Rik Battaglia
Encyclopedia
Rik Battaglia is a retired Italian
film actor. He was born at Corbola
, near Rovigo
, Veneto
.
He used mainly the stage name of Rik Battaglia although alternate names he used for his films were also Rick Austin, Riccardo Battaglia and Rick Battaglia. He would go on to appear in over 100 films from the 1955 to 1999. He went to sea at the age of 17 and worked on a freighter. He was discovered in a bar and producer Carlo Ponti
hired him on the spot and signed to his first film in 1955's La donna del fiume, directed by Mario Soldati
and opposite Sophia Loren
. He played a cigarette smuggler who has a tempestuous love affair with a young and sexy Sophia Loren
(Ponti’s wife) in hot pants.
He then took two years of drama classes and subsequently appeared in a number of costume and sword and sandal films. He played supporting parts in the Peplums (Sandal and sword epics) La Gerusalemme liberata/The Mighty Crusaders (1958, Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia
), and Annibale/Hannibal (1959, Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia
, Edgar G. Ulmer). In Germany he appeared as a slave merchant in the Liane-sequel Jungle Girl and the Slaver (1957, Hermann Leitner), and he was seen in the Hollywood adventure Raw Wind in Eden (1958, Richard Wilson). Rik Battaglia also played in La giornata balorda (1961, by Mauro Bolognini
) and in the biblical epic Sodom and Gomorrah (1962, by Robert Aldrich
). He appeared in several adventure films as Sandokan, la tigre di Mompracem (1963, Umberto Lenzi
).
He became a regular in the Karl May films and, as a villain, in the Spaghetti western genre. Some of his roles include those in Old Shatterhand
(1963), Die Pyramide des Sonnengottes (1965), Das Vermächtnis des Inka (1965), Black Jack (1968), Winnetou und sein Freund Old Firehand, Winnetou und Shatterhand im Tal der Toten (1968), White Fang
(1973), Challenge to White Fang (1974) in and A Man Called Blade (1977). In 1971 he appeared in Sergio Leone
's A Fistful of Dynamite
. He was also featured as Captain Smollett in Treasure Island (1972)
. In 1974 he appeared in the Agatha Christie
adaptation Ten Little Indians (1974) and in the Sergio Leone
co-produced western Un genio, due compari, un pollo (1975) by Damiano Damiani. Battaglia took part also in as Suor Emanuelle (1977) and Il prefetto di ferro (1977). He retired from films in 1999 and his last big feature film was Buck ai confini del cielo (1991).
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
film actor. He was born at Corbola
Corbola
Corbola is a comune in the Province of Rovigo in the Italian region Veneto, located about 50 km southwest of Venice and about 25 km southeast of Rovigo...
, near Rovigo
Rovigo
Rovigo is a town and comune in the Veneto region of North-Eastern Italy, the capital of the eponymous province. -Geography:...
, Veneto
Veneto
Veneto is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about 5 million, ranking 5th in Italy.Veneto had been for more than a millennium an independent state, the Republic of Venice, until it was eventually annexed by Italy in 1866 after brief Austrian and French rule...
.
He used mainly the stage name of Rik Battaglia although alternate names he used for his films were also Rick Austin, Riccardo Battaglia and Rick Battaglia. He would go on to appear in over 100 films from the 1955 to 1999. He went to sea at the age of 17 and worked on a freighter. He was discovered in a bar and producer Carlo Ponti
Carlo Ponti
Carlo Ponti was an Italian film producer with over 140 production credits, and the husband of Italian movie star Sophia Loren.-Career:...
hired him on the spot and signed to his first film in 1955's La donna del fiume, directed by Mario Soldati
Mario Soldati
Mario Soldati was an Italian writer and film director.-Biography:Soldati studied Humanities in his native city, Turin, and History of Art in Rome. He started publishing novels in 1929 although his fame came with America primo amore, published in 1935, a diary about the time he spent teaching at...
and opposite Sophia Loren
Sophia Loren
Sophia Loren, OMRI is an Italian actress.In 1962, Loren won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Two Women, along with 21 awards, becoming the first actress to win an Academy Award for a non-English-speaking performance...
. He played a cigarette smuggler who has a tempestuous love affair with a young and sexy Sophia Loren
Sophia Loren
Sophia Loren, OMRI is an Italian actress.In 1962, Loren won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Two Women, along with 21 awards, becoming the first actress to win an Academy Award for a non-English-speaking performance...
(Ponti’s wife) in hot pants.
He then took two years of drama classes and subsequently appeared in a number of costume and sword and sandal films. He played supporting parts in the Peplums (Sandal and sword epics) La Gerusalemme liberata/The Mighty Crusaders (1958, Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia
Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia
Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia was an Italian film director whose career spanned from the 1930s to the mid 1960s. He mainly directed adventure pictures and popular comedies, including some starring Totò...
), and Annibale/Hannibal (1959, Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia
Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia
Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia was an Italian film director whose career spanned from the 1930s to the mid 1960s. He mainly directed adventure pictures and popular comedies, including some starring Totò...
, Edgar G. Ulmer). In Germany he appeared as a slave merchant in the Liane-sequel Jungle Girl and the Slaver (1957, Hermann Leitner), and he was seen in the Hollywood adventure Raw Wind in Eden (1958, Richard Wilson). Rik Battaglia also played in La giornata balorda (1961, by Mauro Bolognini
Mauro Bolognini
Mauro Bolognini was an Italian film director of literate sensibility, known for masterful handling of period subject matter.-Biography:Mauro Bolognini was born in Pistoia, Tuscany....
) and in the biblical epic Sodom and Gomorrah (1962, by Robert Aldrich
Robert Aldrich
Robert Aldrich was an American film director, writer and producer, notable for such films as Kiss Me Deadly , The Big Knife , What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? , Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte , The Flight of the Phoenix , The Dirty Dozen , and The Longest Yard .-Biography:Robert...
). He appeared in several adventure films as Sandokan, la tigre di Mompracem (1963, Umberto Lenzi
Umberto Lenzi
Umberto Lenzi , is an Italian film director who was very active in low budget crime films, peplums, spaghetti westerns, war movies, cannibal films and giallo murder mysteries ....
).
He became a regular in the Karl May films and, as a villain, in the Spaghetti western genre. Some of his roles include those in Old Shatterhand
Old Shatterhand
Old Shatterhand is a fictional character in western novels by German writer Karl May . He is the German friend and blood brother of Winnetou, the fictional chief of the Mescalero tribe of the Apache...
(1963), Die Pyramide des Sonnengottes (1965), Das Vermächtnis des Inka (1965), Black Jack (1968), Winnetou und sein Freund Old Firehand, Winnetou und Shatterhand im Tal der Toten (1968), White Fang
White Fang
White Fang is a novel by American author Jack London. First serialized in Outing magazine, it was published in 1906. The story takes place in Yukon Territory, Canada, during the Klondike Gold Rush at the end of the 19th-century, and details a wild wolfdog's journey to domestication...
(1973), Challenge to White Fang (1974) in and A Man Called Blade (1977). In 1971 he appeared in Sergio Leone
Sergio Leone
Sergio Leone was an Italian film director, producer and screenwriter most associated with the "Spaghetti Western" genre.Leone's film-making style includes juxtaposing extreme close-up shots with lengthy long shots...
's A Fistful of Dynamite
A Fistful of Dynamite
Duck, You Sucker! , also known as A Fistful of Dynamite and Once Upon a Time… the Revolution, is a 1971 Zapata Western film directed by Sergio Leone and starring Rod Steiger and James Coburn....
. He was also featured as Captain Smollett in Treasure Island (1972)
Treasure Island (1972 film)
Treasure Island is a 1972 film starring Orson Welles as Long John Silver that is based on the novel Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson....
. In 1974 he appeared in the Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie
Dame Agatha Christie DBE was a British crime writer of novels, short stories, and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best remembered for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections , and her successful West End plays.According to...
adaptation Ten Little Indians (1974) and in the Sergio Leone
Sergio Leone
Sergio Leone was an Italian film director, producer and screenwriter most associated with the "Spaghetti Western" genre.Leone's film-making style includes juxtaposing extreme close-up shots with lengthy long shots...
co-produced western Un genio, due compari, un pollo (1975) by Damiano Damiani. Battaglia took part also in as Suor Emanuelle (1977) and Il prefetto di ferro (1977). He retired from films in 1999 and his last big feature film was Buck ai confini del cielo (1991).
Selected filmography
- Minotaur, the Wild Beast of CreteMinotaur, the Wild Beast of CreteMinotaur, the Wild Beast of Crete is a 1960 historical drama film loosely based on the Greek legend of Theseus, the Athenian hero who is said to have slain a minotaur on Minoan Crete around 1500 or 1450 BC...
(1960) - Don't Bother to KnockDon't Bother to Knock (1961 film)Don't Bother to Knock is a 1961 British comedy film directed by Cyril Frankel and starring Richard Todd, Nicole Maurey, Elke Sommer and John Le Mesurier.-Synopsis:...
(1961) - A Fistful of DynamiteA Fistful of DynamiteDuck, You Sucker! , also known as A Fistful of Dynamite and Once Upon a Time… the Revolution, is a 1971 Zapata Western film directed by Sergio Leone and starring Rod Steiger and James Coburn....
(1971) - The Call of the WildThe Call of the Wild (1972 film)The Call of the Wild is a 1972 British family adventure film directed by Ken Annakin and starring Charlton Heston, Michèle Mercier, Raimund Harmstorf, George Eastman, and Maria Rohm....
(1972)