Spartaco Nale

[PeplumParadise]

Spartaco Nale in Marco Polo (1962)

Easily recognisable from his short and stocky build, bald head and beard, Spartaco Nale's earliest known film appearance was in Visconti's Senso (1954), after which there is a 3 year gap before his next found credit. From 1957-1962 he worked steadily in peplum and historical features, including a number of credited supporting roles in high profile productions, after which he seems to have vanished completely.


FILMOGRAPHY

---

1954

1. Senso (uncredited) .... Austrian officer
   
   1957
2. La venere di Cheronea (uncredited) .... One of Armodio's guards
   
   1958
3. I Reali di Francia (uncredited) .... One of Basirocco's men
4. La tempesta (uncredited) .... Cossack at banquet
5. Le fatiche di Ercole (credited) .... King Aison
   
   1959
6. Cartagine in fiamme (uncredited) .... Sidone's guard
7. Il terrore dei barbari (uncredited) .... Barbarian
8. La battaglia di Maratona (uncredited) .... Guard holding Andromeda
   
   1960
9. I cosacchi (uncredited) .... Cossack
10. La vendetta di Ercole (uncredited) .... Eurito's bodyguard
11. Messalina, Venere imperatrice (credited) .... Tibuleno
12. La strada dei giganti (credited) .... Role?
13. Il terrore della maschera rossa (uncredited) .... Guard
    
    1961
14. Barabba (credited) .... Guard in sulphur mines
15. Costantino il Grande (credited) .... Roman soldier
16. I Tartari (uncredited) .... Body double for Orson Welles as Burundai (Uncertain identification)
17. Rosmunda e Alboino (credited) .... Army captain
18. Sodoma e Gomorra (uncredited) .... Sodomite officer
    
    1962
19. Marco Polo (credited) .... Prison guard

Wanted!

---

Canzoni a tempo di twist (1962) Credited on Cinema Italiano DB with no role given, if anyone has this one please add images.

A couple of oddities!

---

There are 2 films found in some filmographies online that date from many years after Nale's career seemingly ended.

• Catacombs (1988) contains a credit for a "Sparco Nale" as Present-day monk. None of the monks who are of an appropriate age look anything like Spartaco, even allowing for 25 years of aging, so I would say certainly that this is not him.
• Ricky & Barabba (1992) ANICA and IMDb credit Spartaco with no role given. I have not been able to find a copy of this one to check, but I would say his appearance would be unlikely.

EXTERNAL LINKS

---

• Internet Movie Database
• Cinema Italiano Database

[PeplumParadise]

Senso (1954) as Austrian officer

Spartaco has his first known role, a small part, in this Visconti classic. Cinema Italiano DB says he should be credited, but the Criterion blu-ray I watched was taken from an Italian print and he does not appear in the opening credits, while the closing credits list no additional actors, so I would say "uncredited" unless someone has evidence otherwise.

[PeplumParadise]

La venere di Cheronea (1957) as One of Armodio's guards

[PeplumParadise]

Le fatiche di Ercole (1958) credited, as King Aison

[PeplumParadise]

I Reali di Francia (1958) as One of Basirocco's men

[PeplumParadise]

Cartagine in fiamme (1959) as Sidone's guard

More to add tomorrow.....

[PeplumParadise]

La battaglia di Maratona (1959) as Guard holding Andromeda

[PeplumParadise]

I cosacchi (1960) as Cossack

You get a better shot of Spartaco in this US lobby card than you do in the film

[PeplumParadise]

La vendetta di Ercole (1960) as Eurito's bodyguard

[PeplumParadise]

Messalina, Venere imperatrice (1960) credited, as Tibuleno