.Westerns...All'Italiana!

Spaghetti Western Director ~ Rafael Romero Marchent

Rafael Romero Marchent was a Spanish film director, screenwriter, and actor known for his pioneering role in developing the western genre within Spanish cinema, particularly through his contributions to the euro-western or "spaghetti western" style during the 1960s and 1970s. 1 Born in Madrid on May 3, 1926, he came from a family deeply involved in popular Spanish cinema, as the son of author Joaquín Romero Marchent and brother of director Joaquín Luis Romero Marchent.

Born on May 3, 1926 in Madrid, he began his career in the mid-1960s, initially directing westerns such as “Dead Men Don't Count” (1968) and “When Satan Grips the Colt” (1969), which reflected the influence of Italian spaghetti westerns while incorporating Spanish sensibilities and production contexts. His filmography includes other genre works like “Santana Killed Them All” (1970), “Disco rojo” (1973), and “Santo vs. Doctor Death” (1973), spanning westerns, action, and occasional comedies, often as director and sometimes as screenwriter or actor. Romero Marchent's efforts helped establish a distinctive strain of western filmmaking in Spain during the height of the genre's popularity in Europe.

He continued working in Spanish cinema into later decades, though his most notable impact remains tied to the westerns of the late Franco era and transition period. Romero Marchent died in Madrid on February 13, 2020 at the age of 93.

Rafael Romero Marchent was a director of eleven Spaghetti westerns: “Manos de pistolero” (Hands of a Gunfighter) and “Dos pistolas gemelas” (Vengeance Ranch) both in 1965, “Dos cruces en Danger Pass” (Two Crosses at Danger Pass) in 1967, “I morti non si contano” (Dead Men Don’t Count), “La salvaje venganza del Gringo” (One by One) and “Dos hombres van a morir” (Ringo, the Lone Rider) all in 1968, “Garringo” and “Manos torpes” (When Satan Grips the Colt) all in 1969, “Un par de asesinos” (Santana Kills Them All) in 1970, “Un dólar de recompense” (These Damned Pounds of Gold) in 1971 and “El Lobo Negro” (The Black Wolf) in 1980.

MARCHENT, Rafael Romero (aka Romeo Erna, Ralph March, Rafael R. Marchen, Paul Marchent, R. Romero Marchent, Rafael R. Marchent, Rafael R. Marchent) (Rafael Romero-Marchent) [5/3/1926, Madrid, Madrid, Spain – 2/13/2020, Madrid, Madrid, Spain] – director, assistant director, writer, actor, son of producer, writer, film editor Joaquín Romero Marchent Gómez de Avellaneda (1899-1973), brother of producer, director, writer, actor Joaquin Luis Romero Marchent [1921-2012], editor Ana Maria Romero Marchent [19??-2015], actor Carlos Romero Marchent [1944-2013], married to actress Maruja Tamayo (María Tamayo López) [19??-1991] (19??-1991] father of Teresa de Jesús [1962- ].

Hands of a Gunfighter – 1965

Vengeance Ranch 1965

Two Crosses at Danger Pass - 1967

Dead Men Don’t Count – 1968 [as Rafael R. Marchent]

One by One – 1968 [as Rafael R. Marchent]

Ringo, the Lone Rider – 1968 [as Rafael Romero]

Garringo – 1969 [as Rafael R. Marchent]

When Satan Grips the Colt – 1969 [as Ralph R. Marchent]

Santana Kills Them All – 1970

These Damned Pounds of Gold – 1971

The Black Wolf – 1980 [as Paul Marchent]

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Demofilo Fidani

Demofilo Fidani was an Italian film director known for his prolific output of low-budget genre films, particularly spaghetti westerns produced during the late 1960s and 1970s, often under pseudonyms such as Miles Deem.

Born on February 8, 1914 in Cagliari, Sardinia, he worked extensively in Italian exploitation cinema, directing around twenty films while frequently serving as writer, producer, and production designer on the same projects.

His westerns, which commonly borrowed character names and title formulas from more famous entries in the genre such as Django and Sartana, were characterized by minimal budgets, location shooting in Italy, and a recurring cast including actors like Gordon Mitchell, Jeff Cameron, and Hunt Powers.

Fidani's films often featured unconventional stylistic choices, including heavy use of handheld cameras and extended stock footage sequences, earning him a reputation among genre enthusiasts as a distinctive, if technically modest, figure in spaghetti western production. Beyond westerns, he directed works in other exploitation categories, including adventure films like “Karzan, il favoloso uomo della giungla” and erotic comedies such as “A.A.A. Masseuse”, “Good-Looking, Offers Her Services”. He maintained a multifaceted career in cinema as a set designer on numerous productions before and during his directing period and also pursued interests in spiritualism as a practicing medium since the 1930s, authoring several books on the subject later in life. Fidani died on April 1, 1994 at the age of 80.

Demofilo Fidani wrote and co-wrote screenplays for thirteen Spaghetti westerns: “Straniero… fatti il segno della croce!” (Stranger Say Your Prayers) with Corrado Pataro and Mila Vitelli in 1967, “Ed ora… raccomand l’anima a Dio!” (And Now... Make Your Peace with God) with Mila Vitelli and “Passa Sartana… e l'ombra della tua morte” (Shadow of Sartana… Shadow of Death) both in 1968, “E vennero in quattro per uccidere Sartana!” (4 Came to Kill Sartana) with Luigi Giachin and Mila Vitelli in 1969, “Inginocchiati straniero… i cadaveri non fanno ombra!” (4 Came to Kill Sartana), “Arrivano Django e Sartana… è la fine” (Django and Sartana Are Coming... It's the End) with M. R. Valenza and “Quel maledetto giorno d’inverno… Django e Sartana all’ultimo sangue” (One Damned Day at Dawn... Django Meets Sartana!) with), M.R. Vitelli Valenza all in 1970, “Giù le mani … carogna!” (The Ballad of Django), “Giù la testa… hombre!” (A Fistful of Death) with M.R. Valenza and Alfredo Medori, “Era Sam Wallash!... Lo chiamavano… e “Cosi sia” (Savage Guns) and “Per una bara piena di dollari” (Showdown for a Badman) with Tonino Ricci all in 1971, “Amico mio, frega tu... che frego io!” (Anything for a Friend) with Filippo Perrone and Mila Vitelli and “Scansati... a Trinità arriva Eldorado” (Stay Away from Trinity When He Comes to Eldorado) with Romano Scandariato, Diego Spataro with 1972.

FIDANI, Demofilo (aka Slim Alone, Danilo Dani, Nedo De Fida, Nedo de Fida, M. Deem, Miles Deem, Lucky Dickinson, Dino Fidani, Nedo Fidano, Demos Filos, Dennis Ford, Sean O'Neal, Demos Philos, Dick Spitfire) [2/8/1914, Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy – 4/1/1994, Rome, Lazio, Italy] – producer, production designer, production manager, director, assistant director, writer, actor, married to producer, production designer, writer, actress Mila Vitelli Valenza [1923-2007], stepfather of production designer, film editor, actress Simone Blondell (Simonetta Vitelli) [1950- ].

Stranger Say Your Prayers – 1967 (co) [as Miles Deem]

And Now... Make Your Peace with God – 1968 (co) [as Miles Deem]

Shadow of Sartana… Shadow of Death – 1968 [as Miles Deem]

4 Came to Kill Sartana – 1969 (co)

Dead Men Don’t Make Shadows – 1970 (co)

Django and Sartana Are Coming... It's the End – 1970 (co) [as Dino Fidani]

One Damned Day at Dawn... Django Meets Sartana! – 1970 (co) [as Miles Deem]

The Ballad of Django – 1971 [as Lucky Dickinson]

A Fistful of Death – 1971 (co) [as Miles Deem]

Savage Guns - 1971 (co) [as Miles Deem]

Showdown for a Badman – 1971 (co)

Anything for a Friend – 1972 (co)

Stay Away from Trinity When He Comes to Eldorado – 1972 (co)

Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Clemente Santoni

Clemente ‘Tino’ Santoni was an Italian cameraman and cinematographer. He was born in Rome on January 9, 1913. He worked on seven films as a cameraman between 1931 and 1958. Most of his career was as a cinematographer where he worked on one hundred five films between 1939 and 1974.

Santoni first studied painting, but then devoted himself to the film business, where he worked as a technical assistant for lighting, camera assistant and lighting master in the 1930s. As the responsible cinematographer, he photographed numerous films with artistic aspirations, but also brought his fresh, sun-accentuated images into commercial productions. The delicate coloring and the high-contrast rendering of the productions were praised. In 1974 he ended his active career. Outstanding examples for his sensitive photography are “Es ist Frühling” (1950), “Wild Summer” (1959) and “The Girl with the Light Luggage” (1961).

Clemente Santoni was a cinematographer on eight Spaghetti westerns: “Il bandolero stanco” (The Tired Outlaw) in 1952, “Un dollaro di fifa” (A Dollar of Fear) in 1960, “Gli eroi del West” (Heroes of the West) in 1963, “Cuatro dólares de venganza” ($4.00 of Revenge) with Victor Monreal and “I due figli di Ringo” (The Two Sons of Ringo) both in 1966, “Sangue chiama sangue” (Blood Calls to Blood) with Pablo Ripoll, “Crisantemi per un branco di carogne” (A Wreath for the Bandits) and “I nipoti di Zorro” (The Nephews of Zorro) all in 1968.

SANTONI, Clemente (aka Dino Santori, Tino Santoni) [1/9/1913, Rome, Lazio, Italy – 10/14/987, Rome, Lazio, Italy] – cinematographer, cameraman. ] -

Il bandolero stanco – 1952 [as Tino Santoni]

A Dollar of Fear – 1960 [as Tino Santoni]

Heroes of the West – 1963 [as Tino Santoni]

$4.00 of Revenge – 1966 (co)

The Two Sons of Ringo – 1966 [as Tino Santoni]

Blood Calls to Blood – 1968 (co) [as Tino Santoni]

A Wreath for the Bandits – 1968 [a Dino Santori]

The Nephews of Zorro – 1968 [as Tino Santoni]

A Collection of Famous Comic Strips

This comic book series consists of at least 9 small volumes, bearing neither a date (though likely from around 1953) nor a number, which collect material from various series published by the same house. Each volume is priced at 100 Lire, with the exception of the Piccola Freccia collection, which is priced at 200 Lire.

Six of the volumes are in a "strip" format: two collections of Il Piccolo Sceriffo (PS), two of Ridolini (RI), one of Nat del Santa Cruz (NS), and one of Sciuscià (SC).

The other three appear in various different formats: one collection of Il Giornalino Mio (GM), one of El Bravo (EB), and one of Piccola Freccia (PF).

Images provided by Antonio Farina and Nestore Corti.

The series was published in 1953 by TOR in Milan, Italy. Each issue contained 256-512 black & white pages with color covers.

Titles

(01) - "Il Piccolo Sceriffo" (PS) (The Little Sheriff

(02) - "I racconti del Piccolo Sceriffo" (PS) (Tales of the Little Sheriff)

(03) - "Storie allegre di Ridolini 1" (RI) (Cheerful Tales of Ridolini 1)

(04) - "Storie allegre di Ridolini 2" (RI) (Cheerful Tales of Ridolini 2)

(05) - "Le storie di Nat" (NS) (The Story of Nat)

(06) - "Le avventure di Sciuscià" (SC) (The Adventures of Sciuscià)

Altri Formati

(07) - "Le storie del Bravo" (EB) (The Story of Bravo)

(08) - "Superstrenna del Giornalino Mio" (GM) (The Giornalino Mio Super-Gift Edition)