Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

Spaghetti Western Director ~ Sam Irvin

Sam Irvin was born on June 14, 1956, and is an American film and television director, producer, screenwriter, author, and educator renowned for his work in genres including horror, comedy, and romance, as well as his contributions to film journalism and biography.

Irvin was born in Asheville, North Carolina, into a family with deep roots in the film exhibition industry; his grandfather managed theaters in the Southeast, and his father co-owned a chain in the Carolinas. As a child, he developed a passion for filmmaking after touring studios in California and creating Super 8mm horror shorts, later working in family theaters to promote classic horror films by directors like Roger Corman and Hammer Studios. He edited and published the fanzine Bizarre from 1972 to 1975, interviewing icons such as Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, and Peter Cushing during trips to England.

Graduating from the University of South Carolina in 1978 with a Bachelor of Arts in Media Arts, Irvin began his professional career as a production assistant on Brian De Palma's “The Fury” (1978), where he also contributed journalism to Cinefantastique magazine. He advanced to roles like associate producer on De Palma's “Home Movies” (1979) and assistant on “Dressed to Kill” (1980), before producing his first feature, the comedy “The First Time” (1981), released by New Line Cinema. In the 1980s, he held marketing positions at companies including United Artists Classics and Vestron, earning Key Art Awards for promotional work on films like François Truffaut's “Confidentially Yours” (1983).

Irvin's directorial debut was the short film “Double Negative” (1985), which premiered at Sundance and received praise from The New York Times as a "promising first effort." Over his career, he has directed more than 55 projects, including feature films such as “Guilty as Charged” (1991) starring Rod Steiger, “Oblivion” (1996) and its sequel with George Takei and Julie Newmar, Elvira's “Haunted Hills” (2001) featuring Cassandra Peterson, and recent TV movies like ‘Love's Second Act’ (2024). He also helmed all episodes of the queer horror series ‘Dante's Cove’ (2005–2007) and the comedy ‘From Here! On OUT’ (2014), as well as high-profile TV specials for Fox Sports, such as segments for the Super Bowl and World Series.

Currently, Irvin teaches graduate directing courses as adjunct faculty at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts and resides in Los Angeles with his partner of over four decades, Gary Bowers. His honors include Gold Special Jury Awards from the Houston Worldfest for “Guilty as Charged” and “Oblivion”, and an Audience Award for Elvira's “Haunted Hills” at the Provincetown International Film Festival.

Sam Irvin directed two Euro-westerns: “Oblivion” in 1993 and “Backlash: Oblivion 2” in 1994.

IRVIN, Sam [6/14/1956, Asheville, North Carolina, U.S.A. -     ] – producer, director, writer, actor, married to Gary Bowers [2016-    ].

Oblivion - 1993

Backlash: Oblivion 2 – 1994

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Antonio de Lara

Antonio de Lara is a Spanish humorist, playwright, cartoonist, and screenwriter known for his sharp satirical style and contributions to Spanish comic literature and theater under the pen name Tono. Born Antonio Lara Gavilán on September 22, 1896, in Jaén, Spain, he became a prominent figure in 20th-century Spanish humor, often associated with the humorous wing of the Generation of '27, and collaborated with contemporaries in creating witty plays, caricatures, and screenplays. His work spanned graphic art, journalism, and film, where he wrote and directed features noted for their clever dialogue and absurd situations.

De Lara's career emphasized light-hearted yet incisive commentary on society, earning him recognition as a leading humorist of his era in Spain. He produced numerous plays and cartoons that reflected the cultural shifts of mid-20th-century Spain, blending caricature with dramatic writing. He died on January 4, 1978, in Madrid at the age of 81.

Antoni de Lara co-wrote one screenplay for one Euro-western, “Tres eran tres” (Three Were Three) with Ángel Falquina and Eduardo Garcia Maroto in 1954

de LARA, Antonio (aka Antonio Lara 'Tono', Antonio de Lara 'Tono', Antonio Lara, Tono, Antonio 'Tono' de Lara, T. de Lara, Tono de Lara) (Antonio Lara Gavilán) [9/22/1896, Jaén, Andalusia, Spain – 1/4/1978, Madrid, Madrid, Spain] – director, writer, songwriter, actor.

Three Were Three – 1954 (co)

Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Antonio Modica

Thirty-one films as a cameraman from 1953-1978 and twenty-three films as a cinematographer from 1966-1987. He’s best known for his work on “Kong Island” and “1001 Nights” both in 1968 and “The Uranium Conspiracy” ten years later in 1978.

Antonio Modica was a cinematographer on five Spaghetti westerns: “El Zorro de Monterrey” (Zorro the Conqueror) in 1968, “Rimase uno solo e fu la morte per tutti!” (Brother Outlaw), “I vendicatore dell’Ave Maria” (The Twilight Avengers) both in 1970, “El más fabuloso golpe del Far West” (The Boldest Job in the West) with Hans Burmann, “Jesse e Lester: due fratelli in un posto chiamoto Trinita” (Jesse and Lester Two Brothers in a Place Called Trinity) in 1972. He was a cameraman on five other Spaghetti westerns: “Buckaroo – il Winchester che non perdona” (A Winchester Does Not Forgive) in 1967, “Chiedi perdono a Dio... non a me” (God May Forgive You, Not Me), “Ramon il messicano” (Ramon the Mexican) and “La vendetta è il mio perdono” (Shotgun) all in 1968 and “La taglia è tua... l'uomo l'ammazzo io” (El Puro) in 1969.

MODICA, Antonio (aka Modica Antonio, Antonino Modica, Tonino Modica) [Spanish] - cinematographer, cameraman

A Winchester Does Not Forgive – 1967 [cameraman]

God May Forgive You, Not Me – 1968 [cameraman]

Ramon the Mexican – 1968 [cameraman]

Shotgun – 1968 [cameraman]

Zorro the Conqueror – 1968 [cinematographer]

El Puro – 1969 [cameraman]

Brother Outlaw – 1970 [cinematographer]

The Twilight Avengers – 1970 [cinematographer]

The Boldest Job in the West – 1971 (co) [cinematographer]

Jesse and Lester Two Brothers in a Place Called Trinity – 1972 [cinematographer]