- Pino Mattei in the late sixties
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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 by all Pino, 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.
Mini-biography and photoes courtesy of Pino Mattei's daughter Ilaria, issued to Emiliano on November 13, 2021.
- Pino Mattei with his wife Nada de Syo
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- 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 .... Sailor with Goliath (uncredited)
- Maciste nella terra dei ciclopi .... Soldier of Capys (uncredited)
- Sansone .... Tribal champion challenging Samson (credited as Master of Arms)
1962 - Anno 79 - La distruzione di Ercolano .... Draco (credited + Master of Arms)
- I tre nemici .... Thug on the train (uncredited)
- Il colpo segreto di d'Artagnan .... Conspirator (uncredited)
- La furia di Ercole .... Fighter (credited?)
1963 - Goliath e la schiava ribelle .... Soldier with Goliath (uncredited)
- I dieci gladiatori .... Gladiator (credited + Master of Arms)
- Il leone di San Marco .... Pirate (uncredited)
- Il vecchio testamento .... Jakar (credited + Master of Arms)
- 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 + Master of Arms)
- 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" and as Master of Arms)
- Maciste il vendicatore dei Maya .... Man of Donar's tribe (uncredited)
- Uno straniero a Sacramento .... Mill Morgan (credited as "Big and Joseph Matthews")
1966 - 12 donne d'oro (Kommissar X - Jagd auf Unbekannt) .... Kan) (credited)
- Agente Jo Walker: operazione Estremo Oriente (Kommissar X - In den Klauen des Goldenen Drachen) .... Benny (credited)
- Tre notti violente .... Gardiello henchman (uncredited)
1967 - I fantastici 3 Supermen .... Sarkis (credited as "Joseph Matthews" and as Master of Arms)
- Muori lentamente... te la godi di più (Mister Dynamit - Morgen küßt Euch der Tod) .... Balbo (credited)
1968 - Gangsters per un massacro (Kommissar X - 3 blaue Panther) .... Karate fighter (uncredited)
1969 - Ehi amico... c'è Sabata, hai chiuso! .... Frankie (credited as "Joseph Mathews")
- I tre serpenti d'ori (Kommissar X - Drei goldene Schlangen) .... Curly (credited)
- Sono Sartana, il vostro becchino .... Bank robber (uncredited)
1970 - E venne il giorno dei limoni neri (credit only and credited as Master of Arms)
- Indio Black sai che ti dico: sei un gran figlio di... (credit only as "Giuseppe Mattei" and as "Fire-Arms")
- L'inafferrabile invincibile Mr. Invisibile .... One of Mamma's henchmen (credited)
1971 - È tornato Sabata... hai chiuso un'altra volta! (credit only as "Giuseppe Mattei" and as Master of Arms)
- Se t'incontro t'ammazzo .... The husband (uncredited)
1973 - 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" and as Master of Arms)
- Senza ragione .... Jeweller (credited)
- Sette monache a Kansas City .... role? (credited, and as Master of Arms)
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 (credited as Master of Arms)
- Il vizietto II .... One of Mangin's men (credited as "Giuseppe Mattei")
- Luca il contrabbandiere (credited as "Giuseppe Mattei", but not found)
1983 - I sette magnifici gladiatori .... Dex (credited as "Phillip Bard")
1984 - Razza violenta .... Hitman in hotel (uncredited)
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
- Il magnifico West (1972) - ANICA
- Da Scaramouche or se vuoi l'assoluzione baciar devi sto... cordone! (1973) - IMDb
- Lo scoiattolo (1979) - IMDb
Titles where Pino is credited somewhere with appearing. I have looked through these titles, but have been unable to find him. Maybe someone else will have more luck?
- La corsa del secolo (1968) - ANICA as Orlandi. "Giuseppe Mattei" is credited, but it would seem this is another Giuseppe Mattei (the "James Harris" one) and not our Pino.
- Il magnifico gladiatore (1964) - Listed on IMDb as Gladiator
- L'ultimo uomo della terra (1964) - Listed on ANICA as Leader of the survivors
- Terrore nello spazio (1965) - Listed on IMDb as Brent
- Degueyo (1965) - Listed on IMDb as Henchman
- I criminali della metropoli (1967) It is the other Giuseppe Mattei who appears and is credited.
- Confessioni segrete di un convento di clausura (1972) - Giuseppe Mattei is listed in the opening credits, but Pino does not appear. Instead, the name seems to refer to an actor who went on to appear in a few other films under the name "James Harris" (see below)
- Sotto a chi tocca! (1972) - Listed on ANICA
- Jack London - la mia grande avventura (1973) - Listed on ANICA. Also not found by FatmanDan
- La mano spietata della legge (1973) - Another credit that actually refers to "the other Giuseppe Mattei" a.k.a. "James Harris"
Films where "John Mathews", or variations thereof, is credited - Il 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
- 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.
Films where "James Harris" is credited - Nuda per Satana (1974) - "James Harris" credited, Pino does not appear.
- Zelda (1974) - "James Harris" credited, Pino does not appear.
- La calda bestia (1977) - "James Harris" credited, Pino does not appear.