View source for Tex and the Lord of the Deep

{{short description|1985 film}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Tex and the Lord of the Deep
| image          = Tex and the Lord of the Deep.jpg
| caption        = Film poster
| director       = [[Duccio Tessari]]
| producer       =
| screenplay     = {{plainlist|*Duccio Tessari
*Marcello Coscia
*[[Gianfranco Clerici]]
*[[Sergio Bonelli]]{{sfn|Curti|2016|p=182}}}}
| story          = [[Gian Luigi Bonelli]]{{sfn|Curti|2016|p=182}}
| based_on       = <!-- {{Based on|title of the original work|creator of the original work|additional creator(s), if necessary}} -->
| starring       = {{plainlist|*[[Giuliano Gemma]]
*[[William Berger (actor)|William Berger]]
*Carlo Mucari
*[[Peter Berling]]}}
| music          = [[Gianni Ferrio]]{{sfn|Curti|2016|p=182}}
| cinematography = Pietro Morbidelli{{sfn|Curti|2016|p=182}}
| editing        = {{plainlist|*Lidia Bordi
*Mirella Mencio{{sfn|Curti|2016|p=182}}}}
| studio         = [[RAI|Rai - Radiotelevisione Italiana]]{{sfn|Curti|2016|p=182}}
| distributor    = SACIS
| released       = {{Film date|df=yes|1985|||Italy}}
| runtime        = 104 minutes{{sfn|Curti|2016|p=182}}
| country        = Italy{{sfn|Curti|2016|p=182}}
| language       = Italian
}}
'''''Tex and the Lord of the Deep'''''  ({{langx|it|Tex e il signore degli abissi}}) is a 1985 [[Western (genre)|Western]] film co-written and directed by [[Duccio Tessari]] and starring [[Giuliano Gemma]] and [[William Berger (actor)|William Berger]]. The film is an adaptation of the ''[[Tex Willer|Tex]]'' comic series that were popular in Italy. Previously attempted to be made into a production in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the film was eventually made by Tessari who adapted the film from the comics originally to be a pilot for a television series.
==Production==
[[Tex Willer]] was created in 1948 in Italy and became one of the country's most popular and long-lived comic book characters.{{sfn|Curti|2016|p=182}}{{sfn|Curti|2016|p=183}} Attempts to adapt the ''Tex'' comic series to film appeared as early as the late 1960s.{{sfn|Curti|2016|p=183}} These included [[Sergio Bonelli]] working on an adaptation with [[Charlton Heston]] (as Tex) and [[Jack Palance]] (as Kit) being considered for the roles.{{sfn|Curti|2016|p=183}}{{sfn|Curti|2016|p=184}} Bonelli approached [[Tonino Valerii]] and [[Enzo G. Castellari]] to approach the character.{{sfn|Curti|2016|p=184}} Valerii recalled being approached by [[Gian Luigi Bonelli]] in the early 1970s.{{sfn|Curti|2016|p=184}} Valerii liked the idea but found that Bonelli wanted to make a film where he would personally handle the costumes and changed the original story which never got into production.{{sfn|Curti|2008|p=79}}
In the early 1980s, [[Duccio Tessari]] took on the project that was initially conceived as a pilot for a television series produced by RAI, Italy's national public broadcasting company.{{sfn|Curti|2016|p=184}} [[Giuliano Gemma]] was cast as Tex who had worked with Tessari on several films in the past, including ''[[A Pistol for Ringo]]'', ''[[My Son, the Hero]]'', ''[[Kiss Kiss...Bang Bang]]'' and ''[[The Cats (1968 film)|The Cats]]''.{{sfn|Curti|2016|p=184}} Tessari and his screenwriters focused on three stories from the ''Tex'' comics with fantastic undertones.{{sfn|Curti|2016|p=185}} These included ''El Morisco'', ''Sierra Encantada'' and ''Il signore dell'abisso'' which were written by Bonelli and drawn by [[Guglielmo Letteri]].{{sfn|Curti|2016|p=185}}
Filming took place between May and June 1985 in Italy and Spain.{{sfn|Curti|2016|p=185}}
==Release and reception==
''Tex and the Lord of the Deep'' was released theatrically in Italy in 1985.{{sfn|Curti|2016|p=182}} Italian film historian and critic Roberto Curti wrote that the film was "ravaged" by critics and had disappointing box office returns.{{sfn|Curti|2016|p=187}}
Giuliano Gemma spoke negatively about the film after its release, stating that the idea of making the film was good and that he was "delighted to accept it, but I think that, first of all, they made a mistake by choosing to adapt that story, ''Il signore dell'abisso'', because there are such better ones in the series and [several] less difficult to turn into a film."{{sfn|Aguilar|2003|p=83}}
The planned television series of the film was never made.{{sfn|Curti|2016|p=187}}
==See also==
* [[List of films based on comics]]
* [[List of Italian films of 1985]]
==References==
===Footnotes===
{{reflist}}
===Sources===
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite book |last=Aguilar |first=Carlos |title=Giuliano Gemma: el factor romano |publisher=[[Diputación de Almería]] |date=2003 |isbn=8481082856 }}
* {{cite book |last=Curti |first=Roberto |title=Diabolika: Supercriminals, Superheroes and the Comic Book Universe in Italian Cinema |publisher=Midnight Marquee Press |date=2016 |isbn=978-1-936168-60-6 }}
* {{cite book |last=Curti |first=Roberto |title=Il mio nome è Nessuno. Lo spaghetti western secondo Tonino Varlerii |publisher=Un Mondo a Parte |date=2008 |isbn=978-8889481172 }}
{{Refend}}
==External links==
* {{IMDb title|0090150}}
{{Duccio Tessari}}
[[Category:1985 films]]
[[Category:1985 Western (genre) films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Duccio Tessari]]
[[Category:Italian Western (genre) films]]
[[Category:Films based on Italian comics]]
[[Category:Live-action films based on comics]]
[[Category:Films about treasure hunting]]
[[Category:Films shot in Almería]]
[[Category:Television pilots not picked up as a series]]
[[Category:1980s Italian films]]