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

• MONETA, Tullio - 5/7/1937, Fiume, Italian Regency of Carnaro, Italy - 3/31/2022, Macerata, Macerata, Italy

Italian born actor Tullio Moneta passed away in the San Severino hospital in Macerata, Italy. He was 85. Born in Fiume, Italian Regency of Carnaro, Italy pn May 7, 1937. He competed for a spot on the 1960 Italian Olympic track team as a shot putter. Knowing English and French, he found work for a French import-export company and, in 1961, he was sent to Sierra Leone, cruising the west coast from Senegal to Gabon. Then he moved to South Africa and started working in the cinema thanks to a series of lucky encounters. For a film he went to Congo, where there was war. At the end of 1964 he became bored with acting and enlisted as an interpreter for the national army of Congo. Working as a mercenary he dealt in intelligence, with missions in the Soviet Union, the Balkans, and the Middle East. After years of living in South Africa, where he has two children, he returned to Macerata in 2013. His health began to deteriorate, and he spent the last few years between one hospitalization and another until his ultimate passing. Moneta appeared in two Euro-westerns: Three Bullets... for a Long Gun – 1970 (Moses); They Call Me Lucky – 1973 (Diaz Almeida)

• YAKOVLEVA, Alexandra (Aleksandra Evgenevna Ivanes) - 7/2/1957, Kaliningrad, Kaliningradskaya, U.S.S.R. - 4/1/2022, St. Petersburg, Russia

Russian actress Alexandra Yakovleva, who played Ms. Diana Little in the 1987 Euro-western in the film “A Man from Boulevard des Capucines” died of cancer in St. Petersburg, Russia on April 1, 2022. She was 64. Born Alexandra Yakovleva Ivanes on July 2, 1957 in Kaliningrad, Kaliningradskaya, U.S.S.R. Her greatest popularity was brought to her by her work in the films “The Crew”, “Magicians” and “The Man from the Boulevard des Capucines”.

• BLOCH, Lars - 8/6/1938, Hellerup, Denmark - 3/27/2022, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Lars Bloch died in a Danish hospital after surgery on March 27, 2022. Bloch was born in Hellerup, Denmark on August 6, 1938 and lived as a child in Rungsted and Charlottenlund, before he moved with his parents to Mariager (Jutland). After successfully completing his schooling in 1956, he visited Italy. After completing his military service in the Navy Bloch in the spring of 1959 returned to Italy and was quickly noticed due to his large, hulking, blond and mostly bearded appearance and was hired as an actor in films as a prototype of the Nordic villain. His first two films were directed by Lucio Fulci. Until the 1980s, he played in many films, including nearly ten spaghetti westerns mostly small roles; occasionally he was also in larger productions (as Carol Reed Michelangelo - as the founder of the Swiss Guards) or positive roles such as that of King Richard the Lionheart in “Long Live Robin Hood” (1971). In the 1970s, he worked several times together with Aristide Massaccesi, who cast him in “Eroi all'inferno” (under a pseudonym) in a rare lead role. After his acting career ended, Bloch was employed as a sales manager for DVD productions of Italian films for the Japanese market and was occasionally involved in the production of several feature films. Lars appeared in nine Euro-westerns: Navajo Joe – 1966 (Swedish immigrant), A Stranger in Town – 1966 (Lieutenant Ted ‘George’ Harris/Stafford), Alleluia and Sartana, Sons of God - 1972 (Danish), On the Third Day Arrived the Crow – 1972 (Bill), The Return of Hallelujah – 1972 (Cain),Trinity & Sartana Those Sons of Bitches – 1972 (Clyde), Behold the Strange, Stimulating Smell of Dollars – 1973 (soldier), Shanghai Joe – 1973 (Wells Fargo client), Red Coat – 1974 (Andy O’Brien).

• FAURE, Jean-Louis 1957, France - 3/27/2022, France

French voice actor and dubber Jean-Louise Faure died in France on March 27, 2022. He was 65. Faure, born in France in 1957 began his voice acting career in the 1970s. He furnished additional voice for the 2001-2003 TV series ‘The New Adventures of Lucky Luke’.

• CHIARI, Liliana 1940, Brenzene, Verona, Italy - 2/27/2022, Bari, Puglia, Italy

Italian actress Liliana Chiari and mother of famed artist Chiari Fumai [1978-2017] died in the Oncology Clinic in Bari, Puglia, Italy on February 27, 2022. She was 82. Liliana had a 10 year, 9 film career as an actress from 1967-1977. After he daughter Chiari Fumai tragically died she devoted her life to her memory. She conducted an exhibition and homage at the Margherita Theater in Bari in 2019 and curated a tour of her daughters works in 2020. Liliana appeared in one Spaghetti western “In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Colt as Margie Cassidy in 1971 which starred Craig Hill.

• PROIETTI, Biagio - 6/23/1940, Rome, Lazio, Italy - 3/12/2022, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Director, author, screenwriter Biaggio Proietti died in Rome, Italy on March 12, 2022. He was 81. Biaggio was born in Rome on June 23, 1940 and wrote several screenplays for the big screen: including 'The Black Cat' by Lucio Fulci. He also worked in radio and for Rai TV where he often worked with his wife Diana Crispo. Biaggio wrote the screenplays for two Euro-westerns: “A Taste of Death” (1968) with John Ireland and Andrea Girodana and the short “L’ultimo ora” (2009).

• BARON, Linda (Lilian Baron) - 3/24/1939, Urmstrom, Manchester, England, U.K. - 3/5/2022, England, U.K.

British theater, film, TV actress and singer Linda Baron died on March 5, 2022, seventeen days before her 83rd birthday. Born in Urmstrom, Manchester, England, her career spanned multiple decades, the Bafta-nominated star was best known for playing Nurse Gladys Emmanuel in ‘Open All Hours’ alongside Sir David Jason and Ronnie Barker. She was also known for her regular role in the 1990s BBC children’s program ‘Come Outside’ which saw her and her dog Pippin take adventures in a small multi-colored polka dot plane. In 2011, she was nominated for a Bafta for her role in BBC Four’s The Road to Coronation Street. Baron sang two songs in the 1966 ‘Dr. Who’ TV series the episode entitled ‘The Gunfighters’.

• CASTRONUOVO, Ferrucio - 9/10/1940, Rome, Lazio, Italy - 3/4/2022, Vico del Galgano, Foggia, Italy

Italian, director, assistant, director, author, composer, cinematographer and actor Ferrucio Castronuovo died in Vivo del Galgano, Italy in March 4, 2022. He was 81. Born in Rome on September 10, 1940. After completing a directing course at RAI , he worked from 1964 as an assistant director and cameraman, while as an actor he continued until 1997. In 1972 he directed Sonata al chiaro di luna (Sonata in the Moonlight) for the anthological series Experimental films for TV : also for television, in the following years he was involved in the production of programs such as TV7 , Stasera G7 and Tam Tam , also directing some documentaries on the works by Federico Fellini. In 1996 he directed his only film Gratta e vinci (Scratch and Win), of which he also co-wrote the soundtrack. Castronuovo was an assistant director on Ranch of the Ruthless (aka Oklahoma John) in 1965.

• RYAN. Mitch (Mitchell Ryan) - 1/11/1934, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.A. - 3/4/2022, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

Film, TV actor Mitch Ryan died early March 3, 2022. He was 88. Born Mitchell Ryan on January 11, 1934. During his term in the Navy in 1951, he was assigned to the Special Services Entertainment and became hooked on acting. After his term in the Navy, he appeared in dozens of plays until he received notice as playing Burke Devlin in the 1960s gothic soap opera ‘Dark Shadows’ Dave Drake in “High Plains Drifter” (1973) and officer Charlie McCoy in “Magnum Force” (1973). Mitch appeared in one Euro-western as Doc Harrison in 1972’s “The Hunting Party”.

• FABRIZI, Arnaldo - 1944, Schiavi di Abruzzo, Chieti, Italy - 8/13/2021, Chieti, Chieti, Italy

Italian character actor Arnaldo Fabrizio died in Chieti, Italy on August 13, 2021. Thanks to Fatman Dan I was made aware of Arnaldo’s passing this week. Fabrizio was born in 1944 in Schiavi di Abruzzo, Chieti, Italy and went to Rome and appeared in 15 films from 1961 to 1976. He appeared in three Euro-westerns: “Garter Colt” - 1968 (Lulu's 'Baby') and “Boot Hill” – 1969 (Nano).

• PATUREL, Dominique - 4/3/1931, , Le Havre, Seine-Maritime, France - 3/1/2022, Saint-Brieuc, Côtes-d'Armor, France

French actor and voice dubber Dominique Paturel died in Saint-Brioeuc, France on March 1, 2022. Born on April 3, 1931 in Le Havre. He is the son of Joseph Paturel, Director of Family Allowances. Paturel was one of the stars of French television, where he performed as part of the Théâtre de la jeunesse, in popular soap operas such as Lagardère and in the program Au théâtre ce soir. He was married to actress Nelly Benedetti (1921-2011). He is also one of the big names in dubbing in France: he has notably lent his voice to Terence Hill, Michael Caine , George Peppard (Hannibal Smith in the ‘A-Team’), Robert Wagner (Jonathan Hart in ‘Hart to Hart’) and Larry Hagman (JR in ‘Dallas’). He was also the voice of Roy Thinnes (David Vincent in The Invaders). Paturel voiced six Euro-westerns: A Pistol for Ringo – 1965 [French voice of Giuliano Gemma], Catlow – 1971 [French voice of Richard Crenna], They Call Me Providence – 1972 [French voice of Tomas Milian], The Genius – 1975 [French voice of Terence Hill], The White, the Yellow, the Black – 1975 [French voice of Giuliano Gemma] and Lucky Luke – 1991 [French voice of Terence Hill].