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This page is our personal hall of fame. A reminder to us all that even though considered a B-genre, Spaghetti Westerns were full of great characters, played by great people. Many have passed away, and while we are young growing up re-watching all these classics, many more will probably leave us. May they be remembered. What follows, is a work-in-progress, a growing list of legends who have passed away...
This page is our personal hall of faml'e. A reminder to us all that even though considered a B-genre, Spaghetti Westerns were full of great characters, played by great people. Many have passed away, and while we are young growing up re-watching all these classics, many more will probably leave us. May they be remembered. What follows, is a work-in-progress, a growing list of legends who have passed away...


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=== FRESH GRAVES ===
=== FRESH GRAVES ===
*'''WEPPER, Fritz''' - 8/17/1941, Munich, Bavaria, Germany - 3/25/2024, Munich, Bavaria, Germany


*'''ERICSON, John (Joseph Alexander Ottokar Meibes)''' - 9/25/1926, Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany - 5/3/2020, U.S.A. Santa Fe, New Mexico, U.S.A.
German actor Fritz Wepper died in Munich, Germany on March 25, 2024. He was 82. He started his acting career in a production of Peter Pan at the age of eleven. He got his first important film role in Tischlein deck dich, a film adaption of the Brothers Grimm fairytale The Wishing Table. Fritz is best known for his role as Inspector Harry Klein in the long-running crime series ‘Derrick’ (1974–1998). Wepper is also remembered for his roles in the films “Cabaret” (1972) and “The Bridge” (1959) and as Mayor Wöller in the TV series ‘Um Himmels Willen’ (2002–2021). Wepper appeared in one Euro-western as Tampico in the 1963 television production of “Ein Sheriff für den Sarg”.


German born American actor John Ericson died of pneumonia in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Born Joseph Meibes on Sept. 25, 1926, in Düsseldorf, Germany, Ericson studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York in the same class as Grace Kelly, Jack Palance and Don Rickles. Ericson appeared on Broadway in the original production 1951 of Stalag 17, directed by José Ferrer, and he made his film debut in Teresa (1951), directed by Fred Zinnemann. Three years later, he starred with Elizabeth Taylor in Rhapsody (1954). Ericson played "Man Friday" Sam Bolt opposite Francis' private eye title character and a pet ocelot named Bruce on ABC's Honey West. John appeared in two Euro-westerns: “Vengeance of Pancho Villa” (1966) as Don Diego Alvarado/Diego Owens/Django and “Heads or Tails” (1968) as Will Hunter/Bill Abilene/William Huston/Black Talisman.


*'''BERETTA, Daniel (Daniel Jean Georges Beretta)''' - , Audincourt, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France - 3/23/2024, France


*'''MATASSI, Goffredo''' 11/8/1933, Rome, Lazio, Italy - 4/28/2020, Rome, Lazio, Italy
French singer, actor and voice dubber Daniel Beretta died on March 23rh. He was 77. Beretta was born on December 24, 1946 in Audincourt, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France. He started his career as a Chanson Singer-Songwriter, having given several concerts at the Olympia and Bobino concert halls and wrote several songs for the likes of Mireille Mathieu and Nino Ferrer. He also notably adapted and performed songs for the French version of “Jesus Christ Superstar” as well as the stage adaptation of “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg”. Having trained as a musician also allowed him to sing in his animation dubs (such as Lumière's music numbers in “Beauty and the Beast”, again). He dubbed Arnold Schwarzenegger in the French versions of all his films since 1987. Daniel was also the announcer for the French radio RFM from 2000 to 2008. His daughter, Barbara Beretta, is also a professional voice actress. He quietly retired for health reasons in the early 2020s. Daniel Beretta appeared in one Euro-western “In the Dust of the Sun” in 1971 as Hawk Bradford.


Italian actor Goffredo Matassi died today in Rome. During his career he had voiced Morgan Freeman's caliber actors in "The Ruthless", Paul Brooke in "Bridget Jones Diary", Donnelly Rhodes in "Tron Legacy" and David Bradley in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" and "Harry Potter and the Gifts of Death Part II". On TV Eddie Jones as Jones as Jonathan Kent in the first season of "Lois & Clark - The New Adventures of Superman" and Peter Vaughan in those of Master Aemon in "The Thrones". He was the voice of Droopy in the series "Droopy Chief Detective" and Amphitrion in the Disney movie "Hercules". Among his latest works were the dubbing of Dr. Teeth in "The Muppet" and "Muppets 2-Wanted". Matassi was also a film actor and appeared in two Euro-westerns: “The Hills Run Red” (1966) as a croupier and “Pray and Kill” (1967) as a gambler.


*'''CULVER, Michael (Michael John Edward Culver)''' - 6/16/1938, Hampstead, London, England, U.K. - 2/27/2024


*'''MELLIES, Otto''' - 1/19/1931, Schlawe, Pomerania - 4/27/2020, Germany
British actor Michael Culver died on February 27, 2024. He was 85. Born Michael John Edward Culver in Hampstead, London, England on June 16, 1938. The son (and nephew) of actors Culver was destined to delve into acting himself. Culver attended Gresham's School in Holt, North Norfolk, UK, then went on to study at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Culver was married to actress Lucinda Curtis from 1962-1986, they have two sons, Roderic (an actor), and Justin, and a daughter, Sue.  He is currently married to actress Amanda Ward. Culver appeared in several television series in recurring roles, as Squire Armstrong in ‘The Adventures of Black Beauty’ (1972–74), Major Erwin Brandt in the BBC drama ‘Secret Army’ (1977–78), crooked banker Ralph Saroyan in the second series of ‘The House of Eliott’ (1992) and the strict Prior Robert ('Brother Prior') in ‘Cadfael’ (1994–98). Culver appeared as Aragan in one episode of thee 1991 Euro-television series ‘The New Zorro’ starrin Duncan Regehr.


Theater, film, radio, TV actor and voice dubber Otto Mellies died on Monday April 27, 2020. He was 89. Born in Schlawe in Pomerania on January 19, 1931. His mother, older sister and their children died shortly before the end of the war. His father was still a soldier at that time. His brother Eberhard, who later also worked as an actor, was drafted in the war, so that Mellies was on his own when he was 14 and worked as a groom for Russian soldiers. After attending school interrupted by the turmoil of the Second World War, Mellies applied to the Schwerin Theater at the age of 16 and received from the well-known actress. In 1956 the director Wolfgang Langhoff brought him to the German Theater in Berlin, where he had been a member of the ensemble for 50 years. His leading role was Nathan in Lessing's “Nathan the Wise” – he played this role a total of 325 times and wrote stage history with it. . “For me, theater was the mother of art. I did everything else, film, television, radio, on the side. But I enjoyed everything.” He was known to German Spaghetti Western fans as the German voice of Alberto Farnese in the 1985 western “White Apache” starring Sebastian Harrison.


*'''McCOURT, Malachy (Malachy Gerard McCourt)''' - 9/20/1931, New York City, New York, U.S.A. - 3/11/2024, Manhattan, New York, U.S.A.


*'''RISI, Claudio''' - 11/12/1948, Bern Switzerland - 4/26/2020, Rome, Lazio, Italy
Veteran American actor Malachy McCourt died in a Manhattan hospital on March 11th he was 92. Malachy Gerard McCourt was born in New York City on September 20, 1931. He was an American actor and writer of Irish ancestry. McCourt was the 2006 Green Party candidate for governor of New York, losing to the Democratic candidate Eliot Spitzer. He was the younger brother of author Frank McCourt [1930-2009]. Raised in Limerick, Ireland he acted on stage, on TV and in various films. These included “The Molly Maguires”, “Beyond the Pale”, “Ash Wednesday” and he also used to make an annual festive appearance in’ All My Children’ as Father Clarence. Malachy appeared in one Euro-western in an uncredited role in 1976’s “Montana Trap” aka “Potato Frits” with Hardy Krüger and Stephen Boyd.


Italian director, assistant director, writer, cameraman Claudio Risi died in Rome, Italy on April 26, 2020 from complications of a heart attack he has in February. The son of director Dino Risi and the older brother of producer, director Marco Risi he was involved more in television where he was twice awarded the Italian Telegatto equivalent to our Emmy for his direction of the TV series ‘The Boys of the 3rd C. Cludio was a cameraman on 1972’s “Life Is Tough, Eh Providence?” starring Tomas Milian and Gregg Hunter.


*'''MORRA, Gigio''' - 8/26/1945, Naples, Campania Italy - 3/10/2024, Naples, Campania, Italy


*'''FANTONI, Sergio''' - 8/7/1930, Rome, Lazio, Italy - 4/17/2020, Rome, Lazio, Italy
Italian theater, film and TV actor Gigio Morra died at his home in Naples, Italy on March 10th. He was 78. Born in Naples on August 26, 1945. He graduated in 1966 from the Academy of Dramatic Art in Naples. He made his debut in theater with Eduardo De Filippo, with whom he worked from 1970 to 1980. As a character actor, he was present in about twenty films including his only Spaghetti western “Arrapaho” in 1984 in the role of Pierpaolo.


Italian theater, film, television, dubber and theater director Sergio Fantoni died April 17, 2020. He was 89. Fantoni. Born in Rome on August 7, 1930, he initially thought of becoming an engineer or architect but his passion for theater prevailed and he began to attend experimental theater companies until he created in the seventies, together with Luca Ronconi and his wife Valentina Fortunato, one of the first independent companies. First, however, there had been cinema since the late 1940s and then over time with directors of the caliber of Luchino Visconti (Senso), Francesco Maselli (I delfini, alongside Claudia Cardinale), Giuliano Montaldo (Sacco and Vanzetti), but also peplums like Esther and the King. In the 1960s he experienced a Hollywood parenthesis (which lasted three years, from 1963 to 1966) with appearances in films such as Mark Robson's Intrigue in Stockholm and Von Ryan’s Express alongside Frank Sinatra, and then What Did You Do in the War Daddy? by Blake Edwards. In the 1980s. He appeared in only one Euro-western: 1971’s Bad Man’s River as Colonel Enrique Fierro. He was also a voice dubber and was the Italian voice of Jesús Guzmán in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) and Van Johnson in 1969’s The Price of Power.


*'''LEONI, Roberto''' - 11/16/1940, Rome, Lazio, Italy - 3/5/2024, Rome, Lazio, Italy


*'''DONATONE, Mario (Giacinto Mario Donatone)''' - 6/9/1933, Tripoli, Libya – 4/15/2020, Rome, Lazio, Italy
Italian director and screenwriter Roberto Leoni died in Rome on March 5, 2024. He was 83. Leoni scripted more than seventy films some of which have become real cult movies such as “Santa Sangre” (1989) by Alejandro Jodorowsky and “My Dear Killer” (1972) by Tonino Valerii. He also wrote and directed TV films. Beginning in August 2017 he reviewed new and classic movies on his talk show ‘Roberto Leoni Movie Reviews’. Leoni was co-writer of the 1977 Spaghetti western “California” starring Giuliano Gemma and William Berger.


Italian character actor Mario Donatone died April 14, 2020, he was 83. Cast by Francis Ford Coppola as a hitman it The Godfather - Part III, and an unfailing presence in almost all the movies with Tomas Milian, as well as film, TV actor and theater director he was born in Tripoli on June 9, 1933. He appeared in over 150 films, and worked with famous directors, but the role for which he is best remembered is that of the assassin Mosca, the fake priest who in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather - part III (1990) shoots Michael Corleone (Al Pacino). Donatone was also a theater director and writer. Mario appeared in only one Euro-western 1973’s “Bad Kids of the West”.


*'''NICOTRA, Angelo''' - 4/10/1948, Rome, Lazio, Italy - 3/8/2024, Rome, Lazio, Italy


*'''SABATINI, Carlo''' - 4/7/1932, Rome, Lazio, Italy - 4/10/2020, Rome, Lazio, Italy
Italian actor and voice dubber Angelo Nicotra died in Rome on March 8th. He was 75. He was the brother of the director Giancarlo Nicotra. Angelo made his screen debut as a child actor in the 1950s. He was better known for his dubbing and was the official voice of American actor Morgan Freeman after the retirement of Renato Mori. He was also the voice of Mr. Potato in the four “Toy Story” films. Nicotra was the Italian voice of Simón Andreu in 1971’s “Bad Man’s River; Chris Chitell in 1971’s “They Call Him Cemetery”; Pedro Sanchez in 1972’s “My Horse, My Gun, Your Widow; Alberto Dell’Acqua in 1972’s “Panhandle .38”; Antonio Marsina in 1976’s “Keoma” and Walter Lucchini in 1981’s “Buddy Goes West”.
 
Il Mondo dei Doppiatori, the Italian Voice Actor Database, posted that theater, film, TV and voice actor Carlo Sabatini passed away on April 10, 2020 in Rome, Italy. He turned 88 three days before on April 7. Born in Rome in 1932 Sabatini appeared and was heard in all facets of the entertainment industry. He was known primarily as one of the premier voice dubbers in Italy. He was the voice of Clint Eastwood, Donald Sutherlans, Kris Kristofferson, Alain Delon, Paul Newman, Robert Duvall and Marlon Brando. He was heard as the Italian voice of Harvey Keitel in “From Duck Till Dawn”, Morgan Freeman in ‘The Wings of Freedon” and Bruce Lee in “Three of Operation Dragon”. He is the father of actor Gabriele Sabatini. His voice was heard in the Euro-westerns: “Massacre at Fort Holman” (1972) [Italian voice of Aldolfo Lastretti]; Another Man, Another Chance (1977) [Italian voice of James Caan] and “Jonathan of the Bears” (1994) [Italian voice of John Saxon].
 
 
*'''GIORDANA, Carlo''' - 1945 Nereto, Teramo, Abruzzo, Italy – 4/8/2020, Italy
 
Italian actor Carlo Giordana passed away in Italy on April 8, 2020. He was 75 years old. Carlo, born in 1945 was a member of the Giordana acting family. He was the son of director, writer, actor Claudio Gora (Emilio Giordana) [1913-1998], actress Marina Berti (Elena Maureen Bertolini) [1924-2002] and the brother of actor Andrea Giordana [1946-    ], actress Marina Giordana [1955-    ], actor Luca Giordana, actress Cristina Giordana and the uncle of actor Luchino Giordana. Carlo’s acting career was a short seven films from 1965 to 1973. He appeared in two Euro-westerns; “Hate is My God” (1969) as Steve/Vincent Kearney and “Ballad of Death Valley” (1970) as Slim Craig/Slim Douglas.
 
 
*'''BLACKMAN, Honor''' - 8/22/1925, Plaistow, Newham, London, England, U.K. - 4/6/2020, Lewes, Sussex, England, U.K.
 
Honor Blackman, the actress best-known for playing Bond girl Pussy Galore, has died aged 94. She became a household name in the 1960s as Cathy Gale in The Avengers and enjoyed a career spanning eight decades, died of natural causes at her home in Lewes, Sussex, England on April 6, 2020. Among Blackman’s better known roles were the vengeful goddess Hera in “Jason and the Argonauts” and as Laura West in the 1990s sitcom “The Upper Hand”. She appeared in theatrical productions including “The Sound of Music”, “My Fair Lady” and “Cabaret”. Blackman was married and divorced twice, to Bill Sankey and Maurice Kaufmann. She adopted two children with Kaufmann, Lottie and Barnaby. She turned down a CBE in 2002 while ,ore recently, she joined a campaign to demand compensation payments for pensioners who lost savings in the Equitable Life scandal.
 
 
 
[[Category:Resources]][[Category:Obituaries]][[Category:People]]

Latest revision as of 14:24, 25 March 2024

This page is our personal hall of faml'e. A reminder to us all that even though considered a B-genre, Spaghetti Westerns were full of great characters, played by great people. Many have passed away, and while we are young growing up re-watching all these classics, many more will probably leave us. May they be remembered. What follows, is a work-in-progress, a growing list of legends who have passed away...

Sorted by last name: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

Cemetery.jpg

FRESH GRAVES

  • WEPPER, Fritz - 8/17/1941, Munich, Bavaria, Germany - 3/25/2024, Munich, Bavaria, Germany

German actor Fritz Wepper died in Munich, Germany on March 25, 2024. He was 82. He started his acting career in a production of Peter Pan at the age of eleven. He got his first important film role in Tischlein deck dich, a film adaption of the Brothers Grimm fairytale The Wishing Table. Fritz is best known for his role as Inspector Harry Klein in the long-running crime series ‘Derrick’ (1974–1998). Wepper is also remembered for his roles in the films “Cabaret” (1972) and “The Bridge” (1959) and as Mayor Wöller in the TV series ‘Um Himmels Willen’ (2002–2021). Wepper appeared in one Euro-western as Tampico in the 1963 television production of “Ein Sheriff für den Sarg”.


  • BERETTA, Daniel (Daniel Jean Georges Beretta) - , Audincourt, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France - 3/23/2024, France

French singer, actor and voice dubber Daniel Beretta died on March 23rh. He was 77. Beretta was born on December 24, 1946 in Audincourt, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France. He started his career as a Chanson Singer-Songwriter, having given several concerts at the Olympia and Bobino concert halls and wrote several songs for the likes of Mireille Mathieu and Nino Ferrer. He also notably adapted and performed songs for the French version of “Jesus Christ Superstar” as well as the stage adaptation of “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg”. Having trained as a musician also allowed him to sing in his animation dubs (such as Lumière's music numbers in “Beauty and the Beast”, again). He dubbed Arnold Schwarzenegger in the French versions of all his films since 1987. Daniel was also the announcer for the French radio RFM from 2000 to 2008. His daughter, Barbara Beretta, is also a professional voice actress. He quietly retired for health reasons in the early 2020s. Daniel Beretta appeared in one Euro-western “In the Dust of the Sun” in 1971 as Hawk Bradford.


  • CULVER, Michael (Michael John Edward Culver) - 6/16/1938, Hampstead, London, England, U.K. - 2/27/2024

British actor Michael Culver died on February 27, 2024. He was 85. Born Michael John Edward Culver in Hampstead, London, England on June 16, 1938. The son (and nephew) of actors Culver was destined to delve into acting himself. Culver attended Gresham's School in Holt, North Norfolk, UK, then went on to study at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Culver was married to actress Lucinda Curtis from 1962-1986, they have two sons, Roderic (an actor), and Justin, and a daughter, Sue. He is currently married to actress Amanda Ward. Culver appeared in several television series in recurring roles, as Squire Armstrong in ‘The Adventures of Black Beauty’ (1972–74), Major Erwin Brandt in the BBC drama ‘Secret Army’ (1977–78), crooked banker Ralph Saroyan in the second series of ‘The House of Eliott’ (1992) and the strict Prior Robert ('Brother Prior') in ‘Cadfael’ (1994–98). Culver appeared as Aragan in one episode of thee 1991 Euro-television series ‘The New Zorro’ starrin Duncan Regehr.


  • McCOURT, Malachy (Malachy Gerard McCourt) - 9/20/1931, New York City, New York, U.S.A. - 3/11/2024, Manhattan, New York, U.S.A.

Veteran American actor Malachy McCourt died in a Manhattan hospital on March 11th he was 92. Malachy Gerard McCourt was born in New York City on September 20, 1931. He was an American actor and writer of Irish ancestry. McCourt was the 2006 Green Party candidate for governor of New York, losing to the Democratic candidate Eliot Spitzer. He was the younger brother of author Frank McCourt [1930-2009]. Raised in Limerick, Ireland he acted on stage, on TV and in various films. These included “The Molly Maguires”, “Beyond the Pale”, “Ash Wednesday” and he also used to make an annual festive appearance in’ All My Children’ as Father Clarence. Malachy appeared in one Euro-western in an uncredited role in 1976’s “Montana Trap” aka “Potato Frits” with Hardy Krüger and Stephen Boyd.


  • MORRA, Gigio - 8/26/1945, Naples, Campania Italy - 3/10/2024, Naples, Campania, Italy

Italian theater, film and TV actor Gigio Morra died at his home in Naples, Italy on March 10th. He was 78. Born in Naples on August 26, 1945. He graduated in 1966 from the Academy of Dramatic Art in Naples. He made his debut in theater with Eduardo De Filippo, with whom he worked from 1970 to 1980. As a character actor, he was present in about twenty films including his only Spaghetti western “Arrapaho” in 1984 in the role of Pierpaolo.


  • LEONI, Roberto - 11/16/1940, Rome, Lazio, Italy - 3/5/2024, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Italian director and screenwriter Roberto Leoni died in Rome on March 5, 2024. He was 83. Leoni scripted more than seventy films some of which have become real cult movies such as “Santa Sangre” (1989) by Alejandro Jodorowsky and “My Dear Killer” (1972) by Tonino Valerii. He also wrote and directed TV films. Beginning in August 2017 he reviewed new and classic movies on his talk show ‘Roberto Leoni Movie Reviews’. Leoni was co-writer of the 1977 Spaghetti western “California” starring Giuliano Gemma and William Berger.


  • NICOTRA, Angelo - 4/10/1948, Rome, Lazio, Italy - 3/8/2024, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Italian actor and voice dubber Angelo Nicotra died in Rome on March 8th. He was 75. He was the brother of the director Giancarlo Nicotra. Angelo made his screen debut as a child actor in the 1950s. He was better known for his dubbing and was the official voice of American actor Morgan Freeman after the retirement of Renato Mori. He was also the voice of Mr. Potato in the four “Toy Story” films. Nicotra was the Italian voice of Simón Andreu in 1971’s “Bad Man’s River; Chris Chitell in 1971’s “They Call Him Cemetery”; Pedro Sanchez in 1972’s “My Horse, My Gun, Your Widow; Alberto Dell’Acqua in 1972’s “Panhandle .38”; Antonio Marsina in 1976’s “Keoma” and Walter Lucchini in 1981’s “Buddy Goes West”.

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