Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

Spaghetti Western Director ~ Aldo Florio

Aldo Florio was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and assistant director known for his work in Italian genre cinema, particularly spaghetti westerns, crime, and action films during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.

Born on January 3, 1925, in Sora, Italy, Florio entered the film industry in the early 1950s as an assistant director and second unit director, contributing to a wide range of productions through the late 1980s. He later shifted focus to directing and screenwriting, debuting in these roles with films such as “Five for Revenge” (1966) and “L'uomo del colpo Perfetto” (1967), followed by notable works including “Tutto sul rosso” (1968), “Dead Men Ride” (1971), and “Una vita venduta” (1976). His screenwriting credits extended into the 1980s with projects like “2020 Texas Gladiators” (1983) and “Endgame - Bronx lotta finale” (1983).

Florio's career spanned several decades within the prolific Italian B-movie and exploitation film sectors, where he collaborated on low-budget productions that characterized mid-century European genre filmmaking. He died in December 2016 in Rome, Italy at the age of 91.

Aldo Florio directed two Spaghetti westerns: “Los cinco de la venganza” (5 Giants from Texas) in 1966 and “Anda muchacho, spara!” (Dead Men Ride) in 1971

FLORIO, Aldo [1/3/1925, Sora, Lazio, Italy - 12/20/2016, Rome, Lazio, Italy] – director, screenwriter.

5 Giants from Texas – 1966

Tutto sul rosso – 1967 [film was never made]

The Sun Underground – 1970 [film was never made.]

Dead Men Ride – 1971

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Vincenzo Cerami

Vincenzo Cerami was an Italian novelist, screenwriter, and poet known for his satirical explorations of Italian society and his influential contributions to cinema, particularly through his long collaboration with Roberto Benigni on the Oscar-winning film “Life Is Beautiful” (1997). Born on November 2, 1940 in Rome, he developed an early interest in literature with encouragement from Pier Paolo Pasolini, who supported his writing and later worked as an assistant on films including “Comizi d’amore” (1965) and “Uccellacci e Uccellini” (1966). Cerami's debut novel, Un borghese piccolo piccolo (1976), a dark satire about a petty bureaucrat's descent into vengeance, gained critical praise—Italo Calvino arranged its publication and wrote the introduction—and was adapted into a successful 1977 film directed by Mario Monicelli starring Alberto Sordi.

Cerami formed a prolific partnership with Benigni beginning in the late 1980s, co-writing several popular comedies including “Il piccolo diavolo” (1988), “Johnny Stecchino” (1991), and “Il mostro” (1994), before achieving international success with “Life Is Beautiful”, which combined humor and tragedy to depict a father's protective ingenuity in a concentration camp and won three Academy Awards. He also collaborated with other prominent Italian directors such as Gianni Amelio on “Porte aperte” (1990) and Marco Bellocchio on “Salto nel vuoto” (1980). In addition to his screenwriting credits spanning more than forty films, Cerami published other novels, poetry collections—including Addio Lenin (1981) and his final work Alla luce del sole (2013)—and librettos for theatrical pieces.

Cerami died in Rome on July 17, 2013, after a long illness, leaving a legacy that bridged sharp social commentary in literature with widely acclaimed work in Italian cinema. He was 73.

Vincenzo Cerami co-wrote screenplays for five Spaghetti westerns: “El desperado” (The Dirty Outlaws” with Ugo Guerra and Franco Rossetti in 1967, “Lo straniero di silenzio” (The Silent Stranger) with Giancarlo Ferrando, Lloyd Battista and Tony Anthony, “Il pistolero dell’Ave Maria” (The Forgotten Pistolero) with Piero Anchisi, Ferdinando Baldi, Federico De Urrutia and Mario di Nardo and “L'odio è il mio Dio” (Hate is My God) both in 1969 and “Il pistolero cieco” (Blinfman) with Piero Anchisi, Tony Anthony (Tony Petitto), Lloyd Battista and Ferdinando Baldi.

CERAMI, Vincenzo [11/2/1940, Rome, Lazio, Italy – 7/17/2013, Rome, Lazio, Italy] – assistant director, writer, songwriter, actor, married to actress Mimsy Farmer [1945-    ] (1970-1986), father of actress Aisha Cerami [1970-    ], married to Graziella Chiarcossi [1943-    ] (1980-2013), father of director Matteo Cerami [1981-    ].

The Dirty Outlaws – 1967 (co)
The Silent Stranger – 1968 (co)

The Forgotten Pistolero – 1969 (co)

Hate is My God – 1969 (co)

Blindman – 1971 (co)

Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Roger Hubert

Roger Hubert was a French cinematographer known for his influential work in French cinema during the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, particularly his collaborations with prominent directors such as Abel Gance, Jacques Feyder, and Marcel Carné.

Born on March 30, 1903, in Montreuil, France, Hubert trained at the Institut Marey under Jean Epstein and began his career in film in 1923, initially in various camera roles before establishing himself as a leading director of photography. His notable works include cinematography on landmark films such as ''Les Enfants du Paradis'' (1945) and ''Thérèse Raquin'' (1953), which exemplify his skill in capturing dramatic and poetic visuals central to French poetic realism and historical epics.

Hubert's career spanned several decades, contributing to a wide array of productions until his death on November 28, 1964, in Paris, France at the age of 61, leaving a lasting impact on the visual style of classic French filmmaking.

Roger Hubert was a cinematographer on one Euro-western, “Dynamite Jack, la terreur de l'Arizona” (Dynamite Jack).

HUBERT, Roger (aka Hubert) (Roger Eugene Ferdinand Hubert) [3/30/1903, Montreuil, Seine, France – 11/28/1964, Paris, Île-de-France, France] – cinematographer, cameraman.

Dynamite Jack – 1960