Messina, Emilio

[PeplumParadise]

Emilio Messina in Una lunga fila di croci (1969)

Stuntman and actor Emilio A. Messina was born in Casablanca, Morocco on February 24th 1936. He died on April 21st 2007, aged 71. His wife was called Incontrata and he had a daughter, Stephanie, a son, Gabriele, a sister, Lidia and his stuntman/actor brother Roberto Messina, with whom he had a pretty much parallel career[[1]].

Both Messina brothers began their film careers at the start of the 60's as stuntmen in peplum movies, often but not always working together. When those faded out they proved equally adept through the cycles of eurospies, spaghetti westerns and police buddy movies.

The brothers both moved to Miami, Florida in 1982, after which they only made a few more odd movies, most of which were Italian productions shot in Florida. They were still resident in Florida at the time of Emilio's death[[1]].

Emilio always stood out from the pack of peplum stuntmen being the burliest and hairiest of the lot. With only two exceptions he had some sort of facial hair in all of his films, which helps as an aid to identifying him. I continue to find uncatalogued appearances from Emilio in all genres, so I am certain there will be additional titles being added to his filmography.

[1] Source: Emilio Messina Memorial page
Filmography

1961

1. Ursus e la ragazza tartara (uncredited) .... Battle victim
   
   1962
2. Drammi marini (TV series, episode 1: La luna dei Caraibi) (credited) .... Sailor
3. Il gladiatore di Roma (uncredited) .... Gladiator
4. L'ira di Achille (uncredited) .... Greek soldier
5. Maciste, il gladiatore più forte del mondo (uncredited) .... Gladiator / Tavern brawler
6. Sodoma e Gomorra (credited as Emilio and Roberto Messina) .... Hebrew
7. Ursus gladiatore ribelle (uncredited) .... Gladiator
   
   1963
8. Ercole contro Moloch (uncredited) .... Gladiator
9. Goliath e la schiava ribelle (uncredited) .... Macedonian wrestler
10. I dieci gladiatori (credited) .... Gladiator
11. Maciste, l'eroe più grande del mondo (uncredited) .... Prison guard
    
    1964
12. Due mafiosi nel Far West (uncredited) .... Cowboy
13. Ercole contro i tiranni di Babilonia (uncredited) .... Wrestler
14. Ercole l'invincibile (uncredited) .... Palace guard
15. Gli invincibili dieci gladiatori (credited as Don Emilio Messina + Master of arms) .... Leptus
16. Golia alla conquista di Bagdad (uncredited) .... Wrestler
17. I magnifici brutos del West (uncredited) .... One of Tom's men
18. I tre centurioni (uncredited) .... Wrestler
19. Il leone di Tebe (credited as Giovanni Messina) .... Wrestler
20. Il magnifico gladiatore (uncredited) .... Gladiator with Hercules
21. Il trionfo dei dieci gladiatori (credited as Don Emilio Messina + Master of arms) .... Leptus
22. L'ultimo gladiatore (uncredited) .... Gladiator
23. La spia che venne dall'ovest (uncredited) .... Thug (uncertain identification)
24. Maciste gladiatore di Sparta (uncredited) .... Gladiator
25. Queste pazze pazze donne (uncredited) .... Thug in disco brawl
26. The Fall of the Roman Empire (uncredited) .... Gladiator
    
    1965
27. Asso di picche - Operazione controspionaggio (credited as Emil D. Messina + Master of arms) .... Frank
28. I grandi condottieri (uncredited) .... Philistine soldier
29. Il mistero dell'isola maledetta (credited) .... Man at the market
30. La magnifica sfida (uncredited) .... Tavern brawler
31. L'uomo che ride (uncredited) .... Borgia soldier
32. Operazione poker (uncredited) .... Russian agent
33. Superseven chiama Cairo (credited) .... Nikos
    
    1966
34. Agente 070: Thunderbay missione Grasshopper (credited as "Mills Mason") .... Paco
35. James Tont operazione D.U.E. (uncredited) .... Gorilla
36. L'affare Beckett (uncredited) .... Major Blasco
37. Perry Grant agente di ferro (credited) .... Albrecht
38. Requiem per un agente segreto (uncredited) .... Henchman
39. Superargo contro Diabolikus (credited) .... One of Diabolikus' men
40. Tre notti violente (credited) .... Thug
41. Un angelo per Satana (uncredited) .... Man attacking Vittorio in the town square
    
    1967
42. Dick Smart 2.007 (uncredited) .... Attacker
43. Flashman (credited) .... Kid's henchman
44. Killer calibro 32 (uncredited) .... Freeman
45. Qualcuno ha tradito (credited as Emil Messina) .... Willy
46. Un colpo da re (uncredited) .... Fighter testing The Swede's strength
    
    1968
47. Angelica e il Gran Sultano (uncredited) .... Guard to Turkish Ambassador / Seaman
48. Corri uomo corri (uncredited) .... Partner of Steve Wilkens
49. Eva, la Venere selvaggia (uncredited) .... Mercenary shot by Albert
50. Joe... cercati un posto per morire! (uncredited) .... Chato henchman
51. L'invincibile Superman (uncredited) .... Wrestler
52. Lucrezia (uncredited) .... Guard
53. Niente rose per OSS 117 (uncredited) .... Assistant to OSS 117
54. Uno dopo l'altro (uncredited) .... Herb
    
    1969
55. 5 per l'inferno (uncredited) .... American soldier / German soldier
56. Django il bastardo (uncredited) .... Murdok hanchman
57. Gli specialisti (uncredited) .... One of El Diablo's men
58. I quattro del Pater Noster (uncredited) .... Casino brawler
59. La morte sull'alta collina (uncredited) .... role?
60. Sono Sartana, il vostro becchino (uncredited) .... Hitman
61. Una lunga fila di croci (uncredited) .... Santana
62. Zorro marchese di Navarra (uncredited) .... Soldier
    
    1970
63. Ciakmull - L'uomo della vendetta (uncredited) .... Big John
64. Le Mans - Scorciatoia per l'inferno (uncredited) .... Announcer
65. Lo chiamavano Trinità...(uncredited) .... Brawler
66. Wanted Sabata (uncredited) .... Bandit
    
    1971
67. Il provinciale (uncredited) .... Thief
68. Quel maledetto giorno della resa dei conti (uncredited) .... Barroom brawler
69. Riuscirà il nostro eroe a ritrovare il più grande diamante del mondo? (uncredited) .... Nurse
70. Se t'incontro t'ammazzo (credited) .... Dexter's henchman
    
    1972
71. Anche gli angeli mangiano fagioli (credited as Master of Arms / Stunt co-ordinator) .... Tag wrestler
72. Arriva Durango... paga o muori (credited) .... Diego Avenaja
73. ...e poi lo chiamarono il Magnifico (uncredited) .... Fighter in saloon
74. Il magnifico west (credited + Master of Arms) .... Henchman
75. Il prode Anselmo e il suo scudiero (uncredited) .... One of Ottone's men
76. Jesse & Lester due fratelli in un posto chiamato Trinità (credited) .... Grizzly Joe
77. Man of La Mancha / L'uomo della Mancha (uncredited) .... Patrol
78. Poppea una prostituta al servizio dell'impero (uncredited) .... Gladiator
79. Seminò morte... lo chiamavano il Castigo di Dio! (credited) .... Pedro
80. Sotto a chi tocca! (uncredited) .... Palace guard
81. Un uomo dalla pelle dura (credited) .... Bookmaker
    
    1973
82. Dagli archivi della polizia criminale (uncredited) .... Leader of attack force
83. Diario di una vergine romana (uncredited) .... Fighter (re-used footage)
84. E il terzo giorno arrivò il Corvo (uncredited) .... Gunman
85. Elena sì, ma... di Troia (uncredited) .... Ajax 2
86. Piedone lo sbirro (uncredited) .... Ferramenti bodyguard
87. Provaci anche tu, Lionel (uncredited) .... Goran henchman
88. Società a responsabilità molto limitata (uncredited) .... Boxer
    
    1974
89. Arrivano Joe e Margherito (credited) .... "Gorilla" Paco
90. Esecutore oltre la legge (credited) .... Steig
91. The arena / La rivolta delle gladiatrici (uncredited) .... Gladiator
    
    1975
92. Carambola, filotto... tutti in buca (credited) .... Word
93. Colpo in canna (uncredited) .... Police car driver
94. Giubbe rosse (uncredited) .... Bank robber
95. Noi non siamo angeli (credited) .... Shark henchman
96. Simone e Matteo - Un gioco da ragazzi (credited) .... Jean
    
    1976
97. Il grande racket (uncredited) .... Hood
98. Il vangelo secondo Simone e Matteo (credited) .... Joe
99. L'unica legge in cui credo (uncredited) .... Hitman
100. Pronto ad uccidere (credited) .... Giovanni Caputo
     
     1977
101. La malavita attacca. La polizia risponde (uncredited) .... Barman
102. La polizia è sconfitta (uncredited) .... Bank robber
103. Orca (credit only as Underwater Stuntman)
     
     1978
104. Lo chiamavano Bulldozer (uncredited) .... Security in gambling den
105. Non sparate sui bambini (credited as Assistant director) .... Credit only
106. Piedone l'africano (uncredited) .... Wrestler in red
107. Sam & Sally (TV series) Season 1, Ep. 6: "Laura" (uncredited) .... Henchman on the boat
108. Squadra antimafia (uncredited) .... Prisoner on the roof
109. Un Poliziotto Scomodo (uncredited) .... Killer
     
     1980
110. S+H+E (credited) .... Zec
     
     1982
111. Gunan il guerriero (credited as Emil Messina) .... Nuriak
     
     1983
112. Cane e gatto (uncredited) .... One of Don Salvatore's men
113. I sette magnifici gladiatori (credited as Ivan Beshears) .... Goliath
     
     1984
114. Guerreros de la jungla / Jungle Warriors (credited, and for Stunts) .... Mastranga's bodyguard
     
     1985
115. Miami Supercops (I poliziotti dell'8ª strada) (uncredited) .... Duran henchman
     
     1989
116. Bersaglio sull'autostrada (credited?) .... Bodyguard
     
     1994
117. Botte di Natale (credited as Stunts only)
     
     1996
118. Potenza virtuale (uncredited) .... Van Axel's man on the boat

A little more Emilio!

There are still a few movies where Emilio is credited by various online sources that I have been unable to find, so if anybody has images of Emilio in the films below you know ahat to do.

• Il pentito (1985)

Messina is missing!

As often seems to be the case we also have a selection of films where Emilio is credited by some online resource, but where I have been unable to find him. I may have missed him in some, while in others he has been misidentified, mistaken for his not-at-all-look-alike brother or simply mysteriously does not appear. In all these titles he is uncredited.

• Se incontri Sartana prega per la tua morte (1968) credited on IMDb as playing a Tampico henchman. I've searched for him multiple times with no success so I'd say he almost certainly does not appear.
• Spara, Gringo, spara (1968) IMDb says he is credited under the pseudonym of Van Lanen and plays Soldier in Doneghan's army. I haven't found him.
• Il giorno del giudizio (1971) Does not appear.
• La via della droga (1977) Listed on IMDb with no role given. I couldn't see Emilio, but there is a similar-looking unidentified actor who he may have been mistaken for.
• Sangraal, la spada di fuoco (1982) Listed on IMDb as playing Nantuk's warrior, but while there are a number of roles that could fit this description, none of them vaguely resembles Emilio.

[PeplumParadise]

Ursus e la ragazza tartara (1961) as Battle victim

[PeplumParadise]

Maciste, il gladiatore più forte del mondo (1962) as Gladiator and now added in a second role as a Tavern brawler

Images upgraded, second role added

[PeplumParadise]

L'ira di Achille (1962) as Greek soldier

Additional images added

[PeplumParadise]

Il gladiatore di Roma (1962) as Gladiator

[PeplumParadise]

Ursus gladiatore ribelle (1962) as Gladiator

[PeplumParadise]

Sodoma e Gomorra (1962) credited as Emilio and Roberto Messina, as Hebrew

[PeplumParadise]

Maciste, l'eroe più grande del mondo (1963) as Prison guard

[PeplumParadise]

Ercole contro Moloch (1963) as Gladiator

[PeplumParadise]

I dieci gladiatori (1963) credited, as Gladiator. One of the 10 and his biggest role so far - in the sequels he is called Leptus, but in this first in the series I believe he remains nameless.