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=== FRESH GRAVES ===
=== FRESH GRAVES ===


*'''ROHM, Maria''' - 8/13/1945, Vienna, Austria - 6/18/2018, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
*'''URRUTIA, José''' - 1944, Spain - 8/19/2018, Spain


Austrian actress Maria Rohm passed away in Canada on June 18th. She was 72. Rohm started her acting career at the very young age, working at the famous Viennese Burgtheatre as a child actor from the age of 4 through 13. She continued her theatrical work until the age of 18 when she auditioned for British film producer, Harry Alan Towers, whom she would later marry. Working with Towers she became famous for appearing in a number of films directed by Jesús Franco in the late 1960s. She remained married to film producer Harry Alan Towers from 1964 until his death in 2009. She retired from acting since 1976, and continued to produce independent films. Rohm appeared as Mercedes in the 1972 Euro-western “Call of the Wild” starring Charlton Heston.
José Urrutia one of the family members of the Sad Hill Organization has died. José worked as an extra in “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” while performing military service in Burgos and participated in the construction of the Langston Bridge and, above all, remained a member of his Artillery Barracks 63, while infecting for 52 years the passion among his companions and military cohorts, through the memories of the filming, celebrating and reminiscing their experiences annually. He is also seen in the upcoming documentary “Sad Hill Unearthed”.




*'''PAUDITS, Béla''' - 8/19/1949, Budapest, Hungary - 6/13/2018, Budapest, Hungary
*'''PORCEL, Marisa (Marisa Luisa Porcel Montijano)''' - 11/15/1943, Tarzona, Zaragoza, Arigon, Spain - 8/15/2018, Madrid, Madrid, Spain


Hungarian actor Béla Paudits 68, was transported to the hospital last Friday after having a stroke in his home. His caretaker informed the Story magazine of his death. Paudits was born on 19 August 1949 in Budapest. Between 1968 and 1972 he studied at the College of Theater and Film, and in 1986 he completed the College of Catering. From 1972 to 1974, Attila József Theater, from 1974 to 1983, member of the Madách Theater; Between 1983and 1985, and since 1997 he was freelancer. Between 1993 and 1997 he lived in Toronto. In 1993 he was awarded the Mari Jászai Prize. Béla appeared in only one Euro-western the 1980 Hungarian TV film “Hol colt, hol nem colt” (Singing Colts) as a cowboy.
Spanish theater, film and TV actress Marisa Porcel died on August 15, 2018 in Madrid, Spain. She was 74. Porcel was the daughter of actor Pedro Porcel and actress Asunción Montijano. She started her professional activity on the stage first with her father's company and later she joined the companies successively by Isabel Garcés, the María Guerrero Theater and the Spanish Theater. By the mid-1950s she had specialized in comedy roles. Despite being a regular face of the Spanish small screen since the sixties and having intervened in films and TV series such as ‘Historias para no dormir’ (1968), ‘Cañas y barro’ (1978), her popularity came in 2000, when the producer José Luis Moreno offered to make a small humorous sketch, called Matrimoniadas, with Pepe Ruiz for his musical program on TVE ‘Noche de fiesta’. Porcel begins to play Pepa , an old curmudgeon and grumpy wife whose favorite activity is to discuss with her husband, the protester Avelino (Pepe Ruiz). The sketch reaches an unexpected success and both actors, along with the rest of the characters, begin to interpret it on stages and party halls. She is the mother of the actress of dubbing, Paloma Porcel. Porcel appeared in two Euro-westerns: as Manolita in “Sabata the Killer” 1970 with Anthony Steffen and “In the Dust of the Sun” in 1972.




*'''GOVORUKHIN, Stanislav (Stanislav Sergeevich Govorukhin)''' - 3/29/1936, Berezniki, Russia, U.S.S.R. - 6/14/2018, Bravikha, Moscow, Russia
*'''MILLAIRE, Albert''' - 1/18/1935, Montréal, Quebec, Canada - 8/15/2018, Canada


Stanislav Govorukhin an actor, celebrated film director, screenwriter and political figure, died on June 14, 2018 in Barvkha, Moscow, Russia after a long illness, as reported in Russian media. He was 82 years old. At the time of his death he was a deputy in the State Duma from the United Russia Party. Born in Berezniki, Russia on March 29, 1936 Stanislav directed and wrote the screenplay for the Russian TV film “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn” (1981) and directed the 2001 film “Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer”.
Canadian theater, film, TV actor Albert Millaire has died at age 83. The actor, known for his classic roles, was diagnosed with cancer in 2000, but continued to work nonetheless. He was recognized by many older Quebecers as the image of Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville, who he played in a popular television series in 1969. He also portrayed Sir Wilfrid Laurier in a miniseries about the ex-prime minister in 1987. Millaire won the Gémeaux prize in 2014 for best supporting actor in a soap opera for his role in Mémoires vives. Millaire appeared in two Euro-western TV series: “Adventures in Rainbow Country” (1969-1970) as Roger Lemieux and “By Way of the Stars” as Renauld (1992-1993).




*'''BONNOT, Françoise''' 8/17/1839, Bois-Colombes, Hauts-de-Seine, Île-de-France, France - 6/9/2018, Paris, Île-de-France, France
*'''il FENOMENO, Jimmy (Luigi Origene Soffrano)''' - 4/22/1932, Lucera, Puglia, Italy - 8/6/2018, Milan, Lombardy, Italy


Françoise Bonnot a French film editor died in Paris, France on June 9, 2018. Born on August 17, 1939 in Bois-Colombes, Hauts-de-Seine, Île-de-France, France, she began her career working with a fellow film editor, her mother Monique Bonnot, on several productions by Henri Verneuil, who she later married. Though initially known for her work in France she later moved abroad, working with directors such as Julie Taymor (Titus), Michael Cimino (The Sicilian) and Ridley Scott (1492: Conquest of Paradise). Françoise was a film editor on the Euro-western “Guns for San Sebastian” (1968).
Italian comic actor Jimmy il Fenomeno died in Milan, Italy August 7, 2018. He was 86. Born Luigi Origene Soffrano in Lucera, Puglia, Italy he became known as Jimmy il Fenomeno and started his career in 1961 with an appearance in “Hercules and the Conquest of Atlantis”. He would go on to appear in over 150 films during the Golden Days of Italian cinema. His grimaces, dialect and the the tone of voice always made him stand out above his dialogue. Jimmy became a regular figure during the 1970s and 1980s in Italian sex comedies and was considered a lucky charm by producers and directors who insisted he had a small role if even just a cameo. Jimmy appeared in two Euro-westerns: “$10,000 for a Massacre” (1967) as a bartender and “The Longest Hunt” (1968) as a soldier in Major Doneghan's army.


*'''RICHENS, Pete (Peter Richens)''' 8/18/1952, Devon, England, U.K. - 8/6/2018, Devon, England, U.K.


*'''GASCON, Gabriel''' - 1/8/1927, Montreal, Quebec, Canada - 5/30/2018, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Pete Richens, who co-wrote more than two dozen of the Comic Strip films, died August 6, 2018 in Devon, England at the age of 65. Born Peter Richens on August 18, 1952 in Devon, he started working with the troupe – whose core members were Adrian Edmondson, Dawn French, Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer, Peter Richardson, Jennifer Saunders and Alexei Sayle – at their live shows at the Raymond Revue Bar in Soho. There he would transcribe the comedians’ improvisations and create a coherent narrative from them. His contribution to the group’s films was overshadowed by Richardson, who was the driving force behind the Comic Strip. However, Richens co-wrote 25 of the films, from the first, 1982’s Five Go Mad In Dorset, to the last, Redtop, in 2016 and occasionally made cameo appearances, most notably as a cheerful depressive in Gregory: Diary of a Nutcase. Richens was co-writer on “A Fistful of Traveller’s Cheques” (1984).
 
Veteran French Canadian actor Gabriel Gascon died on May 30, 2018 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He was 91. Born in Montreal on January 8, 1927 and was known mainly for his theater work but he also appeared in films and on TV. He was the brother of comedian Jean Gascon. He began his career in 1951 and from 1965 to 1980, he lived in France, where he multiplied the roles in the theater and in front of the camera. Gascon appeared in the Euro-western TV mini-series “The Leatherstocking Tales” (1969) as Doctor Battius.
 
 
*'''CARUSO, Pippo (Giuseppe Caruso)''' - 12/22/1935, Belpasso, Catania, Italy - 5/28/2018, Passo Corese, Rieti, Italy
 
Italian composer, conductor and music arranger Pippo Carusso died on May 28, 2018. He w 82 years-old. Born in Belpasso, Catania, Italy, Caruso linked his professional success to the television presenter Pippo Baudo, who had been a university fellow and that Caruso was regularly flanked as conductor in his TV programs starting from Canzonissima 1973. Caruso composed several successful songs, including Mita Medici's "A ruota libera" and Lorella Cuccarini/Alessandra Martines' "L'amore è", and, starting from sixties, Caruso also signed several film soundtracks, such as “Kill Johnny Ringo” and “Maladolescenza”.
 
 
*'''GRAZIANI, Sergio''' - 11/10/1930, Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giuli, Italy - 5/25/2018, Rome, Lazio, Italy
 
Italian actor, voice dubber and director Sergio Graziani died May 25th in Rome. He was 87. Graziani was born on November 10, 1930 in Udine, Italy and was active as an actor and dubber since the 1950's. He’s best remembered as the Italian voice of Donald Sutherland, Peter O’Toole, Gianni Garko, Terence Hill and Klaus Kinski. His first western dubbing was as the Italian voice of Benito Stefanelli and Aldo Sambrell in “Fistful of Dollars” (1964). He was Terence Hill’s Italian voice in “God Forgives... I Don’t (1967), “Ace High” (1968), “Boot Hill” (1969), and “Trinity Sees Red” (1970). He was also the Italian voice of James Mason in “Bad’s Man River” (1971), George Hilton’s in “The Brute and the Beast” (1966), “Sartana’s Here… Trade Your Pistol for a Coffin” (1970) “A Man Called Invincible” (1973), “The Crazy Bunch” (1974) and Gianni Garko in “$1,000 on the Black” (1966), “$10,000 for a Massacre” (1967), “Have a Good Funeral” (1970), “Light The Fuse… Sartana is Coming” (1970). Sergio was awarded a lifetime achievement award at the Grand Prix International Dubbing convention in 2008.
 
 
*'''WALKER, Clint (Norman Eugene Walker)''' - 5/30/1927, Hartford, Illinois, U.S.A. - 5/21/2018, Grass Valley, California, U.S.A.
 
Veteran American actor Clint Walker died of heart failure in Grass Valley, California on May 21, 2018. He would have been 91 on May 30. Born Norman Eugene Walker in Hartford, Illinois on May 30, 1927, he was discovered as a doorman and security guard working in Las Vegas in the mid-1950s. He was hired to portray Cheyenne Bodie on the Warner Brothers TV series Cheyenne (1955-1962). Clint at 6’6” was a mountain of a man and a favorite of the kids. His career was just starting to expand into films when he had a freak accident while skiing at Mammoth Mountain in 1971. In a fall from a ski lift, Walker was pierced through the heart with his ski pole. He was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead. However, a doctor detected faint signs of life and rushed Walker to surgery, where his damaged heart was repaired. Within two months, Walker was working again. He would go on to appear in over 40 films and TV series often portraying the Cheyenne character. Clint appeared in only one Euro-western as Scotty in 1972’s “Pancho Villa” starring Telly Savalas.
 
 
*'''REYNAUD, Janine (Janine Lucienne Reynaud Godard)''' - 8/13/1930 Paris, Île-de-France, France - 5/13/2018, Sugar Land, Texas, U.S.A.
 
Word has come from Robert Monell that French model and actress Janine Reynaud passed away recently in 2018 date unknown. I did some research and found that she passed away on May 13, 2018 in Sugar Land, Texas.
 
Reynaud began her career as a fashion model for designer Jean Patou but became bored of the industry. She wanted to become and actress and in the mid-1960s, when she was almost 35 years-old, Janine first appeared on the big screen. She appeared in films in France, Italy and Germany, most often in B-movies and sex exploitation films. She starred in films by Jess Franco "Succubus." and Max Pécas “Je suis une nymphomane”. In the 1970s, she then appeared in films with her filmmaker husband Michel Lemoine.
 
Reynaud’s last film was “Tire pas sur mon collant” in 1978. Lemoine and she divorced and she married Herbert Hamilton from Texas and lived in Sugar Land, Texas a suburb of Houston. Apparently Hamilton died or they divorced and Janine returned to France where she lived and died in Oradour-Saint-Genest.
 
Reynaud appeared as a prostitute in Tony Anthony's 1971 Euro-western "Blindman".
 
 
*'''VANCE, William (William van Cutsem)''' - 9/8/1935, Anderlecht, Belgium - 5/14/2018, Belgium
 
Belgian comic book artist William Vance, whose action adventure series XIII was popular in the French-speaking world, died late May 14, 2018 in Belgium, his publisher announced. Born William van Cutsem in Anderlect, Belgium on September 8, 1935. He launched his career by drawing for Tintin, translated into English and other languages, in the 1960s. In 1967, he worked with Gerald Forton to sketch Bob  Morane. Vance drew “Ringo” (1966-1969) and Marshal Blueberry (1991-1992).
 
 
*'''KIDDER, Margot (Margaret Ruth Kidder)''' - 10/17/1948, Yellowknife North West Territories, Canada - 5/13/2018, Livingston, Montana, U.S.A.
 
Margot Kidder, the actress best known for playing Lois Lane opposite Christopher Reeve in the original “Superman” films, has died. She was 69. The actress died in her sleep at her home on Sunday May 13, 2018 in Livingston, Montana, her publicist Camilla Fluxman Pines confirmed to Variety. Born October 17, 1948 in Yellow Knife, North Western Territories, Canada, Kidder got her start in low-budget Canadian films and TV shows before landing a role in 1970’s “Quackser Fortune Has a Cousin in the Bronx” opposite Gene Wilder. She later appeared in 1973’s “Sisters,” “The Great Waldo Pepper” with Robert Redford, and 1979’s “The Amityville Horror.” Kidder appeared in two Euro-westerns: “Lousiana” a TV film made in 1984 as Virginia Trgean and the modern day 1969-1970 TV western series “Adventures in Rainbow Country” as Dr. Janet Rhodes and in another episode a sports car driver.
 
 
*'''TSULADZE, Baadur (Baadur Sokratovich Tsuladze)''' - 3/5/1935, Batumi, Transcaucasian, U.S.S.R. - 5/13/2018, Tbilisi, Georgia
 
Russian actor and filmmaker Baadur Tsuladze died in Tbilisi, Georgia today May 13, 2018 at the age of 83, reports GPB's First Channel. Baadur Tsuladze was born on March 5, 1935 in, Batumi, Transcaucasian, U.S.S.R. and graduated from the directing faculty of the Moscow State Union of Cinematography. He appeared in about 50 films. Since 1961 he has worked as a director in the Georgian film studio. Baadur appeared as Carlucci in the 1993 Euro-western TV series “Alaska Kid”.
 
 
*'''FERRARI, Paolo''' - 2/26/1929, Brussels, Belgium - 5/6/2018, Rome, Lazio, Italy
 
The great Italian actor of theater, cinema and television, died in Rome on May 6, 2018. He worked with directors such as Blasetti, Zeffirelli and Petri and was also a famous voice actor. Born in Brussels, Belgium where his father worked in the Italian Consul, he started his career on radio at the age of 9. Paolo would go on to appear in films, radio and as a voice dubber, probably most famous as the Italian voice of Humphrey Bogart.  Ferrari appeared in the 1973 Euro-western “Another Try, Eh Providence” as a rifle salesman. He was also the voice of Anthony Steffen in "A Coffin for the Sheriff" (1965), Espartaco Santoni in "Raise Your Hands, Dead Man" (1971), Francisco Rabal in “It Can Be Done Amigo” (1972), and Stanley Baker in "Zorro" (1975).
 
 
*'''LASTRETTI, Adolfo''' - 11/18/1937, Tempio Pausania, Sardinia, Italy - 5/5/2018, Loiano, Bologna, Emilia- Romagna, Italy
 
Theatrical, cinematographic and television actor Adolfo Lastretti died of heart failure on May 5, 2018 in Loiano, Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. He was 80.  His daughters, Viola and Ariadne, announced that their father died peacefully, surrounded by the affection of friends and relatives, due to a heart condition. Born in Tempio Pausania, Sardinia on November 18, 1937, he soon moved to Liguria, in Rapallo, with his family for work related reasons. Here he completed his studies and, in 1957, he played in the short “La spiaggia”. Wanting to be an actor, in 1959 during the university period in Genoa, he enrolled in a national competition for actors, and won. In the beginning of his artistic career; he settled in Rome, where he enrolled at the Silvio D'Amico National Academy of Dramatic Arts, obtaining a scholarship in 1960. Two years later he passed an audition for a show created by Giancarlo Menotti Album Sheets, with a young Tomás Milián. From the 1960 and 1970s on he continued his career playing in various films, with character and supporting roles and sometimes being billed using the aliases Peter Lastrett and Guy Ranson, alongside such great actors as James Coburn, Alain Delon, Jean-Paul Belmondo and Richard Roundtree, until he withdrew from the scene in 2003 with a final appearance in the soap opera Vivere. Lastretti appeared in four Euro-westerns: “Find a Place to Die” (1968) as Reverend Riley, “Massacre at Fort Holman” (1972) as Will Fernandez/Will Culder, “Deaf Smith & Johnny Ears” (1973) as Williams and  “The Four of the Apocalypse” 1975 as Reverend Sullivan. Lastretti was sometimes billed as Peter Lastrett and Guy Ranson.
 
 
*'''VERZIERA, Marcello''' - 1/22/1935, Rome, Lazio, Italy - 5/3/2018, Rome, Lazio, Italy
 
Word from the Carlo Pedersoli family, that on May 3, 2018 boxer, stuntman and actor Marcello Verziera had died in Rome. He was 83. Verziera was a middleweight boxer before starting his career in films. His first film was in 1968’s “If You Meet Sartana Pray for Your Death”  as a Tampico henchman. His first appearance in the Spencer / Hill universe came in 1970 “They Call Me Trinity”, where he played one of the three bandits Bud shoots during his first appearance in the film. Verziera's roles with Bud and Terence were always rather small, but very numerous. A total of 20 times he appeared Bud and Terence, the last time in 1988 in the series “Big Man”. Other westerns include: “Trinity is STILL My Name” (1971), “It Can be Done Amigo” (1972), “Life Is Tough, Eh Providence?” (1972), “Man of the East” (1972), “The Crazy Adventures of Len and Coby” (1974), “Macho Killers” (1977), “Buddy Goes West” (1981), “Arizona Road” (1990).
 
 
*'''VÖLZ, Wolfgang (Wolfgang Otto Isaak Treppengeländer)''' - 8/16/1930, Free City of Danzig - 5/2/2018, Berlin, Berlin, Germany
 
German actor and voice dubber Wolfgang Völz died in Berlin, Germany on May 2, 2018. The voice of "Käpt'n Blaubär" was 87 years old. Völz was born August 16, 1930 in Gdansk. In the 1950s, he starred opposite stars such as Hans Albers and Gert Fröbe in several movies.  He also celebrated great successes in the TV series " Graf Yoster gibt sich die Ehre." There he was seen in 78 episodes as the chauffeur Johann, who together with his boss, a noble crime novelist and hobby detective, solved all sorts of criminal cases in the “better society”. Völz appeared as Randolfo Fierro in the 1966 German Mexican Revolutionary TV film “Mexikanische Revolution” and was the voice of Joe Dalton in “Lucky Luke – Ballad of the Dalton” (1971), and “Lucky Luke’s Great Adventure” 1983”, while voicing the Mayor in “Lucky Luke – Daisy Town” (1971) and Jolly Jumper in the Terence Hill “Lucky Luke” 1990 TV series. Wolfgang was the German film voice of Luigi Pistilli in 1965’s “For a Few Dollars More”, Piero Lulli in 1967’s “The Fury of Johnny Kid”, Dino Strano in 1967’ “The Dirty Outlaws”, Enzo Fiermonte in 1969’s “Boot Hill”, Salvatore Billi in 1971’s “Vengeance Trail”, Richard Bsehart in “1972’s “Chato’s Land”,  Fernando Sancho in 1973’s “Son of Zoro” Ernest Borgnine in “Renegade” (2004). 
 
 
*'''CUCCHIARA, Tony (Salvatore Cucchiara)''' - 10/30/1937, Agrigento, Sicily, Italy - 5/3/2018, Rome, Lazio, Italy
 
Italian entertainer, singer, playwright, actor Tony Cucchiara died in Rome, Italy on May 3, 2018. He was 80. Cucchiara was married to singer Nelly Fioramonti (Maria Grazia Fioramonti) [1939-1973] and together they formed a folk duo in the 1960s. She died in 1973 during childbirth of their second child. Tony was a writer for several RAI TV shows and also a playwright. His daughter is singer, actress Annalisa Cucchiara. Tony was a performer in the 1966 Euro-western musical “A Fistful of Songs”.





Revision as of 13:33, 21 August 2018

KÜLOWThis 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...

sorted by their last names:

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|}

FRESH GRAVES

  • URRUTIA, José - 1944, Spain - 8/19/2018, Spain

José Urrutia one of the family members of the Sad Hill Organization has died. José worked as an extra in “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” while performing military service in Burgos and participated in the construction of the Langston Bridge and, above all, remained a member of his Artillery Barracks 63, while infecting for 52 years the passion among his companions and military cohorts, through the memories of the filming, celebrating and reminiscing their experiences annually. He is also seen in the upcoming documentary “Sad Hill Unearthed”.


  • PORCEL, Marisa (Marisa Luisa Porcel Montijano) - 11/15/1943, Tarzona, Zaragoza, Arigon, Spain - 8/15/2018, Madrid, Madrid, Spain

Spanish theater, film and TV actress Marisa Porcel died on August 15, 2018 in Madrid, Spain. She was 74. Porcel was the daughter of actor Pedro Porcel and actress Asunción Montijano. She started her professional activity on the stage first with her father's company and later she joined the companies successively by Isabel Garcés, the María Guerrero Theater and the Spanish Theater. By the mid-1950s she had specialized in comedy roles. Despite being a regular face of the Spanish small screen since the sixties and having intervened in films and TV series such as ‘Historias para no dormir’ (1968), ‘Cañas y barro’ (1978), her popularity came in 2000, when the producer José Luis Moreno offered to make a small humorous sketch, called Matrimoniadas, with Pepe Ruiz for his musical program on TVE ‘Noche de fiesta’. Porcel begins to play Pepa , an old curmudgeon and grumpy wife whose favorite activity is to discuss with her husband, the protester Avelino (Pepe Ruiz). The sketch reaches an unexpected success and both actors, along with the rest of the characters, begin to interpret it on stages and party halls. She is the mother of the actress of dubbing, Paloma Porcel. Porcel appeared in two Euro-westerns: as Manolita in “Sabata the Killer” 1970 with Anthony Steffen and “In the Dust of the Sun” in 1972.


  • MILLAIRE, Albert - 1/18/1935, Montréal, Quebec, Canada - 8/15/2018, Canada

Canadian theater, film, TV actor Albert Millaire has died at age 83. The actor, known for his classic roles, was diagnosed with cancer in 2000, but continued to work nonetheless. He was recognized by many older Quebecers as the image of Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville, who he played in a popular television series in 1969. He also portrayed Sir Wilfrid Laurier in a miniseries about the ex-prime minister in 1987. Millaire won the Gémeaux prize in 2014 for best supporting actor in a soap opera for his role in Mémoires vives. Millaire appeared in two Euro-western TV series: “Adventures in Rainbow Country” (1969-1970) as Roger Lemieux and “By Way of the Stars” as Renauld (1992-1993).


  • il FENOMENO, Jimmy (Luigi Origene Soffrano) - 4/22/1932, Lucera, Puglia, Italy - 8/6/2018, Milan, Lombardy, Italy

Italian comic actor Jimmy il Fenomeno died in Milan, Italy August 7, 2018. He was 86. Born Luigi Origene Soffrano in Lucera, Puglia, Italy he became known as Jimmy il Fenomeno and started his career in 1961 with an appearance in “Hercules and the Conquest of Atlantis”. He would go on to appear in over 150 films during the Golden Days of Italian cinema. His grimaces, dialect and the the tone of voice always made him stand out above his dialogue. Jimmy became a regular figure during the 1970s and 1980s in Italian sex comedies and was considered a lucky charm by producers and directors who insisted he had a small role if even just a cameo. Jimmy appeared in two Euro-westerns: “$10,000 for a Massacre” (1967) as a bartender and “The Longest Hunt” (1968) as a soldier in Major Doneghan's army.


  • RICHENS, Pete (Peter Richens) 8/18/1952, Devon, England, U.K. - 8/6/2018, Devon, England, U.K.

Pete Richens, who co-wrote more than two dozen of the Comic Strip films, died August 6, 2018 in Devon, England at the age of 65. Born Peter Richens on August 18, 1952 in Devon, he started working with the troupe – whose core members were Adrian Edmondson, Dawn French, Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer, Peter Richardson, Jennifer Saunders and Alexei Sayle – at their live shows at the Raymond Revue Bar in Soho. There he would transcribe the comedians’ improvisations and create a coherent narrative from them. His contribution to the group’s films was overshadowed by Richardson, who was the driving force behind the Comic Strip. However, Richens co-wrote 25 of the films, from the first, 1982’s Five Go Mad In Dorset, to the last, Redtop, in 2016 and occasionally made cameo appearances, most notably as a cheerful depressive in Gregory: Diary of a Nutcase. Richens was co-writer on “A Fistful of Traveller’s Cheques” (1984).


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