Happy 85th Birthday Rafael Romero Marchent

Rafael Romero Marchent Hernández was born on May 3, 1926 in Madrid, Spain. He is the son of producer, writer and film editor Joaquín Romero Gómez de Avellaneda Marchent. He is the younger brother of director, actor Joaquín Luis Romero Marchent [1921- ], film editor Ana Maria Romero Marchent and actor Carlos Romero Marchent [1944- ]. Rafael appeared in many school plays since childhood and later had small parts in films. He decided to take classes in dance and dramatic art while pursuing his career as a juvenile actor. His first adult stage role was in "El traje de luces "1947" by Edgar Neville. He continued appearing on stage and in plays for the next 10 years. In the early 1960s he decides to learn to be a director and becomes an assistant director and screenwriter. He would go on to direct and write over thirty films many of which (19) were Spaghetti westerns. Among his better known Euro-westerns are "Zorro, the Avenger" (1964), "Gunfight at High Noon" (1966), "Two Crosses at Danger Pass" (1967), "Ringo the Lone Rider" (1968), "The Dead are Countless" (1969), "Clumsy Hands" (1970), and "The Prey of Vultures" (1972). Often with his brother Joaquin, he would co-produce his films which also included comedies, thrillers, dramas and musicals. Later he would turn to directing in television and film dubbing. Rafael retired in the mid-1990s. Today we celebrate one of the Euro-western’s great directors on his 85^th birthday.