Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

Spaghetti Western Director ~ Peter Henkel

Peter Henkel was a German director, cinematographer, film editor, film actor. Peter Louis Richard Henkel was born in 1924, the son of Benjamin Henkel and his wife, Winifred Maud Hawken. His first known credit was on “The Stolen Cigarette”, a short film made by J. Blake Dalrymple for Tom Tom Cigarettes in what was then Rhodesia. For that he handled the sound, though during his subsequent career he became best known as an editor, working more than once with directors such as Emil Nofal, Jans Rautenbach and Dirk de Villiers. His first feature as editor was “Rip van Wyk”, directed by Emil Nofal for Jamie Uys Filmproduksies and amongst his best-known films were “Die Kandidaat” (1968) and “Katrina” (1969), both directed by Jans Rautenbach. For Truida Pohl’s “Huis op Horings” (1963) he was the main technical advisor, handling the cinematography, the editing and the sound. In the early 1970s he turned to direction and made three South African derivatives of the Italian spaghetti western: “Scotty Smith” (1970), “Three Bullets… for a Long Gun” (1971) and “They Call Me Lucky” (1973). He also worked on a number of sponsored documentaries, frequently returning to J. Blake Dalrymple when he launched Films of Africa.

He was married twice, first to Laura Katharine Cherry and then to Diane Thelma Perry. His grandfather was Caesar Carl Hans Henkel, a German immigrant to South Africa who became a noted cartographer, painter, forester and botanist, especially in the Eastern Cape.

Peter Henkel directed three Spaghetti westerns: “Scotty Smith” 1970 and “3 Bullets... for a Long Gun” in 1970 and “They Call Me Lucky” in 1973.

HENKEL, Peter (aka Peter Henckel) (Peter Louis Richard Henkel) [8/12/1924, Dortmund, Duitsland, Germany - 2/14/1992, South Africa] – director, cinematographer, film editor, film actor, married to Laura Katharine Cherry, married to Diane Thelma Perry.

Scotty Smith - 1970

3 Bullets... for a Long Gun – 1970

They Call Me Lucky – 1973

 

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Arthur Dales

Arthur Dales was born Arthur L. Dimsdale on April 21, 1914 in Sioux City Iowa. He began his career scripting film shorts in 1938, and went on to write episodes for dozens of television shows up until 1988, including ‘The Adventures of Robin Hood’, ‘Zane Grey Theater’, ‘Ben Casey’, ‘Mannix’, ‘Planet of the Apes’, ‘Medical Center’ and ‘The Six-Million-Dollar Man’. In addition, Dimsdale served as story consultant/story editor for ‘Mannix’, ‘The Zoo Gang’, ‘Planet of the Apes’, ‘Quincy M.E.’, ‘The Six-Million-Dollar Man’ and ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’. He had been blacklisted during the McCarthy era, and was only able to work using a toupee and dark glasses, along with his pseudonym of Arthur Howard Dales. After retiring, he accepted a teaching position with the American Film Institute, where two writers/creators/producers of ‘The X-Files’ Frank Spotnitz and John Shiban, studied under him in 1990 and 1991. They later included tributes to him in several episodes, including using his pseudonym of Arthur Dales for one character and Dimsdale's name in a newspaper in another episode. Howard Dimsdale died in Los Angeles on August 27, 1991.

As Arthur Dales he wrote the screenplay for the Euro-western “The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw” (1958)

DALES, Arthur (aka Arthur Howard Dales, Arthur Dimsdale) (Howard Lawrence Dimsdale) [4/21/1914, Sioux City, Iowa, U.S.A. – 8/27/1991, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. (suicide)] – producer, writer, married to Harriet R. Dimsdale [1913-1991] (193?-1991) father of Lynn Donna Dimsdale [1940-    ], Jeffrey Mark Dimsdale [1945-    ].

The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw – 1958

Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Sergio Martino

Sergio Martino was born in Rome, Italy on July 19, 1938 and he is an Italian film director and producer, notable for his contributions to the giallo genre.

Martino is the brother of the late producer Luciano Martino. They collaborated frequently in their respective professions. Their grandfather was director Gennaro Righelli.

Sergio Martino worked for both the big screen as well as for Italian television, where he does most of his current work. He often worked with actress Edwige Fenech, who throughout the 1970s was married to his brother Luciano. He also worked with many genre actors such as George Hilton (who was married to Sergio's cousin), Anita Strindberg, Ivan Rassimov and Claudio Cassinelli, as well as famed Italian screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi.

Martino's pseudonyms include Julian Barry, Martin Dolman, Serge Martin, Christian Plummer, and George Raminto.

Sergio Martino co-wrote the screenplay for one Spaghetti western, “7 pistole per un massacre” (7 Pistols for a Massacre” (Mannaja) in 1967 with Julio Ortas

MARTINO, Sergio (aka Julian Barry, Martin Dolman, John Hamilton, Serge Martin, Christian Plummer, George Raminto) [7/19/1938, Rome, Lazio, Italy -     ] – producer, production manager, director, assistant director, writer, cinematographer, cameraman, actor, grandson of producer, director, writer, film editor, actor Gennaro Righelli (Gennari Salvatore Righelli) [1886-1949] actress Maria Jacobini Righelli [1892-1944], brother of  brother producer, production manager, director, assistant director, writer, actor Luciano Martino [1933-2013], married to ? father of director Federica Martino. 

7 Pistols for a Massacre – 1967 (co)