An update from Italy by the author of JONATHAN OF THE BEARS.

Lorenzo de Luca, the author of a number of books on Italian Cinema as well as the screenwriter of a number of movies, sent in this e-mail on October 28, 2013:
"Ciao Bill, come stai? As you know it is a bad moment for Italian cinema. Historical director Luigi Magni (the screenwriter of LA RAGAZZA CON LA PISTOLA and director of FAUSTINA) died yesterday at 85. Recently we'd lost Giuliano Gemma, not only an icon of Spaghetti Cinema but also a  friend of mine. We shared the same agency. He died in a car accident because of the delay of the ambulance. I went to the funeral and it was almost a Spaghetti Western reunion including Franco Nero, Bud Spencer, Terence Hill, George Hilton, Fabio Testi and several stuntmen including the Dell'Acqua Brothers.
"Neorealism director Carlo Lizzani died by suicide few days ago, at age 91. And Manolo Bolognini and Damiano Damiani has died not too far ago. Well, that's how it goes. I think the next one will be Monica Vitti, who has suffered from Alzheimer syndrome for many years.

"Talking about the living, Franco Nero recently completed an Horror movie in Montenegro titled MAMULA, that means MERMAID. About me, I wrote a two part book along with Bud Spencer that is a best seller in Germany.

"I've read that actor Tony Norton, real name Antonio Malasensi (of the two TRINITY Westerns), runs a boxing gym at age 77."