Living in Rome in the ‘infamous 1960s', while attempting to become “Playboy of the Western World,” I dabbled briefly in the world of Italian Cinema.

My initial ‘fore ’into this world of seedy, low-budget classics was a fun-filled Italian attempt at their version of an “007 Spy-Film, titled “AD-3 Operazione Squalo Bianco”. At the time, everyone was attempting to copy the success of the current, Ian Fleming, Albert Broccoli: successful James Bond films. Our offering, however, attained an all too brief success with Italian filmgoers.

Following this was another fun romp in Rome, Barcelona, and London, in which I again tried my hand at being a very lucky, yet not very effective ‘British Secret Agent’ in a fun-filled epic titled: “Sicario 77.”

This was quickly followed by my introduction to Spaghetti Westerns. "Uccide o Muori", (Kill or Be Killed) is a cowboy 'romp' about a young and moody, violin-playing gunslinger named Gianni Ringo.

This film basked in an all-too-brief moment of success, followed by a second Spaghetti Western titled, “Dio non Paga al Sabato,” (God Never Pays on Saturday) about an angry, betrayed ‘pistolero’ set on revenge. This became one of those ‘odd’ films that has gone on to become a bit of a ‘cult-classic’ among aficionados of ‘60s Spaghetti Westerns. It can still be found on YouTube.

Following these brief moments with 'Spaghetti Westerns', came my farewell to Italian Cinema, in a fun-filled espionage tongue-in-cheek escapade, titled “Handle with Care” (Silencio Si Uccidi): a classic shoot-em’-up, which follows the hero’s exciting trek from MI-6 headquarters in London to the seedy, back alleys of Madrid, then on to Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia’s most beautiful city.

The last half of the film finds our frustrated and confused secret agent running in bathing trunks through the smoky, overcrowded, smoke filled Tunisian markets, attempting, with frequent serendipitous 'luck', to stop the villains in their attempt to destroy the world's food supply.

If anyone is curious, these old classics can still be seen on YouTube, purchased on E-Bay, “Spaghetti Western Data Base (SWDB), and cultmovies@gmail.com (Attn: Mike Malloy).