Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

Spaghetti Western Director ~ Hugh Croise

Henry James Hughes Cross was born in Cardinham, Cornwall, England on January 20, 1877. Using the alias Hugh Croise he was a British film director, screenwriter, and occasional actor known for his prolific work in silent short films and early British cinema during the 1920s. Croise initially appeared in acting roles in mid-1910s films such as “Sally Bishop” (1916) and “Desperation” (1916) before shifting focus to behind-the-camera work as a director and writer. He directed over forty films, primarily short comedies and adaptations, including “Three Men in a Van” (1921), “The Kensington Mystery” (1924), “The Ball of Fortune” (1926), and “Scrooge” (1928), often contributing the scenarios himself. Croise notably worked with actor-manager Seymour Hicks on the 1923 short comedy “Always Tell Your Wife”, where he served as initial director before being replaced by Alfred Hitchcock due to illness or a production dispute. His career was centered in British studios during the silent era, with many of his works now lost or surviving only in fragments. Croise died in 1950 in Twickenham, Middlesex, England.

Hugh Croise directed one silent Euro-western “The Cow Girl Queen” in 1922.

CROISE, Hugh (Henry James Hughes Cross) [1/20/1877, Cardinham, Cornwall, England, U.K. – 1950, Twickenham, Middlesex, England, U.K.] – producer, director, writer, actor.

The Cowgirl Queen – 1922

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ D. Brownson

D. Brownson was an alias used by Cesare Canevari who was born in Milan, Italy on October 13, 1927. He was an Italian filmmaker who worked as a director, screenwriter, actor, producer, and editor, specializing in low-budget genre films including spaghetti westerns and exploitation cinema. Born and deceased in Milan, he entered the industry in the 1950s initially as an actor in minor roles before directing under pseudonyms such as D. Brownson. Canevari helmed approximately nine feature films, with notable entries including the psychedelic spaghetti western “Mátalo!” (1970), recognized as a cult favorite for its unconventional style and surreal elements amid the genre's conventions, and the Nazisploitation picture “The Gestapo's Last Orgy” (1977), emblematic of his ventures into provocative wartime exploitation themes. His earlier directorial effort, “Die for a Dollar in Tucson” (1965), marked one of his contributions to Euro-westerns, though his overall output remained niche and outside mainstream acclaim

Canevari died in Milan on October 25, 2012, two weeks after turning 85.

Cesare Canevari wrote the screenplay for one Spaghetti western, “Per un dollaro a Tucson si muore” (Die for a Dollar in Tucson) in 1964.

BROWNSON, D. (aka C. Iravenac) (Cesare Canevari) [10/13/1927, Milan, Lombardy, Italy - 10/25/2012, Milan, Lombardy, Italy] - producer, director, screenwriter, film editor, actor.

Die for a Dollar in Tucson – 1964

Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Emilio Foriscot

Emilio Foriscot was a Spanish cinematographer renowned for his contributions to over 130 films spanning from the 1930s to the 1980s, with a style characterized by realism and functionality honed during the resource-scarce post-Spanish Civil War period.

Born in Muel, Zaragoza, Spain on December 5, 1904, Foriscot began his career as a gallery photographer before transitioning to film as an assistant operator, making his debut in 1935 on “Al margen de la ley” directed by Ignacio F. Iquino. During the Spanish Civil War, he documented battle scenes, and after the conflict, he collaborated extensively with Iquino's Emisora Films in Barcelona, progressing to roles as second operator and eventually director of photography on numerous productions.

Foriscot's notable works include Spanish classics such as “La revoltosa” (1949), “Viento del norte” (1955), and “El mundo sigue” (1963), as well as international efforts like the Spaghetti western “Fasthand is Still My Name” (1973) and horror films including “La marca del hombre lobo” (1968) and “Cannibal Terror” (1980). He died on January 11, 2001, in Madrid, leaving a legacy as a master of practical cinematography in Spanish and European cinema

Emilio Foriscot was a cinematographer and co-cinematographer on thirteen Spaghetti westerns: “El escuadrón de la muerte” (Mutiny at Fort Sharp), “La note del desperado” (Ringo’s Big Night) with Carlo Bellero both in 1965, “Crepa tue… che vivo io!” (Bandidos), “Un uomo e uomo colt” (A Man a Colt) with Oberdan Troiani, “Faccia a facia” (Face to Face) with Rafael Pacheco, “Dos cruces en Danger Pass” (Two Crosses at Danger Pas) with Sergio Martinelli all in 1967, “La salvaje venganza del Gringo” (One by One) and “…e intorno a lui fu morte” (Death Knows No Time) both in 1968, “Anda muchacho, spara!” (Dead Men Ride) and “In nome del padre, del figlio e della Colt” (In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Colt) both in 1971, “Mano rápida” (Fast-Hand is Still My Name) in 1973 and “Di Tressette ce n’è uno, tutti gli altri son nessuno” (The Crazy Bunc) with Federico Zanni and “Si quieres vivir... dispara” (If You Shoot... You Live!) both in 1974

FORISCOT, Emilio (Emilio Foriscot Mallat) [12/5/1904, Muel, Zaragoza, Spain – 1/11/2001, Madrid, Madrid, Spain] – cinematographer, cameraman, married to Rosario Lameyer Pascua (19??-2001) father of Sarin Foriscot Mallat, María José Foriscot Mallat, Pelonchi Foriscot Mallat, Emilio Foriscot Mallat, Juan Carlos Foriscot Mallat, Javier Foriscot Mallat, Elena Foriscot Mallat.

Mutiny at Fort Sharp – 1965

Ringo's Big Night – 1965 (co)

Bandidos – 1967

A Man, a Colt – 1967 (co)

Face to Face – 1967 (co)

Two Crosses at Danger Pass – 1967 (co)

One by One – 1968

Death Knows No Time – 1968

Dead Men Ride – 1971

In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Colt – 1971

Fast-Hand is Still My Name – 1973

The Crazy Bunch – 1974 (co)

If You Shoot... You Live! – 1974