Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

Spaghetti Western Director ~ Leon Klimovsky

León Klimovsky Dulfán was an Argentine film director, screenwriter and producer notable for his work during the classical era of Argentine cinema. He was known mainly for his work in Spanish cinema during the 1960s and '70s.

Klimovsky was born in Buenos Aires on October 15, 1906, to Jewish emigrant parents from the Russian Empire. His brother, Gregorio Klimovsky, was a noted mathematician and philosopher. Klimovsky originally trained to be a dentist, but his real passion was always the cinema. He pioneered the Argentine cultural movement known as cineclub and financed the first Argentine movie theater to show art movies. He also founded Argentina's first film club in 1929.

After participating as scriptwriter and assistant director of 1944's “Se abre el abismo”, he filmed his first movie, an adaptation of Fyodor Dostoyevsky's “The Player”. He also worked on adaptations of Alexandre Dumas' “The Count of Monte Cristo” and Ernesto Sabato's “The Tunnel”.

During the 1950s, Klimovsky settled in Spain, where he became a full-time "professional" director. He directed many Spaghetti Westerns, Euro War and exploitation films, filming in Mexico, Italy, Spain and Egypt. Horror film fans best remember him for his contributions to Spain's horror film genre, beginning with “La Noche de Walpurgis” ("Walpurgis Night"), the film that is said to have started the Spanish horror film boom of the 1970s. Klimovsky directed famed Spanish horror icon Paul Naschy in no less than 9 films in the 1970s, while also directing other classic horror films such as "The Strange Love of the Vampires", "The Dracula Saga" and "The Vampires' Night Orgy". Naschy complimented Klimovsky's workmanlike attitude and abundant energy, but he always felt that Klimovsky rushed through many of their projects together, never allowing for sufficient retakes.

León Klimovsky always dreamt of doing great mainstream movies but ended up doing commercial exploitation films, but he had no remorse, as cinema was a vocational mandate for him. He retired from directing in 1979, at age 73.

Klimovsky died in Madrid, Spain on April 8, 1996.

[It must be noted several of the films credited to Leon as the director have been questioned over the years and actors and crew involved in several of his credited films state, he was not the director and on some never appeared on set. It seems his name was used for tax credit purposes while credited second unit directors actually directed these films.]

Leon Klimovsky is credited with directing ten Spaghetti westerns: “Torrejón City” in 1962, “Fuera de la ley” (Billy the Kid) in 1963, “Dos mil dolares por Coyote” with José Elorietta in 1965, “Pochi dollari per Django” (A Few Dollars for Django) with Enzo G. Castellari in 1966, “Un hombre viene a matar” (Rattler Kid) in 1967, “Pagó cara su muerte” (Tierra Brava) in 1968, “La sfida dei MacKenna” (Amen) and “El valor de un cobarde” (Quinto: Fighting Proud) both in 1969, “Reverendo Colt” (Reverend Colt) with Marino Girolami and “Un dólar para Sartana” (Raise Your Hands, Dead Man, You're Under Arrest) with Sergio Bergonzelli in 1971.

 

KLIMOVSKY, Leon (aka León Klimonsky, Klimovsky, L. Klimovsky, Leon Klimovsky, León Klimowsky, Henry Mankiewicz) (Leon Klimovsky Dulfano) [10/16/1906, Buenos Aires, Argentina – 4/8/1996, Madrid, Madrid, Spain (heart failure)] – producer, production manager, director, assistant director, writer, film editor.

Torrejón City – 1962

Billy the Kid – 1963

Ballad of a Bounty Hunter – 1965 (co)

A Few Dollars for Django – 1966 (co)

Rattler Kid – 1967

Tierra Brava - 1968

Amen – 1969

Quinto: Fighting Proud - 1969

Reverend Colt – 1970 (co)

Raise Your Hands, Dead Man, You're Under Arrest – 1971 (co)

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Guillermo de Oliveira

Guillermo de Oliveira was born on December 6, 1986 in Vigo, Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain. He is a Spanish filmmaker, director, and screenwriter known for his documentary “Sad Hill Unearthed” and his short films adapting video games into live-action narratives. He trained in New York and at Cuba's International Film and Television School in San Antonio de los Baños, establishing himself initially through advertising work while developing a distinctive voice in independent cinema. His early career featured shorts such as “Max Payne: Valhalla” (2012), “Modern Warfare: Sunrise” (2013), and “Red Dead Redemption: Seth's Gold” (2015), which blended gaming culture with cinematic storytelling.

His feature directorial debut, the documentary “Sad Hill Unearthed” (2017), follows a group of enthusiasts restoring the legendary cemetery set from Sergio Leone's “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” in Spain, incorporating interviews with figures including Metallica's James Hetfield. The film received the Best Picture Award in the New Visions section at the Sitges Film Festival and a nomination for Best Documentary at the Goya Awards. De Oliveira later directed shorts including “Sauerdogs” (2022), starring August Diehl, and “Tegoyo” (2022), created under Werner Herzog's supervision, while serving as director of the Almería Western Film Festival from 2021 to 2023.

As of 2025, he is in production on his first fiction feature, the Galician-language true-crime thriller” A morte nos teus ollos”, inspired by a notorious 1994 murder case near his hometown, marking his transition to narrative filmmaking with support from Atresmedia Cine, Sideral, Sétima, and Buena Vista International.

Guillermo de Oliveira wrote screenplays for three Euro-westerns which he also directed: “Seth’s Gold” in 2015, “Sauerdogs” in 2021. He also wrote and directed the 2016 Spanish documentary “Sad Hill Unearthed”.

de OLIVEIRA, Guillermo (Guillermo Fernández de Oliveira) [12/6/1986, Vigo, Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain -     ] – director, writer, cinematographer.

Red Dead Redemption: Seth's Gold – 2015

Sad Hill Unearthed - 2016

Sauerdogs – 2021

Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Alfonso Nieva

Alfonso Nieva Travanco was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador on January 2, 1913. He emigrated to Spain and became one of the countries most noted cameramen and cinematographers beginning in 1937. He was a cameraman on twenty-two films and television show and a cinematographer on ninety-four. Alfonso he tried his hand at directing with “Primavera en Sevilla” in 1944 and again fifty years later in 1994 with “Un dia en Lisboa: both shorts.

Nieva is listed in Diccionario del cinema Español but no biographical information is given.

After leaving the film industry in 1980 he disappeared from the scene. His whereabouts are unknown and at this date it is presumed he has passed away.

Alfonso Nieva was a cinematographer onseven Spaghetti westerns: “El hombre de la diligencia” (Apache Fury) in 1963, “El secreto del captain O’Hara” (The Secret of Captain O’Hara) in 1964, “Ringo e Gringo contro tutti” (Rebels on the Loose) with Sandro D’Eva and “Uno straniero a Paso Bravo” (A Stranger in Paso Bravo) both in 1966, “Voltati… ti uccido” (Turn I’ll Kill You) and “Los siete de Pancho Villa” (Vengeance of Pancho Villa) both in 1967 and “I senza Dio” (Thunder Over El Paso) in 1971.

NIEVA, Alfonso (aka Alastair Nichols, A. Nieva, Alphonse Nieve, Alfonso de Nieva) Alfonso Nieva Travanco) [1/2/1913, Guayaquil, Ecuador - deceased] - writer, cinematographer, camaeraman.

Apache Fury – 1963 [as Alastair Nichols]

The Secret of Captain O’Hara - 1964

Rebels on the Loose – 1966 (co)

A Stranger in Paso Bravo – 1966 (co)

Turn… I’ll Kill You - 1967

Vengeance of Pancho Villa – 1967 [as Al Nieva]

Thunder Over El Paso – 1971