Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

Spaghetti Western Director ~ Mario Lanfranchi

Mario Lanfranchi was an Italian film, theatre, and television director, screenwriter, producer, collector, and actor. He was born in Parma, Italy on June 30, 1927. After receiving a degree at the Drama Academy (Accademia dei Filodrammatici) of Milan in the early 1950s, he was hired by Sergio Pugliese at Rai, at the onset of Italian television. He was the first to bring opera to the small screen, in 1956, with “Madama Butterfly”, by Giacomo Puccini, which introduced to a wide public Anna Moffo, at that time an unknown American soprano, who became his wife for 17 years. In 1967 he began his career as a film director with the western movie “Death Sentence”. He lived in a 16th-century villa in Santa Maria del Piano outside Parma (Villa Lanfranchi.

Lanfranchi died in Langhirano, near Parma, on 3 January 2022, at the age of 94.

As mentioned above Mario Lanfranchi directed one Spaghetti western, “Sentenza di morte” (Death Sentence) in 1967.

LANFRANCHI, Mario (Francesco Martino) [6/30/1927, Parma, Emilia-Romagna, Italy – 1/3/2022, Langhirano, Parma, Italy] – producer, director, writer, actor, married to actress, singer Anna Moffo [1932-2006] (1957-1972), awarded Illica Award [1961].

Death Sentence – 1967

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Fabrizio Diotallevi

Fabrizio Diotallevi was an Italian filmmaker born in 1951. He worked in various capacities such as assistant director on nine films from 1969 to 1981, set and production manager on four films between 1965 and 1972 and screenwriter on four films between 1969 and 1973.

Fabrizio died in Rimini, Emilia-Romagna, Italy on December 25, 2023 at the age of 72.

Fabrizio Diotallevi co-wrote two Spaghetti westerns: “Una pistola per cento croci!” (Gunman of 100 Crosses) with Carlo Croccolo in 1971 and “Monta in sella... figli di...!” (The Great Treasure Hunt) with Tonino Ricci in 1972

DIOTALLEVI, Fabrizio (aka Fabio Diotallevi, Fabio Tallevi) [1951, Italy – 12/25/2023, Rimini, Emilia-Romagna, Italy] – production manager, assistant director, actor, married to Cinzia Diotallevi (19??-2023) father of a son.

Gunman of 100 Crosses – 1971 (co)

The Great Treasure Hunt – 1972 (co) [as Fabio Tallevi]

Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Alex Philips

Alexander Phillips was born Alexander Pelepiock on January 11, 1900, in Renfrew, Ontario, Canada and was a Canadian-Mexican cinematographer. He worked on over 200 films, most of them during the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema. Throughout his career, he was nominated 14 times for an Ariel Award for Best Cinematography which he won twice for In the Palm of Your Hand (1951) and Untouched (1954).

After failing to find acting work at Fox and Paramount studios, he was able to find work in the Christie Film Company's camera and editing departments. He received an opportunity when an assistant fell sick and was able to travel to France with the Canadian government. He made his cinematography debut the 1921 Christie production “See My Lawyer”, billed as 'Alec Phillips'. He shot numerous silent shorts and mid-length films throughout the decade until the 1929 stock market crash led him to be laid off. He then moved to Samuel Goldwyn Productions company, where he furthered his studies of motion picture photography.

Phillips moved to Mexico in 1931 and worked with directors such as Arcady Boytler, Roberto Gavaldón, Julio Bracho, and Luis Buñuel. He worked on some of the earliest Mexican movies such as the silent film “Santa” (1931) where his work was considered expressionist. He worked on over 240 films in Mexico, including “La mujer del Puerto” (1934), Buñuel's “Aventuras de Robinson Crusoe” (1952), and Emilio Fernández's “La Red” (1953). His last film was Arturo Ripstein's “El castillo de la Pureza” (1972).

Along with his contemporary Gabriel Figueroa, Phillips was considered the defining cinematographer of the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema. He won two Ariel Awards for Best Cinematography (out of 14 total nominations) and received the Golden Ariel in 1973.

As Alex Philips, Alexander Pelepiok was a cinematographer on two Euro-westerns: “La guerrillera de Villa” (The Warriors of Pancho Villa) in 1966 and “Arde baby arde” (Lucky Johnny: Born in America) in 1970.

PHILLIPS, Alex (aka Alec Phillips) (Alexander Pelepiok) [1/11/1900, Renfrew, Ontario, Canada – 6/14/1977, Mexico City, Federal District, Mexico (cerebral blood clot)] – cinematographer, cameraman. married to actress Alica de Phillips (Alicia Bolaños) [1916-2004] (1933-1976) father of cinematographer, cameraman, actor Álex Phillips Jr. [1935–2007], Miran Phillips.

The Warriors of Pancho Villa - 1966

Lucky Johnny: Born in America – 1970