Rik Battaglia Movies
An Italian lead and supporting actor in international films, Battaglia has appeared onscreen from the '50s. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1985
- PG
Neither the idiotic title Detective School Dropouts nor the film's alternate cognomen Dumb Dicks are worthy of this easy-to-take crime comedy. David Landsberg stars as a likeable schlemiel who is addicted to detective stories. He links up with down-and-out gumshoe Lorin Dreyfuss (brother of Richard--and also, with David Landsberg, the co-writer of this film), hoping that some of Dreyfuss' so-called expertise will rub off on him. This far-from-dynamic duo soon find themselves embroiled in an Italian family feud, a kidnapping, and a murder charge. One of the few Golan/Globus films to lose money, Detective School Dropouts has happily found an enthusiastic audience thanks to multiple cable-TV showings. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Landsberg, Lorin Dreyfuss, (more)
- 1976
In this sexpolitation effort directed by Bito Albertini, a British pilot is assaulted by a gang of hoodlums and left on the street. He's eventually taken to a hospital, where he is nursed back to health by Dr. Emy Wong, a beautiful Asian physician. As the pilot is restored to full health, he becomes increasingly infatuated with Emy, and his passion is not dulled when he learns she has been pledged by her family to marry a man she has yet to meet. Il Mondo Dei Sensi de Emy Wong was later rereleased under the title Yellow Emanuelle; while the film has nothing to do with any of the Emanuelle pictures, Albertini did direct two installments in the Emanuelle Nera series. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1975
An amiable con man sets out to land a big score from a man even less honorable than himself in this comic spaghetti western. Joe Thanks (Terence Hill) is a swindler and quick-draw artist who wanders into a dusty little town after literally falling out of a stagecoach while asleep. After besting card-sharp Doc Foster (Klaus Kinski) in a public shootout, Joe reconnects with his old friend Steam Engine Bill (Robert Charlebois), who is traveling with his beautiful but dizzy-headed girlfriend Lucy (Miou-Miou). Joe has learned that Major Cabot (Patrick McGoohan), an officer in the U.S. Cavalry, is escorting a $300,000 fortune that's been earmarked for Indian relief efforts; however, Cabot has no intention of actually delivering the cash, so Joe hatches a scheme to take it for himself. Bill, who bears a slight resemblance to Cabot, will pose as the officer and intercept the money, but when Bill and Lucy are found out and jailed, Joe must come to their rescue. While his name does not appear in the credits, Sergio Leone is said to have co-produced Un Genio, Due Compari, Un Pollo (aka A Genius, Two Partners, and a Dupe) and directed the pre-credit sequence, with Damiano Damiani helming the rest of the picture and receiving screen credit. In Germany, the film was released as Nobody ist der Grosste (aka Nobody is the Greatest) and marketed as an unofficial sequel to Il Mio Nome e Nessuno (aka My Name Is Nobody). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Miou-Miou, Robert Charlebois, (more)
- 1973
This French film is one of the many efforts to film Jules Verne's novel, Mysterious Island. Here Captain Nemo is Omar Sharif, a seriously misanthropic man, who hides near a tropical island in his fabulous submarine. Flying in on a balloon are a number of refugees from a military dictatorship. The heroes of the story escape as Nemo battles pirates and an erupting volcano. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Omar Sharif, Philippe Nicaud, (more)
- 1972
- PG
This Yukon adventure is yet another telling of Jack London's tale of a prospector and his loyal sled dog as they battle avaricious villains during their search for gold. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Franco Nero, Virna Lisi, (more)
Originally titled Giù la Testa, Duck, You Sucker! is a Mexican-revolution yarn, filmed in Italy by spaghetti Western maven Sergio Leone. James Coburn is top-billed as John H. Mallory, an Irish soldier of fortune with a penchant for explosives. Rod Steiger plays Juan Miranda, another mercenary who wants to utilize Mallory's specialty to blast into a bank. Despite his avaricious intentions, Miranda becomes a hero when the hole he blows in the bank wall frees dozens of political prisoners. Duck, You Sucker originally ran 150 minutes, with U.S. release prints heavily trimmed. Taking into consideration the previous "Man With No Name" films masterminded by Leone, the distributors of Duck, You Sucker! reissued the film as A Fistful of Dynamite. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rod Steiger, James Coburn, (more)
Director Ken Annakin and an international cast including Charlton Heston and George Eastman try to breath life into Jack London's often-filmed wilderness adventure. The story follows the adventures of John Thornton (Heston) and Pete (Raimund Harmstorf) as they brawl their way through the Alaskan wilderness mushing around in dog sleds and hunting for gold. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charlton Heston, Raimund Harmstorf, (more)
- 1972
Based on the Restoration-era play by John Ford, the Italian 'Tis a Pity She's a Whore (Addio, Fratello Cruelle) stars Charlotte Rampling as the much-put-upon Annabella. Involved in an incestuous relationship with her own brother, Annabella becomes pregnant. This necessitates a quick marriage of convenience to nobleman Soranzo (Fabio Testi). Upon finding out who's responsible for Annabella's plight, Soranzo flies off into a murderous rage. Before you blame the "liberated" 1970s for the racier aspects of 'Tis a Pity She's a Whore, please remember that the source material is 300 years old. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
This 1972 international production of Treasure Island is one of many film versions of the classic adventure by Robert Louis Stevenson. Kim Burfield plays Jim Hawkins, a young man who works at a pub with his mother (Maria Rohm). When drunken old sailor Billy Bones (Lionel Stander) comes in for a drink and dies, Jim gets his hands on an old pirate's treasure map. He then enlists the help of Squire Trelawney (Walter Slezak) and Dr. Livesey (Angel DelPozo) to join him locate the island on the map. They join the ship lead by Captain Smollett (Rik Battaglia). The ship's cook, Long John Silver (Orson Welles), has convinced the rest of the crew to organize a mutiny in order to keep the riches for themselves. This adaptation of Treasure Island was released in several different language versions, each with a different director. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Orson Welles, Kim Burfield, (more)
- 1971
The Count of Besacon is sent out to rescue the sons of the King of France from Arab pirates in this adventure film. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1968
In this spaghetti western, two adventurous G-men masquerade as arms smugglers and sneak into a gang. When one of them returns home, he finds his parents have been murdered and his sister brutally raped. Now he rides out for revenge and bloody mayhem ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1966
In this western, a brave cowboy and his loyal partner Winnetou agree to help Mexican villagers defend their home from a vicious bandito gang. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rod Cameron, Pierre Brice, (more)
- 1965
An adventurer recruits several pirates to help him rescue both his girl and the gold stolen from him by a scheming politician. The Italian film is dubbed into English. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
Known in U.S. distribution as Nightmare Castle, this eerie Gothic thriller offers two Barbara Steeles for the price of one. Steele first portrays the wife of a deranged scientist (Paul Muller) whose latest experiments involve electro-stimulation of human blood. When the mad doctor discovers his wife is having an affair, he tortures, disfigures and kills her alongside her lover, then removes and preserves the hearts of the victims, using their blood to restore youth and beauty to his own lover. When the madman discovers that his late wife left all her wealth to her mentally unstable sister (Steele again, a blonde this time), he quickly sets about courting and marrying the poor girl, then proceeds to drive her completely mad in order to inherit her fortune. It may be an easier task than he predicted -- too easy for comfort, in fact -- since the honeymoon is attended by the spectral presence of the murdered lovers who have risen from their own ashes to avenge their deaths. This film's pervasive feeling of impending doom is aided by shadowy, low-contrast cinematography and a robust score from Ennio Morricone, and features a riveting performance from Steele, whose large eyes pierce the screen with dangerous beauty. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- 1965
American actor Lex Barker and Frenchman Pierre Brice are teamed once again in the Teutonic western Winnetou, Part III. The noble Indian Winnetou and his friend Old Shatterhand battle settlers who have been duped by an unscrupulous land grabber into a war with the Apaches. They team up against the scheming Rollins (Rik Battaglia) who initially causes the controversy. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lex Barker, Pierre Brice, (more)
- 1965
In this Italian swashbuckler ruthless pirates threaten the rule of the Doge of Venice. Fortunately, his brave son puts on a mask, calls himself "The Lion of St. Mark," and rallies together a regiment of mercenaries to stop them. After a few skirmishes with the pirates, the Lion finds himself falling in love for a female pirate. When his mercenaries capture her, he must save her. The grateful woman offers her thanks, but refuses to give up on her pirates. When she learns the Lion's real identity, she rethinks her position. Meanwhile the pirates are vanquished, and the hero's uncle adopts the pirate woman so that she and his nephew may continue their courtship. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1964
Kara Ben Nemai (Lex Barker) is a German adventurer who sets out to find the villainous Yellow Devil who has been terrorizing the residents of Monte Negro. When Kara learns the mystery man is posing as a prosperous carpet merchant, he chases his adversary over the scenic mountains of Yugoslavia. Several gun battles and fist fights occur as Kara tries to capture the criminal. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lex Barker, Ralf Wolter, (more)
- 1964
In this western, a cowboy gathers together a rag tag gang to help him exact revenge upon the villainous outlaws who slaughtered his ma and pa. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1964
A governor and a pirate captain each view a beautiful Indian heiress as the object of his desire in this film set against the backdrop of New World colonization by Spain. ~ All Movie Guide
