Francesco Narducci: still photographer & bit part actor

Francesco Narducci has served as a still photographer on numerous Italian films - everything from classy gialli like The Case of the Scorpion Tales (1971) to more cheesy ones like Delirium (1987), to silly sex comedies like A Policewoman in New York (1981) and even silly caveman films like The Ironmaster (1983).

But in additon to his job as a still photographer, Narducci also took on a lot of (usually uncredited) bit part roles in the films he worked on. Typically, he would play a police photographer who photographs a crime scene. This basically just required him to do his normal job of taking pictures. However, he also had a few bigger speaking roles in which he didn't play photographers. Director like Sergio Martino, Umberto Lenzi and Giuliano Carnimeo all gave Narducci a chance to strecth his acting muscles in several films. Some of his more memorable parts include the father with the little girl in the car who is cold-bloodedly shot to death by two escaped convicts in Martino's The Violent Professionals (1973), and the receptionist at the Hotel Presidente in Lenzi's idiotic giallo Eyeball (1975), in which he appears in several scenes.

No doubt, Francesco Narducci has popped up in many more films - probably together with his camera. Meanwhile, here are a couple of pictures from his acting roles - both with and without his camera:

Narducci as the bartender in Umberto Lenzi's western Pistol for a Hundred Coffins (1968)

Narducci photographing a crime scene in The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh (1970)

Handy with the camera again in Giuliano Carnimeo's The Case of the Bloody Iris (1971)

Narducci and child actress Susanna Melandri in The Violent Professionals (1973)

Narducci with the one and only Edwige Fenech in Carnimeo's Secrets of a Call Girl (1973)

Francesco Narducci plays his largest role in Lenzi's Eyeball (1975)

Taking pictures of yet another crime scene in Lenzi's Syndicate Sadists (1975)

Narducci as a British military man in Tonino Ricci's Panic (1982)

Camille Keaton's Unknown Euro-Adventures

As we all know, American actress Camille Keaton had a career appearing in several Italian exploitation films before returning to America for her notorious performance in I Spit on Your Grave (1978).

Camille got her first big roles in Italian films in 1972, when she appeared in stuff like Decameron II, Tragic Ceremony and of course What Have You Done to Solange? She was also a Playmen centerfold that same year.

But did you know that she also appeared in two gialli directed by Umberto Lenzi? Yup, that's right. In 1971, before getting her big break, Camille was apparently a day player and served as a background actress in a couple of films.

If you look closely, you can spot her in Lenzi's An Ideal Place to Kill (1971) where she is one of the girls looking on during a tennis match early in the film. Actually, we don't even see all of her face but those eyes are unmistakable!

Blink and you'll miss Camille's haunting eyes in An Ideal Place to Kill

Camille can also be seen in Lenzi's Seven Blood-Stained Orchids (made in 1971 - released in 1972) as one of the hippie girls at Bruno Corazzari's apartment. She is seen lying on a bed with a boyfriend, and can also be glimpsed in the background later in this sequence.

Hippie-Camille

I'm guessing she also did other tiny roles around the same time but I don't know of any specific examples. Yet...!

Unknown Actor #1: "Old Boxer's Nose"

Ever seen this guy in a film before? No? Well, chances are that you have, but perhaps without noticing him.

The above picture is taken from the Italian spy-thriller TV mini series Notturno (1982), where the man in the picture plays an uncredited part as a C.I.A. man. As I watched this characteristic white-haired guy with a boxer's nose, I strongly felt as if I'd seen him somewhere before. Don't you just hate that? Knowing you've seen an actor before but not being able to remember where you've seen him...

Well, as time has passed, I've come to spot this man in lots of other films dating all the way from 1967 to 1995 but I still don't have a clue as to who he is. It would seem, though, that he was a regular bit player at Cinecittà. He has appeared in several small non-speaking parts or been a background actor, but he has also taken on a few bigger roles where he gets to speak some dialogue.

If you keep your eyes peeled, you may recognize him as one of the cops during the hostage situation in Ruggero Deodato's Live Like a Cop, Die Like a Man (1976), an orderly at the asylum in Joe D'Amato's Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals (1977), one of the German officers on the train in Enzo G. Castellari's The Inglorious Bastards (1977) or as one of the military officers in Umberto Lenzi's Nightmare City (1980) just to mention a few notable titles.


Some pictures of this enigmatic actor's various acting roles:

Master Stroke (1967)

It Takes a Thief (TV series), episode: "The King of Thieves" (1969)


Autopsy (1973)

C.I.A. Secret Story (1975)

Live Like a Cop, Die Like a Man (1976)

SS Girls (1976)

Il... Belpaese (1977)

Emanuelle Around the World (1977)

Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals (1977)

The Inglorious Bastards (1977)

They Called Him Bulldozer (1978)

The New Godfathers (1979)

Nightmare City (1980)

Lion of the Desert (1981)

Wettlauf nach Bombay (1981), a European TV mini series

Robot Jox (1989)

Witness Run (1995)

In addition to being in films, this actor has also appeared in fotoromanzi (photo novels). I am not sure how many of these he may have done as I have only found him in one so far. Below are some pictures from one a Killing photo novel from 1967, in which this actor has a small role as a cop:

Obviously, this list of acting appearences is incomplete. This guy must have appeared in numerous other films. If you know of any other films he appears in or, better yet, know his name, then please speak up. It is my big hope to able to identify him one day but for the time-being, I'm just going to nick-name him "Old Boxer's Nose".

Nestore Cavaricci

Nestore Cavaricci in Umberto Lenzi's The Cynic, the Rat & the Fist (1977)

Throughout his long-lasting career in Italian cinema, bit part actor Nestore Cavaricci was only credited onscreen in three films: Sette donne d'oro contro due 07 (1966) and Le sette cinesi d'oro (1967), both of which saw very limited release outside of Italy, and Umberto Lenzi's enjoyable giallo Seven Blood-Stained Orchids (1971).

But Cavaricci actually acted uncredited in a large number of other films too. His roles were always small, though he occasionally got to play a few larger roles where he appeared in a couple of scenes, like in Armando Crispino's giallo The Estruscan Kills Again (1972). In most of his films, however, Cavaricci only appeared in a single scene, and often he was simply a background actor with no dialogue.

Nevertheless, Nestore Cavaricci's characteristic face is instantly recognizable once you start to notice him. In many ways, he's like one of those omnipresent J&B bottles - once you notice them, you'll start spotting them everywhere.

I myself, first grew aware of Signor Cavaricci through watching the violent police films of Umberto Lenzi because throughout most of the 1970s, Cavaricci appeared nearly every single Lenzi film - playing cops in about 90% of them. In addition to The Cynic, the Rat & the Fist (pictured above), Cavaricci can be seen in the following Lenzi films:

.

An Ideal Place to Kill (1971):

.

Seven Blood-Stained Orchids (1971):

Spasmo (1974):
.

Eyeball (1974):

Syndicate Sadists (1975):

.

Manhunt in the City (1975):

Violent Naples (1976):

.

The Tough Ones (1976):

Free Hand for a Tough Cop (1976):

.

Pretty impressive but this is just the beginning. Cavaricci must have loved playing cops because he donned the carabinieri uniform in a bunch of other films too:

Gang War in Naples (1972):

.

The Red Queen Kills Seven Times (1972):

The Estruscan Kills Again (1972):

Special Killers (1973):

.

Live Like a Cop, Die Like a Man (1976):

Emanuelle Around the World (1977):

.

The Heroin Busters (1977):

Of course, Cavaricci didn't always play cops. He can also pops up in a bunch of other roles in films such as these:

The War of the Planets (1966):

The Bird With the Crystal Plumage (1969):

Crucified Girls of San Remon (1972):

War Goddess (1974):

The Last Desperate Hours (1974):

C.I.A. Secret Story (1975):

Emanuelle in America (1976):

Colt 38 Special Squad (1976):

The Big Racket (1976):

SS Camp 5 - Women's Hell (1976):

L'ultimo guappo (1978):

Unfortunately, Nestore Cavaricci's film career stops here. Or at least I haven't been able to find him in any films made after 1978 but he may of course still have continued his career.

In addition to acting in films, Cavaricci also had another career as an actor in fotoromanzi (photo novels). From 1975 to 1982 he played suporting parts in numerous fotoromanzi. Here are some pics from one where he plays a taxi driver:

This is probably just the icing on the cake as I'm certain that Nestore Cavaricci has appeared in numerous other films. The volume of his filmography is yet to be discovered but keeing an eye out for this ubiqituous face is always fun.

There are also other similar bit part actors who have appeared uncredited in a huge amount of films. People like Giuseppe Marrocco, Lina Franchi, Filippo & Anna Maria Perego, Bruno Alias, Antonio Anelli, Alba Maiolini and several others who I have still not been able to identify. More on all of these people later...