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

• GADEA, Alberto (Alberto Llosa Gadea) - 1933, Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain - 11/30/2023, Spain

Cinematographer Paco Marin Andreu posted on December 1st that he had received an early phone call this morning from Monica Gadea the daughter of actor, master of arms Alberto Gadea that her father had passed away the day before on November 30th. Alberto was born in Barcelona in 1933 and appeared in 23 films between 1964 and 2017. Among those films were 15 Spaghetti westerns: “Shoot to Kill” (Steve’s henchman) and “$5,000 on One Ace” (Gypsy) both in 1964; “Epitaph for a Fast Gun, “$100,000 for Ringo” [master of arms], “7 Pistols for a Gringo” (Jed Tennessee) [as LLosa Gadea], “Who Killed Johnny R.?” all in 1965; “Dollar of Fire”, “The Ruthless Colt of the Gringo” (Abner), and “Seven Pistols for a Gringo” (Bliss) all in 1966, “Gentleman Killer”, “Villa Rides!” both in 1967, “Tierra Brava” 1968 (Rojas’ bandit), “A Talent for Loving” in 1969, “Espulgas City, West of Barcelona” 2016 [himself] and “Goodbye Ringo” 2017 [himself].

• GOVEDARICA, Govedariza (Vojislav Govedaric) - 1940, Gacko, Eastern Herzegovina, Yugoslavia - 12/5/2023, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

Govedarica Born in Gacko, Yugoslavia in 1940 as Vojislav Govedaric died in Los Angeles, California on December 5, 2023. At a very young age he became famous as a wrestler in the Yugoslav youth national team, and then worked as a bouncer in discos and pubs first in Gacko then in Belgrade, where he moved in his early twenties, to make some action films where he played roles in which a muscular character actor was needed In 1968 he was called to play the role of Philetius in “The Odyssey” and in a spaghetti western, entitled “The Man with the Long Gun”, in which he played an Indian chief Native American leader. In 1981 he decided to go to the United States to try acting in Hollywood. He was noticed by Sylvester Stallone, because of his imposing physique and his herculean strength. He was given the role of the cynical and silent sergeant Yushin in “Rambo 2” and then move on to act in films with Jean-Claude Van Damme in “The Lioness” and then moved on to roles of various types in both American and Serbian-language cinema. Govedarica appeared in three Euro-western westerns: “Massacre at Marble City” (1964) (Big Wolf) [as Voyo Goric], “The Man With the Long Gun” (1968) (Red Buffalo) and “The Hellhounds of Alaska” in 1972 as Achua-hua.

• MacGOWAN, Shane (Shane Patrick Lysaght MacGowan) - 12/25/1957, Penbury, Kent, England - 11/30/2023, Dublin, Ireland

Shane MacGowan, lead singer of the British band the Pogues died after years of health problems on November 30th in Dublin, Ireland. He was one month shy of his 66th birthday. Born Shane Patrick Lysaght MacGowan in Penbury, Kent, England on December 25, 1957, MacGowan was best known for his tongue-in-cheek, cranky delivery as the frontman of the Pogues, chronicling the misadventures of Ireland’s residents and diaspora in raspy, whiskey-ravaged tones. Coming up in the early 1980s, he and the Pogues welded Irish pride with the volatile, rebellious energy of punk, often incorporating the nation’s classics and pop tunes into their repertoire. Their legendary Bacchanalian antics, on and off stage, were as much a part of the band’s philosophy as the music. MacGowan appeared as Bruno McMahon along with the Pogues and they composed the soundtrack for Alex Cox’s 1987’s “Straight to Hell”.

• LADO, Aldo - 12/5/1934, Fiume, Italy - 11/25/2023, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Italian film and television director and assistant director, screenwriter and author Aldo Lado died on November 25th. He was a week short of his 89th birthday. Born on December 5, 1934, in Fiume, Italy he came up through the film industry as an assistant director, notably to Bernardo Bertolucci on “The Conformist” (1970). After a series of experiences as an assistant director, Aldo Lado made his directorial debut in 1971 with the horror thriller “The Short Night of the Glass Dolls”, followed, the following year, by the thriller “Who Saw Her Die?” (1972). In 2015 he began his career as a writer by participating with several short stories ("The Giant and the Child", "Cold Case on Lake Maggiore") in some anthologies. Lado was an assistant director on "Hallelujah for Django", 1966, "Pecos Cleans Up" in 1967, “May God Forgive You... But I Won't” and was a screenwriter on “Lynching” both in 1968.

• FOCAS, Spiros (Spyridon Michael Androutsopoulos) - 8/17/1937, Patras, Achaea, West Greece, Greece - 11/10/2023, Eleusis, Greece

Greek actor Spiros Focás’ died in Eleusis, Greece on November 10th. He was 86. Focás born on August 17, 1937, in Patras, Greece and was one of Greece's most respected and well-known actors. He was discovered by legendary Italian director Luchino Visconti and cast in a lead role in the classic “Rocco and His Brothers” (1960). He went on to star in many Greek and Italian films throughout the 1960s and 1970s, working with such famous directors as Vincente Minnelli and Ferdinando Baldi. His work in Hollywood includes the hit films “The Jewel of the Nile” (1985) and “Rambo III” (1988). His most recent work includes the role of Uncle Telly in “3 Nights in Nisyros” (2009). Focas appeared in on Spaghetti western as Ken Dakota in 1968’s “Hate Thy Neighbor” and starred as Pedro Suarez/Zorro in the 1969 semi-western “Zorro in the Court of England”. He was scheduled to play the role of Pancho in an upcoming American western entitled “Showdown in Durango”.