Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

Spaghetti Western Director ~ Sergio Martino

Sergio Martino is an Italian film director and producer born in Rome on July 19, 1938 and renowned for his prolific output in the giallo genre and other exploitation cinema during the 1970s and 1980s, blending suspense, horror, and erotic elements in over 60 feature films.

The grandson of pioneering silent film director Gennaro Righelli and brother to producer Luciano Martino, Sergio entered the industry in his early twenties, initially assisting on his brother's productions at companies like Devon Film and later Dania Cinematografica.3 He began as a screenwriter and assistant director before helming his debut features in the late 1960s, including Mondo-style documentaries, and quickly transitioned to narrative filmmaking across diverse genres such as spaghetti Westerns, sex comedies, crime thrillers, cannibal horror, and post-apocalyptic sci-fi.

His career exemplifies the fast-paced Italian filone system, where he balanced commercial demands with stylistic innovation, often collaborating with actors like Edwige Fenech, George Hilton, and Claudio Cassinelli.

Martino's most influential works are his giallo films from 1971 to 1973, which explore themes of psychological fragility, voyeurism, and murder mysteries, influencing later slasher subgenres. Key titles include “The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh” (1971), a tale of infidelity and anonymous threats starring Edwige Fenech; “The Case of the Scorpion's Tail” (1971), a globe-trotting thriller with exotic locales; “All the Colors of the Dark” (1972), delving into Satanic cults and trauma; “Your Vice Is a Locked Room” and “Only I Have the Key” (1972), a Poe-inspired locked-room puzzle; and Torso (1973), a proto-slasher set in Perugia with graphic violence.

Beyond giallo, he directed sci-fi adventures like 2019: “After the Fall of New York” (1983) and “Hands of Steel” (1986), the latter featuring cybernetic enhancements and arm-wrestling action, as well as horror entries such as “The Mountain of the Cannibal God” (1978) and “The Great Alligator” (1979).

In recognition of his contributions to genre cinema, Martino received the Silver Urania Award in 2017 and continues to be celebrated at film festivals.

Sergio Martino directed two Spaghetti westerns: “Arizona Vuelve” (Arizona Returns) in 1970 and “Mannaja” (A Man Called Blade) in 1977.

MARTINO, Sergio (aka Julian Barry, Martin Dolman, John Hamilton, Serge Martin, Christian Plummer, George Raminto) [7/19/1938, Rome, Lazio, Italy -     ] – producer, production manager, director, assistant director, writer, cinematographer, cameraman, actor, grandson of producer, director, writer, film editor, actor Gennaro Righelli (Gennari Salvatore Righelli) [1886-1949] actress Maria Jacobini Righelli [1892-1944], brother of  brother producer, production manager, director, assistant director, writer, actor Luciano Martino [1933-2013], cousin of director, writer, film editor Michele Massimo Tarantini [1942-2026],  married to ? father of director Federica Martino.

Arizona Returns – 1970 [as John Hamilton]

A Man Called Blade - 1977

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Ettore Fizzarotti

Ettore Maria Fizzarotti was an Italian film director and screenwriter born in Naples on January 3, 1916, the son of director Armando Fizzarotti. He began his career as an assistant director before becoming known for his contributions to the musicarello genre, blending musical performances with lighthearted comedy in popular Italian films of the 1960s and early 1970s. His films frequently featured prominent pop singers of the era, particularly Gianni Morandi, and achieved notable commercial success during the heyday of youth-oriented musical comedies in Italy.

Over a career that spanned approximately a decade of active directing (1964–1973), Fizzarotti helmed about 15 films, with standout titles including “In ginocchio da te” (1964), “Non son degno di te” (1965), “Se non avessi più te” (1965), and “Nessuno mi può giudicare” (1966), all of which highlighted romantic and comedic storylines set against musical backdrops. He also ventured into other genres, directing comedies and adventure stories such as “Il suo nome è Donna Rosa” (1969), “Vendo cara la pelle” (1968), and “Venga a fare il soldato da noi” (1971), showcasing his versatility within the commercial Italian cinema landscape of the time.

Ettore Fizzarotti co-wrote on Spaghetti western, “Vendo cara la pelle” (I’ll Sell My Skin Dearly) with Giovanni Simonelli in 1967.

FIZZAROTTI, Ettore (aka Mike Fitzgerald, Ettore Fizzarotti, Ettore M. Fizzarotti) (Ettore Maria Fizzarotti) [1/3/1916, Naples, Campania, Italy – 9/10/1985, Rome, Lazio, Italy] – director, assistant director, writer, son of director Armando Fizzarotti [1892-1966].

I’ll Sell My Skin Dearly – 1967 (co)

Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Romano Scavolini

Romano Scavolini was born on June 18, 1940 in Fiume, Italy. He is an Italian film director, screenwriter, producer, and cinematographer renowned for his work in horror, cult, and independent cinema, particularly the commercially successful 1981 slasher film “Nightmare”, which grossed over $10 million domestically and became a worldwide cult classic.

Self-taught and recognized as an "enfant terrible" of Italian cinema, Scavolini has directed twelve feature films—six of which he self-produced—along with over fifty shorts and documentaries, blending poetic drama with explorations of violence, politics, and human psychology.

Scavolini left for Germany at age 18, where he created his debut film “The Ravaged One” (1958), which he wrote, directed, starred in, and produced, earning acclaim from Rome's Center of Cinematography.

His early career included award-winning works like the political essay “The Quiet Fever” (1964), which addressed human violence and secured international prizes, and the controversial “Blind Fly” (1966), a stark analysis of aimless aggression that toured major festivals and solidified his cult status. From 1964 to 1966, he freelanced for Italy's RAI Television, directing ten shorts and specials, before producing documentaries on anthropology and medicine in the late 1960s.

In the 1970s, Scavolini founded his production company Lido Cinematografica and directed films such as the psychodrama “Spirits of Death” (1972), the Mafia-inspired “Your Honor” (1973), and the children's adaptation “Heart” (1973), drawn from Edmondo De Amicis's novel Cuore. After covering the Vietnam War as a freelance photographer and traveling extensively in the Americas as a journalist, he relocated to the United States in 1976, where he lectured on film techniques at New York and Columbia Universities. There, he helmed American productions including “The Savage Hunt” (1980), the gore-filled Nightmare, featuring effects by Tom Savini and praised for its terror akin to “Friday the 13^th” and “Texas Chain Saw Massacre”, and the Vietnam War drama “Dog Tags” (1990), shot in Panavision with a premiere at the Singapore International Film Festival

Romano Scavolini was a cinematographer on one Spaghetti western, “Posate le pistole reverend” (Pistol Packin’ Preacher) in 1971.

SCAVOLINI, Romano [6/18/1940, Fiume, Italy -     ] – producer, director, writer, cinematographer, cameraman, brother of director, assistant director, writer Sauro Scavolini [1934-2022], married to ? father of actress, writer Amavy Scavolini [1986-    ], founded his Lido Cinematografica Productions [1971]

Pistol Packin’ Preacher – 1971

Spaghetti Western Locations Then & Now ~ “El Condor”

Here’s a screenshot from “El Condor” showing the cantina where Jim Brown’s character Luke meets Jaroo Lee played by Lee Van Cleef for the first time. The location was a real building with a few other buildings which had false fronts added to them to make it look like a town. It’s located right next to the location of the Steven’s ranch house that Van Cleef as Sentenza aka Angel Eyes rides up to.

Here’s what’s left of it today in 2026.

9 European Westerns - Collezione Nuova Frontiera

 

New Frontier Collection

This is a compilation series comprising of Winchester, Jonathan, Metal, and Super Totem lines. Each issue contains two original installments, including their respective covers. It was published in 1984 by EPC by editor Arturo G. Bernacchi. Each issue contained 104 black and white pages with color covers.

Special Birthdays

Anthony Roman (director, writer) would have been 115 today but died in 1989.

Richard Jones (actor) is 80 today.

From the WAI! vault

 

Little Known Spaghetti Western Actors ~ Steve Emerson

[These daily posts will cover little known actors or people that have appeared in more recent films and TV series. Various degrees of information that I was able to find will be given and anything that you can add would be appreciated.]

Stephen ‘Steve’ John Emerson was born on October 31, 1934, in Lambeth, London, England. He’s a stuntman/actor best known for combining both skills as John the Bartender in “Shaun of the Dead”. His character, turned into a zombie, is beaten with pool cues to the Queen song "Don't Stop Me Now" before he gets his head bashed through the jukebox. Ironically, he also gets thrown into a jukebox in the John Wayne action film “Brannigan” as well, both filmed in England.

Steve appeared in forty-nine films as a stuntman from 1962 to 2021 and as an actor in seventy-five films and TV appearance between 1963 and 2005.

Steve Emerson appeared in one Euro-western, “Carry on Cowboy as a rider in 1965 and one Euro-western television series ‘Queen of Swords’ as Padre Quinterra in 2001.

EMERSON, Steve (Stephen John Emerson) [10/31/1934, Lambeth, London, England, U.K. -     ] – stuntman, film, TV actor.

Carry on Cowboy – 1965 (rider)

Queen of Swords (TV) – 2001 (Padre Quinterra)

Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

Spaghetti Western Director ~ Italo Martinenghi

Italo Martinenghi was an Italian film director, producer, and screenwriter known for his work in low-budget Italian genre cinema, particularly the long-running "Three Supermen" series of action-comedy films.

Born on October 25, 1930, in Milan, Italy, Martinenghi began his career in the film industry during the 1960s, initially focusing on production roles for genre pictures including “The Three Fantastic Supermen” (1967). He transitioned to directing in the 1970s, often handling writing and production duties as well, with notable works such as “Three Supermen of the West” (1973), “3 Supermen contro il Padrino” (1979), “Lady Football” (1979), and “Three Supermen in Santo Domingo” (1986).

These films typically featured parodic elements, blending superhero tropes, international intrigue, and humor within modest production constraints, contributing to the tradition of Italian B-movies and exploitation cinema during that era. Martinenghi continued working into the 1980s before his death on January 26, 2008, in Italy at the age of 77.

AS mentioned above Italo Martinenghi co-directed one Spaghetti western, “… e cosi divennero i 3 supermen del West” (Three Supermen in the West) with George Martin in 1973.

MARTINENGHI, Italo [10/25/1930, Milan, Lombardy, Italy – 1/26/2008, Milan, Lombardy Italy] – producer, production manager, director, writer, songwriter, film editor

Three Supermen in the West – 1973 (co)

 [photo courtesy Michael Ferguson]

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Benjamin Fisz

Benjamin Fisz was a Polish-born British film producer known for his contributions to British cinema, particularly through producing and occasionally writing action, adventure, and war films during the mid-20th century.

Born on November 4, 1922, in Poland, Fisz immigrated to England as a teenager and later served as a fighter pilot in the Polish Air Force squadron of the Royal Air Force during World War II, where he earned several medals for courage from the exiled Polish government. After the war, he settled in the United Kingdom and entered the film industry, establishing himself as a key producer of British films from the mid-1950s through the mid-1980s.

Among his most notable productions are the critically acclaimed war epics “The Heroes of Telemark” (1965) and “Battle of Britain” (1969), as well as the action thriller “Hell Drivers” (1957).

His work often featured high-stakes narratives and strong ensemble casts, contributing to the post-war British film landscape across various genres. Fisz continued producing into the 1980s with titles such as “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square” (1979) and “The Jigsaw Man” (1984), before his death on November 17, 1989, in London two weeks after turning 67.

Benjamin Fisz was a co-screenwriter on one Spaghetti western, “Una ciudad llamada bastarda” (A Town Called Hell) with Richard Aubrey in 1971.

FISZ, Benjamin (aka Ben Fisz) (Szlomo Benjamin Fisz) [11/4/1922, Poland – 11/17/1989, London, England, U.K.] – producer, writer, founded S.Benjamin Fisz Productions.

A Town Called Hell – 1971 (co)

Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Aldo Scavarda

Aldo Scavarda was an Italian cinematographer, director, and producer whose work significantly shaped post-war Italian cinema through his innovative visual style and collaborations with prominent directors. Born in Turin on August 22, 1923, he began his career in the 1950s as a camera operator and assistant on films such as “Viaggio in Italia” (1954) and “La signora senza camelie” (1953), before ascending to director of photography roles in the 1960s His most acclaimed contribution was the black-and-white cinematography for Michelangelo Antonioni's landmark film “L'Avventura” (1960), which captured the stark landscapes of Sicily and emphasized themes of alienation and existential isolation, earning international recognition at the Cannes Film Festival. Scavarda's career spanned over two decades, encompassing more than 20 films as cinematographer, including Bernardo Bertolucci's “Prima della rivoluzione” (1964) and Nelo Risi's “Una stagione all'inferno” (1971), where he also served as producer.

In addition to his technical prowess, Scavarda received prestigious accolades for his craft, notably the Nastro d'Argento for Best Cinematography in Black and White from the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists in 1969 for Salvatore Samperi's “Grazie zia” (1968, known internationally as “Come Play with Me”).

He ventured into directing with “La linea del fiume” (1976), a war drama featuring international stars like John Hurt and Riccardo Cucciolla, for which he also wrote the screenplay, demonstrating his multifaceted talents in the industry. Scavarda's passing in Rome marked the end of a legacy defined by his ability to blend technical precision with artistic depth, influencing generations of filmmakers in Italian and European cinema.

Scavarda died in Rome on May 6, 2000 at the age of 76.

Aldo Scavarda was a cinematographer on two Spaghetti westerns: “Que viva Carrancho!” (The Man from Canyon City) with Alfio Contini in 1965 and “Execution” in 1968

SCAVARDA, Aldo [8/22/1923, Turin, Piedmont, Italy – 5/6/2000, Rome, Lazio, Italy] – producer, cinematographer, cameraman.

The Man from Canyon City – 1965 (co)

Execution - 1968