Duccio Tessari and his films

Duccio Tessari is another of the prolific Italian directors, whose movies, sadly, I still have to explore a lot more. There are some I saw multiple times. But not all those I would like to watch.

My Son, the Hero (1962)
A peplum movie and I think the first movie to star Giuliano Gemma.

Secret of the Sphinx (1964)
An eurospy movie. I just found out about its existence.

A Pistol for Ringo (1965)

A classic spaghetti western with Gemma and Tessari's to be wife Lorella de Luca. But not my favorite. Too long, too clean shaven characters and too clean environment.

The Return of Ringo (1965)
The second Ringo is, on the other hand, the negative of the first and maybe therefore my favourite Tessari. This is an amazing spag with basically the same cast an crew of the first movie, but this time they are all much better.

Kiss Kiss - Bang Bang (1966)
And almost all of them returned for this spy movie, but I have never seen it. I used to think that Gemma's most frequent lady partner was Evelyn Stewart, but it's apparent that actually it was Nieves Navarro.

The Bastard (1968)
An Italian attempt to do a film noir probably, starring Gemma again with Rita Hayworth, Margaret Lee and Klaus Kinski. I have yet to see it.

Alive or Preferably Dead (1969)
On the other hand I almost pity I saw this. A really unfunny attempt to make a spaghetti western comedy. The movie looks like a TV movie, which really doesn't help.

Death Occured Last Night (1970)
And Giuliano Gemma is gone for a while. The first of Tessari's gialli, of which, unfortunately, I haven't seen anything. Frank Wolff stars. It's based on a book which I have, but still, I haven't read it.

The Bloodstained Butterfly (1971)
Another giallo that is now on Netflix, so I will probably watch it soon... Starring Helmut Berger.

Long Live Your Death (1971)
A spaghetti western that tries to be a sequel of The Mercenary and Companeros, and a remake of The Good The Bad and the Ugly at the same time. But it lacks basically everything that makes those movies great. Only Nero, Wallach and Fajardo stand out.

Forza G (1972)
A plane racing movie probably. Maybe the only film with both Anita Strindberg and Barbara Bouchet.

Tony Arzenta (1973)
Tessari's first poliziottesco and his first working with Alain Delon. A good movie, but I haven't seen it for a very long time. I guess the only thing I remember is Richard Conte.

The Heroes (1973)
I found out about this film only as I started writing this article. A war movie with Rod Taylor and Rod Steiger should be quite interesting. Also starring Gianni Garko, Claude Brasseur and Terry-Thomas.

Tough Guys (1974)
A really bizzare film. Blaxploitation made by Italians, co-starring Lino Ventura! The only available copy is unwatchable though.

Puzzle (1974)
Another giallo, this time with Luc Merenda and Senta Berger. Anita Strindberg appears for a while.

Zorro (1975)
Another of the zillion Zorro adaptations. This one was quite popular since the hero is played by Alain Delon.

Safari Express (1976)
Giuliano Gemma is back! But not in a western, but in an adventure movie, co-starring an ape, Ursula Andress and Jack Palance. The same year there was a similar movie called Africa Express, directed by Michele Lupo and starring the same cast...

Tex and the Lord of the Deep (1985)
And finally, Giuliano Gemma again in a western, this time an adaptation of a comic book The only Gemma and also only Tessari western I haven't seen.

Fernando di Leo and his movies

Fernando di Leo was an interesting filmmaker. As a screenwriter, he left his traces in any possible genre, including many spaghetti westerns, even many famous spaghettis, like Navajo Joe, The Return of Ringo, Massacre Time or Long Days of Vengeance. But when he became a director, he never made a western and made a lot of mafia movies instead. His heroes were mostly gangsters or vigilantes, when he made a movie about a cop, he was usually a corrupted one.

Naked Violence (1969)

All I know is this one is more of a social drama perhaps? Co-starring Nieves Navarro under her Susan Scott alias.

Slaughter Hotel (1971)

At the beginning of his career, he tried to make a giallo, and... didn't succeed. This movie is mostly boring and pornographic. Rosalba Neri is hot as hell in this, but we didn't need to see her body double touching herself. Klaus Kinski is useless in it.

Caliber 9 (1972)

This is where the real Fernando di Leo begins. A mafia movie with a great cast (Gastone Moschin, Barbara Bouchet, Mario Adorf, Lionel Stander, Frank Wolff, Luigi Pistilli etc.), good story and unexpected twists. Perfect score by Luis Bacalov and Osanna, amazing opening sequence.

The Manhunt (1972)

Second film of his sort of trilogy, this time starring Mario Adorf as a falsely accused pimp, who has to hide from mafia killers. And those killers are Henry Silva and Woody Strode. Bad times for Mario... bad times for almost everybody, mostly the women - and what women! Luciana Paluzzi, Femi Benussi, Sylva Koscina... Great funky score, this time by Armando Trovaioli, great action sequences. The chase in the middle of the movie is insane.

Boss (1973)

Final film of the trilogy, but not as good as the previous two in my opinion. Henry Silva stars as a cold-blooded killer, who kills everyone in his way to the top. Richard Conte is the mafia boss, Gianni Garko is a corrupt policeman.

Shoot First, Die Later (1974)

Again a weaker one, first of Di Leo's collaborations with Luc Merenda. Merenda plays a cop here, but a cop working for the mafia. Richard Conte is here again, as a lawyer this time, and we also get Di Leo's favourite actor, Vittorio Caprioli, playing a deaf old guy, who becomes a witness of a crime, and therefore dangerous for the mafia. Delia Boccardo is Merenda's girlfriend, so we know she won't meet a good end here.

Kidnap Syndicate (1975)

Merenda again as a father, whose son is kidnapped together with a son of a rich businessman played by James Mason. When Mason refuses to pay the ransom, the poor child is killed in order to force Mason to pay. Merenda gets in a rage, but... the second half is not such a riot as we would expect from the director of Manhunt. Vittorio Caprioli is back as the policeman.

Loaded Guns (1975)

Poliziesco / sex comedy starring Ursula Andress! Not a bad one though. Yes, it becomes really silly and there are moments when Andress' body plays the lead, and the final fistfight is really silly and feels out of place. But a fun movie.

Nick the Sting (1976)

To be honest, I stopped with Di Leo in 1975 so far, so just quickly to the rest. This one stars Merenda again, paired with Lee J. Cobb. All I know about it.

Mr. Scarface (1976)

Jack Palance as a mafia boss in a eurocrime comedy. Seems so.

Blood and Diamonds (1977)

Claudio Cassinelli takes the lead here, Barbara Bouchet returns as a gogo dancer once again. Martin Balsam is in it as well I think. And Vittorio Caprioli again.

To Be Twenty (1978)

A sex comedy that turns into a horror in the end.. Sex comedy starlets Gloria Guida and Lilli Carati starring. Caprioli again co-starring.

Madness (1980)

Joe Dallesandro as a criminal on the run in this movie. I think so.

Killer vs. Killers (1985)

I think this is di Leo's last movie and he didn't end with anything else than a gangster movie with Henry Silva. He made an action flick with him the previous year as well I think.

Well, seems like apart from crime movies and sex comedies and one sex drama Di Leo really didn't do any other genres. But that kind of compares him with Sergio Leone, as the master of the poliziotteschi genre. Not that his movies were as great as the Sergio Leone westerns,but he really concerned to one genre, like Leone with westerns or Dario Argento and Mario Bava with gialli and horror. Other directors made most of the genres. These did their stuff.

Anthony Steffen and his spaghetti westerns

A new series that would serve as a guide to spaghetti westerns with actors, who made so many of them. I think Steffen as a hero was the most active actor in the genre - his number goes to like 25 or something? Let's count. I haven't seen all of them, but I guess most of them. So let's look at the filmography of a guy with a small hat

Last of the Mohicans (1964)
Ok, this is now a German western based on the James Fenimore Cooper book. Steffen plays Hawkeye, the white hunter, in his first western. I haven't seen it. Other notable names in the cast is Karin Dor, wife of the director Harald Reinl, who at the same time made a lot of other German westerns based on the Karl May novels.

Why Go On Killing? (1965)
A first spaghetti by Edoardo Mulargia, first with Steffen, probably first with the beautiful Ida Galli, who finds a cruel destiny in this movie. Pretty violent one for 1965, but otherwise nothing special.

A Coffin for the Sheriff (1965)
Another revenge tale, Steffen gets into the gang to find out who killed his wife. There's a blonde Eduardo Fajardo in a part that would suit more to Klaus Kinski. Nothing special about this movie.

Seven Dollars on the Red (1966)
Another one I haven't seen yet. Steffen must get his revenge once again. His enemy is Fernando Sancho. Who else?

Some Dollars for Django (1966)
A first Django clone, Steffen is a sheriff this time. His enemy is and isn't Frank Wolff. Nothing memorable.

Blood at Sundown (1966)
A big revenge tale against Steff's own brother, played by Gianni Garko. And the brother's name is Sartana! But not the big Sartana from the latter movies. A slightly better movie, but not a great one by any means.

Gentleman Killer (1967)
Steffen against Fajardo and I still haven't seen it.

Ringo the Face of Revenge (1967)
This title is really confusing, because it's a tale of several men and one map to the hidden treasure. Fajardo is Steffen's friend this time, the enemy is played by Frank Wolff again.

Killer Kid (1967)
Steffen gets mixed with the Mexican revolution and with Fernando Sancho once again. Haven'T seen this one.

A Train for Durango (1967)
A comedy within the Mexican revolution, and a good one. Steffen meets Mark Damon, Roberto Camardiel and Enrico Mario Salerno as a Tuco-like sidekick.

The Man Who Cried For Revenge (1968)
Steffen meets Ida Galli again, but most importantly William Berger as the bad guy. Steffen loses his memory and has to find out who he is.

Cry For Revenge (1968)
A confusing title, but two movies that are nothing alike. This one is more comedic one, Steffen has a partner in form of Mark Damon, and they are two bounty killers involved in a land stealing scheme by a wealthy rancher. Piero Lulli plays a mean sheriff.

A Stranger in Paso Bravo (1968)
Another revenge tale I've yet to see. The enemy is Eduardo Fajardo this time again.

No Room to Die (1969)
Bounty killer Steffen vs. bounty killer Berger and I don't know what was it all about anymore. A stylishly made film, but made in a sandpit, so it doesn't look that great.

Garringo (1969)
Steffen vs. Peter Lee Lawrence! But I still haven't seen this one.

Django the Bastard (1969)
Steffen is a ghost! Or not? Again a Sergio Garrone movie, very stylish, very dark, and probably one of the best that Steffen can offer.

Shango (1970)
Another Mulargia, a cruel picture set in a village occupied by a crazy colonel Fajardo, who doesn't want to believe that the civil war is over.

Arizona Colt Returns (1970)
Another cruel picture that starts with a goofy song and behaves as a comedy, but turns pretty violent later. The bad guy is Aldo Sambrell, we have here also Roberto Camardiel as the sidekick and Rosalba Neri as a kidnapped woman. Is it a sequel to Gemma's Arizona Colt or not?

Viva Sabata (1970)
Steffen meets Peter Lee Lawrence and Eduardo Fajardo again. But this one looks like a bad comedy.

Apocalypse Joe (1971)
A really funny movie with a great Bruno Nicolai music. Eduardo Fajardo is a bad guy once again. It's something about a silver mine, but ratherabout shooting every five minutes, with the final battle that lasts 30 minutes!

W Django (1972)
This one is somehow similar to the previous western, but it's a revege tale. Steffen has a Tuco-like partner and it's called Django, because he wears black. Like in the other movies.

Too Much Gold For One Gringo (1972)
Juan Bosch gets to the director's chair and not for the last time. I still haven't seen this one. Fernando Sancho is in it. Again.

Tequila (1973)
Oh, this one is a turkey that tried to be funny... But wasn't. Roberto Camardiel is the really annoying sidekick and Fajardo is a confused bad guy.

Dallas (1975)
That looks like the worst one. It was shot in 1972, but never got released till 1975. Sancho is Steffen's sidekick in it.

My top 5:
Django the Bastard
Apocalypse Joe
A Train for Durango
Cry for Revenge
Blood at Sundown