Fantasia, Andrea

[PeplumParadise]

Andrea Fantasia in Le maledette pistole di Dallas (1964)

Andrea Fantasia was a character actor, stuntman, Master of arms and occasional bit-part actor active in Italian films from at least the mid-1950's to the mid-1980's. He was the lesser-known brother of actor/stuntman Franco Fantasia.

Andrea's date and place of birth are unknown. His date of death, found on numerous websites, is given as November 2nd 1985 in Rome. He is widely assumed to be the older brother of Franco, though presumably this is based on his looks alone.

Andrea was an accomplished fencer and rider and he was credited as Master of arms or Fencing master on a number of films, often together with Franco. He could have equally fitted into our stuntmen section, but while he unquestionably performed his own stunts in duels and riding, he very rarely got involved in physical fight scenes and generally his roles were more driven by character than action.

His known film career started in 1955, although since Franco had already been working in films for a few years by that time I think it highly likely that there could also be some earlier appearances to be found for Andrea. Up until the mid-60's Andrea worked almost exclusively in swashbucklers and peplums, making his mark playing the role of King Laertes in Le fatiche di Ercole and reprising the role in 2 further films. In the late 60's he moved into westerns, being cast as sheriffs or judges. While not prolific, he nevertheless continued working steadily through the 70's in smaller parts with his final known roles being in the early 80's.

I have previously found a few undocumented roles for Andrea and I'm sure there will be a few more to come.

Filmography

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1955

1. Il sacro esperimento (TV movie) .... Naguacu (credited)
2. War and Peace .... Constand (uncredited)
   
   1957
3. I misteri di Parigi .... One of Prince Rodolfo's men (uncredited)
4. Il ricatto di un padre .... Nightclub customer (uncredited)
5. Orizzonte infuocato .... role? (poster credit)
6. Serenate per 16 bionde .... Audience member at music show (uncredited)
   
   1958
7. Le fatiche di Ercole .... Laertes (credited)
   
   1959
8. Annibale .... Consul Paulus Emilius (credited)
9. Due selvaggi a corte .... Guglielmo (credited and as Weapons consulting & Acrobatic group)
10. Ercole e la regina di Lidia .... Laertes (credited)
11. I cavalieri del diavolo .... Duménil (credited and as Fencing master)
12. I Reali di Francia .... Hamel (credited)
13. Il cavaliere senza terra .... role? (poster credit)
14. Il terrore dei barbari .... Father of Emiliano and Lidia (uncredited)
15. L'arciere nero .... The scarred one (credited and as Master of arms)
16. La congiura dei Borgia .... role? (credited?)
17. La Pica sul Pacifico .... The policeman (credited)
18. La scimitarra del saraceno .... Leader of the slave caravan (credited)
    
    1960
19. David e Golia .... Does not appear (credited as Master of Arms)
20. I cosacchi .... One of the Tsar's officers (credited)
21. Il terrore della maschera rossa .... Does not appear (credited as Master of Arms)
22. La furia dei barbari .... Nogaric (credited and as Arms consultant)
23. Maciste nella valle dei Re .... The blacksmith (credited and as Master of arms)
24. Saffo - Venere di Lesbo .... Pittaco (uncredited)
    
    1961
25. Capitani di ventura .... Prince Romualdi (credited)
26. Gordon, il pirata nero .... Bonifacio (credited and as Fencing master)
27. Il conquistatore di Corinto .... Lucius Mummius (credited and as Technical advisor)
28. La vendetta della maschera di ferro .... Officer (credited)
29. Vanina Vanini .... Priest in the procession (uncredited)
    
    1962
30. Il colpo segreto di d'Artagnan .... role? (credited)
31. La congiura dei dieci .... Nobleman (uncredited)
32. La spada del Cid .... Enrico (credited and as Master of Arms)
33. Taras Bulba, il cosacco .... Does not appear (credited as Master of Arms)
34. Zorro alla corte di Spagna .... Nobleman (uncredited)
    
    1963
35. D'Artagnan contro i 3 moschettieri .... Guard who duels with Porthos (credited)
36. Ercole sfida Sansone .... Laertes (credited)
37. I diavoli di Spartivento .... Does not appear (credited as Weapons master)
38. Il boia di Venezia .... role? (uncredited)
39. Zorro e i tre moschettieri .... Spanish dignitary (credited)
    
    1964
40. Buffalo Bill, l'eroe del far west .... Sergeant (uncredited)
41. I due gladiatori .... Gladiator (uncredited)
42. Il Leone di Tebe .... Bodyguard of Amenofis (uncredited)
43. La rivolta dei barbari .... Barbarian (uncredited - re-used footage)
44. La rivolta dei pretoriani .... Rebel nobleman (uncredited)
45. La vendetta dei gladiatori .... role? (uncredited)
46. Le maledette pistole di Dallas .... Sheriff (credited as Andrew Hart)
47. Maciste nell'inferno di Gengis Khan .... King Vladimir's general (uncredited)
48. Tre dollari di piombo .... Raf (credited as Andrew Hart)
    
    1965
49. Il gladiatore che sfidò l'impero .... Gulba's general (uncredited)
    
    1967
50. Faccia a faccia .... Pinkerton official (uncredited)
51. L'avventuriero .... Sailor (credited)
52. La cintura di castità .... Knight (uncredited)
53. Wanted .... Poker player (uncredited)
    
    1968
54. Don Chisciotte e Sancio Panza .... The mayor (credited)
55. El Zorro .... Don Carlos de Altamura (uncredited)
56. Il lungo giorno del massacro .... The judge (credited)
57. I nipoti di Zorro .... Lieutenant Gonzales (credited)
58. Omicidio per vocazione .... Notary (credited and as Production inspector)
59. Sangue chiama sangue .... Sancho henchman (credited)
60. Tre passi nel delirio .... Producer (uncredited)
    
    1969
61. 20.000 dollari sporchi di sangue .... Miller (credited)
62. Italiani! È severamente proibito servirsi della toilette durante le fermate .... Cavalier Giusti, Benito's father (credited)
63. La battaglia di El Alamein .... Dr. Horst (credited)
64. Zenabel .... (credited as Producer) (Does not appear)
    
    1972
65. Roma .... Man with hair-net in the shelter (uncredited)
    
    1973
66. Il figlio di Zorro .... Don José Herrera (credited)
    
    1974
67. Prostituzione .... Antique dealer (credited)
    
    1975
68. Il giustiziere sfida la città .... François (uncredited)
69. La spacconata .... The sheriff (credited)
70. The Count of Monte-Cristo .... Angry banker (uncredited)
    
    1976
71. A Matter of Time .... Hotel guest (uncredited)
72. Gli esecutori .... Mafia boss (uncredited)
73. Il trucido e lo sbirro .... Supermarket manager (uncredited)
74. Roma a mano armata .... Ambulance passenger (uncredited)
    
    1977
75. La bestia in calore .... Doctor (uncredited)
    
    1978
76. Il grande attacco .... French partisan (uncredited)
    
    1979
77. Da Corleone a Brooklyn .... Taxi driver at the station (uncredited)
    
    1983
78. The Scarlet and the Black (TV movie) .... Caretaker (uncredited)

More Andrea!

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There are more titles in which Andrea reportedly appears, so if anyone has shots of him in any of the titles below, you know what to do!

• Il mantello rosso (1955) IMDb

[PeplumParadise]

Andrea's earliest role found so far comes from War and Peace (1955) as Constand

[PeplumParadise]

Le fatiche di Ercole (1958) credited, as Laertes

[PeplumParadise]

Annibale (1959) credited, as Consul Paulus Emilius

[PeplumParadise]

Due selvaggi a corte (1959) credited, as Guglielmo.

Unusually he gets to fight and kill brother Franco.

Andrea and Franco receive this joint credit (as F.lli Fantasia, i.e. Fantasia brothers) for "weapons consulting and acrobatic group"

Images upgraded (previously only fotoromanzo images)

[PeplumParadise]

Ercole e la regina di Lidia (1959) credited, as Laertes.

Reprising his role from Le fatiche di Ercole, he would play the role again 4 years later in Ercole sfida Sansone

[PeplumParadise]

I cavalieri del diavolo (1959) credited, as Duménil.

Andrea is also credited along with Franco as Fencing Masters in some versions.

Thanks to Johan for identifying the role and providing the second credit

[PeplumParadise]

I Reali di Francia (1959) credited, as Hamel

[PeplumParadise]

Il cavaliere senza terra (1959) Role uncertain.

This is another impossible-to-find 50's swashbuckler, however Andrea can be spotted (at least I think that's him in the centre doing the knighting) in an image from the French press book and is credited on the poster.

[PeplumParadise]

Il terrore dei barbari (1959) as Father of Emiliano and Lidia