Ermanno Olmi: “I Gave Bud Spencer Back His Real Name”

The director remembers his friend, who starred in “Singing Behind Screens”: “Carlo Pedersoli was like a child on set. Ours was a beautiful friendship”

di Maurizio Porro

shadow

In 2002, when Ermanno Olmi was shooting Singing Behind Screens in Montenegro, the ships were ready to sail off with widow Ching and her crew of pirates, but they still needed someone to play the part of the narrator-boatswain. The episode was recounted to us by the director, talking to us from Asiago, where he is working on his new film on Cardinal Martini. “One day my assistant said to me: ‘My uncle could do it!’. ‘Yes, or my grandfather,’ I replied jokingly. But he insisted: ‘I’m not kidding, I mean it – my uncle is Bud Spencer’. No sooner said than done. We called him, asked if he was interested, and immediately gave him the part.”

Back then, Italians changed their name when they acted in westerns, which is how Carlo Pedersoli became Bud Spencer. It was also his way of paying homage to an actor he loved but who, unlike him, never got involved in any scrapes: Spencer Tracy.
“I finally gave him back his real name, which not everybody knew, but which Carlo was obviously proud of. A screen name is a way of living a dream; it always has been. That’s what the film industry is about.”

How was your first meeting?
“It was wonderful to meet him, and together with Terence Hill we agreed to shoot a new Don Quixote. Carlo would have made a superb Sancho Panza, and I’m sure we would have all had a great time.”

And then what happened?
“What happened is the fact that the film industry doesn’t let you make too many plans, and you never know what tomorrow will bring. That’s why we never get bored.”

Pedersoli turned down Fellini, who hoped to cast him as Trimalchio in “Satyricon”, because he didn’t want to bare his behind. But in your film, didn’t he want to be the Bud Spencer of old and brandish his scimitar? Was he ready for a new identity?
“He respected the script, and we in fact had a wonderful time. We of course had different roles and professions, but there was a strong rapport. He always expressed his emotions using joviality and good humour.”

Who did he remind you of?
“He wasn’t like any other actor; he didn’t have the bad habits typical of the profession, and he cared about his reputation, but was always natural. His inner self was left untouched, and if anything, he was like a child who is just happy to play, even if he doesn’t know what the game is.”

Had you ever met him before?
“No, it was the first time, except for some award ceremonies or social events, where he was always friendly and sincere. He was never artificial, and that was what set him apart.”

Did you see him again afterwards?
“Yes, of course; real friendships last. We met socially, and I visited him at home with his wife Maria, daughter of film producer Peppino Amato and an excellent cook. She has some of his extra pounds on her conscience!”

How did you feel when you heard the news?
“We will miss Carlo; he was one of those people who are unique and irreplaceable, people you know will never let you down. I wrote to Maria, saying that there are times when it’s impossible to find the right words, but one thing is for sure: my friendship with Carlo was real and will last forever.”

The 16 films shot with Terence Hill were a gold mine for Italian cinema. What did he represent, this actor who complained that he never received any recognition or awards?
“Bud Spencer, to use the name he is best known by, brought honesty and a childish happiness to his screen appearances, without any of the posturing so often found in the profession. He was the personification of good manners and sincerity.”

His son said that he passed away peacefully a few nights ago in hospital in Rome. He didn’t feel like taking it out on the Almighty.
“That’s because he was naturally happy, without even knowing it. Like I said, he was like a child having fun. He was hardly likely to start beating up the angels.”

English translation by Simon Tanner
www.simontanner.com

https://www.corriere.it/english/16_giugno_29/ermanno-olmi-gave-bud-spencer-back-his-real-name-15699986-3e13-11e6-8cc3-6dcc57c07069.shtml