George Hilton (born Jorge Hill Acosta y Lara; 16 July 1934 – 28 July 2019)Retrospective week dedicated to George Hilton (plus 2018 studio interview)
'' Filmoteca: Movie Themes''. Retrieved 30 November 2018, Televisión Pública Argentina was a Uruguayan actor well known for his many

Spaghetti Western 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 o ...

performances. Sometimes credited as Jorge Hilton, he appeared in over 20 Euro-Westerns as well as several

giallo In Italian cinema, ''Giallo'' (; plural ''gialli'', from ''giallo'', Italian for yellow) is a genre of mystery fiction and thrillers that often contains slasher, crime fiction, psychological thriller, psychological horror, sexploitation, and, ...

and action films.

Biography

Born in

Montevideo Montevideo () is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Uruguay, largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2011 census, the city proper has a population of 1,319,108 (about one-third of the country's total population) in an area of . M ...

. He began his career working in radio. In 1955, he moved to Argentina, adopting the pseudonym Jorge Hilton. He soon began to appear in several

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...

s and film production for Argentina's domestic market. In 1963 he moved to Italy, following the footsteps of other famous South American actors such as the Argentines Jorge Rigaud and

Alberto de Mendoza Alberto Manuel Rodríguez-Gallego González de Mendoza (21 January 1923 – 12 December 2011) was an Argentine film actor who appeared in some 114 films between 1930 and 2005, spanning eight decades. A lifelong figure in Argentine films, De Mendo ...

, who were attracted by the thriving Italian film industry of the '60s. After Anglicizing his name to George, he got the lead role in ''

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 ...

'' (Il corsaro nero nell'isola del Tesoro, 1965) and appeared in the

Franco and Ciccio Franco () and Ciccio () were a comic comedy duo formed by Italian actors Franco Franchi (1928–1992) and Ciccio Ingrassia (1922–2003), particularly popular in the 1960s and 1970s. Their collaboration began in 1954 in the theater field, and e ...

Bond spoof comedy ''

Due mafiosi contro Goldginger ''Two Mafiosi Against Goldfinger '' or ''Due mafiosi contro Goldginger'' is a 1965 Eurospy comedy film directed by Giorgio Simonelli starring the comic duo Franco and Ciccio. It is a spoof of the 1964 James Bond film, '' Goldfinger''. It was pic ...

'', directed by

Giorgio Simonelli Giorgio Simonelli (14 November 1901 Birth name: Giorgio Simonelli. – 3 October 1966), was an Italian film director, editor, screenwriter and journalist. Life and career Born in Rome, Simonelli obtained a high school diploma in business stud ...

. His career in the Euro-western genre was launched by director

Lucio Fulci Lucio Fulci (; 17 June 1927 – 13 March 1996) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor. Although he worked in a wide array of genres through a career spanning nearly five decades, including comedies and Spaghetti Westerns, he garn ...

with the film ''

Massacre Time ''Massacre Time'' ( it, Le colt cantarono la morte e fu... tempo di massacro, lit=The Colt Sang Death and it was... Massacre Time) is a 1966 Italian Spaghetti Western film starring Franco Nero and George Hilton. Plot In New Mexico, Tom Corbett ...

'' (1966), starring

Franco Nero Francesco Clemente Giuseppe Sparanero (born 23 November 1941), known professionally as Franco Nero, is an Italian actor, producer, and director. His breakthrough role was as the title character in the Spaghetti Western film '' Django'' (1966), ...

, where his supporting role made him an instant icon in the genre. In 1967 he appeared to even greater effect as "Stranger" in ''

Any Gun Can Play ''Any Gun Can Play'' ( it, Vado... l'ammazzo e torno) is a 1967 spaghetti Western starring Gilbert Roland, Edd Byrnes Edward Byrne Breitenberger (July 30, 1932 – January 8, 2020), known professionally as Edd Byrnes, was an American actor, b ...

'' (also known as ''Go Kill and Come Back'') with

Edd Byrnes Edward Byrne Breitenberger (July 30, 1932 – January 8, 2020), known professionally as Edd Byrnes, was an American actor, best known for his starring role in the television series '' 77 Sunset Strip.'' He also was featured in the 1978 film '' Gr ...

and

Gilbert Roland Luis Antonio Dámaso de Alonso (December 11, 1905 – May 15, 1994), known professionally as Gilbert Roland, was a Mexican-born American film and television actor whose career spanned seven decades from the 1920s until the 1980s. He was twice no ...

. In the following year he participated in seven productions, enhancing his international reputation and garnering him significant attention, especially in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. Soon Hilton became one of the major stars of Spaghetti Westerns, eventually playing

Sartana ''Sartana'' is a series of Spaghetti Western films which follows the adventures of the title character, a gunfighter and gambler who uses mechanical gadgets and seemingly supernatural powers to trick his rivals. The series features five official ...

in the last film of the "Sartana" series, '' Sartana's Here… Trade Your Pistol for a Coffin'', after

Gianni Garko Gianni Garko (born Giovanni Garcovich; 15 July 1935), often billed as John Garko and occasionally Gary Hudson, is an Italian actor who found fame as a leading man in 1960s Spaghetti Westerns. He is perhaps best known for his lead role as Sartana ...

left the role. His most famous character is arguably that of the gunslinger Allelujah (or Hallelujah) in '' They Call Me Hallelujah'' (1971), created with director

Giuliano Carnimeo Giuliano Carnimeo (born Carmineo; 4 July 1932 – 10 September 2016) was an Italian director and screenwriter, sometimes credited as Anthony Ascott or Antony Ascot. Life and career Born in Bari, Carmineo started his career as assistant direct ...

, who also directed the sequel involving the same character ('' Return of Hallelujah'', 1972) as well as ''

Man Called Invincible ''Man Called Invincible'' ( it, Lo chiamavano Tresette... giocava sempre col morto, also known as ''They Called Him the Player with the Dead'', ''In the West There Was a Man Named Invincible'' and ''Tricky Dicky'') is a 1973 Italian Spaghetti Wes ...

'' (1973), in which Hilton played Tresette, another of his famous roles. Besides westerns, Hilton starred in numerous " gialli", mostly in the 1970s and many directed by

Sergio Martino Sergio Martino (born 19 July 1938) is an Italian film director and producer, notable for his contributions to the giallo genre. Martino is the brother of the late producer Luciano Martino (who died in 2013). They collaborated frequently in their ...

Tonino Valerii Tonino Valerii (20 May 1934 – 13 October 2016) was an Italian film director, most known for his Spaghetti Westerns. Tonino (Antonio) Valerii started his film career as an assistant director on Sergio Leone's ''A Fistful of Dollars'', before mo ...

—who directed Hilton in the classic mistery film ''

My Dear Killer ''My Dear Killer'' ( it, Mio caro assassino) is a 1972 Italian-Spanish giallo film directed by Tonino Valerii and starring George Hilton (actor), George Hilton, Marilù Tolo, Patty Shepard, Helga Line, Salvo Randone and William Berger (actor), Wil ...

'' (1972)—, as well as more conventional crime and action films after the

craze ended in the 1980s. During the 1990s, Hilton appeared mostly in television series. In his last years Hilton reduced his film appearances but nevertheless remained active, being still fondly remembered as one of the biggest stars of Italian cinema, along with

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 ...

, Franco Nero and Giuliano Gemma. His legacy as a film star also remained intact, with Hilton asked to do many interviews and retrospectives on his film career on a regular basis. On 28 July 2019, Hilton died at a clinic in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, Italy, at the age of 85, after suffering of a long undisclosed illness. The funeral was held the next day at 4.30 pm local time, at the

Santa Maria in Montesanto Santa Maria dei Miracoli and Santa Maria di Montesanto are two churches of Rome, churches in Rome. They are located on the Piazza del Popolo, facing the northern gate of the Aurelian Walls, at the entrance of Via del Corso on the square. The chu ...

Piazza del Popolo Piazza del Popolo is a large urban square in Rome. The name in modern Italian literally means "People's Square", but historically it derives from the poplars (''populus'' in Latin, ''pioppo'' in Italian) after which the church of Santa Maria del ...

Selected filmography

* (1956) * (1956) – Minor Role * (1957) * (1958) – Luis * (1960) * (1960) * (1963) * (1963) * ''

'' (1964) – Suarez * ''

Two Mafiosi Against Goldfinger ''Two Mafiosi Against Goldfinger '' or ''Due mafiosi contro Goldginger'' is a 1965 Eurospy comedy film directed by Giorgio Simonelli starring the comic duo Franco and Ciccio. It is a spoof of the 1964 James Bond film, '' Goldfinger''. It was pick ...

'' (1965) – 007 * ''

'' (1966) – Jeff 'Slim' Corbett * ''

Two Sons of Ringo ''Two Sons of Ringo'' ( it, I due figli di Ringo) is a 1966 Italian western-parody film starring the comic duo Franco and Ciccio. It was the last film directed by Giorgio Simonelli who, for health reasons, left the production just before the end of ...

'' (1966) – Joe * ''Kitosch, the Man Who Came from the North'' (1967) – David Kitosch * ''

Poker with Pistols ''Poker with Pistols'' ( it, Un poker di pistole) is a 1967 Italian Spaghetti Western film directed by Giuseppe Vari. Cast * George Hilton as Ponson * George Eastman as Lucas * Annabella Incontrera as Lola * Mimmo Palmara as Master * J ...

'' (1967) – Ponson * (1967) – Kitosch * (1967) – Teddy Jason * ''

Her Harem ''Her Harem'' ( it, L'harem, released in UK as ''The Harem'') is a 1967 Italian comedy-drama film written and directed by Marco Ferreri and starring Carroll Baker, Gastone Moschin and Renato Salvatori. Plot A woman has a number of male lovers so, ...

'' (1967) – (uncredited) * ''

'' (1967) – The Stranger / Lo Straniero / Django / - un cacciatore di taglie * ''

Halleluja for Django ''La più grande rapina del West'' (released as ''Halleluja for Django'' in the US and as ''The Greatest Kidnapping in the West'' in Great Britain) is a 1967 Italian Spaghetti Western film directed by Maurizio Lucidi. It was referred as a film ...

'' (1967) – Billy 'Rum' Cooney * ''

Red Blood, Yellow Gold ''Red Blood, Yellow Gold'' ( it, Professionisti per un massacro, es, Los profesionales de la muerte, also known as ''Professionals for a Massacre''), is a 1967 Italian-Spanish Spaghetti Western film directed by Nando Cicero. Cast * George ...

'' (1967) – Tim Dooley * ''

The Ruthless Four ''The Ruthless Four'' ( it, Ognuno per sé, lit=Everyone for Himself) is a 1968 Western film directed by Giorgio Capitani and starring Van Heflin. Cast * Van Heflin as Sam Cooper * Gilbert Roland as Mason * Klaus Kinski as Brent the Blonde ...

'' (1968) – Manolo Sanchez * ''

The Sweet Body of Deborah ''The Sweet Body of Deborah'' ( it, Il dolce corpo di Deborah) is a 1968 ''giallo'' film directed by Romolo Girolami and starring Carroll Baker and Jean Sorel. It was written by Ernesto Gastaldi based on a story by Gastaldi and producer Luciano ...

'' (1968) – Robert Simack * '' The Moment to Kill'' (1968) – Lord * '' One More to Hell'' (1968) – Johnny King * '' Trusting Is Good... Shooting Is Better'' (1968) – Glenn Reno * '' The Battle of El Alamein'' (1969) – Lt. Graham * (1969) – Captain George Bradbury * '' Salt in the Wound'' (1969) – Michael Sheppard * '' A Bullet for Sandoval'' (1969) – Corporal John Warner * (1969) – Mike Russo * ' (1970) – Sartana * ''

The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh ''The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh'' (Italian: ''Lo strano vizio della Signora Wardh'') is a 1971 ''giallo'' mystery film directed by Sergio Martino, and starring Edwige Fenech, George Hilton, Ivan Rassimov, and Alberto de Mendoza. Its plot follo ...

'' (1971) – George Corro * '' They Call Me Hallelujah'' (1971) – Alleluja * ''

The Case of the Scorpion's Tail ''The Case of the Scorpion's Tail'' (Italian: ''La coda dello scorpione'' / ''Tail of the Scorpion'') is a 1971 Italian giallo film directed by Sergio Martino, produced by Luciano Martino and co-written by Ernesto Gastaldi and Eduardo Maria Bro ...

'' (1971) – Peter Lynch * ''

The Devil Has Seven Faces ''The Devil Has Seven Faces'' ( it, Il diavolo a sette facce, also known as ''The Devil with Seven Faces'') is a 1971 Italian giallo film directed and co-written by Osvaldo Civirani. It starred George Hilton, Carroll Baker and Luciano Pigozzi. ...

'' (1972) – Tony Shane * ''

'' (1972) – Inspector Luca Peretti * ''

All the Colors of the Dark ''All the Colors of the Dark'' ( it, Tutti i colori del buio) is a 1972 ''giallo'' film directed by Sergio Martino and starring Edwige Fenech, George Hilton (actor), George Hilton and George Rigaud. The film was also released under the alternate ...

'' (1972) – Richard Steele * ''

The Two Faces of Fear ''The Two Faces of Fear'' ( it, I Due Volti della Paura) is a film directed by Tulio Demicheli. The film is an Italian and Spanish co-production between the Rome based company B.R.C. and Tecisa a Madrid based company. Cast * George Hilton as Dr. ...

'' (1972) – Dr. Roberto Carli * ''

The Case of the Bloody Iris ''The Case of the Bloody Iris'' (Italian: ''Perché quelle strane gocce di sangue sul corpo di Jennifer?'', lit. "Why those strange drops of blood on Jennifer's body?", originally released in the UK as ''Erotic Blue'') is a 1972 Italian giallo film ...

'' (1972) – Andrea Antinori * '' Return of Hallelujah'' (1972) – Alleluja * '' Holy God, Here Comes the Passatore!'' (1973) – Stefano Pelloni, il 'Passatore' * ''

'' (1973) – Tresette / Tricky Dicky * (1973) – James McDougall * '' Seven Hours of Violence'' (1973) – George Anderson * (1974) – Tresette / Tricky Dicky * ''

The Silkworm ''The Silkworm'' is a 2014 crime fiction novel by J. K. Rowling, published under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. It is the second novel in the ''Cormoran Strike'' series of detective novels and was followed by ''Career of Evil'' in 2015, ''Let ...

'' (1974) – Didier * ''

The Killer Must Kill Again ''The Killer Must Kill Again'' (Italian: ''L'assassino è costretto ad uccidere ancora'') is a 1975 Italian giallo film directed by Luigi Cozzi. Cozzi originally wanted to call the film ''Il Ragno'' (''The Spider'') but it was changed to ''The Ki ...

'' (1975) – Giorgio * ''Trinity Plus the Clown and a Guitar'' (1975) – Johnny Chitara / Johnny Guitar * '' Mark of Zorro'' (1975) – Philip Mackintosh / Don Alba de Mendoza * ''

Taxi Girl Taxi Girl were a French New wave music, new wave band, adopting the New Romantic aesthetics of the time, such as clashing red and black clothing, synthesizer-led songs, and taking influence from mythology and literature. The group existed betwe ...

'' (1977) – Ramon * ''

El Macho ''El Macho'' (also known as ''Macho Killers'') is a 1977 Italian-Argentine Spaghetti Western film written and directed by Marcello Andrei and starring Carlos Monzón, George Hilton, Malisa Longo and Susana Giménez. Synopsis Kid El Macho, an ...

'' (1977) – Hidalgo, the Duke * ''

Sweetly You'll Die Through Love ''Sweetly You'll Die Through Love'' (Spanish:''Dulcemente morirás por amor'' or ''La llamada del sexo'') is a 1977 thriller film directed by Tulio Demicheli and starring Andrés Garcia, Rossy Mendoza and George Hilton (actor), George Hilton.King ...

'' (1977) – Carlos * ''

Double Game ''Double Game'', also known as ''Violent Turin'' (in original Italian, ''Torino violenta''), is a 1977 ''poliziotteschi'' film. The film is directed by Carlo Ausino and stars George Hilton.NoShame DVD Case, 2005. Last accessed: September 2008. ...

'' (1977) – Insp. Ugo Moretti * '' Blazing Flowers'' (1978) – Commissioner Morani * (1979) * (1981) – Capo Terrorista Boodoostano * ''

Don't Play with Tigers ''Don't Play with Tigers'' (Italian: ''Ricchi, ricchissimi... praticamente in mutande'') is a 1982 Italian comedy film directed by Sergio Martino. Plot Three segments. Cesare Domenichini is a poor man who, to bring the family to the sea, builds ...

'' (1982) – Prince Omar Abdul Yussef El Rahid * '' The Secret Nights of Lucrezia Borgia'' (1982) – Duccio * ''

The Atlantis Interceptors ''The Atlantis Interceptors'' ( it, I predatori di Atlantide, lit=Predators of Atlantis; also released as ''Raiders of Atlantis'') is a 1983 Italian science fiction film directed by Ruggero Deodato and starring Christopher Connelly, Gioia Scola, ...

'' (1983) – Professor Peter Saunders * ''

College A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering ...

'' (1984) * '' Dinner with a Vampire'' (1989, TV Series) – Jurek * ''Double Game'' (1989) * ''

'' (1990, TV Series) – Colonnello Madison * (1993) – Alfredo * (1994) – Miccichè * ''

Fireworks Fireworks are a class of Explosive, low explosive Pyrotechnics, pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a l ...

'' (1997) – Gerard de la Fasse * ''Cient' anne'' (1999) – Mauro De Angelis * ''Killer's Playlist'' (2006) – Commissario * ''

Natale in crociera ''Natale in crociera'' () is a 2007 Italian comedy film directed by Neri Parenti Neri Parenti (born 26 April 1950, in Florence) is an Italian film director and writer. He is known for comedy films, including the series starring Paolo Villaggio ...

'' (2007) – Comandante della Nave

References

External links

* *
"Tiempo de masacre/Massacre Time" (Le colt cantarono la morte e fu... tempo di massacro – 1966) and studio interview with George Hilton
27 Nov 2018, Filmoteca, Film Themes (on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

) 1934 births 2019 deaths Expatriate male actors in Italy Male Spaghetti Western actors Male actors from Montevideo Uruguayan male film actors English male film actors 20th-century Uruguayan male actors {{Uruguay-actor-stub