Award. During his career he served as an assistant director on the 1960 film “X-25 javlja”. Vrhovec appeared in only one Euro-western “The Sheriff was a Lady” (1964) with singer Freddy Quinn and Mamie Van Doren. Janez passed away on Ocotber 7, 1997 in Belgrade. Today we remember Janez Vrhovec on what would have been his 90th birthday.

Happy 75th Birthday Rainer Brandt

Rainer Brandt was born on January 19, 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Director Alfred Vohrer was impressed with Rainer’s voice and offered him a job as a voice actor in dubbing actors voices onto the German voice tracks of films and so in 1958 Rainer started dubbing DEFA films. Brandt was the regular German voice of Elvis Presley, Mario Adorf, Jack Lord and Tony Randall in most of their films released in Germany. Brandt also became a dialogue writer and was responsible for most of the German dialogue in many of the Terence Hill, Bud Spencer films. In the 1970s Rainer founded his own dubbing studio ‘Brandt Film’. He also incorporated his wife and daughter into the company as voice actors. Wife Ursula Heyer [1940- ] was the voice of Joan Collins in “Dynasty”, his brother Volker Brandt [1935- ] while his son Andrej Brandt is a film cameraman. Brandt was the German voice of Mario Adorf, Rik Battaglia, George Hilton, George Eastman and various other Euro-western actors during the heyday of the Euro-westerns. Today we celebrate one of the great voices of the German cinema Rainer Brantdt’s 75th birthday.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Film Museum Opens in Almeria

Almeria and the Beatles, joined by film and music

In Almeria a private museum Casa del Cinema opens, dedicated to the major film productions filmed there in the same house in which John Lennon composed “Strawberry Fields Forever.”

January 16, 2011

Through research of the association John Lennon Almeria Forever revealed that a member of the Beatles stayed at Cortijo Romero in 1966 during the filming of How I Won the War, directed by Richard Lester .

The house is now the new Casa del Cinema in Almeria, a place dedicated to the abundant presence of Hollywood in the city and province, the scene of hundreds of films shot in the mid-twentieth century.

It was in this house where John Lennon wrote the song Strawberry Fields Forever , which was later included in the album Magical Mystery Tour . After that and for more than 20 years, the city saw an explosion of films due to its natural landscapes and, of course, light and sunny climate. Many movies were filmed in Almería, and so in the museum can be seen films like “Lawrence of Arabia” and “Death Rides a Horse”. From Sergio Leone to Steven Spielberg , there are dozens of filmmakers who filmed sequences in Almeria.

The museum also includes photos, videos and memories of the actors and actresses who were there, such as Clint Eastwood , Claudia Cardinale , Raquel Welch and Alec Guinness.


YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_t0ngXfqJIc

New Spaghetti Western Book

The ambition of the author of ‘Spanish Western’, Pedro Guttierez ReCache is excellent. He intends to demonstrate that Spanish filmmakers, long before the Italy’s Sergio Leone, had created a genre well defined and an authentic precursor of the Italian development and aesthetics of western Europe.

400 packed pages, well resourced and fully identified in the creative business and industry: the conditions of production, filming, from its birth and use of scenery and operating through the torturous Franco censorship.

ReCache deftly draws on period documents, consulting, among others, the magazine ‘Fotogramas’ and interviews with past stars and supporting actors of the time: Fernando Sancho, Antonio Molino Rojo, Lex Barker, Giuliano Gemma, Hugo Fregonese and even ... Clint Eastwood, in an amazing interview from April 1964, conducted in Madrid, where the actor, then unknown in Spain, says he’s working in an Italian/Spanish co-production which began in Italy 15 days earlier, along with a beautiful German actress, unsure of her name Marianne Kock o Cook "(Marianne Koch), without even mentioning the name of the director ... Sergio Leone.

The article is reprinted and we then discover the man with no names face, photographed between two posters of A Fistful of Dollars, relaxed, in a beautiful designer stubble, which was required for the film, but in an elegant shirt and a wide open collar.

With a foreword by Carlos Aguilar, the book devotes a large section to Joaquin Romero Marchant, this major filmmaker and inventor has all but been forgotten in the history of cinema. Also many pictures in many sizes and CinemaScope colors that will leave for posterity the western Mediterranean .

It is rare to find a new book of any kind on Spaghetti Westerns, I would highly advise purchasing the book, even to those who do not or cannot read Spanish, given the quality and novelty of the information that can be found here..

Pedro Gutierrez ReCache, Spanish Western El Cine del Oeste como subgénero espanol (1954-1965), Generalitat Valenciana, 2010, (Foreword by Carlos Aguilar).

Monday, January 17, 2011

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 2011

$5.00 FOR RINGO

5 dollari per Ringo - Italian title
Cinque pistole del Texas - Italian title
5 pistole de Texas - Spanish title
5 dolares para Ringo - Brazilian title
5 rafales pour Ringo - French title
Ringo le hors-la-loi - French title
De laglösa - Swedish title
Ringo Takes All - English title
$5.00 for Ringo - English title

A 1965 Spanish, Italian co-production [IFI Espana, Moncayo Films (Barcelona), Cineproduzioni Associate (Rome)]
Producers: Ignacio F. Iquino (Ignacio Fares Iquino), Fernando Russo
Directors: Juan Xiol (Juan Marchal), Ignacio F. Iquino (Ignacio Fares Iquino)
Story: Mikky Roberts (Miguel Bada)
Screenplay: Mikky Roberts (Miguel Bada)
Cinematography: Victor Monreal (Victor Sarto) [Eastmancolor, Techniscope]
Music: Enrique Escobar (Enrique Sotes), Francesco De Masi
Songs: “El Amor pedridas”, “Vivar un largo invierno”, “Te dare mi amor” sung by ?
Running time: 90 minutes

Cast:
Sheriff Jess Crane/Lester Sands - Anthony P. Taber (Juilo Pérez Tabernero)
Sara - Vicky Lagos (Aurelia Munoz)
Mayor Aldo Rudell - Albert Farley (Alberto Quaglini)
Miriam Gray - Maria Pia Conte (Maria Vaccarezza)
Kenny - Indio González (Gaspar González)
Corman/Coleman - Fernando Rubio
Simon - Gila Sevy (Miguel Cuesta)
Charlie Scott - Ángel Lombarte
Alex Harris - César Ojinaga
with: Janette Rock, Spencer Parker, Romano Giomini, Javier Conde, Juan M. Simón (Juan Manuel Simón), Mario Via, Luis del Pueblo, Theresa Giro (Teresa Giro), Eduardo Lizarraga



Jess Crane, sheriff of Rimrock, decides to eliminate the bandits terrorizing the county, during a ride he foils an assault on a young woman named Sarah, who is willing to work with him to expose the outlaws. Through the woman Jess discovers the outlaws hideout in Lindsborg and the head of the gang is Mayor Rudell. Crane can not act without having more evidence. Jess seems to have found an ally in Judge Burnett, but when he is in a safe place to bring Charlie Scott, a precious witness, he is killed. Jess does not let this stop him. He obtains evidence that Brown made a deal with Ringo, the most dangerous outlaw in the entire area and after a fierce duel kills him. Meanwhile Rudell is killed by Judge Burnet. It turns out the judge is the real ringleader and eliminates every witness against him. The sheriff and Sarah recognizes the murderess of her father. The intervention of Miriam, the woman who loves him, kills Rudell and puts the dishonest judge away where he’s incapable of causing harm again.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Spaghetti Western Locations


Continuing with locations from “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”. After Tuco and Blondie are detained on their way to the location of the hidden $200,000 in gold. They are brought by an army detachment to see Captain Clinton. The first view we see, a few yards beyond the tree line is a vast array of trenches and cannon mounts. This location is about 3/4 of a mile from the San Pedro de Arlanza monastery between Borgos and Covarrubias. You’ll have to park your car off the side of the road after finding the wooden sign marked Puente de Langstone placed by Tuco Tours. On the left side of the road is the hillside where the Union soldiers were assembled. To the right is a wooded area with a river. The Union Army area is a farmers field with a rock wall on the far boundary line. This wall is visible in the film. It has completely returned to nature but marks of it being plowed were visible when I was there in 2003 and 2005 but nothing had been planted.


For a more detailed view of this site and other Spaghetti Western locations please visit my friend Yoshi "Garringo" Yasuda’s excellent website: http://garringo.cool.ne.jp/

Saturday, January 15, 2011

A Fistful of Songs

Laß die Finger von der Puppe - German title
Per un pugno di canzoni - Italian title
Europa canta - Italian title
Por un puñado de canciones - Spanish title
A Fistful of Songs - English title

A 1966 German, Italian, Spanish, Liechtenstein co-production [Parnass (Munich), CGFC (Rome), Coperfilm, Petruc Film (Madrid), Euro Film (Vaduz)]
Producers: Theo M. Werner, Gustav Gavrin, José Luis Lorente, Carlo Infascelli
Director: J.L. Merino (José Boves)
Story: Carlo Infascelli
Screenplay: Mario Amendola, José Luis Merino (José Boves), Carlo Veo, Franz-Otto Kruger, Sigrid Werner
Cinematography: Fulvio Testi [Eastmancolor, widescreen]
Music: Enrico Polito
Songs: “Wenn ich dich anseh” sung by Fred Bertelmann
“Ringo” sung by Adriano Celentano
“Il silenzio” sung by Tony Del Monaco
“Io ho in mente tu” sung by Equipe 84
“In un fiore” sung by Wilma Goich
“Parla mi di te” sung by Francoise Hardy
“A-a-a-dici” sung by The Honeybeats
“Fai quello che vuoi” sung by The Kings
“Johnny Brown” performed by I Marcellos Ferial
“Tu si nacosa grande” sung by Domenico Modugno
“?” sung by Gianni Nazzaro
“Junge Liebe” sung by Mary Ross
“Il silenzio” sung by The Snobs
“Abbracciami” sung by Ornella Vanconi
“For Your Love” sung by The Yardbirds
Running time: 91 minutes

Cast:
Betty Johnson - Vivi Bach (VivienneBach)
Chief Big Vulture - Gustavo Rojo (Gustavo Pinto)
sheriff - Renzo Palmer (Lorenzo Bigatti)
‘The German’ - Thomas Alder (Anton Straßmair)
‘The Italian’ - Lucio Dalla
Nonno - Umberto Dorsi (Umberto D’Orsi)
gangsters - Nino Vingelli, Fortunato Arena
Mr. Lewis - Luis Induni
Joe - Ennio Antonelli
performers - Tony Del Monaco, Equipe 84, Wilma Goich, Françoise Hardy, Los Marcello’s Ferial, Domenico Modugno, Nini Rosso (Rafaele Rosso), The Kings, The Yardbirds, The Snobs, Beatles di Cadiz, Mary Roos, (Marianne Schwab), Ornella Vanoni, The Twist-Can-Can Girls, I Pelati, Fred Bertelmann
with: Enrique Ávila, Carlo Cevoli, Tony Cucchiara, Ermelinda De Felice, Henry Luzi (Enrico Luzi), Ester Macioci, Los Marcello’s Ferial, Eleonora Morana, Anna Maria Panaro, Mary Paz Pondal (Maria Paz Pondal), Ingrid Schoeller (Ingeborge Schoeller), Bruno Scipioni, Ornell Vanoni, Adriano Celentano, José Bastida, Pilar Cañada, Nando Poggi (Ferdinando Poggi)


Little Europe, a town in the American West, is chosen as the site for a European Music Festival to be internationally broadcast via television . The peace of the village is put in jeopardy when it comes to electing judges because the dormant antagonisms of the descendants of Italian, Spanish, French and Germans will be awakened, but the good sheriff easily resolves the dispute. Then the problem becomes more acute when the lawyer Betty, a comely young lady, who is late in coming to the event because she was seized by the henchmen of an industry bully who wants to influence the victory of one of his favorite songs. But the sheriff again acts and the bully can not reach Little Europe, but Betty is also banned. After a bloodless confrontation everything is resolved for the better thanks to Chief Big Vulture, a gallant Indian chief, who returns to the prairie with his new wife, Betty.

Remembering Maria Schell

Maria Margarethe Anna Schell was born on January 15, 1926 in Vienna, Austria. The daughter of writer Ferdinand Hermann Schell [1900-1972] and actress Margarete Schell Noé [1905-1995] and the sister of actors Carl Schell [1927- ], Maximilian Schell [1930- ] and actress Immy Schell [1935-1992]. Maria studied at a religious institution in Colmar, France and received her theatrical training in Zurich, Switzerland. She became an accomplished stage and film actress and won the Volpi Cup for best actress for her 1956 performance in ‘Gervaise” at the Venice Film Festival. Married twice to producer, director, actor Horst Hächler [1926- ] from 1957-1965 from which she had a son, actor Oliver Schell [1962- ] and actor director screenwriter Veit Relin [1926- ] from which she had a daughter, actress Marie-Theres Relin [1966- ]. Maria wrote two autobiographies. Maria appeared in one Euro-western “Dust in the Sun” (1973) as Gertie Bradford. Maria died of pneumonia on April 26, 2005. Today we remember Maria Schell on what would have been her 85th birthday.

Friday, January 14, 2011

Guess Who I Am



I was a child actor and made over 30+ TV and film appearances. Guess who I am.

I appeared in six Euro-westerns. Guess who I am.

My last film appearance was in 1994. Guess who I am.

No guesses this week - He's Renato Cestiè.