Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

Spaghetti Western Director ~ Jean Girault

Jean Girault was a French film director and screenwriter renowned for his contributions to popular comedy cinema, most notably the Gendarme series featuring Louis de Funès as the bumbling Sergeant Ludovic Cruchot.

Born in Villenauxe-la-Grande in the Aube department on May 9. 1924, to a sales representative father and a teacher mother, Girault faced early hardships, including his father's abandonment and a childhood battle with tuberculosis. After earning his baccalauréat and briefly studying medicine, he attended the Institut des hautes études cinématographiques (IDHEC) and began his career in the 1940s as a screenwriter and assistant director, collaborating with figures like Jacques Vilfrid and Marcel Blistène on shorts, theater pieces such as Douce Anita, and early feature scripts.

Girault transitioned to directing with his debut feature “Les Pique-assiette” in 1960, quickly establishing himself in the comedy genre with films like “Pouic-Pouic” (1963) and the blockbuster “Le Gendarme de Saint-Tropez” (1964), which launched a franchise that spanned six installments, including “Le Gendarme à New York” (1965), “Le Gendarme se marie” (1968), “Le Gendarme en balade” (1970), “Le Gendarme et les extra-terrestres” (1979), and “Le Gendarme et les gendarmettes” (1982). Girault's films, including the Gendarme series often co-written with Vilfrid, amassed over 75 million admissions in France and highlighted his knack for farce, ensemble casts, and satirical takes on authority, frequently starring de Funès alongside Michel Galabru, Claude Gensac, and later Jacques Villeret in “La Soupe aux choux” (1981).

Beyond the Gendarme saga, Girault directed more than 30 films over two decades, including “Les Grandes Vacances” (1967), “Jo” (1971), and an adaptation of Molière's “L'Avare” (1979), blending lighthearted narratives with occasional dramatic elements while maintaining a focus on accessible, crowd-pleasing entertainment. His style emphasized verbal humor, physical comedy, and social observation, though it received mixed critical acclaim for its formulaic approach. In 1978, he was awarded the Prix du meilleur cinéaste by the Amicale des cadres de l’industrie cinématographique.

Girault's life was marked by personal reserve and professional humility; married with limited public details on his private affairs, he succumbed to tuberculosis complicated by a heart attack at age 58 while overseeing post-production on “Le Gendarme et les gendarmettes”. His legacy endures through the enduring popularity of his films, which continue to draw audiences for their timeless comedic appeal and role in elevating de Funès to stardom.

Jean Girault co-directed one Spaghetti western, “Le juge Roy Bean” (Judge Roy Bean) with Federico Chentrens in 1971

GIRAULT, Jean [5/9/1924, Villenauxe-la-Grande, Aube, France – 7/24/1982, Paris, Île-de-France, France (tuberculosis)] – director, writer, actor, married to makeup artist, actress Francoise Girault (Françoise Louise Jourdanet) [1946-2019] (19??-1982) father of Dominique Girault.

Judge Roy Bean – 1971 (co)

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Franco Cobianchi

Franco Cobianchi was an Italian actor and screenwriter known for his contributions to 1960s genre cinema, including peplum films, Spaghetti westerns, and adventure productions. Born on June 23, 1923 in Ferrara, Italy, he began his film career in the mid-1950s with supporting acting roles in comedies, melodramas, and adventure pictures, frequently appearing under pseudonyms such as Franco D'Este, Peter White, and Lanfranco Cobianchi.

He gained particular recognition for his work in popular Italian low- and mid-budget films, acting in titles such as “Maciste e i 100 gladiatori” (1964), “Il colt è la mia legge” (My Gun is the Law, 1965), “I lunghi giorni della vendetta” (Long Days of Vengeance, 1967), and “Commandos” (1968). Cobianchi also wrote screenplays and stories for several films in the same era, including “The Conqueror of Atlantis” (1965), “My Gun is the Law” (1965), and “If You Want to Live... Shoot!” (1968), where he additionally served as an assistant director. His career exemplified the prolific character players and multi-hyphenates of Italy's post-war popular film industry, though it ended prematurely with his death on 9 August 9, 1970, in Rome, Italy, at age 47.

As mentioned above Franco Cobianchi co-wrote the screenplays for three Spaghetti westerns: “La Colt è la mia legge” (The Colt is My Law) with Mario Musy (Mario Glori), Ramón Comas Turner and Alfonso Brescia in 1965, “Se vuoi vivere…spara!” (If You Want to Live... Shoot!) with Darturo M. Tejedor and Sergio Garrone in 1967 and “Tre croci per nopn morire” (No Graves on Boot Hill) with Sergio Garone in 1968.

COBIANCHI, Franco (aka F. Cobianchi, Franco D'Este Cobianchi, Lanfranco Cobianchi, Franco D'Este, Franco d'Este, Franco D’Este, Peter White, Franco D'Este/Peter White) (Franco Cobianchi d'Este) [10/3/1930, Orbignano, Pistoia, Italy – 7/12/2015, Coccomaro DiCona, Ferrara, Italy] – assistant director, writer, film actor.

The Colt is My Law – 1965 (co) [as Franco D’Este]

If You Want to Live... Shoot! – 1967 (co) [as F. Cobianchi]

No Graves on Boot Hill – 1968 (co)

Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Robert Krasker

Robert Krasker was an Australian cinematographer best known for his innovative black-and-white work on British films, including his Academy Award-winning cinematography for “The Third Man” (1949), which featured distinctive high-contrast lighting, tilted camera angles, and atmospheric depictions of post-war Vienna.

Born on August 21 1913, in Alexandria, Egypt, to Romanian merchant Leon Krasker and Austrian-born Matilde Rubel, Krasker was the youngest of five children and emigrated with his family to Perth, Western Australia. After studying art in Paris and optics and photography in Dresden in the 1930s, he moved to London in 1932, where he began his career at Alexander Korda's London Film Productions as a camera assistant and operator under cinematographer Georges Périnal, gaining expertise in lighting, composition, and camera placement. His first solo cinematography credit came with “The Gentle Sex” (1943, directed by Leslie Howard), marking the start of a prolific career spanning over 60 films, primarily in Britain.

Krasker's notable collaborations included directors David Lean, Carol Reed, and Laurence Olivier, with standout works such as “Henry V” (1944), his first in Technicolor, which earned praise for its painterly visuals inspired by medieval manuscripts; “Brief Encounter” (1945), capturing emotional intimacy through subtle lighting; and “Odd Man Out” (1947), a film noir precursor noted for its shadowy, tension-filled Belfast streets. His Oscar for “The Third Man”, the first for an Australian cinematographer, highlighted his mastery of wide-angle lenses, unusual perspectives, and realism over glamour, influencing the film's iconic sewer chase and canted angles. Later highlights included “Romeo and Juliet” (1954, for which he won a British Society of Cinematographers award), “Alexander the Great” (1956), “The Criminal” (1960), “El Cid” (1961, shot in 70mm Technirama and earning another BSC award), and “The Running Man” (1963, BAFTA-nominated). Fluent in French with good knowledge of Spanish and Italian, Krasker never married and virtually retired after “The Trap” (1966) due to health issues and shifting cinematic trends toward color and widescreen formats, though he later contributed to short films in the 1970s and 1980. He died on August 16, 198,1 in London a week shy of turning 68, leaving a legacy as a pioneer of expressive, narrative-driven cinematography in mid-20th-century British film.

As mentioned above Robert Krasker was the cinematographer on one Euro-western, “The Trap” in 1966.

KRASKER, Robert (aka Bob Klasker, Bob Krasker, R. Krasker) [8/21/1913, Alexandria, Egypt – 8/16/1981, London, England, U.K.] – cinematographer, cameraman.

The Trap – 1966