Cemetery with crosses - legends lost but remembered: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 21:55, 29 May 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

FRESH GRAVES

BUTTNER, Gisela - 7/15/1941, Bytom, Poland - 5/1/2024, Berlin, Berlin, Germany

German theater, film, radio, television and voice actress Gisela Buttner died in Berlin, Germany on May 1, 2024. She was 82. Born in Bytom, Poland on July 15m 1941, she was an actress at the Theater der Freundschaft in Berlin from 1958 to the summer of 1961, before moving to the Volksbühne Berlin, where she remained until 1967. In addition to her theater activities, she starred in several feature and television films, including the title role of the DEFA production “Hatifa” in 1960. During her dubbing career, she not only acted as a narrator, but also directed the dialogue in many films. Gisela was the voice of Andrea Drahota in 1967’s East German “Chingachgook, the Great Snake” and Pepa Niolova in 1971’s “Osceola”.

EMERY, Alain - 8/5/1940, Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France - 5/22/2024, Maussane-les-Alpilles, Rhône, France

French film and television actor Alain Emery died in Maussane-les-Alpilles, Rhône, France on May 22, 2024. He was 83. Emery, born on August 5, 1940, in Marseille and was a child actor who was best known for his role as Falco in the 1953 film “Crin blanc” (White Mane). For most of us western fans we remember him more for his role as Mato in the 1964 French Indian TV series “Les Indiens” (The Indians). After "a bohemian life", Alain Emery settled in a village in the Alpilles, less than an hour from Cacharel. He leaves a wife Maria and a daughter Louise.

DAMON, Mark (Alan Herskovitz) - 4/22/1933, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A. - 5/12/2024, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

American producer and actor Mark Damon died in Los Angeles on May 12th he was 91. Damon, who was born Alan Herskovitz in Chicago on April 22, 1933, won the Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer for his starring role in 1960’s “House of Usher” for director Roger Corman, who died May 9th at 98, then went on to appear in numerous Spaghetti Westerns and other B-movies shot in Europe, from “Johnny Yuma” to Mario Bava’s “Black Sabbath.” Among the firms Damon led as an international sales agent were PSO, Vision International, MDP Worldwide and Foresight Unlimited. He is survived by his wife, Maggie Markov Damon; son Jonathan; daughter Alexis Damon Ribaut and son-in-law Mathieu Ribaut. Damon was a star of ten Spaghetti westerns: “Death at Owell Rocks” as Harry Boyd/Jeffries; “Johnny Yuma” as Jonathan Tomadaro Jefferson Gonzales/Johnny Yuma; “Ringo and His Golden Pistol” as Johnny Oro/Johnny Ringo) all in 1966; “Kill and Pray” as George Bellow Ferguson; “A Train for Durango” as Brown/Samuel Lee Barrett/Elias MacPherson both in 1967; “Dead Men Don’t Count” as Johnny Dannon Dalton and “Go for Broke” as Johnny Sweet/West both in 1968; “Pistol Packin' Preacher” as Slim in 1971; “The Great Treasure Hunt” as Dean Madison and “They Called Him Veritas” as Verità/Veritas/Verity both in 1972.

RATZ, Günter - 5/30/1935, Berlin, Germany - 5/1/2024, Dresden-Omsewitz, Saxony, Germany

East German director, writer, animator Günter Rätz died on May 1, 2024, in Dresden-Omsewitz Saxony, Germany. He was a month shy of turning 89. Born in Berlin on May 30, 1935, he was the son of a bricklayer but abandoned the profession of his father and worked as a puppeteer, discovered animation for himself in 1954 and thus came to the DEFA Studio for Animated Films in Dresden as early as 1955. In 1958 he completed the first of his more than 60 animated films. Rätz was responsible for the feature films “The Flying Windmill” (1981) and his only Euro-western “The Trail to the Silver Sea” (1987–1989), a Western satire that was awarded the "Golden Sparrow" in Gera in February 1991. Subsequently, Rätz wanted to film the Karl May novel “Unter Geiern” (Among Vultures) under the title "The Spirit of Llano Estacado"; the scenario was completed in June 1988. Filming began in the spring of 1990; the dialogues are recorded, and a song by the proven composer Arndt Bause is also played. After about 600 meters had already been filmed, the end follows. The work is abandoned due to lack of funds; around 600,000 marks from the film's budget were used to "clear the debt" of the DEFA animation studio during the monetary union.

HENGSTLER, Jörg (Jörg Hengstler-Modry) - 10/31/1956, East Germany - 4/28/2024, Oberkrämer, Brandenburg, Germany

German voice actor and dubber died sometime this year but no specific date or place is known. Born in Germany on October 31, 1956, he was 67 years old. News of death was learned from an Instagram post by fellow dubber Peter Flechtner. Hengstler has1,295 credits on the German dubbing database Deutsche Synchronkartei. Jörg voiced several Euro-westerns including Juan Vallejo in 1968’s “Zorro the Fox”; the lieutenant in the animated “Lucky Luke” (1984); “The New Zorro” 1990-1993 TV series where he was the German voice of Nigel Terry, Roddy Piper, Vincenzo Nicoli; the “Lucky Luke” TV series in 1991 where he voiced Neil Summers and Steve Cormier and 1994’s “Troublemakers” where he voiced Summers once again. He was the German voice Brad Johnson in the 2008 TV film “Copperhead”, and the voice of Ronan Vibert in the 2012 TV mini-series “Hatfields and McCoys”.

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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 ===
+*'''BUTTNER, Gisela''' - 7/15/1941, Bytom, Poland - 5/1/2024, Berlin, Berlin, Germany
-*'''BROWN, Carol (Carla Calo)''' - 9/21/1926, Palermo, Sicily, Italy - 12/29/2019, Italy
+German theater, film, radio, television and voice actress Gisela Buttner died in Berlin, Germany on May 1, 2024. She was 82. Born in Bytom, Poland on July 15m 1941, she was an actress at the Theater der Freundschaft in Berlin from 1958 to the summer of 1961, before moving to the Volksbühne Berlin, where she remained until 1967. In addition to her theater activities, she starred in several feature and television films, including the title role of the DEFA production “Hatifa” in 1960. During her dubbing career, she not only acted as a narrator, but also directed the dialogue in many films. Gisela was the voice of Andrea Drahota in 1967’s East German “Chingachgook, the Great Snake” and Pepa Niolova in 1971’s “Osceola”.
-Italian actress Carla Calo died in Italy on December 29, 2019. She was 93. Born in Palermo, Sicily, Italy on September 21, 1926, she began he acting career in the theater before appearing in more than 100 films beginning with “Il falco rosso” (1949). She then appeared with Toto in several films. She appeared in seven Euro-westerns mostly using the alias Carol Brown. “Zorro at the Court of Spain” 1962 (Francisca Di Villaverde); “Bullets and the Flesh” 1964 (Aunt Peggy); “Blood at Sundown” 1966 (Rhonda Liston); “Seven Dollars to Kill” 1966 (Rosa/Rosita/Rosario); “The Tramplers” 1966 (Mrs. Temple Cordeen); “The Taste of Vengeance” 1968 (Mother Douglas); “Sting of the West” 1972.
+*'''EMERY, Alain''' - 8/5/1940, Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France - 5/22/2024, Maussane-les-Alpilles, Rhône, France
-*'''BELI, Milan (Milan Bosiljcic-Beli)''' - 9/20/1931, Konjane, Serbia, Yugoslavia - 12/31/2019, Belgrade, Serbia
+French film and television actor Alain Emery died in Maussane-les-Alpilles, Rhône, France on May 22, 2024. He was 83. Emery, born on August 5, 1940, in Marseille and was a child actor who was best known for his role as Falco in the 1953 film “Crin blanc” (White Mane). For most of us western fans we remember him more for his role as Mato in the 1964 French Indian TV series “Les Indiens” (The Indians). After "a bohemian life", Alain Emery settled in a village in the Alpilles, less than an hour from Cacharel. He leaves a wife Maria and a daughter Louise.
-One of Serbia’s most respected actors Milan Beli died on New Years Eve 2019 in Belgrade, Serbia he was 88. He was born Milan Bosiljčić-Beli in Konjane, Serbia, Yugoslavia on September 20, 1931. He studied physical education in Belgrade and at that time, also established his first contacts with the world of film. At that time in Yugoslavia they were filming western and adventure film co-productions and stuntmen were often chosen from among the students of the Belgrade High Schools. In 1957 he received his first small film role in the Franco-Yugoslav film “Burlak”. In addition to his mother tongue he also knew German, English and French, therefore he was able to gain since 1968, a greater number of offers from production companies such as DEFA, who were filming Indian films. Beli was twice married, has a daughter and a son who is also a well-known actor. He was good friends with Gojko Mitic, who arranged for him roles in three of his Indian films (Tecumseh, Apaches, The Scout). Beli appeared in four Euro-westerns:  Thunder at the Border - 1966; Tecumseh – 1972 (Raffael); Apaches – 1973 (Johnson) and the The Scout – 1983 (Major Brannigan).
+*'''DAMON, Mark (Alan Herskovitz)''' - 4/22/1933, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A. - 5/12/2024, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.
-*'''LYON, Sue (Suellyn M. Lyon) - 7/10/1946, Davenport, Iowa, U.S.A. - 12/27/2019, Studio City, California, U.S.A.
+American producer and actor Mark Damon died in Los Angeles on May 12th he was 91. Damon, who was born Alan Herskovitz in Chicago on April 22, 1933, won the Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer for his starring role in 1960’s “House of Usher” for director Roger Corman, who died May 9th at 98, then went on to appear in numerous Spaghetti Westerns and other B-movies shot in Europe, from “Johnny Yuma” to Mario Bava’s “Black Sabbath.” Among the firms Damon led as an international sales agent were PSO, Vision International, MDP Worldwide and Foresight Unlimited. He is survived by his wife, Maggie Markov Damon; son Jonathan; daughter Alexis Damon Ribaut and son-in-law Mathieu Ribaut. Damon was a star of ten Spaghetti westerns: “Death at Owell Rocks” as Harry Boyd/Jeffries; “Johnny Yuma” as Jonathan Tomadaro Jefferson Gonzales/Johnny Yuma; “Ringo and His Golden Pistol” as Johnny Oro/Johnny Ringo) all in 1966; “Kill and Pray” as George Bellow Ferguson; “A Train for Durango” as Brown/Samuel Lee Barrett/Elias MacPherson both in 1967; “Dead Men Don’t Count” as Johnny Dannon Dalton and “Go for Broke” as Johnny Sweet/West both in 1968; “Pistol Packin' Preacher” as Slim in 1971; “The Great Treasure Hunt” as Dean Madison and “They Called Him Veritas” as Verità/Veritas/Verity both in 1972.
-American actress Sue Lyon, famous for her performance in 1962’s “Lolita” died in Los Angeles, California on December 27, 2019. She was 73. Lyon, who was born on July 10, 1946, in Davenport, Iowa, acted for over 20 years, but never again achieved the notoriety or praise "Lolita" brought. It also brought her a Golden Globe, a juicy role, the opportunity to act with heavyweights James Mason, Peter Sellers and Shelley Winters, and a shot at singing; she recorded two songs for the movie. Her other noteworthy roles were in "The Night of the Iguana" (1964) and "7 Women" (1966). She left acting after a small role in the cult-classic horror flick "Alligator" (1980). She appeared as Myra Polson in the Euro-western “Four Rode Out” with Pernell Roberts and Leslie Nielsen.
+*'''RATZ, Günter''' - 5/30/1935, Berlin, Germany - 5/1/2024, Dresden-Omsewitz, Saxony, Germany
-*'''NENADOVIC, Đjorđe''' 7/27/1935, Belgrade, Serbia, Yugoslavia - 12/26/2019, Belgrade, Serbia
+East German director, writer, animator Günter Rätz died on May 1, 2024, in Dresden-Omsewitz Saxony, Germany. He was a month shy of turning 89. Born in Berlin on May 30, 1935, he was the son of a bricklayer but abandoned the profession of his father and worked as a puppeteer, discovered animation for himself in 1954 and thus came to the DEFA Studio for Animated Films in Dresden as early as 1955. In 1958 he completed the first of his more than 60 animated films. Rätz was responsible for the feature films “The Flying Windmill” (1981) and his only Euro-western “The Trail to the Silver Sea” (1987–1989), a Western satire that was awarded the "Golden Sparrow" in Gera in February 1991. Subsequently, Rätz wanted to film the Karl May novel “Unter Geiern” (Among Vultures) under the title "The Spirit of Llano Estacado"; the scenario was completed in June 1988. Filming began in the spring of 1990; the dialogues are recorded, and a song by the proven composer Arndt Bause is also played. After about 600 meters had already been filmed, the end follows. The work is abandoned due to lack of funds; around 600,000 marks from the film's budget were used to "clear the debt" of the DEFA animation studio during the monetary union.
-Serbian actor and radio presenter Đjorđe Nenadović, best known for his humorous and satirical show “Caravan”, as well as for entertainment and music shows “Microphone is Yours” and “Evening Wish Show” of the first program of Radio Belgrade, passed away December 26, 2019 at the age of 85 in Belgrade, Serbia. Born on July 27, 1935 in Belgrade, Nenadović graduated from the Theater Academy in the class of Professor Mate Milosevic. He starred in radio dramas as well as in theater, and in more than 40 films and series in domestic and foreign productions, most commonly under the pseudonym George Heston. Nenadović appeared in three Euro-westerns: “Frontier Hellcat” 1964 (Miller); “Last of the Renegades”1964 (Captain Tom Bruce) and “The Treasure of the Aztecs”1965 (Count Embarez).
+*'''HENGSTLER, Jörg (Jörg Hengstler-Modry)''' - 10/31/1956, East Germany - 4/28/2024, Oberkrämer, Brandenburg, Germany
-*'''BRILEY, John (John Richard Briley)''' 6/25/1925, Kalamazoo, Michigan, U.S.A. - 12/14/2019, U.K.
+German voice actor and dubber died sometime this year but no specific date or place is known. Born in Germany on October 31, 1956, he was 67 years old. News of death was learned from an Instagram post by fellow dubber Peter Flechtner. Hengstler has1,295 credits on the German dubbing database Deutsche Synchronkartei. Jörg voiced several Euro-westerns including Juan Vallejo in 1968’s “Zorro the Fox”; the lieutenant in the animated “Lucky Luke” (1984);  “The New Zorro” 1990-1993 TV series where he was the German voice of Nigel Terry, Roddy Piper, Vincenzo Nicoli; the “Lucky Luke” TV series in 1991 where he voiced Neil Summers and Steve Cormier and 1994’s “Troublemakers” where he voiced Summers once again. He was the German voice Brad Johnson in the 2008 TV film “Copperhead”, and the voice of Ronan Vibert in the 2012 TV mini-series “Hatfields and McCoys”.
-Screenwriter John Briley died in the UK on December 14, 2019. He was 94. Born in Kalamazoo, Michigan on June 25, 1925 and raised in Detroit, his education was interrupted by World War II: he spent three years in the US air force, rising to the rank of second lieutenant before resuming his studies at the University of Michigan. One of his professors, the noted Shakespeare scholar GB Harrison, encouraged him to pursue a PhD at the Shakespeare Institute at Birmingham University, in the UK, where he found himself under the supervision of another literary scholar, Allardyce Nicoll. He remained in Britain after finishing his doctorate, and began writing for television, theatre and film. The shows he had written and produced for US air force employees attracted the attention of MGM, which hired him as a staff writer. His work on the horror film “Children of the Damned” (1964). Other screenplays included “That Lucky Touch” (1975), a romantic caper with Roger Moore and Susannah York; “The Medusa Touch” (1978), a preposterous but gripping psychological horror starring Richard Burton as a man compelled to cause death and disaster; and “Eagle’s Wing” (1979), a ruminative western with Martin Sheen and Harvey Keitel. After winning the Oscar for “Gandhi”, he wrote “Marie” (1985), starring Sissy Spacek as a woman fighting corruption in the US prison system. Thereafter he specialized in historical dramas: “Tai-Pan” (1986), “Sandino” (1991) and the unloved “Christopher Columbus: The Discovery” (1992) in which Marlon Brando gave, according to the critic Roger Ebert, his “worst performance in memory” as Torquemada.
-*'''HENDERSON, Kelo (Paul Lars Henderson Jr.)''' - 8/8/1923, Pueblo, Colorado, U.S.A. - 12/10/2019, Ridgecrest, California, U.S.A.
-American actor and trick gun specialist Kelo Henderson. Born Paul Lars Henderson Jr. in Pueblo, Colorado on August 8, 1923 he was a foreman on a ranch before working as an actor. He appeared on several western TV series before being cast as Ranger Clint Travis in 1957’s “26 Men” which ran for three years. Later he taught actors fast draw and other gun tricks. His young son Paul Lars Henderson was so good with six-gun tricks he was hired as Matty Matel and was seen in many commercials for Mattel’s Fanner .50. Kelo’s other son John Eric Henderson was also featured in the commercials. The pair often put on exhibitions. Kelo went to Germany in 1964 and appeared in “Pyramid of the Sun God” followed by “Treasure of the Aztecs” in the role of Frank Wilson. While making the two films Kelo was used to train the other actors how to use their weapons and how to ride horses. Later in life he appeared at many film festivals and was usually busy taking photographs instead of sitting behind a table signing autographs. He received a Golden Boot for his western work in 2003.
-*''' KARINA, Anna''' (Hanne Karin Blarke Bayer) - 9/22/1940, Solbjerg, Denmark - 12/14/2019, Paris, Île-de-France, France
-Anna Karina, the Danish-born actress who became a symbol of the French New Wave, or Nouvelle Vague, in Jean Luc Godard’s 1960s films, died on Saturday in Paris. She was 79. Whether playing a streetwalker or a terrorist, Ms. Karina managed to look flirtatious, with her dark hair, wispy bangs, heavy eyeliner and lycée-chic wardrobe of sailor-uniform tops, knee socks, lots of plaid and perky headwear, from berets to boaters. Karina also pursued a singing career, with late-1960s hits like “Sous le Soleil Exactement” and “Roller Girl,” written by Serge Gainsbourg. And she wrote four novels, including “Golden City” (1983), which she described to the quarterly Film Comment as “a kind of thriller, with gangsters.” Anna Karina appeared as Clara in the 1971 TV pseudo-Euro-western “Carlos” which also starred Gottfried John, Host Frank, Geraldine Chaplin and Thomas Hunter.
-*'''SCIPIONI, Bruno''' - 7/29/1934, Rome, Lazio, Italy - 12/5/2019, Rome, Lazio, Italy
-Italian theater, film, TV and voice actor Bruno Scipioni died in Rome, Italy on December 5, 2019. He was 85. Born in Rome on July 29, 1934, Scipioni graduated as an accountant and then, in 1958, he attended the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia. He started his film career with Kapò (1959) and he was particularly active during the 1960s, usually being cast as a character actor. He was also active on stage, in television series, in commercials and as voice actor. He was the father of voice actor Carlo Scipioni. Scipioni appeared in 10 Euro-westerns: “The Terrible Sheriff” (1962); as a juryman in “4 Bullets for Joe” (1963); as Verdugo in “Heroes of the West” (1963); as Damon henchman “Lost Treasure of the Aztecs” (1964); “Ranch of the Ruthless” (1964); “Renegade Gunfighter” (1965); “A Fistful of Songs” (1966); “0For One Thousand Dollars per Day” (1966); a townsman in  “Ringo and His Golden Pistol” (1966); “The Handsome, the Ugly, and the Stupid” (1967).
-*'''DiMITRI, Antonio''' - 6/12/1931, Manduria, Taranto, Italy – 12/8/2019, Rome, Lazio, Italy
-Italian actor and singer Antonio Dimitri died December 8, 2019 in Rome, Italy. He was 88. Known also as Tony DiMitri and George Stevenson he appeared in over 30 films and television appearances between 1953 and 1988. Born on June 12, 1931 in Manduria, Italy, he starred, using the George Stevenson alias as Quintana in 1969’s “Quintana: Dead or Alive”. He may also be best remembered in a quick cameo from “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” as a Mesilla deputy who Blondie shoots his hat off at Tuco’s hanging. His other five Euro-westerns include “Two Mafiamen in the Far West” - 1964 as (Jesse James); “God May Forgive You, Not Me” – 1966 (as Manuel Hernandez); “The Judgment of God” – 1972 (as Ringo); “6 Bounty Killers for a Massacre” – 1972 (as Rinaldo) and “When Satan Grips a Colt” – 1972.  Tony also had a brief musical career as a singer releasing three 45 rpm records in 1965.
-*'''AUBERJONOIS, René (Rene Murat Auberjonois)''' - 6/1/1940, New York City, New York, U.S.A. - 12/8/2019, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.
-René Auberjonois, an actor who rose to prominence with roles on ‘Benson’, ‘Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’, and the film “M.A.S.H.”, died Sunday December 8, 2019 at his home in Los Angeles of metastatic lung cancer, the Associated Press reported. He was 79. Auberjonois was born in New York City on June 1, 1940 and was a character actor and performed in theater of the 1960s. He made the transition to film in the 1970s, and appeared on a string of popular television series in the 1980s and ’90s among which was his only Euro-western appearance in Terence Hill’s ‘Lucky Luke’ as Mr. Edgar Rockbottom / Mendez in the 1992 episode ‘Cafe Olé’.
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