Maurice Poli

Maurizio Poli as Rino in GANGSTERS LAW.

Nationality:
Birth:
Death:
Aka: Monty Greenwood

Despite the fact that Maurice Poli appeared in over 60 films from the early 1960's to the mid 1990s, very little is known about him. It's safe to assume he's Italian or French, and he occassionally worked under the pseudonym Monty Greenwood, but beyond that... nada.

For that reason, we have no option but to consider his career purely in terms of his films, and it's not too difficult a job to do so. But before starting on that, I have to say a few words about his face: a good looking guy, Poli was one of many Italian performers who just had a fantastic look. Personable rather than clean, a million miles away from the antiseptic blandness that seems the rage today, this was a guy whose looks spoke of authenticity. And also coolness: he looks like he should have been born in a pair of sixties-style shades.

As with so many of his compatriots, Poli fist appeared as a supporting performer in peplums. He was a sidekick to villainous Gianni Garko in The Avenger (La leggenda de Enea, 62), and had a small part in the Steve Reeves film Sandokan the Great (Sandokan, la tigre de Mompracen, 63). He appeared as one of the titular heist-masters in Seven Golden Men (Sette uomini d'oro, 65) and it's sequel, Seven Golden Men Strike Again (Gran colpi dei sette uomini d'oro, 67). Around this time, he also had the occassional leading role, for instance in the spy film Tom Dollar (67) and the excellent spaghetti western Two Sides of the Dollar (Le due facce del dollaro, 67).

His career continued in much the same vein throughout the seventies, and he turned up in assorted war, crime and western films. He had major roles in a couple of Mario Bava productions: as a grasping industrialist in Five Dolls for An August Moon (5 bambole per la luna d'agosto, 71) and as the surprisingly sympathetic Doc in Wild Dogs (Cani arrabbiati, 74). Throughout the 80s, he continued appearing in low budget productions, until his last apparent role in Emanuele Glisenti's Delitti a Luce Rossa (93).

If anybody knows anything more about Maurizio Poli, please get in touch!

ONES TO WATCH

Two Sides of the Dollar. A very good western that's not afforder the respect it deserves.
Wild Dogs. Mario Bava's crime masterpiece.