Spaghetti Western
Director ~ Enzo Matassi
Enzo Matassi was born
Francesco Degli Espinosa an Italian – production manager, director, assistant
director, writer, film editor. Born in Rome on December 19, 1933, Matassi
worked in the development and press departments of various film production
companies from 1949; over time, he specialized in color development at Vincenzo
Genesis' company "Technospes" and was technical director of
"Staco Film". After a stint as an assistant director in 1969, he
produced and organized various genre films from 1970 onwards and directed a
comedic Italo Western that was classified by critics as devastatingly bad. In
the 1980s, several sex films followed in this function.
Enzo died in Rome in
June of 2006 at the age of 72.
Enzo Matassi
directed one Spaghetti western, “C’era una volta questo pazzo pazzo west” (Once
Upon a Time in the Wild Wild West) in 1973.
MATASSI, Enzo (aka Francesco Degli Espinoza,
Vincenzo Matassi) (Francesco Degli Espinosa) [12/19/1933, Rome, Lazio, Italy – 6/?/2006, Rome, Lazio, Italy] –
production manager, director, assistant director, writer, film editor.
The Crucified Girls
of San Ramon – 1971 [film was never made.]
The Braggart – 1973
[film was never made]
Once Upon a Time in
the Wild Wild West – 1973
Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Aldo Florio
Aldo Florio was an Italian film director, screenwriter,
and assistant director known for his work in Italian genre cinema, particularly
spaghetti westerns, crime, and action films during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.
Born on January 3, 1925, in Sora, Italy, Florio entered
the film industry in the early 1950s as an assistant director and second unit
director, contributing to a wide range of productions through the late 1980s.
He later shifted focus to directing and screenwriting, debuting in these roles
with films such as “Five for Revenge” (1966) and “L'uomo del colpo Perfetto”
(1967), followed by notable works including “Tutto sul rosso” (1968), “Dead Men
Ride” (1971), and “Una vita venduta” (1976). His screenwriting credits extended
into the 1980s with projects like “2020 Texas Gladiators” (1983) and “Endgame -
Bronx lotta finale” (1983).
Florio's career spanned several decades within the
prolific Italian B-movie and exploitation film sectors, where he collaborated
on low-budget productions that characterized mid-century European genre
filmmaking. He died in December 2016 in Rome, Italy.
Aldo Florio wrote and co-wrote screenplays for two
Spaghetti westerns: “Anda muchacho, spara!” (Dead Men Ride) with E.M. Brochero
(Eduardo Manzanos Brochero), Bruno di Geronimo and “Anno 2020 – I gladiatori de
futoro” (2020 Texas Gladiators) with Luigi Montefiore in 1982.
Florio died in Rome on December 20, 2016, at the age of 91.
FLORIO, Aldo [1/3/1925, Sora,
Lazio, Italy - 12/20/2016, Rome, Lazio, Italy] – director, screenwriter.
Tutto sul rosso –
1967 (co) [film was never made]
Dead Men Ride – 1971
(co)
2020 Texas
Gladiators – 1982 (co)
Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Toni Secchi
Antonio ‘Toni’ Secchi was an Italian cinematographer
known for his contributions to 1960s and 1970s Italian genre cinema,
particularly as director of photography on numerous Spaghetti Westerns and
other action-oriented films. Born on February 26, 1924, in Genoa, Liguria,
Italy, he was active primarily during the peak of Italy's commercial film
industry, capturing the visual style of low-budget but popular productions that
gained international cult followings.
Secchi's cinematography credits include key Spaghetti
Western titles such as “Blood for a Silver Dollar” (1965), “The Hills Run Red”
(1966), “A Bullet for the General” (1967), and “Death Sentence” (1968), where
his work helped define the gritty aesthetic of the genre. He also served as
cinematographer on other notable films, including “A Man for Burning” (1962),
“Mare matto” (1963), and the TV miniseries ‘The Life of Leonardo Da Vinci’
(1971). Beyond cinematography, he directed and co-wrote one feature film, the
crime-action picture “Panhandle 38” (1972).
His career reflects the vibrant era of Italian B-movies
and international co-productions, where he collaborated with directors in the
western and crime genres before stepping away from filmmaking in the mid-1970s.
Secchi's visual contributions remain associated with the distinctive look of
mid-century Italian exploitation cinema.
Secchi died in Zoanno Ponte di Legno, Brescia, Italy on
June 7, 2013 at the age of 89.
Toni Secchi was a cinematographer on five Spaghetti
westerns: “Un dollaro bucato” (Blood for a Silver Dollar) in 1965, “Quién sabe?”
(A Bullet for the General) and “Un fiume di dollari” (The Hills Run Red) both
in 1966, “Sentenza di morte” (Death Sentence) and “Wanted” both in 1967.
SECCHI, Toni (aka Tony Dry, Tony
Secchi, Tony Secchy) (Antonio Secchi) [2/26/1924, Sampierdarena Genoa,
Liguria, Italy - 6/7/2013, Zoanno
Ponte di Legno, Brescia, Italy] – director, writer, cinematographer.
Blood for a Silver
Dollar – 1965 [a Tony Dry]
A Bullet for the
General – 1966 [as Tony Secchi]
The Hills Runs Red -
1966
Death Sentence -
1967
Wanted - 1967
