Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

Spaghetti Western Director ~ José Luis Madrid

José Luis Madrid was a Spanish screenwriter, film producer, and director known for his extensive work in low-budget genre cinema, spanning thrillers, horror, exploitation films, and opportunistic productions during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.

He debuted as a director in 1960 with “Adieu, Ninon” and went on to helm over twenty feature films, often drawing on contemporary events or popular trends for projects such as “El vampiro de la autopista”, “El último tango en Madrid”, and “Comando Txikia: Muerte de un president”. Madrid frequently collaborated with actor Paul Naschy on horror and crime titles including “Seven Murders for Scotland Yard” and “Los crímenes de Petiot”, while also directing uncredited work in Germany and the United Kingdom.

Beyond directing and writing, Madrid played a significant role in the Spanish film industry as a businessman, inheriting and managing the Apolo Films studios in Villalba (Madrid) from his uncle, director Antonio del Amo, and owning several production companies and cinemas in Madrid such as the Picasso and Lumière. Born on April 11, 1933 in Madrid, and passing away on July 19, 1999 at the age off 66, his career reflected an opportunistic approach to filmmaking within the constraints of modest resources and the evolving Spanish cinema landscape after Franco.

José Luis Madrid directed four Spaghetti westerns: “Un dollaro di fuoco” (Epitaph for a Fast Gun) with Nick Nostro, “La venganza de Clark Harrison” (The Ruthless Colt of the Gringo) and “Tumba para un forajido” (Tomb for an Outlaw) all in 1965 and “La balada de Johnny Ringo” (Who Killed Johnny R.?) in 1966.

MADRID, José Luis (aka Jim Delavena, Joseph L. Madrid) (José Luis Madrid de la Viña) [4/11/1933, Madrid, Madrid, Spain – 7/19/1999, Marbella, Málaga, Spain] – producer, director, writer, nephew of director, writer, actor Antonio del Amo (Antonio del Amo Algara) [1911-1991].

Epitaph for a Fast Gun – 1965 (co)

The Ruthless Colt of the Gringo – 1965 [as Joseph L. Madrid]

Tomb for an Outlaw – 1965 [José L. Madrid]

Who Killed Johnny R.? – 1966

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Paul Farjon

Paul Farjon is/was a writer of unknown origin. The IMDb credits him with co-writing one screenplay and that his only Spaghetti western, “Bill il taciturno” (Django Kills Silently) with Lina Caterini, Marcello Malvestito and Leonide Preston in 1967.

I can find no biographical information on him.

FARJON, Paul – writer.

Django Kills Silently – 1967 (co)

 

Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Giuseppe Rotunno

Giuseppe Rotunno was an Italian cinematographer whose six-decade career defined key visual styles in post-war European and Hollywood cinema, particularly through his long-term collaborations with directors Federico Fellini and Luchino Visconti.

Born in Rome on March 19, 1923, into a large family, Rotunno entered the film industry at age 17 following his father's death, starting as a laboratory assistant and still photographer at Cinecittà Studios in 1940.

By 1942, he had advanced to newsreel cameraman and camera operator on features like The Man with the Cross, despite interruptions from his anti-fascist views during World War II. His first credited work as director of photography came in 1955 with “Scandal in Sorrento”, marking the start of a prolific output that included nearly 80 features.

Rotunno's partnership with Visconti produced visually opulent black-and-white classics such as “White Nights” (1957), “Rocco and His Brothers” (1960), and the epic “The Leopard” (1963), where his use of deep-focus and natural lighting captured Sicily's aristocratic decay with painterly precision.

 With Fellini, he contributed to nine films over two decades, including “Fellini Satyricon’ (1969), the autobiographical ‘Amarcord’ (1973), ‘Fellini's Casanova’ (1976), and ‘And the Ship Sails On ‘(1983), employing innovative color palettes and surreal compositions to evoke dreamlike nostalgia and excess.

 His versatility extended to Hollywood projects, such as Bob Fosse's “All That Jazz” (1979), for which he earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography, and period pieces like “The Bible” (1966) and “Popeye” (1980).

Among his honors, Rotunno became the first non-American member of the American Society of Cinematographers in 1966, received eight Italian Silver Ribbon awards, a BAFTA for “All That Jazz”, and the ASC International Award in 1999.

He continued teaching at Rome's Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia until 2013 and retired after shooting “Marcello Mastroianni: I Remember” (1997), leaving a legacy praised by filmmakers like Martin Scorsese for his mastery of light and emotional depth.

Rotunno died in Rome on February 7, 2021 at the age of 97.

Giuseppe Rotunno was a cinematographer on one Spaghetti western, “Amore, piombo e furore” (China 9, Liberty 37) in 1978.

ROTUNNO, Giuseppe (aka Peppino Rotunno) [3/19/1923, Rome, Lazio, Italy – 2/7/2021, Rome, Lazio, Italy] – cinematographer, cameraman, actor, married to assistant director, writer, actress Graziolina Campori (Grazia Campori) [1932-    ] (19??- 2021) father of Tiziana Rotunno, actress Paola Silvia Rotunno, Carmen Rotunno.

China 9, Liberty 37 – 1978