Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

Spaghetti Western Director ~ José Luis Borau

José Luis Borau Moradell was regarded as the godfather of Spanish cinema even though he directed only 9 films, he was also a producer, writer and distributor as well as a teacher and historian. Born in Zaragoza, Spain on August 8, 1939, his classics include “Tata Mine” (1986), “Poachers” (1975) and “Hay Que Mater A B” and other titles such as his last film “Leo” which earned the Goya award for directing. “Poachers”, a powerful rural-set drama about a possessive mother and her mentally challenged child, is widely considered a masterpiece and a pioneering work of post-Franco Spanish cinema. Borau also made his mark on Spanish cinema as a producer and writer with films such as “Un Dos, Tres Al Escondite Ingles” (1969), “Mi Qquerida Señorita” (1972), “Camada Negra” (1977) and “El monosabio” (1977). He wrote and directed one Euro-western “Ride and Kill” (1964) with Alex Nicol and Robert Hundar. Juan Antonio Bayona, director of “The Impossible”, was a pupil of Borau described him as “a great director and a great person.” From his debut in 1965 with “Brandy”, an early spaghetti western, Borau was known for making genre films full of passion and twisted plots. He was also the writer of “My Dearest Senorita” (1972), a film by Jaime de Armiñán that was nominated for an Oscar and portrayed the ignorance in some provincial areas of Spain through the tragic story of a man who was raised as a woman and doesn’t know his true identity. An influential scholar and intellectual, he was also author of a well-regarded Spanish Cinema dictionary. The Spanish Royal Academy announced the creation of an annual prize in Borau’s honor to recognize the best Spanish-language screenplay.

As mentioned above Borau directed only one Spaghetti western “Nrandy” (Ride and Kill) in 1964.

BORAU, José Luis (aka Joe Baker) (José Luis Borau Moradell) [8/8/1929, Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain - 11/23/2012, Madrid, Madrid, Spain (throat cancer)] – producer, director, writer.

Ride and Kill (1964) [as J.L. Boraw]

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Ferdinando Baldi

Ferdinando Baldi was born in Cava De' Tirreni, Campania, Italy on October 18, 1927. Baldi was born in Cava de' Tirreni, Salerno, on 19 May 1927. He was employed as a teacher after getting a degree in literature, but he got involved in cinema thanks to his acquaintance with Italian producer Tiziano Longo and he produced his first movie, “Il Prezzo dell'onore” in 1952.

After making his first film, he abandoned teaching. He ranged from spaghetti westerns to musicals, not forgetting mythological films or comedies. He had the opportunity to direct actors such as Orson Welles in “David and Goliath” (1960) and “The Tartars” (1961), Alan Ladd in “Horatii and Curiazi” (1961), Ben Gazzara in “Afyon” (1972), the ex-Beatles Ringo Starr in “Blindman” (1971) and Serena Grandi in “The Traveling Companion” (1980). He often collaborated with the screenwriters Franco Rossetti and Vincenzo Cerami

Throughout his career he used a number of pseudonyms, including Ted Kaplan, Ferdy Baldwin and Sam Livingstone.

Baldi was involved with the screenplays of all the Spaghetti westerns he directed: “Texas, addio” (The Avenger) with Franco Rossetti in 1966, “Little Rita nel West” (Little Rita of the West) again with Franco Rossetti in 1967, “Odia il prossimo tuo!” (Hate Your Neighbor) with Lugi Angelo, and Roberto Natale in 1968, “Il pistolero dell’Ave Maria” (The Forgotten Pistolero) with Piero Anchisi, Vincenco Cerami, Federico De Urrutia, and Mario di Nardo in 1969, “Il pistolero cieco” (Blindman) with Piero Anchisi, Tony Anthony (Tony Petitto), Lloyd Battista, Vincenzo Cerami,  in 1971, “Carambola” with Nico Ducci and Mino Roli in 1973, “Carambola filotto…tutti in buca” (The Crazy Adventures of Len and Coby) again with Nico Ducci, Mino Roli in 1974  and “Get Mean” with Lloyd Battista and Wolf Lowenthal in 1975.

BALDI, Ferdinando (aka Ferdy Baldwin, Free Baldwin, Ferdy Baldwyn, Ted Kaplan, Sam Livingstone) [10/18/1927, Cava De' Tirreni, Campania, Italy – 11/11/2007, Rome, Lazio, Italy] – producer, production manager, director, assistant director, writer, actor, married to Rosetta Giarnieri father of Marina Baldi, Alessandra Baldi.

The Avenger – 1966 (co)

Little Rita of the West – 1967 (co)

Hate Your Neighbor – 1968 (co)

The Forgotten Pistolero – 1969 (co)

Blindman – 1971 (co)

Carambola – 1973 (co)

The Crazy Adventures of Len and Coby – 1974 (co)

Stranger in the Middle Kingdom – 1974 [Film was never made.]

Get Mean – 1975 (co)

Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Giorgio Boschetti

Giorgio Boschetti was an Italian cinematographer and photographer. He was one of the founders of Cineclub Biella in 1951. He specialized in making mountain documentaries and received a Diplome d’Onneur for the 1957 film “Una foglia per sognare” (A Leaf to Dream).

Giorgio Boschetti was born in Italy, most likely Turin, in 1931. Whether he’s still living is unknown. A photography studio with his name still exists in Turing today most likely operated by his son.

Giorgio Boschetti’s only Euro-western was 1953’s “Cowboy Story”.

BOSCHETTI. Giorgio [1931, Italy -    ] – photographer, cinematographer.

Cowboy Story – 1953