Cemetery with crosses - legends lost but remembered

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

FRESH GRAVES

• van der LINDEN, Henk - 5/3/1925, Hoensbroek, Limburg, Netherlands - 12/18/2021, Tuddern, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Dutch filmmaker Henk van der Linden died on December 18, 2021 in Tudden, Germany. He was 96. Henk made around 80 children’s films mostly based on well-known youth literature. He had his entire family, wife and kids, involved in various roles before and behind the camera. His film “New Adventures of Dik Tom set a record mentioned in the Guinness Book of Records as it ran for 28 consecutive years. He was knighted in the Order of Netherlands Lion in 2020. Henk produced, directed, wrote, photographed, acted in, edited and composed the music for two Euro-westerns: Adventures in the West” (1963) and “Indian Attack in Death Pass” (1967).

• FORTON, Gérald - 10/4/1931, Brussels, Belgium - 12/16/2021, Apple Valley, California, U.S.A.

Comic book and animator artist Gérald Forton died at his Apple Valley, California ranch on December 16th. He was 90 Born in Brussels, Belgium on April 10, 1931. Forton began his career in 1950 and was an artist on such western comic books as Teddy Ted from 1964-1975, Jonah Hex in 1980, and Zorro in 2011. Others include: some stories from Uncle Paul, Tiger Joe, Bob Morane, The Mysteries of the West, Kim Devil, Cyril Sinclair, Teddy Ted, Borsalino, He moved to the U.S. in 1980 and continued his career with DC Comics, Eclipse Comics and First Comics and began a career in Hollywood as a storyboarder for film, television and advertising. He worked as an artist on the 1992 TV animated Euro-western The Legend of White Fang.

• WERTMULLER, Lina (Arcangela Felice Assunta Job Wertmüller von Elgg Espanol von Brauchich) - 8/14/1928, Rome, Lazio, Italy - 12/9/2021, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Lina Wertmüller, the masterful Italian filmmaker who created a sensation in the 1970s with her earthy mix of sex and politics seen in such classics as Seven Beauties, Swept Away and The Seduction of Mimi, died in Rome on December 9, 2021. She was 93. Wertmüller, was the first woman to receive an Oscar nomination for best director (for 1975’s Seven Beauties). In October 2019, she was given an honorary Oscar at the Governors Awards. Born in Rome as Arcangela Felice Assunta Job Wertmüller von Elgg Espanol von Brauchich on August 14, 1928. Recognizable by film aficionados for her white-framed glasses and pert hairstyle, Wertmüller first came to international attention at Cannes with The Seduction of Mimi, a comedy and was the first movie from her company, Liberty Films. Wertmuller directed one Euro-western “Belle Star” (!968) under the alias Nathan Wich and wrote the screenplay under the alias George Brown. Previously she was signed to direct another Euro-western “Learn to Kill” (1965), but the film was never made. Lina also acted as an uncredited choreographer for Rita Pavone in "Little Rita in the West" (1967)

• RESTUCCI, Vincenzo 'Enzo' - 3/19/1941, Naples, Campania, Italy - 12/5/2021, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Italian drummer and percussionist Vincenzo ‘Enzo’ Restucci died in Rome on December 5, 2021. He was 80. Restucci was born in Naples on March 19, 1941 and graduated from the Conservatory of L’Aquila. He worked with such notable orchestras as Dizzy Gillespie and Benny Goodman. He became the drummer for the Rai orchestra and was heard on countless television broadcasts. In much demand he worked with Ennio Morricone, and Sergio Endrigo and Claudio Baglioni among others. He worked in eight consecutive editions of the San Remo Festival from 1993-2000. Later he became a teacher at the Perugis Conservatory. He worked on two Euro-westerns: “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” 1966 and “My Name is Nobody” – 1973 that we know of but probably many more.

• DAHL, Arlene (Arlene Carol Dahl) - 8/11/1925, Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.A. - 11/29/2021, New York, U.S.A.

Arlene Dahl, MGM star and 1950s glamour queen who later became a beauty writer and cosmetics entrepreneur, died Monday November 29, 2021 in New York at age 96. Dahl was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on August 11, 1925 and is of Norwegian heritage. Following high school she joined a local drama group and did a variety of odd jobs including modeling for department stores. She arrived in Hollywood in 1946, and signed a short-lived contract with Warner Brothers. However, her name is most commonly associated with her work under contract at MGM. Some of her notable films were “Reign of Terror” (1949), “Three Little Words” (1950), “Woman’s World” (1954), “Slightly Scarlet” (1956) and “Journey to the Center of the Earth” (1959). She left movies in 1959 and parlayed her reputation as a classic beauty into becomin a beauty columnist and later a businesswoman, founding Arlene Dahl Enterprises which marketed lingerie and cosmetics. She was married six times. Two husbands were actors Lex Barker and Fernando Lamas. She is survived by her husband Marc Rosen, son Lorenzo Lamas, as well as two other children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.