Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

Spaghetti Western Director ~ René Goscinny

René Goscinny was a French comics writer, editor, and humorist of Polish-Jewish descent, best known for co-creating the iconic Asterix series with illustrator Albert Uderzo, which satirized historical Gaul and became one of the world's most successful comic book franchises.

Born in Paris on August 4, 1926, to parents of Polish and Ukrainian origin, Goscinny spent much of his early childhood in Argentina after his family relocated there in 1928 due to his father's employment with the Jewish Colonization Association. He attended a French-language school in Buenos Aires, where he developed an interest in drawing Disney-inspired sketches, and later earned a bachelor's degree while studying fine arts. After his father's death in 1943, Goscinny worked in Argentina until moving to New York City with his mother in 1945. In 1946, to avoid U.S. military service, he briefly served in the French Army before returning to New York and working as an assistant illustrator in challenging financial circumstances for several years. During this period, he connected with influential cartoonists, including contributors to MAD magazine and Belgian creators Jijé and Morris, laying the groundwork for his future collaborations.

Returning to Paris in 1951, Goscinny partnered with Uderzo to produce early works like the Oumpah-Pah series and co-founded publishing ventures Edipresse and Edifrance in 1956. The pivotal launch of Pilote magazine in 1959, where Goscinny served as chief editor from 1963 to 1974, marked his rise to prominence; the debut issue introduced Asterix the Gaul on October 29, which quickly sold over 300,000 copies and spawned dozens of albums translated worldwide. Beyond Asterix, Goscinny's prolific output included scripts for Lucky Luke with Morris, Iznogoud with Jean Tabary, Le Petit Nicolas with Jean-Jacques Sempé, and numerous other humorous strips that blended satire, wordplay, and cultural commentary, influencing generations of comic creators.

Goscinny's sudden death at age 51 from a cardiac arrest during a stress test on November 5, 1977 cut short a career that had revolutionized Franco-Belgian comics, but his legacy endures through ongoing Asterix publications under new stewardship and his 2005 induction into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame.

Rene Goscinny directed two Euro-westerns: “Lucky Luke” (Lucky Luke: Daisy Town) in 1971 and “Lucky Luke la ballade des Dalton” (Lucky Luke: The Ballad of the Daltons) with Henri Gruel and Pierre Watrin in 1976.

GOSCINNY, René (aka Goscinny) Goscinny) [8/14/1926, Paris, Île-de-France, France – 11/5/1977, Paris, Île-de-France, France (heart attack)] – producer, director, writer, actor, married to writer Gilberte Goscinny (Gilberte Polaro-Millo) [1943-1994] (1967-1977) father of Anne Goscinny [1968-    ], inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame [2005].

Lucky Luke: Daisy Town - 1971

Lucky Luke: The Ballad of the Daltons – 1976 (co)

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ A.E. Coleby

Albert Ernest “A.E.” Coleby was a British film director, actor, and screenwriter known for his prolific contributions to the silent film era in the United Kingdom.

Born on April 15, 1876, in Southwark, London, England, Coleby began his career in 1907 directing short films such as Serving a Summons and quickly became a key figure in early British cinema, helming numerous shorts and features while also acting and writing screenplays. He was active through the late 1920s, with notable works including “A Traitor to the King” (1908), “The Flying Fifty-Five” (1924), and “Unto Each Other” (1929). His output was extensive, encompassing adaptations, serials, and genre pieces that reflected the evolving landscape of silent-era filmmaking.

A.E. Coleby contributed as a screenwriter to approximately 43 films throughout his career, with many of these credits overlapping with his work as a director. [1] His screenwriting often involved adapting literary sources or creating original stories for silent productions, particularly during his most active years in the 1910s and 1920s.

Coleby died on 15 July 15, 1930, in Westminster, London. His multifaceted involvement in front of and behind the camera helped shape the formative years of the British film industry during a period of rapid innovation and growth.

A.E. Coleby wrote the screenplay for one Euro-western, 1908’s “A fight for Honour”.

COLEBY, A. E. (Albert Ernest Coleby) [4/15/1876, Southwark, London, England, U.K. – 7/15/1930, Westminster, London, England, U.K.,] – producer, director, writer, actor.

A Fight for Honour – 1908

Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Alvaro Lanzoni

Alvaro Lanzoni is/was an Italian cameraman, cinematographer and assistant director who worked on fifty films between 1957 and 1980. I can find no biographical information on him and he’s not mentioned in Italian Film: A Who’s Who.

Lanzoni was a cinematographer on three Spaghetti westerns: “Río maldito” (Seven Pistols for a Gringo) and “Donne alla frontiera” (The Tall Women) with Marcello Gatti in 1966, “Il giorno del giudizio” (Drummer of Vengeance) in 1971, “Una Colt in mano del diavolo” (When the Devil Grips a Colt) with Marcello Masciacchi in 1972.

LANZONI, Alvaro [Italian] – assistant director, cinematographer, cameraman.

Seven Guns from Texas – 1964 [cameraman]

The Tall Women – 1966 (co) [cinematographer]

Shango – 1970 [cameraman]

Drummer of Vengeance – 1971 [cinematographer]

Trinity and Sartana... Those Dirty S.O.B.s – 1972 [cameraman]

When the Devil Grips a Colt – 1972 (co) [cinematographer]

And They Smelled the Strange, Exciting, Dangerous Scent of Dollars – 1973 [cameraman]