Spaghetti Western
Director ~ Ferde Grofe Jr.
Ferde Grofé Jr. is
an American film producer, director, and screenwriter known for his work on
independent action, adventure, and war films during the 1960s and 1970s, as
well as later documentary productions. He is the son of the celebrated composer
and arranger Ferde Grofé, who is best remembered for works such as the Grand
Canyon Suite.
Born in Passaic, New
Jersey on April 4, 1924, Grofé Jr. initially trained as an actor before
entering the film industry as an assistant to producer Sam Katzman at Columbia
Studios' Clover Productions. He later moved into independent filmmaking, often
collaborating with American International Pictures and actor-director George
Montgomery on low-budget features shot in the Philippines, including “The Steel
Claw”, “Warkill”, and “The Proud and Damned”. One of his most distinctive
projects was “The Day of the Wolves” (1971), filmed in Lake Havasu, Arizona, as
his only feature produced in the continental United States. In subsequent
years, he shifted toward producing documentary television programs, such as
those on World War II and Vietnam War topics, and eventually retired to the
Pacific Northwest.
Fedre died in
Oakdale, California on October 20, 1998 at the age of 74.
Ferde Grofe Jr.
directed one Spaghetti western, “Los orgullosos y los malditos” (The Proud and
the Damned) in 1968.
GROFE Jr., Ferde (aka Ferde Grofé
Jr., Ferd Grofe Jr., Ferde Grofé, Ferdie Grofe Jr., Ferde Grofe jr.) (Ferdinand Rudolf von Grofé Jr.) [4/4/1924, Passaic, New Jersey,
U.S.A. – 10/20/1998, Oakdale, California, U.S.A.] – producer, director, writer,
son of composer, conductor, arranger, Ferde Grofé Sr. (Ferdinand Rudolph von Grofé)
[1892–1972], married to Iris Renee Walker [1923-2010 (1943-1998) father of
Glenn Robert Grofe [1947-2007].
The Proud and the
Damned – 1968
Spaghetti Western
Screenwriter ~ Sandro Continenza
Sandro Continenza
was an Italian screenwriter and journalist renowned for his extensive
contributions to post-World War II cinema, particularly in comedy, peplum, and
adventure genres, with credits on over 150 films spanning from 1949 to the
early 1990s. Born on July 13, 1920 in Rome, he began his career as a gag writer
for satirical magazines before transitioning to screenwriting, collaborating
with prominent directors such as Alessandro Blasetti, Mario Monicelli, and
Mario Mattoli. Continenza is also credited with coining the enduring Italian
term maggiorata fisica, a humorous euphemism for a woman with prominent
physical attributes, first used in a film script to describe actress Sophia
Loren.
Continenza's debut
came in 1949 with “Totò cerca casa”, a comedy directed by Mario Mattoli
starring the iconic comedian Totò, marking the start of a long and fruitful
partnership that saw him contribute to numerous Totò vehicles, including “Totò
le Mokò” (1949), “Totò e Peppino divisi a Berlino” (1962), and “Totò, Peppino
e... la malafemmina” (1956). He often worked alongside esteemed writers like
Agenore Incrocci (Age), Furio Scarpelli, Suso Cecchi D'Amico, and the duo
Vittorio Metz and Italo De Feo, helping to craft fast-paced, satirical
narratives that captured the spirit of Italy's commedia all'italiana. His style
emphasized improvisation and adaptability, frequently revising scripts on set
to accommodate actors' strengths, especially Totò's instinctive comedic timing
rooted in commedia dell'arte traditions.
Beyond comedies,
Continenza ventured into peplum and Spaghetti westerns, scripting films like “Teseo
contro il Minotauro” (1960), “Ercole alla conquista di Atlantide” (1961), and “Sugar
Colt” (1967), which exemplified the era's low-budget spectacles blending myth,
action, and light-hearted adventure. Later in his career, he tackled more
varied projects, including the cult war parody “Quel maledetto treno blindato”
(1978, known internationally as “The Inglorious Bastards”) and erotic comedies
such as “Fico d'India” (1980). Occasionally stepping in front of the camera, he
appeared in minor roles in anthology films like “L'amore difficile” (1962) and “Tempi
nostril” (1954).
Continenza's legacy
lies in his versatility and productivity during Italian cinema's golden age,
bridging journalism's wit with film's populist entertainment, though he
received no major awards and often shared credits in ensemble writing teams.
His work reflected the socio-cultural shifts of mid-20th-century Italy, from
postwar reconstruction humor to the excesses of the 1970s, influencing
generations of screenwriters in the genre.
Sandro Continenza
co-wrote screenplays for nine Euro and Spaghetti westerns: “Il sogno di Zorro”
(The Dream of Zorro) with Mario Amendola, Ruggero Maccari, Marcello Marchesi
and Vittorio Metz in 1951, “Il bandolero stanco” with Emo Bistolfi, Mario
Guerra, Renato Rascel and Carlo Romano in 1952, “Gli eroi del West” (Heroes of
the West) with Mario Guerra, Jose Mallorqui, Steno, Vittorio Vighi and Renzo
Tarabusi in 1963, “Los pistoleros de Arizona” ($5,000 on One Ace) with José
Antonio de la Loma, Alfonso Balcazar and Helmut Harun in 1964, “Django spara
per primo” (Django Shoots First) with Massimo Capriccoli, Tito Carpi, Alberto
DeMartino, Vincenco Flamini and Giovanni Simonelli, “Per pochi dollari ancora”
(Fort Yuma Gold) with Massimiliano Capriccioli, Remigo Del Grosso, Guilles
Morris Dumoulin, Augusto Finocchi, Ettore Giannini and Leonardo Méndez, “Sugar
Colt” with Giuseppe Mangione, Franco Giraldi, Augusto Finocchi and Fernando di Leo, “Per il gusto di uccidere” (A
Taste for Killing) with Víctor Auz, Augusto Finocchi, Remigio Del Grosso, Massimo Capriccioli and Leonardo Méndez all
in 1966 and “Zanna Bianca alla riscossa” (White Fang to the Rescue) with Giovanni
Simonelli in 1974.
CONTINENZA, Sandro (aka Continenza,
Allesandro Continenza) (Alessandro
Continenza) [7/13/1920, Rome, Lazio,
Italy – 11/21/1996, Rome, Lazio, Italy] – assistant director, writer.
The Dream of Zorro –
1951 (co) [as Continenza]
Il bandolero stanco
– 1952 (co)
Heroes of the West –
1963 (co)
$5,000 on One Ace –
1964 (co)
Django Shoot’s First
– 1966 (co)
Fort Yuma Gold –
1966 (co)
Sugar Colt – 1966
(co)
A Taste for Killing
– 1966 (co)
I soliti ignoti del
West – 1972 [film was never made.]
The Lone Stranger in
the West – 1973 [film was never made.]
White Fang to the
Rescue – 1974 (co)
Spaghetti Western
Cinematographer ~ Matthieu Lemercier
Matthieu Lemercier
is a French cinematographer who attended Aix-Marseille University where he
received a Master’s degree in cinematography graduating in 2008. He’s worked
sixteen years as a cinematographer.
Matthieu Lemercier
was a cinematographer on two Spaghetti westerns: “Per un pugno di spaghetti” in
2014 and “Per un pugno di spaghetti 2: Rosalita” in 2015.
LEMERCIER, Matthieu [French] –
cinematographer., cameraman
Per un pugno di
spaghetti – 2014
Per un pugno di
spaghetti 2: Rosalita – 2015
