Tony Kendall (22 August 1936 – 28 November 2009) was an Italian model turned film actor with over 50 film credits that reflect the trends of popular European cinema in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.

Biography

Born as Luciano Stella, Kendall was formerly a model for Italian

Fumetti Photo comics are a form of sequential storytelling that uses photographs rather than illustrations for the images, along with the usual comics conventions of narrative text and word balloons containing dialogue. They are sometimes referred to ...

, comics done in photographs.Blake, Matt, ''The Europspy Guide'', Luminary Press (2004) He changed his name to Tony Kendall at the suggestion of

Vittorio De Sica Vittorio De Sica ( , ; 7 July 1901 – 13 November 1974) was an Italian film director and actor, a leading figure in the Italian neorealism, neorealist movement. Four of the films he directed won Academy Awards: ''Shoeshine (film), Sciuscià ...

in the fashion of many Italian actors whose films were shown in countries outside of Italy in the days when European films proliferated. Stella made his film debut in '' Femmine Tre Volte'' in 1959 but didn't make another appearance until he used his new name of Tony Kendall in '' Brennus, Enemy of Rome'' (1963) one of the

sword and sandal Sword-and-sandal, also known as peplum (pepla plural), is a subgenre of largely Italian-made historical, mythological, or Biblical epics mostly set in the Greco-Roman antiquity or the Middle Ages. These films attempted to emulate the big-budge ...

craze of films popular in the early 1960s. Kendall is most famous for his various teamings with

Brad Harris Bradford Harris (July 16, 1933 – November 7, 2017) was an American actor, stuntman, and executive producer. He appeared in a variety of roles in over 50 films, mostly in European productions. He was an inductee in the Stuntman's Hall of Fame ...

, with the two predating

Terence Hill Terence Hill (born Mario Girotti; 29 March 1939) is an Italian actor, film director, screenwriter and producer. He began his career as a child actor and gained international fame for starring roles in action and comedy films, many with longtim ...

and

Bud Spencer Carlo Pedersoli (31 October 1929 – 27 June 2016), known professionally as Bud Spencer, was an Italian actor, professional swimmer and water polo player. He was known for action-comedy and Spaghetti Western roles with his long-time film partn ...

as a popular and prolific action team. In the derivative world of the European cinema of the 1960s, Kendall and Harris first teamed up in two sauerkraut western films "inspired" by the successful German Karl May Winnetou series with Harris as a

Lex Barker Alexander Crichlow Barker Jr. (May 8, 1919 – May 11, 1973), known as Lex Barker, was an American actor. He was known for playing Tarzan for RKO Pictures between 1949 and 1953, and portraying leading characters from Karl May's novels, notably a ...

clone and Kendall as a Native American "Chief Black Eagle" in ''

The Pirates of the Mississippi ''The Pirates of the Mississippi'' (German: ''Die Flußpiraten vom Mississippi'') is a Western film directed by Jürgen Roland and starring Hansjörg Felmy, Brad Harris and Sabine Sinjen. A Eurowestern, it was a co-production between West Germ ...

'' (1963) and ''

Black Eagle of Santa Fe ''Black Eagle of Santa Fe'' (german: Die Schwarzen Adler von Santa Fe) is a 1965 West German and Italian international co-production western film directed by Alberto Cardone and Ernst Hofbauer. Story Ranch workers disguised as soldiers murder I ...

'' (1965). With the international success of the

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors hav ...

films and the German

Jerry Cotton Jerry Cotton is the fictional character in a series of pulp magazine-type crime novels. The novels have been written by many different writers in German-speaking countries and in Finland over the course of several decades. Overview The novel ...

series, Kendall became best known for his role as

private detective A private investigator (often abbreviated to PI and informally called a private eye), a private detective, or inquiry agent is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private investigators of ...

Joe Walker in the seven films of the

Eurospy Eurospy film, or Spaghetti spy film (when referring to Italian-produced films in the genre), is a genre of spy films produced in Europe, especially in Italy, France, and Spain, that either sincerely imitated or else parodied the British James ...

Kommissar X Kommissar X or Commissioner X is a German crime fiction series of books from the Pabel Moewig publishing house. "Kommissar X" is a private detective named Joe Louis Walker who was a counterpart of the German crime fiction FBI Special Agent Jerry ...

series where he played opposite

in the role of New York Police

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Tom Rowland. The popularity of ''

Batman (TV series) ''Batman'' is an American live action television series, based on the DC Comics character of the same name. It stars Adam West as Bruce Wayne / Batman and Burt Ward as Dick Grayson / Robin – two crime-fighting heroes who defend Gotham City ...

'' led to Harris and Kendall appearing in ''

The Three Fantastic Supermen ''The Three Fantastic Supermen'' ( it, I fantastici tre supermen) is a 1967 superhero film directed by Gianfranco Parolini. The film was the first in a series of Three Supermen films. Cast * Luciano Stella as Tony * Brad Harris as Brad McCallum * ...

'' (1967) the first in a long series that had stunt work performed by a young

Jackie Chan Fang Shilong (born 7 April 1954), known professionally in English as Jackie Chan and in Chinese as Cheng Long ( zh, c=成龍, j=Sing4 Lung4; "becoming the dragon"), is a Hong Kong actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and stuntman known for ...

(“The Three Fantastic Supermen in the Orient”). Kendall has prominently appeared in other varieties of European cinema in the 1960s and 1970s such as

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horror (''

The Whip and the Body ''The Whip and the Body'' ( it, La frusta e il corpo) is a 1963 gothic horror film directed by Mario Bava under the alias "John M. Old". The film is about Kurt Menliff (Christopher Lee) who is ostracized by his father for his relationship with a ...

'', 1963),

spaghetti westerns The Spaghetti Western is a broad subgenre of Western films produced in Europe. It emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's film-making style and international box-office success. The term was used by foreign critics because most of ...

(as Django in '' Django Against Sartana'', 1970, and ''Gunman of 100 Crosses'', 1971), crime movies such as '' Machine Gun McCain'' (1969), and adventure films such as '' Oil!'' (1977). He also appeared in European versions of women in prison (''

The Big Bust Out ''The Big Bust Out'' is the US title of an Italian women in prison film, ''The Crucified Girls of San Ramon'' ''(Io Monaca... per tre Carogne e Sette Peccatrici)''. The US rights were bought by Roger Corman for New World Pictures, who cut out 20 ...

'', 1972),

zombie A zombie ( Haitian French: , ht, zonbi) is a mythological undead corporeal revenant created through the reanimation of a corpse. Zombies are most commonly found in horror and fantasy genre works. The term comes from Haitian folklore, in w ...

horror (''

Return of the Blind Dead ''Return of the Blind Dead'', also known as ''The Return of the Evil Dead'' and ''El ataque de los muertos sin ojos'' (literal translation: ''Attack of the Eyeless Dead''), is a 1973 Spanish horror film written and directed by Amando de Ossorio. T ...

'', 1973), and films inspired by ''

The Godfather ''The Godfather'' is a 1972 American crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mario Puzo, based on Puzo's best-selling 1969 novel of the same title. The film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caa ...

'' (''

Corleone Corleone (; scn, Cunigghiuni or ) is an Italian town and ''comune'' of roughly 11,158 inhabitants in the Metropolitan City of Palermo, in Sicily. Several Mafia bosses have come from Corleone, including Tommy Gagliano, Gaetano Reina, Jack ...

'', 1978). Aside from an appearance in ''Alex l'ariete'' (2000), Kendall's last film role was in ''On the Dark Continent'' in 1993.

Partial filmography

*''Femmine tre volte'' (1957) *''

'' (1963) - Christian Menliff *''

'' (1963) - Schwarzer Adler *'' Brennus, Enemy of Rome'' (1963) - Quinto Fabio *'' The Hyena of London'' (1964) - Henry *''

The Masked Man Against the Pirates ''The Masked Man Against the Pirates'' ( it, L'uomo mascherato contro i pirati and on some Italian prints as L'Uomo Mascherato Contro Il Corsaro Nero) is a 1964 Italian pirate swashbuckler film co-written and directed by Vertunnio De Angelis and ...

'' (1964) - Captain Ruiz *''

'' (1965) - Chief Black Eagle *'' Serenade for Two Spies'' (1965) - Pepino *''

Kiss Kiss, Kill Kill ''Kiss Kiss, Kill Kill'' (german: Kommissar X – Jagd auf Unbekannt, it, 12 donne d'oro, also known as ''Hunting The Unknown'' and ''Kiss Kiss... Kill Kill'') is a Eurospy film written and directed by Gianfranco Parolini who also wrote lyrics ...

'' (1966) - Jo Louis Walker / 'Kommissar X' *'' Kommissar X – Drei gelbe Katzen'' (1966) - Jo Walker / Kommissar X *''

Kommissar X – In den Klauen des goldenen Drachen ''Kommissar X – In den Klauen des goldenen Drachen'' (In the Claws of the Golden Dragon) (English title:''So Darling So Deadly'') is a 1966 Eurospy film co-written and directed by Gianfranco Parolini and starring Tony Kendall and Brad Harris. I ...

'' (1966) - Jo Walker / Kommissar X *''

'' (1967) - Tony *''

Kommissar X – Drei grüne Hunde ''Kommissar X Drei grüne Hunde'', it, Strategic command chiama Jo Walker, also known as ''Death Trip'' and ''Kill Me Gently'' is a 1967 West German-Italian-French-Lebanese-Hungarian international co-production Eurospy film written, co-produced ...

'' (1967) - Jo Walker / Kommissar X *''I criminali della metropoli'' (1967) - Sergente Perier *''Kommissar X - Drei blaue Panther'' (1968) - Jo Walker / Kommissar X *'' Machine Gun McCain'' (1969) - Pete Zacari *''

Kommissar X – Drei goldene Schlangen ''Kommissar X – Drei goldene Schlangen'' (translation: ''Commissioner X: Three Golden Snakes'') is a 1969 international co-production Eurospy film directed by Roberto Mauri and starring Tony Kendall and Brad Harris that was shot in Thailand. ...

'' (1969) - Jo Walker / Kommissar X *''

Hate Is My God ''Hate Is My God'' ( it, L'odio è il mio Dio, german: Il Nero - Haß war sein Gebet, also known as ''Hatred of God'') is a 1969 Italian-German Spaghetti Western film directed by Claudio Gora. Cast * Tony Kendall: "Il Nero" / Carl * Carlo ...

'' (1969) - Il Nero / Carl *''Komm, süßer Tod'' (1969) - Nino *'' Django Defies Sartana'' (1970) - Django *''Fighters from Ave Maria'' (1970) - John *''Crepa padrone, crepa tranquillo'' (1970) *''Brother Outlaw'' (1971) - Dakota *''In the Eye of the Hurricane'' (1971) - Miguel *''Gunman of One Hundred Crosses'' (1971) - Santana / Sartana / Django *''

Tiger Gang The Tiger Gang (german: Kommissar X jagt die roten Tiger) is a 1971 Kommissar X Eurospy film directed by Harald Reinl that was an international co-production between West Germany and Italy. Cast * Tony Kendall as Jo Louis Walker * Brad Harris a ...

'' (1971) - Jo Louis Walker / 'Kommissar X' *''Cerco de terror'' (1972) - Andrew *''Blood Story'' (1972) - Abraham French *''

'' (1972) - Jeff *'' The Loreley's Grasp'' (1973) - Sigurd, the Hunter *''La ragazza fuoristrada'' (1973) - Carlo *''Li chiamavano i tre moschettieri... invece erano quattro'' (1973) - D'Artagnan *''

'' (1973) - Jack Marlowe *''

La dernière bourrée à Paris ''La dernière bourrée à Paris'' is a 1973 French comedy film, directed by Raoul André. Plot Berthe who live a too peaceful life is fascinated by the film Brando loves in Last Tango in Paris. From there, she saw only through the eyes of the he ...

'' (1973) - Victor *''I giochi proibiti dell'Aretino Pietro'' (1973) - Bitto Ranieri (segment "The Trick") / Fra' Luce (segment "The Miracle") *''La notte dell'ultimo giorno'' (1973) - Beppe Banti *''Bruna, formosa, cerca superdotato'' (1973) - Giovanni Pizzolla *'' The Loreley's Grasp'' (1975) - Pietro Rossini *'' Oil!'' (1977) - Tony *''

Yeti The Yeti ()"Yeti"
''

Zanna Bianca e il grande Kid'' (1977) - Franky James *''

'' (1978) - Salvatore Sperlazzo *''

Cop or Hood ''Cop or Hood'' (french: Flic ou voyou) is a 1979 French crime and action film directed by Georges Lautner. It's loosely based on the novel ''L'Inspecteur de la mer'' by Michel Grisolia. Plot Stanislas Borowitz is a divisional commissioner fro ...

'' (1979) - Rey *''

Le Guignolo ''Le Guignolo'' is a 1980 French-Italian comedy film directed by Georges Lautner. The title is Italian prison slang for a "third-rate crook." Plot The swindler Alexander Dupre (Jean-Paul Belmondo) is released from prison ahead of schedule for go ...

'' (1980) - Fredo *''

Delitto sull'autostrada ''Delitto sull'autostrada'' (''Crime on the Highway'') is a 1982 Italian "poliziottesco"- comedy film directed by Bruno Corbucci. It is the ninth chapter in the Nico Giraldi film series starring Tomas Milian. Plot Rome, Italy early 1980s. Nico ...

'' (1982) - Mr. Tarquini *''

Attila flagello di Dio ''Attila flagello di Dio'' ("Attila Scourge of God") is a 1982 Italian Comedy film written and directed by Castellano e Pipolo. Cast * Diego Abatantuono as Attila * Mauro Di Francesco as Tartufo * Rita Rusic as Uraia * Angelo Infanti as ...

'' (1982) - Serpicio * ''

Death Stone ''Death Stone'' (german: Der Stein des Todes) is a 1987 German- Sri-Lankan action film directed by Franz Josef Gottlieb and starring Albert Fortell, Heather Thomas, Elke Sommer, and Brad Harris. It was also released as ''Perahera'' and ''Jungle ...

'' (1987) - Miguel Gomez *''Thrilling Love'' (1989) - Alberto Stuart *''

The Rubber Wall ''The Rubber Wall'' ( it, Il muro di gomma) is a 1991 Italian drama film directed by Marco Risi. The film, which deals with the crash of Itavia Flight 870, entered the competition at the 48th Venice International Film Festival.Edoardo Pittalis, Rob ...

'' (1991) - Colonnello Aeronautica *''Nel continente nero'' (1993) - Ernesto *''Alex l'ariete'' (2000) - Comandante *''Voce del verbo amore'' (2007) - Ettore

Death

Tony Kendall died in a hospital in Trigoria, Rome, Italy on 28 November 2009, aged 73, from an undisclosed illness.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kendall, Tony 1936 births 2009 deaths Italian male film actors Male actors from Rome Male Spaghetti Western actors People of Lazian descent