Remembering Steno

Born Stefano Vanzini on January 19, 1915 in Rome, Italy. He was the son of journailst Albert Vanzina. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts and entered the Experimental Center of Cinematography and began to graw caricatures, cartoons and write humorous articles under the pseudonym Steno. He then started writing scripts for radio and the theater. He was hired by director Mario Mattioli as a screenwriter and assistant director for several of his films. He directed his first film in 1949. For the next 30 years he would specialize and direct and write scripts for comic films. He directed Bud Spencer in four “Flatfoot” films. During his work in the '60s he was involved with two Euro-westerns directing and co-writing the screenplay for “Heroes of the West” (1963) and directing “Twins from Texas” (1964). He was married and had two sons who entered the film industry Henry a writer and Charles a producer and director. Steno died on March 12, 1988 in Rome. Today we remember him on what would have been his 95th birthday.