Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

Spaghetti Western Director ~ Mario Colucci

Mario Colucci was born in Rome, Italy in 1932. He is an Italian film director and screenwriter active primarily in the late 1960s and early 1970s, best known for directing the gothic horror “Something Creeping in the Dark” (1971). He also directed “Revenge for Revenge” (1968) and worked on “L'altro piatto della bilancia” (1972).

Primarily a writer where he worked on eleven films between 1962 and 1972. He was also an assistant director 1960 and 1967 on two films and directed three films between 1968 and 1972.

Using the alias Ray Calloway, he directed one Spaghetti western, “Vendetta per vendetta” (Revenge for Revenge) in 1968.

COLUCCI, Mario (aka Ray Calloway, Ray Colloway, Ray C. Colloway) [1932, Rome, Lazio, Italy -     ] – director, assistant director, writer, actor.

Machado – 1967 [film was never made]

Revenge for Revenge – 1968 [as Ray Calloway]

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Jiří Brdečka

Jiří Brdečka was a Czech animator, film director, screenwriter, and satirist. He was born in the city of Hranice in Moravia on December 24 1917. His father was the author Otakar Brdečka [1881-1930], who published works under the pen name "Alfa".

Brdečka was educated at the Charles University in Prague, where he studied philosophy and aesthetics. The German occupation in Czechoslovakia resulted in the shutdown of the university in 1939, forcing Brdecka to seek employment, He was hired as an administrative clerk by the Prague Municipal Museum, while moonlighting as a journalist and cartoonist for various newspapers.

From 1941 to 1942, Brdečka was employed as a press agent by the film studio Lucernafilm. In 1943, he started working as an animator, producing a number of short films. By the late 1940s, Brdečka was employed as a film director and screenwriter at Barrandov Studios. In 1958, he started directing his own animated feature films, while continuing to serve as a screenwriter for many other directors.

Besides his film career, Brdečka had side careers as a journalist, a film critic, and a novelist. His works on and off the screen were noted for their satirical content. As a screenwriter, he often worked on parody films, such as the comedy western "Lemonade Joe".

Brdečka died in 1982. He was 64 years old. His daughter Tereza Brdecková had her own career as a film critic.

Jiří Brdečka died in Prague, Czechoslovakia on June 2, 1982 at the age of 64.

As mentioned above Jiří Brdečka co-wrote the screenplay for one Euro-western, “Limonádový Joe aneb Konská opera” (Leomonade Joe) with Oldrich Lipský in 1964.

BRDECKA, Jirí (aka George Berdecka, Jan Brdecka, Jiøí Brdeèka) (Jiří Brdečka) [12/24/1917, Hranice/Mährisch Weisskirchen, Moravia, Austria-Hungary – 6/2/1982, Prague, Czechoslovakia] – director, novelist, playwright, writer, songwriter, animator, actor, son of author Alfa (Otakar Brdecka) [1881-1930], married to Zdenka Kotalíková [19??-19??] (1950–1982) father of translator, writer Tereza Brdečková [1957-    ].

Lemonade Joe – 1964 (co)

Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Giancarlo Ferrando

Giancarlo Ferrando was born on November 4, 1939. He was an Italian cinematographer and film director renowned for his extensive work in low-budget horror, action, and adventure genres. Born in Rome, he contributed as director of photography to over 120 films and television series throughout his career, often collaborating on international co-productions. Ferrando's notable credits include the cult horror film “Troll 2” (1990), the creature feature “Devil Fish” (1984), and the post-apocalyptic “Warrior of the Lost World” (1983), which highlighted his skill in creating atmospheric visuals on limited resources. He also directed several features, such as “The Girl from Cortina” (1994), blending elements of comedy and thriller.

Ferrando passed away in Rome from cancer at the age of 80 on August 13, 2020, leaving a legacy in Italian genre cinema.

Giancarlo Ferrando was a cinematographer on three Spaghetti westerns; “I corvi ti scaveranno la fossa” (The Buzzards and Crows Will Dig Your Grave) in 1971, “Il mio nome è Scopone e faccio sempre cappotto” (Dallas) with Julio Pérez de Rozas and “Dio in cielo... Arizona in terra” (God in Heaven... Arizona on Earth) both in 1972.

FERRANDO, Giancarlo (aka Carlo Ferrando, Jean Ferrant, John C. Fredericks, Charlie McFarrow, John McFerrand, Maurizio Vanni) [11/4/1939, Rome, Lazio, Italy – 8/13/2020, Rome, Lazio, Italy] – producer, production manager, director, writer, cinematographer, cameraman.

The Buzzards and Crows Will Dig Your Grave – 1971

Dallas – 1972 (co)

God in Heaven... Arizona on Earth – 1972