person

West Buchanan

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Gender

Male

Birthday

1934-10-16

Place of Birth

West Buchanan

Biography

Born in October 1934, Buchanan made his first listed appearance late, at the age of 31 in the 1975 film C.I.A. Secret Story, directed by the arch provocateur Giuseppe Ferrara. Before this, however, he had already been active in Italian cinema for almost half a decade – much like many anonymous American adventurers – as a stuntman and extra, sometimes using the name Buck West. His part in C.I.A. Secret Story was largely insignificant, and although he played a named character in Edward Dmytryk’s big-budget spy film The Human Factor he was just one of a number of jobbing Americans buried deep in the credits (including a very young Danny Huston, who was only thirteen at the time). More fleeting appearances followed – in Pupi Avati’s Bordella, Dino Risi’s Telefoni bianchi – before he secured his first major role in Mino Guerrini’s comedy Vinella e Don Pezzotta, based on a successful radio play and starring Giorgio Bracardi. A religious parody, the third billed Buchanan played Padre Splendid, a modernizing priest sent to Italy from the States. Next came his best known roles, internationally at least: three appearances in the series of cheapskate Star Wars rip offs directed by Alfonso Brescia. In War of the Planets he was again third billed, playing space captain John Richardson’s engineer and right hand man as he battles a giant, malevolent robot. It’s not a good film by any means, but with his stocky build and shocking blonde hair Buchanan made an impression. He was back for Battle of the Stars, although this time round only in a cameo role as a pilot and friend of space captain John Richardson, again battling a (different) giant, malevolent robot. Finally came another guest spot in War of the Robots, this time as an associate of space captain Antonio Sabato as he battles several malevolent if not particularly giant robots. Around this time there were other films as well. He popped up in Lina Wertmuller’s A Night Full of Rain (78), Pier Carpi’s gothic horror film Ring of Darkness, in which he played the husband of the protagonist Anne Heywood, Nino Manfredi’s Nudo di donna and the Giorgio Bontempi’s ambitious espionage thriller Spy Connection (83), which was made for TV but also released on video in a shorter theatrical version. In the early eighties he moved back to America, where he starred in David Hess’s slasher movie To All a Goodnight (80) and well down the credits in Walter Hill’s epic western The Long Riders. A handful of small roles followed in low budget films before he made his bow in Rex Pickett’s obscure 1988 production From Hollywood to Deadwood. Buchanan died aged 61 in 1995.

Also Known For

poster

51

Ring of Darkness

Oct 29, 1979

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66

The Long Riders

May 16, 1980

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36

War of the Planets

Sep 23, 1977

poster

50

I'm Getting a Yacht

Dec 23, 1980

poster

51

Buy & Cell

Jan 27, 1989

poster

46

To All a Goodnight

Jan 30, 1980

poster

57

Portrait of a Nude Woman

Nov 06, 1981

poster

32

The War of the Robots

Apr 26, 1978

poster

23

Battle of the Stars

Feb 17, 1978

poster

52

A Night Full of Rain

Jan 17, 1978

poster

45

The Big Operator

Nov 27, 1976

poster

NA

Vinella e Don Pezzotta

Jan 01, 1976

poster

50

The Career of a Chambermaid

Feb 06, 1976

poster

57

The Human Factor

Nov 19, 1975

poster

NA

Spy Connection

Jan 14, 1983

poster

58

C.I.A. Secret Story

Aug 21, 1975

poster

10

Bridesman

Aug 14, 2021