From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Tony Anthony (actor)
Tony Anthony (actor)
For the pro wrestler, see Tony Anthony. tras. Anthony’s willingness to experiment with the genre
resulted in the third series entry, the self-explanatory A
Tony Anthony Stranger in Japan/ Lo Straniero di Silenzio/The Silent Stranger
with another Cipriani score. Considered by many the first
Born Roger Pettito
October 16, 1937 (1937-10-16) "East-meets-West western", predating Red Sun by three
Clarksburg, West Virginia years, its release was delayed for seven years in the US
due to a dispute with MGM, and never received a Euro-
Years active 1961–1998
pean release at all. Anthony later declared the film his
best and lamented the cuts that MGM made to it.
Tony Anthony (born Roger Pettito on October 16, 1937,
His next film was Blindman, a spaghetti-western vari-
in Clarksburg, West Virginia), is a former film actor, pro-
ation on the Zatoichi series and unlike other Zapata
ducer, director, and screenwriter, best known for his
Westerns, featured the Federales winning at the end. An-
starring roles in spaghetti westerns.
thony played a blind gunslinger hired to escort fifty mail-
order brides to their husbands. By that time, Allen Klein
Early career had become the manager of the Beatles, and Saul Swim-
mer had directed many of their music videos and concert
His first two films were Force of Impulse and Without Each
films. Both were producers on Blindman, and their pres-
Other, low-budget independent films directed by Saul
ence led to Ringo Starr accepting a supporting role as
Swimmer. In search of greener pastures, he moved to
one of the bandits. Ringo would produce Anthony’s next
Italy, to film Wounds of Hunger that he co-wrote and La
film, which Swimmer would direct: a semi-autobiograph-
ragazza in prestito. His friend Swimmer had moved to Eng-
ical road movie called Cometogether. In this film, Anthony
land, where he befriended Allen Klein. Klein agreed to
plays an American stuntman working on spaghetti west-
help Anthony get his foot in the door, and produced his
erns in Rome. The film contains behind the scenes-
first major film.
footage of a spaghetti western being shot.
In 1976, long after the heyday of the genre, Anthony
Spaghetti westerns starred as the Stranger for a fourth time in Get Mean. A
Anthony was present in Europe when the Sergio Leone bizarre film that can barely be considered a western at
Westerns were setting box office records but had not yet all, it instead takes place in Spain, where the Stranger
been released in America. Anthony contacted Klein, then has to battle invading Vikings and Moors after escorting
a major MGM stockholder, about co-financing a spaghet- a princess there. It failed to find a wide audience.
ti western he was in, Klein and Anthony both putting up
$20,000 US.[1] The film Klein produced was a spaghetti The 3-D years
western called A Stranger in Town/Un Dollaro tra i Denti . A
In 1981, Anthony returned to the Spaghetti well one
low budget clear imitation of A Fistful of Dollars, it starred
more time for what would be his biggest box-office suc-
Anthony as the titular Stranger, a shotgun-wielding an-
cess. Comin’ at Ya!, which he wrote, produced, and starred
tihero who helps a group of Mexican bandits steal gold
in, was a fairly ordinary western in all respects but one -
from the US Army and Federales, and then steals it right
it was in 3-D. In order for the film to receive a wide re-
back from them. Released by MGM to compete with the
lease, Anthony designed a low-cost projection lens which
United Artists Clint Eastwood the Man with No Name film
was cheaper than the old-fashioned 3-D lenses. With con-
series, it became a surprise success, and spawned three
stant 3-D effects throughout the film and an extensive
sequels in which Tony Anthony reprised his role.
marketing campaign, the movie became a smash which
With these movies, Tony Anthony often brought the
set off the short-lived but intense 3-D craze of the early
genre to unusual places. His own persona was not the
80s.
typical tough spaghetti western hero; the Stranger was
Tony Anthony would star in one more 3-D film: the
vulnerable and sneaky, with a sardonic sense of humor.
Indiana Jones ripoff Treasure of the Four Crowns. Rushed
The second Stranger film, The Stranger Returns/Un Uomo,
into production to cash in on his previous hit, it came
un cavallo, una Pistola was a more polished entry that had a
near the end of the 3-D craze and failed to find the same
golden stagecoach as its MacGuffin and a Stelvio Cipriani
success. Anthony next announced a 3-D science-fiction
score that had several cover versions by various orches-
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Tony Anthony (actor)
movie called Seeing is Believing, but with the 3-D craze
over, it could not find a financer and was never made.
Notes
[1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHP2zhHZub0
Later career
Treasure of the Four Crowns would be Tony Anthony’s last
External links
acting role. He has effectively retired from the movie • Tony Anthony at the Internet Movie Database
industry, although he has occasionally produced films, • Tony Anthony at AllRovi
such as the infamous Wild Orchid and the spaghetti west- • Get Mean Producer, Ron Schneider
ern throwback A Dollar For the Dead. He currently runs an Persondata
optical equipment company.
Name Anthony, Tony
In late August 2009 it was announced that Tony An-
thony had taken the "over and under 3-D" format of Alternative names
"Comin’ At Ya!" and converted it to "digital 3-D" as a part Short description
of the film’s reissue. A release date has yet to be stated. Date of birth October 16, 1937
This announcement was made on the film’s official site
Place of birth Clarksburg, West Virginia
CominAtYaNoir3D.com .
Date of death
Place of death
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tony_Anthony_(actor)&oldid=460930266"
Categories:
• American film actors
• American film directors
• American film producers
• American screenwriters
• American expatriates in Italy
• Spaghetti Western actors
• People from Clarksburg, West Virginia
• 1937 births
• Living people
• Western (genre) film actors
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