Giuliano Gemma (Rome, Italy, September 2, 1938 - Civitavecchia, Italy, October 1, 2013)
Italian film actor who is best known for his numerous roles in spaghetti westerns. In 1944 when playing in a park, he found an unexploded bomb that exploded into his face and left him with a visible scar. In his youth he was active in sports and loved films, especially Burt Lancaster. In late 1950’s he started his film career as a stunt man. He was an extra in William Wyler’s historic spectacle Ben-Hur (1959). His first real role was given to him by the director Duccio Tessari in his film My Son, the Hero (1962). He had a small role in Luchino Visconti’s historical drama The Leopard (1963), and Osvald Civriani’s mythological movie Hercules Against the Sons of the Sun (1964). He also appeared in the first two movies from Bernard Borderie’s children’s series Angélique (1964) and Angélique: The road To Versailles (1965). Actor Mario Girotti, better known as Terence Hill, whom Gemma met on the set of The Leopard, introduced him to the world of westerns. Thus he was acquainted with the genre that would make him famous. He was cast as a leading actor in numerous spaghetti westerns such as Duccio Tessari’s A Pistol for Ringo (1965), Giorgio Ferroni’s Blood For a Silver Dollar (1965), Duccio Tessari’s The Return of Ringo (1965) and Tonino Valerii’s Day of Anger (1967). For these films he often used the pseudonym Montgomery Wood. He also acted in films of other genres, for example in Duccio Tessari’s crime movie The Bastard (1968) with Klaus Kinski and Rita Hayworth, and in Florestan Vacini’s Blow Hot, Blow Cold (1969) with Bibi Andersson. By the mid 1970’s the westerns were on the decline, but he was cast as a lead in Alive Or Preferably Dead (1969) and in Michele Lupe’s Amigo, Stay Away (1972). Some of his other films, such as Enzo Barboni’s action comedy Even Angels Eat Beans (1973) in which he acted opposite Bud Spencer, were not so succesful. In Michaele Lupe’s The master Touch (1972) he acted with Kirk Douglas, but the movie did not enjoy great success. However, for his role in Valerio Zurlini’s historical drama The Desert of The Tartars (1976) also starring Vittorio Gassman, he won the Italian film award David in 1977. He has another notable role in Pasquale Squitieri’s I Am The Law (1977), followed by another two westerns: California (1977) by Michele Lupe and Lucio Fulcini’s They Died With Their Boots On (1978). In the 1980’s he acted in Damian Damiani’s thriller A Man On His Knees (1980), in Florestan Vacini’s Confusion (1981), in Dario Argente’s horror Tenebre (1982), Claude d'Anna’s drama Circle of Passions (1983), Pasquale Squitieri’s Claretta Petacci (1984), in Ducci Tessari’s western Tex And The Lord Of The Deep (1985) and Mario Monicelli’s drama Let’s Hope It’s a Girl (1986) and Sergio Martin’s drama The Opponent (1988). In the mid 1980’s, for the first time he worked on television; he made the TV miniseries Capitán Maffei, after which he continued to work frequently on television films and series, appearing in fewer and fewer feature films. In the 1990’s he appeared in four feature films, but these were all are minor roles in unnoticed films. As a curiosity he collaborated with the Japanese director Seiji Izumi in the film The Wind Will Embrace Firenze (1991). As a star of spaghetti westerns he was exceptionally popular in Japan. A clothes manufacturer named a fashion line after him, and he signed a contract with Suzuki and they manufactured two scooters with the name Suzuki-Gemma. He continued to act until he passed away. Among his later roles the following stand out: in Vicente Arande’s historical drama Mad Love (2001) and in John Kent Harrison’s internationally produced TV biography of Pope John Paul II (2005). From 2005 to 2007, he played the lead role in the TV series The Captain. His last film role was in Woody Allen’s romantic comedy To Rome with Love (2012). In addition to acting he actively pursued sculpting.
Filmography:
To Rome with Love (2012)
Pompei (2007) (mini TV series)
The Final Inquiry (2006)
Mad Love (2001)
A Decent Man (1999)
One Fine day We’ll See (1997)
There Are No Men Left (1991)
The Wind Will Embrace Firenze (1991)
The Opponent (1988)
Ready To Fight (1988)
Châteauroux district (1987)
Let’s Hope It’s a Girl (1986)
Tex And The Lord Of The Deep (1985)
Claretta Petacci (1984)
Circle of Passions (1983)
Supermarket (1983)
Why Afghanistan? (1983)
Tenebre (1982)
Odd Squad (1982)
Confusion (1981)
The Warning (1980)
A Man On His Knees (1980)
Operation Leopard (1980)
They Died With Their Boots On(1978)
The Biggest Battle (1978)
Corleone (1978)
I Am The Law (1977)
California (1977)
The Desert of The Tartars (1976)
Africa Express (1976)
Safari Express (1976)
Shoot First...Ask Questions Later (1975)
Charleston (1974)
Somewhere Beyond Love (1974)
The Magnificent Dare Devil (1973)
Even Angels Eat Beans (1973)
Il maschio ruspante (1973)
The master Touch (1972)
Amigo, Stay Away (1972)
Lover Of The Great Bear (1971)
Archer of Fire (1971)
When Women Had Tails (1970)
Corbari (1970)
The Price Of Power (1969)
Alive Or Preferably Dead (1969)
Blow Hot, Blow Cold (1969)
The Bastard (1968)
A Sky Full Of Stars For A Roof (1968)
Day of Anger (1967)
Wanted (1967)
Long Days of Vengeance (1967)
For A Few Extra Dollars (1966)
Arizona Colt (1966)
Kiss Kiss... Bang Bang (1966)
Adiós gringo (1965)
The Return of Ringo (1965)
Vengeance of the Vikings (1965)
Blood For A Silver Dollar (1965)
A Pistol For Ringo (1965)
Angelique: The Road to Versailles (1965)
La ragazzola (1965)
Angélique ( 1964)
Revolt of The Praetorians (1964)
Hercules Against The Suns of The Sun (1964)
The Two Gladiators (1964)
Goliath And The Sins Of Babylon (1963)
Shéhérazade (1963)
The Leopard (1963)
The Shortest Day (1963) (uncredited)
My Son, the Hero (1962)
Boccaccio '70 (1962) (uncredited)
Planet of the Lifeless Men (1961)
Messalina (1960)
The Cossacks (1960)
A qualcuna piace calvo (1960) (uncredited)
Ben-Hur (1959) (uncredited)
My Wife’s Enemy (1959)
You’re On Your Own (1959) (uncredited)
Venice, the moon And You (1958)
