Thursday, February 4, 2010

RIP Peter Martell


Italian actor Peter Martell has died in Bolzano, Italy at the age of 72. Born Pietro Martellanza on September 30, 1938. He was a former Mr. Italy and a stuntman before given acting roles in films. He was to star in “God Forgives... I Don't” with Bud Spencer. The night before the film was to start he got into an argument with a girlfriend and when he tried to give her a kick in anger he missed and hit the wall and broke his foot. He was replaced with Terence Hill and the rest is history. Never reaching super star status as an actor, he was well regarded by most of the Spaghetti Western fans as a favorite and did receive star billing in several films including “Two Crosses at Danger Pass” 1967, “Ringo the Lone Rider” (1968), “The Unholy Four” (1969), “His Name was Pot... but They Called Him Joy” (1971), and “Patience has a Limit, We Don't” (1974). One of his most outstanding performances was as Rafael in “The Forgotten Pistolero” (1969). A documentary film about his life was made in 1999 called “Starring Peter Martell”. The film made awareness of Martell's plight. He had tried to commit suicide and was living on charity in a Volkswagen van. He was given a state pension and a was relocated to an apartment. He made a few films with Jess Fanco after this but never reacquired stardom.

Peter Martell's westerns - actor:
Dollars for a Fast Gun – 1965 (Helen’s brother)
The Fury of Johnny Kid – 1966 (Rodrigo Campos/Wolff)
The Man from Nowhere – 1966 (muredered herdsman)
My Name is Pecos – 1966 (Clane henchman)
Black Tigress – 1967 (Rod Strater)
Death Rides Alone - 1967
This Man Can’t Die – 1967 (Tony Guy)
Two Crosses at Danger Pass – 1967 (Alex Mitchell)
God Made Them, I Kill Them – 1968 (Don Louis de la Vega/Rod Douglas)
God May Forgive You… No Me – 1968 (Jack Smart)
The Long Day of the Massacre – 1968 (Joe Williams)
Ringo the Lone Rider – 1968 (Daniel/Allan Blake/Captain Bly/Ringo)
The Forgotten Pistolero – 1969 (Rafael Garcia)
The Unholy Four – 1969 (Silver)
Savage Guns – 1971 (Peter Martell)
His Name was Pot… But They Called Him Allegria – 1971 (Kid ‘Pot’ Potter/Allegria)
Patience has a Limit, We Don’t – 1974 (Pupo/Bill McDonald)

10 comments:

  1. Poor Peter Martell. I know him more for his gialli like Death Walks At Midnight and didn't know about any of this tragic business. A shame - he certainly had that 'Hollywood look'.

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  2. 7 years ago I worked with him and Aldo Sanbrell in Spain, I immediately liked him the moment I saw him,
    a great character, an unusual life with a lot of hardship . He lived for many years in a VW Bus in the alps closed to the town of Bozen (Bolzano). About 3 years ago, the town council did remember him and he was given a council flat to live in. I honor and remember him as a friend

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  3. Dan and I visited last week, while he was in Los Angeles visiting. We talked about Peter and how he was doing. Sad to see another of the great name of the genre pass. RIP

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  4. I remember some of the movies we starred, my favorite it's The Forgotten Pistolero but his quick entrance in Savage Guns is something so awkward that I'll never forget.
    RIP.

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  5. Peter Martell was one of my favorite actors that worked in the Italian Western genre.
    My personal favorites among his work are THE FORGOTTEN PISTOLERO, THE FURY OF JOHNNY KID, and TWO CROSSES AT DANGER PASS.

    Adios, Peter!
    RIP

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  6. ANYTIME A SPAGETTI WESTERN ACTOR DIED, IT HURTS ME, I LOVE SPAGETTI WESTERNS,THEY ARE THE BEST MOVIES, I GREW UP WITH THEM,SINCE I WAS A KID,GOING TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL....RIP PETER...AHMAD ALI

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  7. C'est très triste, de savoir la fin de cet
    acteur de talent, et oublié !
    Ciao grande Peter ,on ne t'oublie pas .
    Un de tes Fan Tom

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  8. Peter avait du talent, et une belle personnalité ,quelle tristesse,qu'on ait pas
    sù exploiter ce bel acteur *

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  9. Ce grand acteur ,n'a pas eu la carrière
    qu'il méritait ,dommmage* Ciao Peter
    Chris

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  10. Pietro Martellenza ( Peter Martell ) avec son visage perdu son regard tourmenté était un excellent comédien il a eu une belle prestation dans les pistoleros de l'ave maria

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