SWDb Spaghetti Western Hall of Fame

Good range of people in there and glad Fidani made it in !

@Colonel

I still think one nominee each would work better otherwise there is the likelihood that folk will simply replicate their nominations with votes. If restricted to one nomination but two votes everyone will have to consider the options offered by others, not just themselves. Anyhow, we have 12 months to figure out the best solution and, in the mean time, I think this year’s names are pretty decent. Thanks, as usual, for your work.

Another great set of inductees this year, and a heartfelt felt thank you to the Col. for organising it year after year. Still, none of the candidates I voted for made it
 :wink:

Congratulations to all the new inductees, and well done Col. Douglas Mortimer and everyone who nominated/voted.

What a great class of inductees! All are deserving of induction (even Fidani). Mostly glad to see PLL and Gordon Mitchell make it though :slight_smile:

Thanks for the props guys, but my work means nothing without the help of you guys. As always, Phil you make an excellent point. Unless anybody objects, 1 nominee, 2 votes, 2 inductees will be the format next year.

JW, didn’t you vote for Fulci? He made it!

Lead Actor
Peter Lee Lawrence
February 21, 1944 (Lindau, Germany) - April 20, 1974 (Rome, Italy)
Born Karl Hyrenbach, the boyishly handsome German actor achieved stardom as one of the most prolific leading men of Spaghetti Westerns before succumbing to a malignant brain tumour at the still young age of 30. He first appeared uncredited as the doomed lover of Col. Mortimer’s sister in For A Few Dollars More (1965). In his very first credited role, the youthful Hyrenbach was thrust into the lead of the Spaghetti Western, Fury of Johnny Kid (1967), under the pseudonym Arthur Grant. After adopting the name Peter Lee Lawrence, he went on to star in 15 more over the next five years, including Killer Caliber 32 (1967), Days of Violence (1967), A Gun for One Hundred Graves aka A Pistol for a Hundred Coffins (1968) , Garringo (1969), Sabata the Killer (1970) and Raise Your Hands, Dead Man, You’re Under Arrest (1971). His lead roles ranged from well-dressed gunmen to deranged killers. Fittingly, he also played Billy the Kid in The Man Who Killed Billy the Kid aka I’ll Kill Him and Return Alone (1967). Outside of the Spaghetti Western genre, he also starred in the World War II Macaroni Combat film, Hell in Normandy (1968) as well as Black Beauty (1971). A citizen of France, he also appeared in photonovels under the name of Pierre ClĂ©ment.
Composer
Roberto Pregadio
December 6, 1928 (Catania, Italy)- November 15, 2010 (Rome)
A radio and television personality in Italy, he composed scores for eight Spaghetti Westerns, and was the conductor on three others. He graduated as a Piano player from the Naples Conservatory of Music and worked as a pianist in the RAI light orchestra. His most famous Spaghetti Western score was for The Forgotten Pistolero (1969). The film’s main theme, characterized by whistling and a fuzz guitar intro was featured in two popular cartoon television series’ SpongeBob SquarePants and the Ren & Stimpy Show as well as the hit video game, Red Dead Revolver. He also provided the score for Django the Last Killer (1967). Outside of the Spaghetti Western genre, he was the composer on over 50 films over a 30 year period including many cult exploitation films such as SS Experiment Love Camp (1976), Kong Island (1968), Cannibals (1980), The Last House on the Beach (1978) and SS Camp Women’s Hell (1977).

Supporting Actor
Gordon Mitchell
July 29, 1923 (Denver CO, USA) – September 20, 2003 (Marina Del Rey, CA)
Born Charles Allen Pendleton, Mitchell utilized his imposing physique and steely gaze in over 30 Spaghetti and Euro-Westerns. Following the international success of Steve Reeves, Mitchell, like several other American bodybuilders, moved to Italy to appear in Peplum films. After the Peplum craze died down, Mitchell went on to appear in Spaghetti Westerns, mostly as a hired gun, bandit or henchmen in such films as Beyond the Law (1968), The Fighting Fists of Shanghai Joe (1973), Sartana the Gravedigger aka I am Sartana your Angel of Death (1969), Little Rita of the West (1967) and Coffin Full of Dollars aka Nevada Kid aka Showdown for a Badman (1971). While always cast as a villain, Mitchell was able to play the lead hero for a change in Born to Kill (1967). He also owned a western town outside Rome named Cave Film Studios where many lower budget Spaghetti Westerns were made. Outside of the genre, he worked as a school teacher and guidance counselor for troubled youth, performed as a strongman in Mae West’s nightclub act, was a veteran of both World War II (spending some time as a P.O.W and participating in the Battle of the Bulge) and the Korean War, and owned a World Gym in Marina Del Rey. Mitchell appeared in nearly 150 film and television productions, including non-credited appearances in several major Hollywood productions. He also had roles in a diverse spectrum of films including Fellini – Satyricon (1969), Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967), Umbrella Coup (1980), She (1982) and Frankenstein’s Castle of Freaks (1974). A highly respected figure in the world of bodybuilding, his Funeral was attended by many famous bodybuilding luminaries.

Nice work, Col.

All 5 inductees well deserved

how cool would it have been to be guidance counciled by Gordon Mitchell

Lucio Fulci
June 17, 1927 (Rome, Italy) – March 13, 1996 (Rome)
Fulci’s name is synonymous with Italian horror and “Giallo” films, yet he actually boasted a diverse oeuvre that included three memorable Spaghetti Westerns. Fulci’s career started in the early 1950s as a writer and assistant director. He then became a director of comedy films, many of which starred the popular comedic duel of Franco and Ciccio. In 1966, he directed his first Spaghetti Western, Massacre Time aka The Brute and the Beast. Starring Franco Nero and George Hilton, the film was a box office success. He also played a bit part in Two R-R-Ringos from Texas (1967) and helped write The Man Who Killed Billy the Kid (1967). He directed two films based on Jack London’s “White Fang”, which contained western elements, though technically not westerns themselves. In 1975, he returned to the Spaghetti Western genre with two “twilight era” films. The first of these was Four of the Apocalypse (1975). Dark, bleak and brutal, the film is now a highly regarded cult favorite. His final western was also one of the last Spaghetti Westerns ever made, Silver Saddle (1978). Besides westerns, Fulci achieved international recognition as a popular, yet controversial horror maestro, with films marked by their stylish violence and shocking images. Among the more well known of these works are Zombi 2 (1979), The Beyond (1981), City of the Living Dead (1980), The House by the Cemetery (1981), The New York Ripper (1982) and Don’t Torture a Duckling (1972).

Demofilo Fidani aka Miles Deem
February 8, 1914 (Cagliari, Italy)- March 17, 1994 (Rome)
Known as the “Ed Wood of Spaghetti Westerns”, Fidani was the most notorious of all Spaghetti Western directors. Under the pseudonym of “Miles Deem”, he overcame pitiful budgets to become a prolific director and writer of 13 Spaghetti Westerns, often highlighted by their derivativeness, plot holes, and quirkiness. He also served as producer for several of his films. His films, while lacking in artistic brilliance, were nevertheless entertaining and exuded Fidani’s enthusiasm for the genre. To this day, his films have garnered a cult following. In addition, Fidani served as an art director, set decorator, and production designer for other Spaghetti Westerns, and even appeared several times as an actor. In all, Fidani contributed to 23 Spaghetti Westerns in one capacity or another. His best known directorial efforts are A Barrel Full of Dollars aka A Coffin Full of Dollars aka Nevada Kid aka Showdown for a Badman (1971), Django and Sartana’s Showdown in the West (1970 as Dick Spitfire), One Damned Day at Dawn, Django Meets Sartana (1970) and Savage Guns (1971). He was the father of Simonetta Vitelli, better known as Simone Blondell, who appeared in many of his films. Outside the western genre, he was given thanks, as an Auschwitz survivor in the Oscar winning Life is Beautiful (1997 as Nedo Fidano). As a young man, he served as a trainee director in Luchino Visconti’s La Terra Trema (1948). He was a production designer on Crypt of the Vampire (1964 as Demos Filos)

Thanks for all the hard work, Col!

The Auschwitz credit has been debunked. Wrongfully attributed to him by imdb. It’s was discussed somewhere else in the forum, I think about 2 months ago or so.

Okay thanks for the heads up BL. I will change it. I tried hard to give the man his due on the write up.

Very good job Colonel, even if the most important reason for my vote for Gordon Mitchell was maybe his role in John il bastardo!

Hi, can one volunteer be so kind as to post the new entries to the HOF page?

Here are the blurbs:

Lead Actor
Peter Lee Lawrence
February 21, 1944 (Lindau, Germany) - April 20, 1974 (Rome, Italy)
Born Karl Hyrenbach, the boyishly handsome German actor achieved stardom as one of the most prolific leading men of Spaghetti Westerns before succumbing to a malignant brain tumour at the still young age of 30. He first appeared uncredited as the doomed lover of Col. Mortimer’s sister in For A Few Dollars More (1965). In his very first credited role, the youthful Hyrenbach was thrust into the lead of the Spaghetti Western, Fury of Johnny Kid (1967), under the pseudonym Arthur Grant. After adopting the name Peter Lee Lawrence, he went on to star in 15 more over the next five years, including Killer Caliber 32 (1967), Days of Violence (1967), A Gun for One Hundred Graves aka A Pistol for a Hundred Coffins (1968) , Garringo (1969), Sabata the Killer (1970) and Raise Your Hands, Dead Man, You’re Under Arrest (1971). His lead roles ranged from well-dressed gunmen to deranged killers. Fittingly, he also played William H. Bonney himself in The Man Who Killed Billy the Kid (1967). Outside of the Spaghetti Western genre, he also starred in the World War II Macaroni Combat film, Hell in Normandy (1968) as well as Black Beauty (1971). A citizen of France, he also appeared in photonovels under the name of Pierre ClĂ©ment.

Composer
Roberto Pregadio
December 6, 1928 (Catania, Italy) - November 15, 2010 (Rome)
A radio and television personality in Italy, he composed scores for eight Spaghetti Westerns, and was the conductor on three others. He graduated as a Piano player from the Naples Conservatory of Music and worked as a pianist in the RAI light orchestra. His most famous Spaghetti Western score was for The Forgotten Pistolero (1969). The film’s main theme, characterized by its memorable whistling and a fuzz guitar intro was featured in two popular cartoon television series’, SpongeBob SquarePants and the Ren & Stimpy Show as well as the hit video game, Red Dead Revolver. He also provided the score for Django the Last Killer (1967). Outside of the Spaghetti Western genre, he was the composer on over 50 films over a 30 year period including many cult exploitation films such as SS Experiment Love Camp (1976), Kong Island (1968), Cannibals (1980), The Last House on the Beach (1978) and SS Camp Women’s Hell (1977).

Director

Lucio Fulci
June 17, 1927 (Rome, Italy) – March 13, 1996 (Rome)
Fulci’s name is synonymous with Italian horror and “Gialli”, yet he actually boasted a diverse oeuvre that included three memorable Spaghetti Westerns. Fulci’s career started in the early 1950s as a writer and assistant director. He then became a director of comedy films, many of which starred the popular comedic duel of Franco and Ciccio. In 1966, he directed his first Spaghetti Western, Massacre Time aka The Brute and the Beast. Starring Franco Nero and George Hilton, the film was a box office success. He also played a bit part in Two R-R-Ringos from Texas (1967) and helped write The Man Who Killed Billy the Kid (1967). He directed two films based on Jack London’s “White Fang”. In the mid 70s, when the Spaghetti Western had seemingly run its course, Fulci returned to the genre with two “twilight era” films. The first of these was Four of the Apocalypse (1975). Dark, bleak, and brutal, the film is now a highly regarded cult favorite. His final western was also one of the last Spaghetti Westerns ever made, Silver Saddle (1978). Besides westerns, Fulci achieved international recognition as a popular, yet controversial horror maestro, with films marked by their stylish violence and shocking images. Among the more well known of these works are Zombi 2 (1979), The Beyond (1981), City of the Living Dead (1980), The House by the Cemetery (1981), The New York Ripper (1982) and Don’t Torture a Duckling (1972).
Demofilo Fidani aka Miles Deem
February 8, 1914 (Cagliari, Italy)- March 17, 1994 (Rome)
Known as the “Ed Wood of Spaghetti Westerns”, Fidani was the most notorious of all Spaghetti Western directors. Under the pseudonym of “Miles Deem”, he overcame pitiful budgets to become a prolific director and writer of 13 Spaghetti Westerns, each characterized by their derivativeness, plot holes, and quirkiness. He also served as producer for several of his films. His films, while lacking in artistic brilliance, were nevertheless entertaining and exuded Fidani’s enthusiasm for the genre. To this day, his films have garnered a cult following. In addition, Fidani served as an art director, set decorator, and production designer for other Spaghetti Westerns, and even appeared several times as an actor. In all, Fidani contributed to 23 Spaghetti Westerns in one capacity or another. His best known directorial efforts are A Barrel Full of Dollars aka A Coffin Full of Dollars aka Nevada Kid aka Showdown for a Badman (1971), Django and Sartana’s Showdown in the West (1970 as Dick Spitfire), One Damned Day at Dawn, Django Meets Sartana (1970) and Savage Guns (1971). He was the father of Simonetta Vitelli, better known as Simone Blondell, who appeared in many of his films. As a young man, he served as a trainee director in Luchino Visconti’s La Terra Trema (1948) and as an assistant production designer on Roberto Rosselini’s The Machine That Kills Bad People (1952). He was also a production designer on Crypt of the Vampire (1964 as Demos Filos).

Supporting Actor
Gordon Mitchell
July 29, 1923 (Denver CO, USA) – September 20, 2003 (Marina Del Rey, CA)
Born Charles Allen Pendleton, Mitchell utilized his imposing physique and steely gaze in over 30 Spaghetti and Euro-Westerns. Following the international success of Steve Reeves, Mitchell, like several other American bodybuilders, moved to Italy to appear in Peplum films. After the Peplum craze died down, Mitchell went on to appear in Spaghetti Westerns, mostly as a hired gun, bandit or henchmen in such films as Beyond the Law (1968), The Fighting Fists of Shanghai Joe (1973), Sartana the Gravedigger aka I am Sartana your Angel of Death (1969), Little Rita of the West (1967) and Coffin Full of Dollars aka Nevada Kid aka Showdown for a Badman (1971). While always cast as a villain, Mitchell was able to play the lead hero for a change in Born to Kill (1967). He also owned a western town outside Rome named Cave Film Studios where many lower budget Spaghetti Westerns were made. Outside of the genre, he performed as a strongman in Mae West’s nightclub act, and was a veteran of both World War II and the Korean War. Mitchell appeared in nearly 150 film and television productions, including non-credited appearances in several major Hollywood productions. He also had roles in a diverse spectrum of films including Fellini – Satyricon (1969), Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967), Umbrella Coup (1980), She (1982) and Frankenstein’s Castle of Freaks (1974). He was a highly respected figure in the world of bodybuilding.

And here are the wanted posters:

http://pho.to/4e6Gh
http://pho.to/4e6Ir
http://pho.to/4e6JY
http://pho.to/4e6KK
http://pho.to/4e6Kr

I can do that later today.

Ok, done. Check if everything is to your liking, Col. Douglas Mortimer.

Looks great alk0. Thanks alot!

Time really flies! Its that special time of year again.

The 6th Annual SWDB Hall of Fame Inductee Process is about to begin so that we can once again honor those who have made significant contributions to the genre.

The first step is to nominate candidates for induction for the class of 2015

=============PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING CAREFULLY!!!=====================

  1. You have from now until November 20th Midnight to make your nomination.

  2. Only ONE Nominee per forum member is allowed. If you list more than one I will just take the first one.

  3. Nominees come from the following categories: Lead Actor, Supporting Actor, Actress, Director, Composer, Cinematographer, Writer, Producer, Non-Participants/Contributers (consisting of misc. film crew, historians, authors, scholars, website owners, dvd company owners etc
)

  4. Voting process will begin shortly after all nominations have been made.

  5. I personally would like to see some more cinematographers, writers and producers being nominated since we haven’t had an inductee in those 3 categories since 2010, the inaugural year.

  6. Please refrain from nominating someone who has already been inducted.

  7. Start nominating now!

Continuing my tradition of nominating Arrigo Colombo and Giorgio Papi each year until they get in, I put them up. As producers who worked in partnership, will you allow them to be jointly nominated Col.?