Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

Spaghetti Western Director ~ Giorgio Cristallini

Giorgio Cristallini was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and producer whose career spanned over four decades, focusing primarily on popular genres such as peplum epics, Spaghetti westerns, and thrillers. He sometimes worked under the pseudonym George Warner.Born in Perugia, Umbria, Italy on June 26, 1921, he began his journey in cinema as a young apprentice and assistant editor at Scalera Film before advancing to assistant director roles on notable 1940s productions like “Noi vivi” and “Addio Kira!” under Goffredo Alessandrini.

Cristallini's directorial debut came in 1947 with the documentary “Il Vittoriale degli Italiani”, followed by a series of modest feature films in the postwar era, including dramas like “Giudicatemi!” (1948) and adventures such as “La prigioniera di Amalfi” (1954). In the 1950s and early 1960s, he contributed as a second-unit director and screenwriter to several mythological spectacles directed by Vittorio Cottafavi, handling crowd scenes in films including “Le legioni di Cleopatra” (1959), “La vendetta di Ercole” (1960), “Le vergini di Roma” (1961), and “Ercole alla conquista di Atlantide” (1961). He also served as production manager on works like “Arrivano i Titani” (1962), a comedic peplum featuring a young Giuliano Gemma.

During the 1970s, Cristallini returned to directing with low-budget spaghetti westerns such as “I quattro pistoleri di Santa Trinità” (1971) and “Sei jellato, amico, hai incontrato Sacramento” (1972), which catered to international markets despite limited originality. His later efforts included the thriller “I gabbiani volano basso” (1977), praised for its competent entry into the giallo genre, and he continued with occasional productions until his final film, “Let's Go Crazy”, in 1988. Cristallini passed away at his home in Tavernelle di Panicale at age 78 on December 2, 1999, leaving a legacy of genre-driven cinema.

As mentioned above Giorgio Cristallini directed two Spaghetti westerns “I quattro pistoleri di Santa Trinità” (The 4 Gunmen of the Holy Trinity) and “Sei jellato amico, hai incontrato Sacramento” (You’re Jinxed Friend, You’ve Met Sacramento) both in 1970.

CRISTALLINI, Giorgio (aka George Warner) [6/26/1921, Perugia, Italy – 12/2/1999, Tavernelle di Panicale, Italy] – producer, production manager, director, assistant director, writer, actor.

The Last of the Gunfighters – 1967 [as George Warner] [film was never completed]

The 4 Gunmen of the Holy Trinity – 1970

You’re Jinxed Friend, You’ve Met Sacramento – 1970

 

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Porter Emerson Browne

Porter Emerson Browne was an American playwright, author, and journalist best known for his dramatic works on stage and screen, including the successful comedy “The Bad Man” (1920), which ran for over a year on Broadway and was adapted into film.

Born in Beverly, Massachusetts on June 22, 1879, to Joseph Emerson and Evelyn Porter Browne, he began his career as a reporter for newspapers such as The Brooklyn Standard-Union, The Boston Globe, and The Boston Transcript before transitioning to fiction writing in the early 1900s. His short stories appeared in prominent magazines like Collier's, The Saturday Evening Post, Red Book, Everybody's, and McClure's, with early successes including "The Conversion of Blake."

Browne gained national attention with his anti-pacifist play “Peace at Any Price” (1915), inspired by the sinking of the RMS Lusitania, which was serialized in McClure's Magazine and published as a book, earning him the personal friendship of former President Theodore Roosevelt, who hosted him at Sagamore Hill. A staunch defender of American preparedness, he co-founded the Vigilantes society in 1916 and participated in the Roosevelt Pilgrimage.

Among his other notable plays were “A Fool There Was” (1909), based on Rudyard Kipling's poem and later adapted into a film starring Theda Bara; “The Spendthrift” (1910); and “Girl of Today” (1918). He also wrote screenplays for silent films, including “Joan of Plattsburgh” (1918) with Mabel Normand, “Too Many Millions” (1918) with Wallace Reid, and “The Seventh Day” (1922) with Richard Barthelmess.

“The Bad Man” exerted lasting impact through multiple film adaptations, demonstrating Browne's versatility in blending comedy and Western elements. Versions appeared in 1923 (silent, starring Holbrook Blinn), 1930 (with Walter Huston), 1937 (as West of Shanghai, relocated to China with Boris Karloff), and 1941 (starring Wallace Beery), each updating the story of a charming bandit for new audiences and underscoring its enduring appeal in Hollywood. These adaptations helped cement Browne's legacy in transitioning stage satire to screen narratives, influencing pre-Code and noir-adjacent Westerns

Browne resided in Norwalk, Connecticut, for about 20 years before moving to Arizona around 1928 due to chronic illness, having previously sought health treatments in Arizona, Colorado, and Mexico; he returned to Norwalk in spring 1934 before his death at Norwalk Hospital on September 20, 1934, at age 55. He was married to Myrtle Suzanne May from 1907 until her death in 1922, and was survived by two daughters, Prudence and Suzanne. At the time of his passing, he had three plays ready for production: “The Bad Woman”, “A Lady Unafraid”, and “The War Lord”. Browne was a member of the Authors' League of America, the American Dramatists, and several social clubs including the Lambs, Players, and Coffee House.

Porter Emerson Browne wrote the story and co-wrote the screenplay for “Lopez, le bandit” (The Bad Man) with Howard Estabrook in 1930.

BROWNE, Porter Emerson (aka Porter Emerson Brown) [6/22/1879, Beverly, Massachusetts, U.S.A. – 9/20/1934, Norwalk, Connecticut, U.S.A.] – author, playwright, writer, married to actress, playwright Myrtle Suzanne May [1876-1922] (1907-1922) father of Suzanne Browne [1908-19??], Prudence Brown [1912-1975].

Lopez, le bandit – 1930 (co)

Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Ian Forbes

Ian is a Scottish Director of Photography based in London & Scotland, holding both British and Irish (EU) passports. His recent film and television credits include Into the “Deep (Sky” Cinema), “The Severed Sun” (DarkSky/Grasp The Nettle), on “Fifteen Love” (Amazon/World Productions), and on the acclaimed Netflix/See-Saw Films series ‘Heartstopper’ (Seasons 2 & 3).

Ian’s short film work includes the BAFTA and BIFA award-winning stop-motion short “Edmond, and The Sermon”, a folk-horror short which premiered at BFI Flare and screened at Palm Springs, HollyShorts, and Sitges Film Festival. His projects have also screened at major festivals such as Sundance, SXSW, Edinburgh International Film Festival, Encounters, Annecy, and Camerimage.

He was nominated as a BSC Emerging Cinematographer in 2015 and holds a Master’s degree from the UK’s National Film and Television School, supported by a BAFTA Scholarship. During his time at NFTS, Ian was tutored by Brian Tufano BSC, Stuart Harris BSC, Nina Kellgren BSC, and Sean Bobbitt BSC. He was mentored by Ben Davis BSC through the BAFTA Scholarship, and in 2020 received further mentorship from Philipp Blaubach BSC through the BSC/ACO Mentoring Programme. He also holds a First-Class BA (Hons) from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design in Scotland.

Ian Forbes has been a cinematographer on two Euro-westerns: “The Last Hand” in 2014 and “El Fuego” in 2015.

FORBES, Ian [Scottish] – producer, director, writer, cinematographer, film editor.

The Last Hand – 2014

El Fuego – 2015