Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

Spaghetti Western Director ~ Luigi Batzella

Luigi Batzella was born in San Sperate, Sardinia, Italy on May 27, 1924. He was assistant director, director, writer, composer and film editor. He also appeared films as a stuntman and actor.

After what film historian and critic Roberto Curti described as "a nondescript career as an actor," Batzella began his career as a director in 1966 with the war film “Tre franchi die pietà”. After directing a few low budget westerns, Batzella directed his first horror film “The Devil's Wedding Night” which was co-directed with an uncredited Joe D'Amato. Following the release of his next horror film “Nude for Satan” in 1978, Batzella directed two Nazisploitation films “Kaput Lager – Gli ultimi giorni delle SS” and “La Bestia in calore” for which he was credited as Ivan Kathansky. His next feature would be the sex comedy “Probito erotico” starring Ajita Wilson where he is credited as Paul Selvin. His final official film credit was for the film “Strategia per una missione di morte” where he is credited as Kathansky in some prints and as A.M. Frank in the French version. Curti has stated that some sources claim Batzella was involved with the Bruce Le production “Mie ju que que”.

Luigi Batzella died in San Sperate, Sardinia, Italy on November 18, 2008 at the age of 84.

Batzella directed four Spaghetti westerns: “Anche per Django le carogne hanno un Prezzo” (Django’s Cut Rate Corpses – 1971 [as Paolo Solvay], “Quelle sporche anime dannate” (Paid in Blood) again as Paolo Solvay, “La colt era il suo Dio” (God is My Colt .45) this time as Dean Jones and finally “Quelle del Texas” in 1973 as Paolo Solvay which was to star  Sal Borgese, Christa Linder but the film was never made.

BATZELLA, Lugi  (aka Gigi Batzella, A.M. Frank, Paull' Hamus, Paul Hamus, Dean Jones, Ivan Katansky, Ivan Kathansky, Paul Selvin, Paul Selway, Paolo Solvay, Paul Solvay, Ivan Kathansky) [5/27/1924, San Sperate, Sardinia, Italy – 11/18/2008, San Sperate, Sardinia, Italy (Parkinson's disease)] – director, assistant director, writer, composer, film editor, stuntman, actor.

Django’s Cut Rate Corpses – 1971 [as Paolo Solvay]

Paid in Blood – 1971 [as Paolo Solvay]

God Is My Colt .45 – 1972 [as Dean Jones]

Quelle del Texas – 1973 [as Paolo Solvay] [film was never made]

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ E. Armstrong

Edward Armstrong was born on March 3, 1846, in Tidenham, Gloucestershire, England. The son of John Armstrong, later Bishop of Grahamstown. He was a British historian who was educated at Bradfield College and Exeter College, Oxford, and became a Fellow of The Queen's College, Oxford. Armstrong wrote books on Charles V, Elisabeth Farnese, and Lorenzo de' Medici. He also contributed to The Cambridge Modern History and the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.

Armstrong served as warden of Bradfield College from 1920 to 1925 and died in Oxford, England on April 14, 1928, at the age of 82.

Armstrong was the screenwriter from the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's famous poem, The Song of Hiawatha for the 1903 film “Hiawatha, The Messiah of the Ojibway”.

ARMSTRONG, E. (aka E.A. Armstrong) (Edward Armstrong) 3/3/1846, Tidenham, Gloucestershire, England, U.K. – 4/14/1928, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, U.K.]– historian, writer, son of Bishop of Grahamstown John Armstrong [1813-1856], married to Mabel Wilson [18??-1920], married to Geraldine Prynne Harriss [1899-19??] (1921-1928],

Hiawatha, The Messiah of the Ojibway– 1903

Spaghetti Western Cinematographers ~ Étienne Becker

Louis Étienne Becker was born in Paris, France on May 1, 1936. He was the son of the French director Jacques Becker, and the brother of Jean Becker. He was an actor, director, screenwriter, Cinematographer, film editor, assistant operator and camera operator

Known as Étienne Becker, he started at the photographic laboratory in France "Dimanche". He entered the film industry as a camera assistant on "Ghislain Cloquet." He worked as a cameraman on six films between 1961to 1968. He was a cinematographer on forty-nine films from 1963 to 1995. He also appeared in front of the camera as an actor in two films in 1962 and 1969.

Becker died at the age of 59 in Clichy, France on December 11, 1995.

Étienne Becker was the cinematographer on one Euro-western: “Touche pas à la femme blanche” (Don’t Touch the White Woman!) in 1973.

BECKER, Étienne (Louis Étienne Jacques Becker) [5/1/1936, Paris, Île-de-France, France - 12/11/1995, Clichy, Île-de-France, France] – cinematographer, cameraman, film actor, son of production manager, director, assistant director, writer, actor Jacques Becker (Jacques Louis Thomas Becker) [1906-1960], brother of producer, director, assistant director, writer, actor Jean Becker [1933-    ], half-brother of actress Marie Becker, uncle of producer, production manager, director, assistant director, writer Louis Becker [1956-    ], married to Nadine Ballot [1941-    ] (1965-19??), married to Manuella Mirabaud [1944-2013], married to  assistant director writer, and actress Cécile Émilie Boisrond.

Don’t Touch the White Woman! – 1973