Mattei, Pino
Posted: 20/02/2020, 19:39
Pino Mattei was a stuntman and actor who worked steadily, but not prolifically, in Italian films from the late '50's until the early '80's. He was also often credited as a Master of Arms.
Clearing up something that has caused some confusion and many mis-credits on various websites, he did use the pseudonym "Joseph Mathews" in a number of westerns, but he almost certainly does not appear in any films credited as "John Mathews", "John Mathios", "John Matheus" or "James Harris". He has also been confused on a number of occasions with similar-looking Franco Beltramme and there is a lot of confusion by there being another actor named Giuseppe Mattei.
Giuseppe Mattei, called "Pino" by all, was born in Rome on August 31, 1928, although the official documents show September 5.
He was 1.92 tall. Training as a boxer, diver and swimmer, he knew how to ride. He had a deep voice and at first glance he aroused awe and even a little fear, then to know him was a splendid, good, positive, serene, ironic person. He was ignorant of the meaning of the word stress, anxiety, worry. Always positive and proactive. He was also a good dancer, and a great "Don Giovanni": a hand like a shovel, but delicate as a feather.
He was the only child of Giulia Latini and Gioacchino Mattei, a worker at the Rome Opera House. Probably grown up in Tor Pignattara, a district of Rome, (he was very fond of his Roman origins). His parents had a restaurant, at least for a while. He probably does his military service in Puglia, in aeronautics.
It is not known how Pino came to work in the cinema, perhaps on the advice of his father.
In 1967 while filming a movie in the former Yugoslavia, he met his future wife, Nada de Syo, 18 years younger, who at the time was studying at the University of Dubrovnik and guiding the crew, probably at the Plitvice lakes. On January 28th 1968 they get married in Rome. He later hires his wife to work as a costume designer in a film, shot in Bangkok: I fantastici 3 Supermen.
Returning from Bangkok at the height of his career, Pino falls to the ground. He, who threw himself into the Mekong or from the seventh floor without getting upset, falls down the stairs of the home and breaks his left arm in three places. Hospitalised and subjected to various operations, he also risks losing his arm due to an infection due to metal plaques. Luckily he recovers, but it takes more than a year to get back into operation and in the meantime he is forgotten.
From there he works little or nothing. Always waiting for the phone to ring. Meanwhile, in 1974 his only daughter Ilaria was born.
He passed away after a year of hospitalisation on September 8th 2000.[1]
Filmography as actor
- La venere di Cheronea .... Soldier in the tavern (uncredited)
- Serenate per 16 bionde .... Thug disrupting music show (uncredited)
1959 - Il mondo dei miracoli .... Man in Cinecittà cafeteria (uncredited)
- La scimitarra del saraceno .... Pirate (uncredited)
1960 - Il cavaliere dai cento volti .... Gypsy fighter (uncredited)
- Il terrore della maschera rossa .... Guard (uncredited)
- La vendetta dei barbari .... Soldier (uncredited)
- Noi duri .... Gangster in nightclub (uncredited)
1961 - Goliath contro i giganti .... Ship crew member / Soldier of Bokan (uncredited)
- Maciste nella terra dei ciclopi .... Soldier of Capys (uncredited)
- Sansone .... Tribal champion challenging Samson (uncredited as actor)
1962 - Anno 79 - La distruzione di Ercolano .... Draco (credited)
- I sette gladiatori .... Gladiator (uncredited)
- I tre nemici .... Thug on the train (uncredited)
- Il colpo segreto di d'Artagnan .... Conspirator (uncredited)
- La furia di Ercole .... Fighter (uncredited as actor)
1963 - Goliath e la schiava ribelle .... Soldier with Goliath (uncredited)
- I dieci gladiatori .... Gladiator (credited)
- Il leone di San Marco .... Pirate (uncredited)
- Il vecchio testamento .... Jakar (credited)
- L'eroe di Babilonia .... Ciro's lieutenant (uncredited)
- Ursus nella terra di fuoco .... Strong man in the contest (uncredited)
1964 - Bianco, rosso, giallo, rosa .... Soldier (uncredited)
- Gli invincibili tre .... Rakis (credited)
- I due gladiatori .... Prison guard (uncredited)
- Il Leone di Tebe .... Soldier (uncredited)
- Il trionfo dei gladiatori .... Soldier (uncredited)
- L'ultimo gladiatore .... Gladiator trainer (uncredited)
- La vendetta dei gladiatori .... Captain of the guards (uncredited)
1965 - Johnny West il mancino .... Red (credited as "Joseph Mathews")
- Maciste il vendicatore dei Maya .... Man of Donar's tribe (uncredited)
- Uno straniero a Sacramento .... Mill Morgan (credited as "Big and Joseph Matthews")
1966 - Kommissar X - In den Klauen des Goldenen Drachen (Agente Jo Walker: operazione Estremo Oriente) .... Benny (credited)
- Kommissar X - Jagd auf Unbekannt (12 donne d'oro) .... Kan) (credited)
- Tre notti violente .... Gardiello henchman (uncredited)
1967 - I fantastici 3 Supermen .... Sarkis (credited as "Joseph Matthews")
- Mister Dynamit - Morgen küßt Euch der Tod (Muori lentamente... te la godi di più) .... Balbo (credited)
1968 - Kommissar X - 3 blaue Panther (Gangsters per un massacro) .... Karate fighter (uncredited)
1969 - Ehi amico... c'è Sabata, hai chiuso! .... Frankie (credited as "Joseph Mathews")
- Kommissar X - Drei goldene Schlangen (I tre serpenti d'ori) .... Curly (credited)
- Sono Sartana, il vostro becchino .... Bank robber (uncredited)
1970 - E venne il giorno dei limoni neri (credit only)
- L'inafferrabile invincibile Mr. Invisibile .... One of Mamma's henchmen (credited)
1971 - Se t'incontro t'ammazzo .... The husband (uncredited)
1972 - Il magnifico west .... unknown role (credited - only credit info)
1973 - Da Scaramouche or se vuoi l'assoluzione baciar devi sto... cordone! .... Sergeant of the guards (credited as "Giuseppe Mattei")
- Diario segreto da un carcere femminile .... Mafia boss (credited)
- ... E il terzo giorno arrivò il Corvo .... The husband (uncredited - re-used footage)
- Il fiore dai petali d'acciaio (credited as "Giuseppe Mattei", but not found)
- Il mio nome è Shangai Joe .... Racist (uncredited)
- Ku Fu? Dalla Sicilia con furore .... Kon Ki Lay henchman (uncredited)
- Li chiamavano i tre moschettieri... invece erano quattro .... Richard (credited as "Giuseppe Mattei")
- Senza ragione .... Jeweller (credited)
- Sette monache a Kansas City .... Steve, Bart henchman (credited)
1974 - Amore amaro .... Guard at private beach (uncredited)
- Piedino il questurino .... Nightclub brawler (uncredited)
- Prostituzione .... Gangster boss (credited as "Giuseppe Mattei")
1975 - I sette del gruppo selvaggio .... Foster (credited)
- L' Ambizioso .... Don Enrico's henchman (uncredited)
- La polizia interviene: ordine di uccidere! .... Gunman on firing range (uncredited)
1976 - Il conto è chiuso .... Hitman (uncredited)
- Il grande racket .... Hood (uncredited)
- La lupa mannara .... Driver who picks up Daniela (credited?)
- Sangue di sbirro .... Mallory henchman (uncredited)
- Squadra antiscippo .... Thug (uncredited)
1977 - La via della droga .... Drug squad officer (uncredited)
- Yeti: il gigante del XX secolo .... Korwasky (credited as "Giuseppe Mattei")
1978 - Il commissario Verrazzano .... Bonci henchman in pool hall (uncredited)
1980 - Fontamara .... State official (uncredited as actor)
- La cage au folles II / Il vizietto II .... One of Mangin's men (credited as "Giuseppe Mattei")
- Luca il contrabbandiere .... Il Marsigliese's henchman (credited as "Giuseppe Mattei", as acrobats)
1981 - La nouvelle malle des Indes (TV mini series) .... Brawler (uncredited)
1983 - 2019: dopo la caduta di New York .... Homeless victim of the flamethrower (uncredited)
- I sette magnifici gladiatori .... Dex (credited as "Phillip Bard")
1984 - Razza violenta .... Hitman in hotel (uncredited)
More Mattei!
There are still a few movies where Pino is credited by various online sources that I have been unable to find, so if anybody has images of him in the films below you know what to do.
- Mon fils (TV mini-series, 1971) - IMDb as L'intendant
- Lo scoiattolo (1979) - IMDb
Production credits
- Sansone .... Credited as Master of Arms
1962 - Anno 79 - La distruzione di Ercolano .... Credited as Master of Arms (as "P. Mattei")
- La furia di Ercole .... Credited as Maestro d'armi
1963 - I dieci gladiatori .... Credited as Master of Arms
- Il vecchio testamento .... Credited as Master of Arms
1964 - Gli invincibili tre .... Credited as Master of Arms
1965 - Johnny West il mancino .... Credited as Master of Arms
1967 - I fantastici 3 Supermen .... Credited as Master of Arms
1970 - E venne il giorno dei limoni neri .... Credited as Master of Arms
- Indio Black sai che ti dico: sei un gran figlio di... Credit as Fire-Arms, as "Giuseppe Mattei"
1971 - È tornato Sabata... hai chiuso un'altra volta! .... Credited as Master of Arms, as "Giuseppe Mattei"
1973 - Da Scaramouche or se vuoi l'assoluzione baciar devi sto... cordone! .... Credited as Master of Arms
- Li chiamavano i tre moschettieri... invece erano quattro .... Credited as Master of Arms
- Sette monache a Kansas City .... Credited, and as Master of Arms
1980 - Fontamara .... Credited as Master of Arms
Pino non si trova!
It's Giuseppe, not Pino
- I criminali della metropoli (1967) - it is the other Giuseppe Mattei who appears and is credited.
- Les cracks / La corsa del secolo (1968) - it's Giuseppe, not Pino.
- Confessioni segrete di un convento di clausura (1972) - Giuseppe Mattei is listed in the opening credits, and it's the other one.
- La mano spietata della legge (1973) - Another credit that actually refers to "the other Giuseppe Mattei" a.k.a. "James Harris"
- Nuda per Satana (1974) - "James Harris" credited - that's Giuseppe.
- Zelda (1974) - "James Harris" credited - that's Giuseppe.
- La calda bestia (1977) - "James Harris" credited - that's Giuseppe.
- Il magnifico gladiatore (1964) - Listed on IMDb as Gladiator
- L'ultimo uomo della terra (1964) - Listed on ANICA as Leader of the survivors
- Degueyo (1965) - Listed on IMDb as Henchman
- Sotto a chi tocca! (1972) - Listed on ANICA
- Jack London - la mia grande avventura (1973) - Listed on ANICA. Also not found by FatmanDan
- La jena di Londra (1964) - "John Mathews" is credited, but this pseudonym is actually for Gianni Medici. Pino does not appear
- Jim il primo (1964) - "John Mathews" credited, Pino does not appear. It's probably Gino Marturano behind it, this time.
- Tarzak contro gli uomini leopardo (1964) - "John Mathews" is credited, but this pseudonym is actually for Gianni Medici. Pino does not appear
- Mark Donen - Agente Zeta 7 (Rembrandt 7 antwortet nicht...) (1966) - IMDb says "John Mathews" should be credited.
- Per pochi dollari ancora (1966) - "John Matheus" credited, Pino does not appear.
- L'ultimo killer (1967) - "John Mathios" credited, Pino does not appear.
1. Mini-biography and photoes courtesy of Pino Mattei's daughter Ilaria, issued to Emiliano on November 13, 2021. |