Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

Spaghetti Western Director ~ Roberto E. Guzmán

Roberto Eugenio Guzmán was a Mexican actor and director. He debuted as an actor in Ángel Ernesto Álvarez's first film, “El secreto de un pecado” in 1923. He left for Hollywood where he joined the American film industry, as one of the most outstanding actors and technicians of Hispanic cinema. In 1929, Roberto Guzmán appeared in the film “The Desert Song” by Ray de Ruth. In “Monsieur Le Fox” (Men of the North) by Hal Roach, he is responsible for the Spanish adaptation and direction of dialogue. In 1930 he continued as a actor in “Del mismo barro” (Common Clay) by David Howard. In 1931 he was cast in “The Impostor” (Scotland Yard) by Lewis Seiler.

In Mexico, Roberto Guzmán appeared in “Juárez and Maximiliano” by Miguel Contreras Torres 1933, and participated in the 1934 American production: “Un capitán de cosacos” by John Reinhardt.

He returned to Mexico and directed two films: Alma norteña/1938, a melodrama that he produced, wrote and adapted, about a married couple who owned a ranch in the Chihuahuan desert where some artists arrived who suffered a plane crash; a meeting that leads to a romance between the ranch boss and singer Laura. With Anita Campillo, Víctor Manuel Mendoza, Irma Allende, Rafael Burgoa and Gilberto González, among others. It was filmed from September 16, 1938 in the studios of the Cinematographic University and premiered on June 24, 1939 at the Imperial, Universal and Cartagena cinemas, where it remained for a week.

“About Northern Soul]” Thus, the pioneering spirit is located in an environment close to the western, where the North fights against the Center at the same time as virtue against vice, shaving against natural beauty, entrepreneurial work against showbiz apathy and the director of the film with his complete ignorance of what cinema is: Almost the entire film takes place in a distant shot that makes the reactions of the characters imperceptible.

Roberto E. Guzmán died in Mexico City from a heart attack on February 7, 1967. He was 68.

Roberto E. Guzmán directed two Euro-westerns: “El hombre malo” with William C. McGann and “Monsieur Le Fox” with Hal Roach both in 1930.

GUZMAN, Roberto E. (Roberto Eugenio Guzmán) [1/30/1899, Puebla, Puebla, Mexico – 2/7/1967, Mexico City, Federal District, Mexico (heart attack)] – director, writer, singer, actor, married to María Cristina Caso Marshall (1918-1965).

El hombre malo – 1930 (co)

Monsieur Le Fox (Men of the North) – 1930 (co)

 

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Maurizio Costanzo

Maurizio Costanzo was an Italian journalist, television host, screenwriter, and director who pioneered the modern talk show format in Italy. Born in Rome on August 28, 1938, as the only child of a transportation ministry employee and a homemaker, he entered journalism at age 18 by contributing to the newspaper Paese Sera.

Costanzo's television career, beginning in the 1960s with radio and progressing to screenwriting for films like “A Special Day” (1977), culminated in hosting ‘The Maurizio Costanzo Show’ from 1982 onward, a program that aired over 4,000 episodes and featured in-depth interviews with politicians, celebrities, and public figures, reshaping Italian broadcast entertainment. He also directed films and wrote screenplays, earning a Nastri d'Argento award for best screenplay in 1978. Costanzo survived a Mafia car bomb attack in 1993 near Rome's Teatro Parioli, an assassination attempt linked to his on-air campaigns against organized crime in Sicily, which injured him and his then-wife but underscored his role in public advocacy against corruption. Earlier, in 1980, he interviewed Licio Gelli, the controversial head of the Propaganda Due Masonic lodge implicated in political scandals, drawing criticism amid investigations into the group's influence. In his personal life, Costanzo was married four times, including to television producer Maria De Filippi from 1995 until his death from complications following surgery, and they collaborated professionally. He died in Rome on February 24, 2023, at age 84.

Maurizio Costanzo co-wrote one Spaghetti western, “I quattro del Pater Noster” (In the Name of the Father) with Augusto Finocchi, Luciano Ferri in 1969.

COSTANZO, Maurizio [8/28/1938, Rome, Lazio, Italy – 2/24/2023, Parioli, Rome, Lazio, Italy] – director, writer, songwriter, married to photographer Lori Sammartino [1924-1972] (1963-19??), married to writer Flaminia Morandi [1947-    ] (1973-1984) father of director, assistant director, writer, Camilla Costanzo [1973-    ], director, writer, cinematographer, cameraman, actor Saverio Costanzo [1975-    ], married to television presenter Marta Flavi [1951-    ] (1989-1995), married to TV producer Maria De Filippi [1951-    ] (1995-2023) adoptive father of Gabriele Costanzo [1992-     ].

In the Name of the Father – 1969 (co)

Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Jiří Macháně

Jiří Macháně was born in Nové Mesto nad Metují, Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia on December 27, 1940 and was a Czech cinematographer. Macháně graduated in cinematography at FAMU in 1964 and started working as a cameraman with the Czechoslovak Army Film production company. He made his debut as a cinematographer in 1969, in Jan Schmidt's Czech-Soviet co-production “The Lanfier Colony”.

Macháně's filmography consists of over 50 films and a number of television series. He is best known for his association with director Juraj Herz, with whom he worked in 15 films. His last work was the mystery-horror film “T.M.A.”, released in 2009. n 2015, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Association of Czech Cinematographers.  Macháně died on January 20, 2023, at the age of 82.

Jiří Macháně was a cinematographer on two Euro-westerns: “Claim na Hluchém potoku” (The Claim at Deaf Creek) in 1971 and “Poslední výstrel Davida Sandela” (David Sandel’s Last Shot) in 1972.

MACHANE, Jiří (aka J. Macháně) (Jiří Macháně) [12/27/1940, Nové Mesto nad Metují, Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia – 1/20/2023, Prague, Czech Republic] – cinematographer, cameraman, actor, awarded Lifetime Achievement Awar [2015].

The Claim at Deaf Creek – 1971

David Sandel’s Last Shot – 1972