Alberto Dell’Acqua

• Name — Alberto Dell'Acqua • Born — 14 May 1944 • Birthplace — Campobasso, Italy • Other Names — Robert Widmark Cole Kitosh Al Waterman Albert Nova • Occupation — Actor • Years Active — 1955–2001

• Illustration — Dell'Acqua in Up the MacGregors! (1967) Dell'Acqua was born into one of Italy's most prestigious traditional circus families, part of a multi-generational dynasty that operated renowned shows such as the Royal Circus and Circo Demar. The son of Marcello Dell’Acqua, he grew up alongside siblings including Arnaldo, Roberto, and Ottaviano, all of whom moved fluidly between circus performance and careers in film as actors or stuntmen. From a young age, Dell’Acqua became an accomplished circus performer himself, working as an acrobat, trapeze artist, and juggler, and frequently serving as the “straight man” for his brother Arnaldo, a well-known circus clown. This rigorous and diverse physical training laid the athletic foundation that would later enable his successful transition into stunt work and action cinema.

• Illustration — Dell'Acqua in Texas, Addio (1966) Dell'Acqua’s entry into the film industry was incidental. He was discovered by the renowned weapons master Freddy Unger, who hired him after Dell'Acqua helped him with circus equipment for a production. His first credited acting role was in Giants of Rome (1964) directed by Anthony Dawson.

• Illustration — Dell'Acqua (Left) and Nero (Right) in Man, Pride and Vengeance (1968) His breakout role came in Seven Guns for the MacGregors (1966), where he used the stage name Albert Waterman. Director Franco Giraldi, who had previously met Dell'Acqua while working as an assistant director on the documentary I Malamondo, specifically sought him out for the role. This led to a lead role in Texas, Addio, playing the younger brother of Franco Nero. The two actors developed a lifelong friendship during the production. During this period, producer Manolo Bolognini briefly imposed the pseudonym Cole Kitosh on him, though Dell'Acqua felt the name did not contribute to his success. In the film, he portrayed the naive and idealistic younger brother of Sheriff Burt Sullivan (played by Franco Nero). His character stubbornly accompanies Burt on a journey to Mexico in pursuit of the sadistic bandit Cisco Delgado. (José Suárez), aiming to avenge their father's murder. As the brothers become entangled with a group of Mexican revolutionaries, the story builds toward a violent and emotionally charged climax. Dell'Acqua's performance received positive attention from reviewers; in a retrospective review of the Blu-ray release, Fanboy Destroy wrote: "It’s all Nero’s show, but Dell’Acqua’s athletic stunts and striking good looks make him a pretty decent co-star." In 1968, Dell'Acqua collaborated once again with his on-screen brother, Franco Nero, in the film Man, Pride and Vengeance, directed by Luigi Bazzoni. This film is a Western adaptation of the novella Carmen by Prosper Mérimée. During filming, on a particularly scorching day in Spain, Dell'Acqua lay down to rest about half an hour before a scheduled break. When the break began, Nero called out to him to join the crew. However, Dell'Acqua was not merely asleep; he had suffered a heatstroke. Fortunately, Nero quickly recognized the seriousness of the situation and took him to the hospital, ultimately saving his life. • Illustration — Dell'Acqua in Fighters from Ave Maria (1970) In 1970, Alberto Dell'Acqua appeared in the Italian Spaghetti Western Fighters from Ave Maria (I vendicatori dell’Ave Maria), directed by Bitto Albertini. The film is set during the California Gold Rush and combines elements of action and comedy within the Western genre, following a troupe of circus acrobats who become embroiled in the struggles of a small frontier town. Dell'Acqua portrays Pete Garrison, one of the Garrison brothers and a member of the traveling circus troupe whose acrobatic skills and courage aid the inhabitants of the town of Goldfield against the oppressive landowner Parker.

• Illustration — Dell'Acqua in The Perfect Killer (1977) Dell'Acqua transitioned to leading man status, adopting the name Robert Widmark. He famously replaced an American actor in Alleluja & Sartana are Sons... Sons of God (1972) directed by Mario Siciliano because the original lead lacked the athletic ability to perform the fight scenes. The film was a major commercial success in Germany, earning Dell'Acqua a special industry award. In 1973, Dell’Acqua starred in the Italian-Spanish Spaghetti Western adventure film Man with the Golden Winchester (Il figlio di Zorro), directed by Gianfranco Baldanello. In the film, portrays Don Rocardo Villaverde, a masked hero identified with the legendary figure of Zorro. In 1979, Dell’Acqua appeared in the Italian-Spanish-Yugoslav crime thriller Dinero maldito (also known internationally as Killer’s Gold), directed by Sergio Garrone. In the film, Dell’Acqua portrays the character José, a professional thief caught up in a violent struggle for stolen money after betrayal within a criminal underworld. The plot centers on José’s conflict with gangsters intent on reclaiming the loot, weaving elements of action and crime drama throughout the narrative.

Dell’Acqua was known for performing his own stunts and, as a result, sustained several serious injuries during his career. While filming Seven Guns for the MacGregors, he was involved in a horse-riding accident that caused fractured vertebrae, a skull fracture, and five broken ribs, requiring four months of recovery in a body cast before he resumed work on the film. During productions in Colombia, he performed a wing-walking stunt on an aircraft at an altitude of approximately 1,000 metres and was later blown from a military ship into the sea, narrowly avoiding drowning. In an incident known as the “Cocomero” accident, he suffered a severe internal hematoma to his back during a wagon stunt. Despite the injury, he continued filming in the Italian–Spanish action film The Perfect Killer (1977) (directed by Mario Siciliano) with Lee Van Cleef after undergoing a surgical procedure in which the hematoma was drained and gauze was inserted to allow limited mobility during production. In the film, Dell'Acqua portrayed the character Luc, a younger professional assassin sent by a clandestine organization to pursue the protagonist, Harry Chapman (played by Lee Van Cleef). The plot follows Chapman after he is coerced into working as a hitman; as the story unfolds, Luc becomes a significant antagonist whose pursuit adds tension to the narrative. Dell'Acqua's performance in the film reflects his versatility beyond the Spaghetti Western genre that initially brought him recognition in the 1960s and 1970s, showcasing his ability to work in crime‑oriented action roles as well.

During his time as a rising star in the Spaghetti Western genre, Dell'Acqua was a prominent figure in the social scene of Almería and Madrid. He confirmed a romantic connection with Spanish actress Elisa Montés during the filming of Texas, Addio. Decades later, the two maintained a warm friendship; in 2017, Dell'Acqua traveled to Spain to surprise Montés at the Almería Western Film Festival, where they were both honored for their contributions to the genre. In the late 1970s, at the height of his international popularity, Dell'Acqua abruptly left the film industry. While traveling to a vacation in Calabria, he stopped at his relatives' circus and decided to stay to ensure he could be present for his children's upbringing. He spent the next seven years back in the circus world. His family has continued the circus tradition; his children became accomplished artists, and his granddaughter won a silver award at the Monte Carlo Circus Festival for "antipodism" (foot juggling). In his later years, Dell'Acqua has expressed a deep nostalgia for the Western genre, stating that "the actor is truly seen in the Western" due to the unique physicality and behavioral changes the genre requires of a performer.

In the late 1970s, Dell'Acqua was at the peak of his international career, particularly following the success of his "Robert Widmark" action films in Germany and Turkey. His retirement was not a planned professional move but a sudden personal decision made during a family road trip. While driving his caravan toward a campsite in Gioia Tauro, Calabria, for a summer vacation, Dell'Acqua passed a circus belonging to his relatives. He intended to stop for only a few days, but after seeing his children "bloom" while practicing in the circus ring, he decided to abandon his film career entirely to ensure his family stayed together. He famously stated that his phone "rang off the hook" with film offers at his home in Rome, but he refused to return, choosing instead to spend the next seven to eight years traveling with the circus. In a brief attempt to merge his two worlds, Dell'Acqua founded a traveling theater-circus company called Diva le Risate. The show combined circus attractions with comedic sketches inspired by the legendary Italian comedian Totò. The venture saw success in campsites and small venues for two years, but Dell'Acqua was forced to close the business after a violent storm destroyed the performance tent and he was unable to secure further government funding.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 2001 — Nella terra di nessuno — Italian Film • 1998 — The Son of Sandokan — Jafar — Italian TV Series • 1989 — After Death — Scientist — Italian Film • 1983 — Endgame — Gabe Mantrax — Italian Film • 1979 — Zombi 2 — Zombi — Italian/American Film • 1977 — The Perfect Killer — Luc — Italian Film • 1977 — Babanın Evlatları — Pire Mehmet — Turkish Film • 1976 — Baş Belası — Piç Rıza / Fırlama Necmi — Turkish Film • 1975 — Üç Kağıtçılar / Che Carambole Ragazzi — Piç Rıza — Turkish/Italian film; Bilingual film • 1975 — Zwei Teufelskerle auf dem Weg ins Kloster — Jim — West German/Italian Film • 1974 — Dschungelmädchen für zwei Halunken — Jeff — West German/Italian Film • 1974 — Man with the Golden Winchester — Don Rocardo Villaverde / Zorro — aka Son of Zorro; Italian/Spanish Film • 1973 — Battle of the Amazons — Llio — Italian/Spanish Film • 1972 — Alleluja & Sartana are Sons... Sons of God — Sartana — Italian Spaghetti Western • 1972 — Trinità e Sartana figli di... — Sartana — Italian Spaghetti Western • 1970 — I vendicatori dell'Ave Maria — Pete — Italian Spaghetti Western • 1969 — Boot Hill — Sam — Italian Spaghetti Western • 1968 — Vengeance — Richie — Italian Spaghetti Western • 1968 — Long Days of Hate — Rooney — Italian Spaghetti Western • 1968 — Il suo nome gridava vendetta — Italian Spaghetti Western • 1968 — A Sky Full of Stars for a Roof — Italian Spaghetti Western • 1968 — Kill Them All and Come Back Alone — The Kid — Italian Spaghetti Western • 1968 — Man, Pride and Vengeance — Remendado — Italian Spaghetti Western • 1968 — A Minute to Pray, a Second to Die — Italian Spaghetti Western • 1968 — Il suo nome gridava vendetta — Italian Spaghetti Western • 1967 — Wanted — Italian Spaghetti Western • 1967 — Up the MacGregors! — Dick MacGregor — Italian Spaghetti Western • 1966 — Texas, Adios — Jim Sullivan — Italian Spaghetti Western • 1965 — Seven Guns for the MacGregors — Dick MacGregor — Italian Spaghetti Western • 1964 — Giants of Rome — Valerius — Italian/French Film • 1955 — La Rossa — Bambino — Italian Film