Frank Braña

Frank Braña (born Francisco Braña Pérez; 24 February 1934 – 13 February 2012) was a Spanish character actor.

Biography He was born Francisco Braña Pérez in Pola de Allande, Asturias, Spain on 24 February 1934. Also credited as Frank Blank, Francisco Brana, Frank Brana, Frank Branya, Francisco Braña and Paco Braña, his career has been mostly based in Spanish and Italian movies of the spaghetti Western, horror and sword-and-sandal genres, having worked in more than 200 productions from the early 1960s, not always as a supporting actor.

He appeared in And the Crows Will Dig Your Grave (1971) and Dallas (1972), by John Wood, Django Does Not Forgive (1967), by Julio Buchs, Django Kill... If You Live, Shoot! (1967), by Giulio Questi, If You Shoot... You Live!, by Javier Elorrieta, and Three Supermen of the West (1974), by Italo Martinenghi. He played Dan Robinson in Kilma, Queen of the Amazons (1976). He played Prince in Perseus Against the Monsters (1963) in a supporting role along Antonio Molino Rojo and Lorenzo Robledo, in Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) along Benito Stefanelli, Antonio Molino Rojo, Fabio Testi and Spartaco Conversi, federal agent Sam Puttnam in Light the Fuse... Sartana Is Coming (1970) along Massimo Serato, Nieves Navarro and José Jaspe, and Battle of the Amazons (1973) along Alberto Dell'Acqua, Benito Stefanelli and his son Marco.

One of his last film was Tiovivo c. 1950 (2004), by José Luis Garci, which received a nomination for Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. He continued working in spite of suffering from silicosis. In September 2007 he published the autobiography Morir con dignidad en el cine. In September 2011 he was awarded at I Festival Internacional de Cine Western alongside Craig Hill and Teresa Gimpera, Eugenio Martin, Rafael Romero Marchent, Cándida López (widow of Aldo Sanbrell), Antonio Pica, Dan van Husen, Nicoletta Machiavelli, Saturno Cerra, Fabio Testi and Al Matthews.

On 13 February 2012, 3:15 pm, Brana died from respiratory failure at a hospital in Madrid, Spain, he was 11 days away of his 78th birthday.

Selected filmography

Chinitas's Cafe (1960) – Tipo en palco (uncredited) Il conquistatore di Maracaibo (1961) – Pirate King of Kings (1961) – Roman Soldier (uncredited) Horizontes de luz (1962) Accidente 703 (1962) – Amigo de Perico (uncredited) Perseo l'invincibile (1963) – Prince (uncredited) Han robado una estrella (1963) – Camionero Los conquistadores del Pacífico (1963) Rififí en la ciudad (1963) – Mario Alonso (uncredited) Juego de hombres (1963) Gibraltar (1964) – Thug Apache Fury (1964) – Secuaz de Burt A Fistful of Dollars (1964) – Baxter Gang Member (uncredited) Brandy (1964) – Driver I due violenti (1964) – Perkins La tumba del pistolero (1964) – Jinete negro Doomed Fort (1964) – John Los siete bravísimos (1964) El señor de La Salle (1964) – (uncredited) El proscrito del río Colorado (1965) – Bandido Murieta (1965) – Pistolero 1 Jandro (1965) – Roque The Last Tomahawk (1965) – Corporal (uncredited) La frontera de Dios (1965) (1965) For a Few Dollars More (1965) – Blackie (Indio's Gang) (uncredited) Adiós gringo (1965) – Ranchester's henchman with red shirt A Coffin for the Sheriff (1965) – Lupe's Henchman Due mafiosi contro Al Capone (1966) – Bud Messina Gunman Called Nebraska (1966) – Dickson High Season for Spies (1966) Per il gusto di uccidere (1966) – (uncredited) Sugar Colt (1966) – Bandit The Ugly Ones (1966) The Texican (1966) – U.S. Marshal Vic The Big Gundown (1966) – Widow's ranchero (uncredited) The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) – Bounty Hunter #2 (uncredited) Jugando a morir (1966) Django Does Not Forgive (1966) El hombre que mató a Billy el Niño (1967) – Murphy's Henchman (uncredited) A Witch Without a Broom (1967) – Captain of the Guard Django Kill... If You Live, Shoot! (1967) – Templer Henchman (uncredited) Un hombre vino a matar (1967) – Tom El halcón de Castilla (1967) – Alejandro God Forgives... I Don't! (1967) – Smoking poker player with moustache Face to Face (1967) – Jason 15 Scaffolds for a Murderer (1967) – Adam, Sandy's Henchman Dos hombres van a morir (1968) – Juez Tutto per tutto (1968) – Posse Sheriff Lo voglio morto (1968) Persecución hasta Valencia (1968) Pistol for a Hundred Coffins (1968) – Joe, Stagecoach Driver Suicide Commandos (1968) – (uncredited) El secreto del capitán O'Hara (1968) – Henry Ace High (1968) – Joe (uncredited) Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) – Member of Frank's Gang Smoking Pipe at Auction (uncredited) La muchacha del Nilo (1969) – Terry La morte sull'alta collina (1969) – Captain Young Garringo (1969) – Bill I vigliacchi non pregano (1969) – Rod, Blake Henchman (uncredited) Johnny Ratón (1969) – Bill The Price of Power (1969) – Mortimer (uncredited) I diavoli della guerra (1969) – Peter Kolowsky Santo frente a la muerte (1969) – Mario The Avenger, Zorro (1969) – Dominguez (uncredited) The House That Screamed (1970) Golpe de mano (Explosión) (1970) – El Fulminante Che fanno i nostri supermen tra le vergini della jungla? (1970) – Zumakov Santo contra los asesinos de la mafia (1970) Manos torpes (1970) Churchill's Leopards (1970) – François Leduc Un par de asesinos (1970) – Brian Lester Il magnifico Robin Hood (1970) – Prince John El bosque del lobo (1970) – (uncredited) Cloud of Dust... Cry of Death... Sartana Is Coming (1970) – Deputy Sheriff with Eye Patch Una chica casi decente (1971) – Luc And the Crows Will Dig Your Grave (1971) – Glenn Kovac In nome del padre, del figlio e della Colt (1971) – Judge Finlay Let's Go and Kill Sartana (1971) They Call Him Cemetery (1971) – Saloon Patron The Butcher of Binbrook (1971) – Dr. Lexter Nicholas and Alexandra (1971) – Gate Guard at Palace (uncredited) Delusions of Grandeur (1971) – (uncredited) The Boldest Job in the West (1972) – Jess Hai sbagliato... dovevi uccidermi subito! (1972) – Sheriff Lewis Burton Un dólar de recompensa (1972) – Judge Timanfaya (Amor prohibido) (1972) Arizona Kid (1972) – Austin Styles Crimen de amor (1972) – The detective Campeones del ring (1972) Una bala marcada (1972) La guerrilla (1973) La redada (1973) Hannah, Queen of the Vampires (1973) – Abdul Hamid – The Blind Sailor El secreto de la momia egipcia (1973) – James Barton Le Amazzoni – Donne d'amore e di guerra (1973) Oi teleftaioi tou Rupel (1973) ...e così divennero i 3 supermen del West (1973) – Brad Verflucht dies Amerika (1973) – Guardia mudo Return of the Blind Dead (1973) – Howard Fasthand (1973) – Quincy Santo contra el doctor Muerte (1973) – Henchman El último viaje (1974) – Sergio Il mio nome è Scopone e faccio sempre cappotto (1974) Los fríos senderos del crimen (1974) – Guy Malone Open Season (1974) Vacaciones sangrientas (1974) Las violentas (1974) – Peterson El último proceso en París (1974) – Taxista Metralleta 'Stein''' (1975) – El MineroEl clan de los inmorales (1975)Tarzán y el tesoro Kawana (1975) – JackLa última jugada (1975) – RalphLos hijos de Scaramouche (1975) – PierreSi quieres vivir... dispara (1975) – MarcoMuerte de un quinqui (1975) – MartínEl misterio de la perla negra (1976) – JulioKilma, reina de las amazonas (1976) – Dan RobinsonEl alijo (1976) – Guardia civilEl in... moral (1976)Las alimañas (1977) – RalphHitler's Last Train (1977) – Otto KramerWhere Time Began (1977) – Hans BelkerSweetly You'll Die Through Love (1977) – Toife (uncredited)Perros callejeros (1977) – El EsquinaoFantasma en el Oeste (1978)Missile X: The Neutron Bomb Incident (1978) – RigoSupersonic Man (1979) – PetersonSavana violenza carnale (1979)The Cantabrians (1980)Revenge of the Black Wolf (1981) – TeodoroEl lobo negro (1981)Mystery on Monster Island (1981) – BirlingBuitres sobre la ciudad (1981) – Mike HaddonLas muñecas del King Kong (1981)Freddie of the Jungle (1981) – JackLos diablos del mar (1982) – Van HasselPieces (1982) – Sgt. HoldenHundra (1983) – ChieftainThe Pod People (1983) – BurtGoma-2 (1984) – PeioYellow Hair and the Fortress of Gold (1984) – The Sergeant (uncredited)Story of O - Chapter 2 (1984)Guerra sucia (1984) – BrunoTex and the Lord of the Deep (1985) – Mr. Bedford (uncredited)Yo, 'El Vaquilla' (1985) – ManuelLuna de lobos (1987) – ArrieroSiesta (1987) – Park PolicemanLa herencia del mal (1987) – HansSlugs (1988) – Frank PhillipsOro fino (1989)The Rift (1990) – MullerDon Juan, mi querido fantasma (1990) – Celador 5La mansión de los Cthulhu (1990) – FelixSuperagentes en Mallorca (1990)Dyningar (1991) – Gen. AlonsoManoa, la ciudad de oro (1999) – MorganEl escarabajo de oro (1999) – Capitán KiddEl invierno de las anjanas (2000) – ColonelMaestros (2000)Tiovivo c. 1950'' (2004) – Don Luis