Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

 Spaghetti Western Director ~ Renzo Genta

Renzo Genta is an Italian director, assistant director and writer born in Vercelli, Vercelli, Italy on January 14, 1941. He was an assistant director on thirteen films between 1966 and 1972, a writer on seven films from 1967 to 1979 and a director on one film which was also his only co-directed Spaghetti western “Jesse e Lester: due fratelli in un posto chiamoto Trinita” (Jesse and Lester, Two Brothers in a Place Called Trinity) with Richard Harrison in 1972.

GENTA, Renzo [1/14/1941, Vercelli, Vercelli, Italy -     ] – director, assistant director, writer.

Jesse and Lester, Two Brothers in a Place Called Trinity – 1972 (co)

 

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Osvaldo Civirani

Osvaldo Civirani was an Italian filmmaker, still photographer, producer, cinematographer, screenwriter, and author known for his work in genres such as peplum, Spaghetti westerns, and thrillers during the 1960s and 1970s.

Born in Rome on May 19, 1917, Civirani began his career in the film industry as a still photographer and camera operator, contributing to over 200 films from 1935 to 1965, including notable films like “Don Camillo e l'on. Peppone” (1955). By 1963, he transitioned into directing, helming around 20 films under his own name and pseudonyms such as Richard Kean and Glenn Eastman, often blending adventure, erotic, and action elements.

Among his most recognized directorial works are “The Devil with Seven Faces” (1971), a psychological thriller starring Rosalba Neri, and “Lucrezia” (1968), an erotic historical drama. He also produced and wrote screenplays for several projects, including “Hercules Against the Sons of the Sun” (1964) and “Il pavone nero” (1975), frequently collaborating with Italian and international talent in low-budget yet genre-defining cinema, and author of two autobiographical books on his career (1995, 2003). Civirani's multifaceted contributions helped shape the vibrant landscape of post-war Italian B-movies, though his output tapered off in the late 1970s.

Civirani died in Rome on February 20, 2008 at the age of 90.

Osvaldo Civirani co-wrote screenplays for five Spaghetti westerns: “Uno sceriffo tutto d’oro” (A Golden Sheriff) with Roberto Gianvitiand Enzo Dell’Aquila in 1966, “Il figlio di Django” (The Son of Django) with Tito Carpi and Alessandro Ferraù and “Ric & Gian alla conquista del West” (Rick and John, Conquerors of the West) with Tito Carpi, Osvaldo Civirani and Alessandro Ferraù both in 1967, “T’ammazzo…raccomandati a Dio” (Dead for a Dollar) with Tito Carpi and Luciano Gregoretti in 1968 and “I due figli dei Trinità” (Two Sons of Trinity) in 1972.

CIVIRANI, Osvaldo (aka O. Civirani, Glen Eastman, Richard Kean) [5/19/1917, Rome, Lazio, Italy – 2/20/2008, Rome, Lazio, Italy] – producer, director, writer, cinematographer, cameraman.

A Golden Sheriff – 1966 (co)

The Son of Django – 1967 (co)

Rick and John, Conquerors of the West – 1967 (co)

Dead for a Dollar – 1968 (co)

Two Sons of Trinity – 1972

Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ James Kenyon

James Kenyon was an English businessman and early film pioneer who, in partnership with Sagar Mitchell, became a leading figure in British non-fiction filmmaking during the late Victorian and Edwardian eras. Born in Blackburn, Lancashire, England on May 26, 1850, Kenyon initially worked as a cotton spinner before inheriting and operating a cabinetmaking and furniture business, while also engaging in local Labour politics. In 1897, he formed the firm Mitchell and Kenyon with photographer Sagar Mitchell (1866–1952), trading under the name "Norden" and establishing premises in Blackburn to produce and exhibit films using their custom-built cinematograph.

The partnership specialized in short actuality films—typically around two minutes long—capturing everyday life in the North of England, including factory workers leaving mills, street scenes, sporting events, processions, and phantom rides from trams, often commissioned by traveling showmen for fairground and music hall screenings. Their output, which peaked between 1900 and 1905, encompassed over 800 non-fiction titles filmed across Lancashire, Yorkshire, Scotland, Wales, the Midlands, and parts of southern England, documenting Edwardian society with a focus on regional industries and leisure. Notable works include “Employees Leaving Williamson's Factory” (1901), “Newcastle United v. Liverpool” (1901), and “Blackpool North Pier” (1903), which vividly portray crowds, labor, and public events to engage local audiences. They also ventured into fictional and dramatized films, such as “Boer War” simulations and titles like “Diving Lucy” (1904), produced at an outdoor studio in Blackburn until activities waned after 1913.

Kenyon's contributions gained renewed recognition in the early 21st century following the 1994 rediscovery of approximately 800 original negatives from the partnership's collection, acquired by the British Film Institute in 2000 and preserved as a key archive of early British cinema. By 1904, trade press hailed Mitchell and Kenyon as one of Britain's leading film manufacturers, underscoring their role in commercializing non-fiction filmmaking and bridging photography with motion pictures in the pre-World War I era. Kenyon retired to Southport in 1915, dissolving the partnership in 1922, leaving a legacy of films that offer invaluable insights into working-class life and regional history.

James Kenyon was the cinematographer on one Euro-western, “Kidnapping by Indians” in 1899.

KENYON, James [5/26/1850, Blackburn, Lancashire, England, U.K. – 2/6/1925, Blackburn, Lancashire, England, U.K.] – producer, cinematographer, cameraman, married to Elizabeth Fell [1851-1931] (1872-19??), father of Gertrude L. Kenyon [1873-    19??] grandfather of the eminent diplomat Sir Frank Kenyon Roberts [1907-1998], co-founder of Mitchell & Kenyon Produtions aka Norden [1897-1922].

Kidnapping by Indians – 1899