Giovanni Lombardo Radice

Living-Dead.com: I first would like to thank you for taking time out of your schedule to do this interview, and second I want to thank Evan(webmaster at Living-Dead.com) and Jim(Co-administrator) for giving me the chance to do this. First of all, I guess the obvious question would be, How did you get introduced into the acting profession?

Giovanni Lombardo Radice: I always wanted to be in the show business, since my early childhood. I was always playing with little theatres, organizing shows with my school friends and so on. I started with professional theatre at the age of nineteen, and then I started directing and acting at the same time. The movies arrived quite casually, in a moment when I was having great money problems, and the first movie was Deodato "House at the edge". From there on, for some years, horror it was. I accepted one movie after the other, continuing my work in the theatre, because I needed the money.

Living-Dead.com: Mr. Radice, I'm not gonna beat around the bush. Me and every other person who frequents Living-Dead.com has probably seen at least one the films you have starred or costarred in. I have to say you are a very convincing actor and some of the films you are in have been directed by directors who are notorious for the gruesome images they have concocted. Of all the horror films you have starred in, which director did you enjoy working for the most? And why?

Giovanni Lombardo Radice: As I said many times I adore Antonio Margheriti I worked twice with him, in Apocalypse and Treasure Island In Outer Space. I was, and am, very fond of him. A real gentleman with a great sense of humor. He never pretended to be creating masterpieces and though his movies, due to his great experience, are maybe better than many others. With more money he would surely have done better (who wouldn't?), but I think he was too full of sense of humor to take anything too seriously and that's what you need to get real success. I'm just the same and maybe that's the reason I went along so well with him.

Living-Dead.com: During the Italian/American horror explosion of the late 70's and early 80's, numerous films were produced. In your opinion Mr. Radice, which film, (American or Italian) influenced the horror genre the most and why?

Giovanni Lombardo Radice: It's hard for me to answer because I am not a fan of the horror movies and never watch them.

Living-Dead.com:In Lucio Fulci's 'The Gates of Hell", the drill scene is absolute classic. I don't think I have ever witnessed such a thing on celluloid before in my life! Can you give us a little behind the scenes information on how they accomplished this scene?

Giovanni Lombardo Radice: Actually it was quite simple. The drill (with a flat point) was driving into a plastic thing attached to my temple and filled with stage blood. When it came out from the other side they were obviously using a dummy and in the next shot I had my head in between the drill (as before) and another flat point that the prop guy was turning. The two unpleasant things have been realizing the fake head and Venation. To realize a dummy with your features you have to stay covered with plaster (or whatever it is) for nearly one hour. You can breathe only through straws stuck in your nostrils and if you move a muscle the entire job is lost. I felt suffocating and went close to a real hysteric fit. As for Venantino nobody had explained him what "let's pretend" meant and his hands were actually much more dangerous than the drill.