Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

Spaghetti Western Director ~ Gianni Crea

Gianni Crea is an Italian director, assistant director, writer and actor. He was born in Siderno Calabria, Italy on January 4, 1938. He was an assistant director on one film in 1965, wrote seven screenplays between 1969 and 2006 but was best known as a director. He directed ten films between 1969 and 2000. His reputation comes from the five Spaghetti westerns he directed in the 1960s and 1970s. “Legge della violenza – tutti o nessuno” (The Law of Biolence) in 1969, “Se t’incontro, t’ammazzo” (Finders Killers) in 1971, “Il magnifico west” (The Magnificent West), “…e il terzo giorno arrivò il Corvo” (on the Third Day Arrived the Crow) and “I sette del gruppo Selvaggio” (7 Devils on Horseback) all in 1972.

CREA, Gianni (aka Perry Dell) [1/4/1938, Siderno, Reggio Calabria, Calabria, Italy – 2010, Italy] – director, assistant director, writer, actor.

The Law of Violence – 1969

Finders Killers – 1971

Judge Them Quickly, Hang Them High and Bury Them Deep – 1971 [film was never

     made.]

The Magnificent West – 1972

On the Third Day Arrived the Crow - 1972

Seven Devils on Horseback – 1972

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Walter Brough

Walter Brough was an American television and film writer and producer known for his contributions to iconic series including ‘Mission: Impossible’ (both the original 1960s run and the 1980s revival), ‘The Fugitive’, and ‘Dr. Kildare’. His work often spanned action, drama, and adventure genres, establishing him as a reliable contributor to episodic television during the mid-20th century and beyond.

Walter John Brough was born in Wallingford Pennsylvania on December 19, 1925, Brough served in the U.S. Navy during World War II before pursuing higher education, earning degrees from La Salle University and a master's in drama from the University of Southern California.  He relocated to California to launch his writing career, which extended from the late 1950s through the 1990s and included both produced and unproduced scripts across television and feature films. Notable credits also encompass ‘Route 66’, ‘Heart of the City’, ‘Spenser: For Hire’, and ‘Hunter’, along with films such as “Funeral for an Assassin” and “The Desperados”. In addition to writing, he occasionally took on producing roles and contributed to international productions filmed in locations including South Africa and Europe.

Brough's archive, preserved by the Writers Guild Foundation, documents his extensive body of work through drafts, production materials, and research, reflecting a prolific career in Hollywood's television landscape. He passed away in 2013.

Walter Brough wrote the screenplay for one Spaghetti western, “La marca de Cain” (The Desperados!) in 1969

BROUGH, Walter (Walter John Brough) [12/19/1925, Wallingford, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. –10/4/ 2013, Thousand Oaks, California, U.S.A.] – producer, writer, married to Frances G. Brough [1940-    ] (19??-2013) father of actress Alexis Demangelaere (Alexis Marcel Brough) [1969-    ], Emily Katherine Brough [1977-    ].

The Desperados! – 1969

Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Gerry Fisher

Gerry Fisher' is a British cinematographer known for his prolific career and especially his acclaimed collaboration with director Joseph Losey on films including “Accident” (1967) and “The Go-Between” (1971). He created distinctive visual atmospheres—moody and atmospheric in Accident, warm and nostalgic in “The Go-Between”—that enhanced the thematic depth of the projects he photographed

Born in London on June 23, 1926, Fisher entered the film industry in 1946 after wartime service in the Royal Navy, starting as a clapper boy and progressing through roles as camera assistant, focus puller, and camera operator on major productions such as “The Bridge on the River Kwai” (1957) and “Cleopatra” (1963). His breakthrough as director of photography came with “Accident”, when Losey invited him to step in, leading to a partnership on eight films including “The Romantic Englishwoman” (1975), “Mr. Klein” (1976), and “Don Giovanni” (1979). [1] He also worked with other notable directors such as Sidney Lumet on “The Offence” (1972) and “Running on Empty” (1988), Billy Wilder on “Fedora” (1978), John Huston on “Escape to Victory” (1981), and Russell Mulcahy on “Highlander” (1986).

Over a career spanning more than five decades, Fisher photographed over 60 feature films before retiring after “Furia” (1999).  His work earned him BAFTA nominations for “The Go-Between” and “Aces High” (1976), a César nomination for “Monsieur Klein” (1976), appointment as Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by France in 1997, and the British Society of Cinematographers Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008.  Fisher died in Reading, Berkshire, on December2, 2014 aged 88.

Gerry Fisher was the cinematographer on one Euro-western, “Man in the Wilderness” in 1971

FISHER, Gerry (Gerald Fisher) [6/23/1926, London, England, U.K. - 12/2/2014, East Molesey, London, England, U.K.] – cinematographer, cameraman, married to Jean Hawkins [19??-2014] (1951-2014) father of cinematographer, cameraman Cary Fisher, appointed Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres [1997], British Society of Cinematographers Lifetime Achievement Award [2008].

Man in the Wilderness – 1971