Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

Spaghetti Western Director ~ Daniel Garcia

Daniel ‘Danny’ Garcia was born in Barcelona, Spain on November 15, 1986. Danny Garcia started his career writing for Spanish music magazines in the 1990s and has contributed to a number of publications, including the notorious US magazine High Times. By the early 2000s, Garcia was already writing, directing and producing a series of short documentaries for BTV, Barcelona’s local Television station.

In 2012, Garcia directed “The Rise and Fall of The Clash”, a controversial film dealing with the obscure end of the Clash. In 2014, “Looking For Johnny”, Garcia’s documentary on the legendary New York Dolls’ guitarist Johnny Thunders, was released worldwide. “Looking for Johnny” peaked at #10 in the Billboard Music DVD charts in the US, and #1 in Sweden and Japan. In 2016, after a successful film festival run, “Sad Vacation”, his documentary on Sid and Nancy, was also released worldwide.

In 2019, Garcia released two music documentaries, the critically acclaimed “STIV: No Compromise No Regrets” and his most recent “Rolling Stone: Life and Death of Brian Jones”.

Daniel Garcia directed one Spaghetti western, “Dobbs’ Cowboys” in 2016.

GARCIA, Daniel (aka Danny Garcia) [11/15/1986, Barcelona, Spain -     ] – producer, director, assistant director, writer, cameraman, composer, actor, brother of producer Sergi Garcia Roig [1963-2020].

Dead or Alive – 2011 [documentary was never completed]

Cuando Éramos Pistoleros – 2012 [film was never completed]

One Step from Hell – 2012 [film was never made]

Dobbs’ Cowboys – 2016

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ D. Chianetta

Mara Maryl was an Italian actress known for her versatile career in Italian cinema, beginning with comedic roles in the late 1950s and later focusing on giallo and thriller films through her long-term collaboration with her husband, director and screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi. Born Mara Chianetta on April 7, 1939, in Agrigento, Sicily, she graduated from the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in Rome and initially worked under pseudonyms such as Mara Ombra, appearing in notable films directed by Sergio Sollima “Le gatte”, Vittorio De Sica “Marriage Italian Style”, and Mario Monicelli “Risate di gioia”.

Following her 1960 marriage to Gastaldi, Maryl adopted her definitive stage name and adhered to a mutual agreement to work exclusively together professionally—she starred only in films he directed, and he directed only those featuring her. This partnership launched with her leading role in the early giallo “Libido” (1965), co-starring Giancarlo Giannini, and continued through several thrillers including “The Lonely Violent Beach”, “Cheers… Cheers… Cyanide”, and their final collaboration “The End of Eternity”; the couple also shared screenwriting credits on Sergio Martino's “The Scorpion with Two Tails” and “The Great Alligator”. Described as a talented comedienne and her husband's enduring muse, Maryl contributed to one of the legendary partnerships in Italian genre cinema.

Beyond acting, Maryl pursued writing, painting, and other creative endeavors. She passed away on September 17, 2021, in Rome at the age of 82.

As D. Chianetta Chianetta Mara co-wrote the screenplay for one Spaghetti western “I vigliacchi non pregano” (The Taste of Vengeance) with Mario Siciliano and Ernesto Gastaldi in 1968.

CHIANETTA, D. (aka Duilio Chianetta, Mara Marilli, Mara Maryl, Mara Ombra) (Chianetta Mara) [4/7/1939, Agrigento, Sicily, Italy - 9/18/2021, Rome, Lazio, Italy (Alzheimer’s disease)] -writer, actress married to director, assistant director, writer Ernesto Gastaldi [1934-    ] (1960-2021) mother of actress Amarilli Gastaldi [1961-    ], actor, cinematographer Costantino Gastaldi [1966-1989], assistant director, assistant director, actor Sciltian Gastaldi [1974-    ].

The Taste of Vengeance – 1968 (co)

Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Ernst W. Kalinke

Ernst W. Kalinke was a prominent German cinematographer who contributed to over 100 films across genres including Westerns, crime thrillers, comedies, and Heimatfilme, most notably as the director of photography for the Karl May-inspired Winnetou series and several Edgar Wallace adaptations.

Born Ernst Wilhelm Kalinke on September 23, 1918, in Berlin, he began his career as a camera assistant in the late 1930s, assisting on films such as “Brand im Ozean” (1939) and “Frau Luna” (1941). Following World War II, Kalinke advanced to chief cinematographer, debuting with “Vor uns liegt das Leben” (1948) and gaining prominence in the 1950s through light-hearted productions like “Tante Jutta aus Kalkutta” (1953) and “Solang' es hübsche Mädchen gibt” (1956). His work in the 1960s solidified his reputation, capturing the epic visuals of Harald Reinl's Karl May films, including “Der Schatz im Silbersee” (1962), “Winnetou 1. Teil” (1963), “Winnetou 2. Teil” (1964), and “Winnetou 3. Teil” (1965), as well as the Nibelungen diptych (“Die Nibelungen, 1. Teil: Siegfried” and “2. Teil: Kriemhilds Rache”, both 1966). He also lensed atmospheric Edgar Wallace krimis such as “Der Frosch mit der Maske” (1959), “Der unheimliche Mönch” (1965), and “Die blaue Hand” (1967).

In later decades, Kalinke's versatility shone in diverse projects, from the Austrian drama “Der Bockerer” (1980) and the satirical “Anita Drögemöller und die Ruhe an der Ruhr” (1976) to erotic comedies like the Lederhosen series, including “Drei Lederhosen in St. Tropez” (1980). He occasionally stepped into directing with “Die liebestollen Lederhosen” (1982), a bawdy comedy he also co-wrote under the pseudonym Rainer Ernst, marking his sole feature as director. Kalinke passed away on January 14, 1992 in Munich at age 73, leaving a legacy of technically proficient cinematography that enhanced Germany's post-war popular cinema.

Ernst W. Kalinke was a cinematographer on six Euro-westerns: “Der Schatz im Silbersee” (The Treasure of Silver Lake) in 1962, “Winnetou 1. Teil” (Apache Gold) in 1963, “Winnetou – 2. Teil” (Last of the Renegades) and “Der letzte Mohikaner” (The Last Tomahawk) with Giuseppe La Torre both in 1964, “Winnetou 3, Teil” (The Desperado Trail) in 1965 and “Winnetou und Shatterhand im Tal der Toten” (The Man with the Long Gun) in 1968.

KALINKE, Ernst W. (aka E.W.Kalinke, Rainer Ernst, E.W. Kalinke, Ernst Kalinke) (Ernst-Wilhelm Kalinke) [9/23/1918, Berlin, Berlin, Germany – 1/14/1992, Munich, Bavaria, Germany] – director, writer, cinematographer, cameraman.

The Treasure of Silver Lake - 1962

Apache Gold – 1963

Last of the Renegades – 1964

The Last Tomahawk – 1964 (co)

The Desperado Trail – 1965

The Man with the Long Gun - 1968