Spaghetti Western
Director ~ Robert Hossein
Robert Hossein (born
Robert Hosseinoff; was a French actor, director, and writer of Iranian descent,
renowned for his contributions to cinema and theatre.
Born in Paris on December
30, 1927, to composer André Hossein, an Iranian Zoroastrian, and a mother of
Russian origin, Hossein trained at the René Simon acting school and debuted on
stage in his teens before transitioning to film. He gained prominence in French
cinema through roles portraying brooding villains, such as in the crime
thriller “Rififi” (1955), and later directed notable works including the 1982
television adaptation of Victor Hugo's ‘Les Misérables’, which earned critical
acclaim for its scale and fidelity to the source material. Hossein's career
spanned over six decades, encompassing acting in over 100 films, directing
theatrical productions, and managing cultural institutions like the Théâtre de Reims,
where he promoted accessible popular theatre. He passed away from COVID-19
complications one day after his 93rd birthday on December 31, 2020.
Robert Hossein directed
two Spaghetti westerns: “Le goût de la violence” (The Taste of Violence) in
1960 and “Une corde… un colt” (Cemetery Without Crosses ) in 1968.
HOSSEIN, Robert (Robert Hosseinoff) [12/30/1927, Paris, Île-de-France, France - 12/31/2020, Essey-lès-Nancy, Meurthe-et-Moselle
France (COVID-19)] –
producer, director, writer, actor, son of composer, conductor André Hossein (André Hosseinoff) [ - 1983], married to actress Marina Vlady (Marina Catherine De Poliakoff-Baidarov) [1938- ] (1955-1960)
father of actor Igor Hossein [1956- ],
actor Pierre Hossein [1958- ], married
to writer Caroline Eliacheff [1947- ]
(1962-1964) father of actor Nicolas Hossein [1963- ], married to actress Candice Patou (Michèle Pauline Patou) [1947- ] (1976-2020) father of producer, assistant
director, writer, actor Julien Hossein [1976-
].
The Taste of
Violence - 1960
Cemetery Without
Crosses – 1968
Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Fabrizio De Angelis
Fabrizio De Angelis was born on November 15, 1940, in
Rome, Italy. He is an Italian film producer, director, and screenwriter best
known for his contributions to low-budget exploitation cinema, particularly in
the horror and action genres during the 1970s and 1980s.
De Angelis entered the film industry after working as a
mailman, beginning his production career in the mid-1970s with films in the
erotic and adventure genres before shifting toward horror and post-apocalyptic
action. He founded the production company Fulvia Film and collaborated
extensively with prominent Italian directors, including producing several key
works for Lucio Fulci such as “Zombie Flesh-Eaters” (1979), “The Beyond”
(1981), and “The House by the Cemetery” (1981), as well as Joe D'Amato's
Emanuelle series.
As a director, often under the pseudonym Larry Ludman to
appeal to international markets, De Angelis helmed action films like “1990: The
Bronx Warriors” (1982) and “Escape from the Bronx” (1983), along with creature
features such as “Killer Crocodile” (1989). His work exemplified the
fast-paced, commercially driven style of Italian B-movies, contributing to the
global popularity of Eurotrash cinema despite often facing distribution
challenges due to censorship and violence.
Fabrizio De Angelis wrote screenplays for four
Euro-westerns: “Thunder” (Thunder Warrior) in 1983, “Thunder II” (Thunder
Warrior II) with Dardano Sacchetti in 1985, “Thunder III” (Thunder Warrior III)
with Dardano Sacchetti in 1987 and “Arizona violenta” (Arizona Road) with Vincenzo
Mannino in 1990.
De ANGELIS, Fabrizio (aka David Colby,
Larry Ludman, Ted Russell) [11/15/1940, Rome, Lazio, Italy - ] – producer, production manager,
director, writer, songwriter, SFX, actor, founded Fulvia Films.
Thunder Warrior –
1983 (co)
Thunder Warrior II –
1985 (co)
Thunder Warrior III
– 1987 (co)
Arizona Road – 1990
(co)
Spaghetti Western
Cinematographer ~ Erico Menczer
Erico Menczer was an
Italian cinematographer, painter, photographer, and writer, renowned for his
extensive contributions to over 100 films in Italian cinema, spanning roles
from camera operator to director of photography.
Born in Fiume, Italy
on May 8, 1926, Menczer developed an early passion for photography and cinema,
beginning his career as a cameraman at Cinecittà studios in Rome in 1951 under
Gianni di Venanzo. He collaborated with acclaimed directors such as
Michelangelo Antonioni on films like “Le amiche” (1955) and “Il grido” (1957)
as a camera operator and later transitioned to director of photography in
1960.
Among his most
notable works as cinematographer are “Il federale” (1961), “La voglia matta”
(1962), “Il gatto a nove code” (1971) directed by Dario Argento, “Sbatti il
mostro in prima pagina” (1972) by Marco Bellocchio, and the blockbuster comedy “Fantozzi”
(1975) by Luciano Salce, which became one of Italy's top-grossing films of its
era. He also contributed to international projects, including the TV adaptation
of Mark Twain's Innocents Abroad for American public television, and taught
cinematography and visual arts at Roman film schools in the 1980s and 1990s.
Beyond film, Menczer
pursued painting starting in 1982, primarily using acrylics, with exhibitions
in Rome in 1985, 1993, 1998, and 1999; he also authored short stories, poetry,
novels such as Tutto ebbe inizio... and Facciamo finta di niente,
and a memoir Una vita messa a fuoco published shortly before his death
in Rome on March 10, 2012. He was 85.
Erico Menczer was a
cinematographer on one Euro-western “Zanna Bianca” (White Fang), with Pablo
Ripoll in 1973
MENCZER, Erico (Eric Meczer) [5/8/1926, Fiume, Istria, Italy -
3/10/2012, Rome, Lazio, Italy] – cinematographer, cameraman, writer, artist.
White Fang – 1973
(co)
