Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers of the Spaghetti Western

Spaghetti Western Director – Helmuth M. Backhaus

Helmuth M. Backhaus was a German director, writer and actor born in Bonn, North Rhine Westphalia, Germany on June 6, 1920. In the 1930s, he moved to Munich with his mother and sister. After graduating from high school in 1939, he did labor service, military service in the air news and a few semesters of law and theater studies in Frankfurt. Through his first play "Wir unter uns" ("We Among Us"), which was performed in Munich in 1945, radio became aware of him. In January 1946, Backhaus started at Radio Munich. Together with the American control officer Walter Kohner, Backhaus built up the cabaret department. With programs such as the "Kleiner Gedeck", the "Zehnerlkabarett", the "Nachtwindmühle", the "Schlauen Stunde" or the "Blue Saturday", he was soon known as a conférencier beyond the white-blue ether - alongside other stars of his profession such as Hellmuth Krüger, Adolf Gondrell and Werner Finck.

He has appeared in entertainment films as a screenwriter, director and actor. On his professional and private travels as well as in his Schwabing and Gautingen apartment, he created over 1,500 paintings (oil paintings, watercolors, gouaches, etchings, caricatures). He also wrote manuscripts for radio plays, sketches, features and documentary programs, in which he often directed himself.

BACKHAUS, Helmuth M. (aka H. M. Backhaus, Helmut Backhaus, Gregory Tracy, Gregor Trass) (Helmuth Manuel Backhaus) [6/6/1920, Bonn, North Rhine Westphalia, Germany – 5/5/1989, Munich, Bavaria, Germany] – director, writer, actor, painter.

The Bandits of the Rio Grande – 1965

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter – Piero Anchisi

Piero Giovanni Anchisi was an Italian actor and writer who was born in Gattinara, Piedmont, Italy on June 29, 1928. He wrote film stories and screenplays for thirteen films between 1968 and 1999. He appeared as an actor in thirty-five films and television programs between 1965 and 2006.

Anchisi co-wrote the screenplays for three Spaghetti westerns: “Il pistolero dell'Ave Maria” (The Forgotten Pistolero) in 1969 with Vincenzo Cerami, Mario di Nardo, Federico De Urrutia and Ferdinando Baldi, “L'odio è il mio Dio” (Hate is My God) in 1969 with Vincenzo Cerami and Claudio Gora and “Blindman” in 1971 with Tony Anthony and Vincenzo Cerami.

Piero Giovanni Anchisi died in Rome on September 15, 2012, at the age of 84.

ANCHISI, Piero (aka Piergiovanni Anchisi, Pietro Anchisi, Piero Anghisi, Piero Luigi Anchisi, Piero Archisi) (Piero Giovanni Anchisi) [6/29/1928, Gattinara, Piedmont, Italy – 9/15/2012, Rome, Lazio, Italy] – writer, actor.

The Forgotten Pistolero – 1969 (co)

Hate Is My God 1969 (co) [as Pietro Anchisi]

Blindman – 1971 (co)

Spaghetti Western Cinematographer – Fernando Arribas

Fernando Arribas Campa was born in 1940 in Madrid, Spain. He was a cinematographer on over 110 films and TV series between 1961 and 2004. He’s also credited as a cameraman on thirty-five films and TV programs between 1964 and 2002. He was the film editor on the 1976 film “Blood and Passion”

At the age of 19 he began to train in camera and photography at the Institute of Cinematographic Research and Experiences, where he was a disciple of José F. Aguayo and Juan Julio Baena, while being influenced by the innovative style of Luis Cuadrado Encinar and Luis Enrique Torán Peláez. He then worked as a photojournalist in Triunfo, Nuestro cine and Primer acto and as an assistant professor at the Official Film School. He received his diploma in 1963.

An expert in tricks and special optical effects, he began in 1963 making some short films and in 1964 he was second operator in the film “A Fistful of Dollars”, a task that he continued in “Oscuros sueños de Agosto” (1966) and “La residencia” (1969). In 1969 he made his debut as a director of photography in “Las crueles”. He then became a director of photography in television and theater, collaborating in the series ‘La señora García se confiesa’ (1976) by Adolfo Marsillach, ‘Los desastres de la guerra’ (1982) and ‘La forja de un rebelde’ (1989). In 1997 he was appointed president of the Spanish Association of Film Photography Authors.

Arribas died in Madrid on January 24, 2021. He was 80 years old.

Fernando Arribas was the cinematographer on four Spaghetti westerns: “Aventuras del Oeste” (Seven Hours of Gunfire) in 1965, “El valle de las viudas” (Valley of the Dancing Widows) in 1974, “Las mujeres de Jeremías” (Garden of Venus) -m 1979 as Fred Upland and “Yendo hacia ti” (Comin’ at Ya!) in 1980.

ARRIBAS, Fernando (aka Fernando Arrivas, Fred Upland) (Fernando Arribas Campa) [1940, Madrid, Madrid, Spain – 1/24/2021, Madrid, Madrid, Spain] – cinematographer, cameraman, film editor, married to ? father of Luisito Arribas,  father of director, assistant director, writer Manuel Martínez Velasco [1976-    ] with actress, singer Concha Velasco (Concepción Velasco Varona) [1939-2023] married to singer, actress Tania Helfgott [1964-    ] (2002-2021), founded the Spanish Association of Cinematographers.

Seven Hours of Gunfire – 1965

The Valley of the Dancing Widows – 1974

The Garden of Venus – 1979 [as Fred Upland]

Comin’ at Ya! – 1980