Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

Spaghetti Western Director ~ Arnold Klein

Arnold Klein was a German silent film director born on February 28, 1884 in Teutschenrust, German Bohemia. Little is known of him other than he directed at least six films between 1920 and 1924.

Arnold Klein directed one silent Euro-western, “Das schwierige Testament” (The Defiant Testament) in 1921.

KLEIN, Arnold [2/28/1884 Teutschenrust, German Bohemia – 19??, Germany] – director, writer.

The Defiant Testament - 1921

 

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Fred Denger

Alfred ‘Fred’ Denger was a German playwright, actor and writer born on June 12, 1920, in Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany. After graduating from high school, Denger initially worked as an actor and cabaret artist. During World War II, Denger was a member of The Onkel Emil Resistance Group. After the war he became a writer. Denger first drew attention to himself with the play “Wir Heißen Euch Hoffen” in 1946 at the Deutsches Theater in Berlin. His play “Langusten” (1957) (a one-person play) is considered a classic of popular theatre. Denger wrote thirteen novels, including Cloth In Strange Beds (1950) and (Offered Here) The God Damned Year / Der Gottverdammte Jahrgang (1951), as well as numerous short stories, travelogues and court reports, most of which he published under a pseudonym. The 1982 book The Big Boss, Denger's free adaptation of the Old Testament of the bible, was particularly successful. He did not live to see the success of the book because he died in an accident.

Denger wrote numerous screenplays for successful German cinema productions, including some German Karl May and Edgar Wallace films. In addition to his work as a writer, the Berlin author worked as an animal Keeper, ballet singer, circus acrobat and theater director at various stages of his life. In the 1970s, Denger moved to the Lüchow-Dannenberg District and was involved in The Lüchow-Dannenberg Environmental Protection Initiative against the nuclear waste plants in Gorleben and Dragahn. About his personal life, it is worth noting that Fred Denger was narried twelve times. Denger fell down a flight Of Stairs on October 30, 1983, in Hohegeiß, Lower Saxony, West Germany and was fatally injured.

Fred Denger wrote screenplays for five Euro-westerns: “Old Surehand - I. Teil” (Flaming Frontier) with Eberhard Keindorff, Johanna Sibelius, Alfred Vohrer, “Der Ölprinz” (Rampage at Apache wells) with Harald Philipp and “Onkel Toms Hütte” with Géza von Radványi all in 1965 and “Winnetou und das Halbblut Apanatschi” (The Halfbreed) in 1966.

DENGER, Fred (Alfred Denger) [6/12/1920, Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany – 10/30/1983, Hohegeiß, Lower Saxony, West Germany] – playwright, writer, actor, married twelve times.

Flaming Frontier – 1965 (co)

Rampage at Apache Wells – 1965 (co)

Onkel Toms Hütte – 1965 (co)

The Halfbreed – 1966

Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Alessandro Nardone

Alessandro Nardone is an Italian cameraman and cinematographer. Hew’s worked as a cameraman on ten films and television shows between 2017 and 2026 and as a cinematographer on ten films between 2013 and 2022.

Alessandro Nardone has been a cinematographer on two Euro-westerns: “Resurrection” in 2017 and “Never Dies” in 2020.

NARDONE, Alessandro [Italian] – cinematographer, cameraman.

Resurrection - 2017

Never Dies - 2020