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Sergio Corbucci (; 6 December 1926 – 1 December 1990) was an
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...
film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, pr ...
,
screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...
and producer. He directed both very violent
Spaghetti Western The Spaghetti Western is a broad subgenre of Western films produced in Europe. It emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's film-making style and international box-office success. The term was used by foreign critics because most o ...
s and bloodless
Bud Spencer Carlo Pedersoli (31 October 1929 – 27 June 2016), known professionally as Bud Spencer, was an Italian actor, professional swimmer and water polo player. He was known for action-comedy and Spaghetti Western roles with his long-time film partn ...
and Terence Hill action comedies. He is the older brother of screenwriter and film director
Bruno Corbucci Bruno Corbucci (23 October 1931 – 7 September 1996) was an Italian screenwriter and film director. He was the younger brother of Sergio Corbucci, and wrote many of his films. He was born in Rome, where he also died. The vast majority of ...
.


Biography


Early career

Corbucci was born in
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
. He started his career by directing mostly low-budget
sword and sandal Sword-and-sandal, also known as peplum (pepla plural), is a subgenre of largely Italian-made historical, mythological, or Biblical epics mostly set in the Greco-Roman antiquity or the Middle Ages. These films attempted to emulate the big-budge ...
movies. Among his first Spaghetti Westerns were the films ''Grand Canyon Massacre'' (1964), which he co-directed (under the pseudonym, Stanley Corbett) with Albert Band, as well as ''
Minnesota Clay ''Minnesota Clay'' is a 1964 Spaghetti Western directed by Sergio Corbucci. Plot The year is 1883. Clay, a gunfighter with health problems, is interned in Drunner Labor Camp. He's determined to prove his innocence since he was framed by Fox, the ...
'' (1964), his first solo directed Spaghetti Western. Corbucci's first commercial success was with the cult Spaghetti Western '' Django'', starring Franco Nero, the leading man in many of his movies. He would later collaborate with Franco Nero on two other Spaghetti Westerns, ''Il Mercenario'' or '' The Mercenary'' (a.k.a. ''A Professional Gun'') (1968) - where Nero played Sergei Kowalski, a Polish mercenary and the film also starring Tony Musante,
Jack Palance Jack Palance ( ; born Volodymyr Palahniuk ( uk, Володимир Палагню́к); February 18, 1919 – November 10, 2006) was an American actor known for playing tough guys and villains. He was nominated for three Academy Awards, all fo ...
and Giovanna Ralli - as well as '' Compañeros'' (1970) a.k.a. ''Vamos a matar, Companeros'', which also starred
Tomas Milian Tomas Milian (born Tomás Quintín Rodríguez-Varona Milián Salinas de la Fé y Álvarez de la Campa; 3 March 1933 – 22 March 2017) was a Cuban-born actor and singer with American and Italian citizenship, known for the emotional intensity and ...
and
Jack Palance Jack Palance ( ; born Volodymyr Palahniuk ( uk, Володимир Палагню́к); February 18, 1919 – November 10, 2006) was an American actor known for playing tough guys and villains. He was nominated for three Academy Awards, all fo ...
. The last film of the "Mexican Revolution" trilogy - '' The Mercenary'' and '' Compañeros'' being the first two in the installment - was '' What Am I Doing in the Middle of the Revolution?'' (1972). After '' Django'', Corbucci made many other Spaghetti Westerns, which made him the most successful Italian western director after
Sergio Leone Sergio Leone (; 3 January 1929 – 30 April 1989) was an Italian film director, producer and screenwriter credited as the pioneer of the Spaghetti Western genre and widely regarded as one of the most influential directors in the history of cin ...
and one of Italy's most productive and prolific directors. His most famous of these pictures was '' The Great Silence'' (Il Grande Silenzio), a dark and gruesome western starring a
mute Muteness is a speech disorder in which a person lacks the ability to speak. Mute or the Mute may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Mute'' (2005 film), a short film by Melissa Joan Hart * ''Mute'' (2018 film), a scien ...
action hero and a
psychopathic Psychopathy, sometimes considered synonymous with sociopathy, is characterized by persistent antisocial behavior, impaired empathy and remorse, and bold, disinhibited, and egotistical traits. Different conceptions of psychopathy have been u ...
bad guy. The film was banned in some countries for its excessive display of violence. Corbucci also directed ''
Navajo Joe ''Navajo Joe'' is a 1966 Spaghetti Western film directed by Sergio Corbucci and starring Burt Reynolds as the titular Navajo Indian who opposes a group of bandits responsible for killing his tribe. Plot Having massacred an Indian village with ...
'' (1966), starring
Burt Reynolds Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. (February 11, 1936 – September 6, 2018) was an American actor, considered a sex symbol and icon of 1970s American popular culture. Reynolds first rose to prominence when he starred in television series such as ' ...
as the title character, a Navajo Indian opposing a group of bandits that killed his tribe, as well as ''
The Hellbenders ''The Hellbenders'' ( it, I crudeli, lit=The Cruel Ones, link=no) is a 1967 Spaghetti Western directed by Sergio Corbucci. Plot Colonel Jonas is a fanatical and unrepentant Confederate who led a regiment called the Hellbenders in the recentl ...
'' (1967), and '' Johnny Oro'' (1966) a.k.a. ''Ringo and his Golden Pistol'' starring Mark Damon. Other Spaghetti Westerns he directed include '' Gli specialisti'' (''Drop Them or I'll Shoot'', 1969), '' La Banda J.S.: Cronaca criminale del Far West'' (''Sonny and Jed'', 1972), with
Tomas Milian Tomas Milian (born Tomás Quintín Rodríguez-Varona Milián Salinas de la Fé y Álvarez de la Campa; 3 March 1933 – 22 March 2017) was a Cuban-born actor and singer with American and Italian citizenship, known for the emotional intensity and ...
and '' The White the Yellow and the Black'' (1975), with
Tomas Milian Tomas Milian (born Tomás Quintín Rodríguez-Varona Milián Salinas de la Fé y Álvarez de la Campa; 3 March 1933 – 22 March 2017) was a Cuban-born actor and singer with American and Italian citizenship, known for the emotional intensity and ...
and
Eli Wallach Eli Herschel Wallach (; December 7, 1915 – June 24, 2014) was an American film, television, and stage actor from New York City. From his 1945 Broadway debut to his last film appearance, Wallach's entertainment career spanned 65 years. Origina ...
.


Spaghetti Westerns

Corbucci's westerns were dark and brutal, with the characters portrayed as sadistic anti heroes. His films featured very high body counts and scenes of mutilation. ''Django'' especially is considered to have set a new level for violence in westerns.


Later career and legacy

In the 1970s and 1980s Corbucci mostly directed comedies, often starring
Adriano Celentano Adriano Celentano (; born 6 January 1938) is an Italian musician, singer, composer, actor, and filmmaker. He is dubbed "''il Molleggiato''" (the springy one) because of his dancing. Celentano's many albums frequently enjoyed both commercial and ...
. Many of these comedies were huge successes at the Italian box-office and found wide distribution in European countries like Germany, France, Austria and Switzerland, but were barely released overseas. His movies were rarely taken seriously by contemporary critics and he was considered an exploitation director, but Corbucci has managed to attain a cult reputation. He died in Rome in 1990, five days before his 64th birthday, of a
heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...
. His nephew Leonardo Corbucci continues the legacy of film directors in the family in Los Angeles.


Filmography


Director and writer

*''Salvate mia figlia'' (1951) *''Foreign Earth'' (1954) *''Island Sinner'' (1954) *''Acque amare'' (1954) *''Baracca e burattini'' (1954) *''Carovana di canzoni'' (1955) *''Suonno d'ammore'' (1955) *''
Supreme Confession ''Supreme Confession'' (Italian: ''Suprema confessione'', German: ''Die große Sünde'') is a 1956 Italian-West German melodrama film directed by Sergio Corbucci and starring Anna Maria Ferrero, Massimo Serato and Sonja Ziemann.Bock & Bergfelder ...
'' (1956) *''Ángeles sin cielo'' (1957) *''I ragazzi dei Parioli'' (1959) *'' Who Hesitates is Lost'' (1960) *'' An American in Toledo'' (1960) *Only writer. *''Totò, Peppino e... la dolce vita'' (1961) *''
Goliath and the Vampires ''Goliath and the Vampires'' ( it, Maciste contro il vampiro) is a 1961 Italian ''peplum'' film directed by Sergio Corbucci and Giacomo Gentilomo. Plot Set in the ancient world, this film follows a powerful muscular man out to battle a vampire ...
'' (1961) *''
Duel of the Titans ''Duel of the Titans'' ( it, Romolo e Remo, lit=Romulus and Remus) is a 1961 Italian / French film directed by Sergio Corbucci and starring Steve Reeves, Gordon Scott, and Virna Lisi. The film is about twin brothers revolt against tyranny in pre-R ...
'' (1961) *''
The Two Marshals ''The Two Marshals'' ( it, I due marescialli) is a 1961 Italian comedy film written and directed by Sergio Corbucci. The film was a hit at the Italian box office, with 2.765.531 spectators and a total gross of 536.513.000 lire.Matilde Amorosi, ...
'' (1961) *'' The Slave'' (''The Son of Spartacus'', 1962) *''Lo smemorato di Collegno'' (1962) *'' The Shortest Day'' (1963) *''Il monaco di Monza'' (1963) *''Gli onorevoli'' (1963) *''
Grand Canyon Massacre ''Grand Canyon Massacre'' (Italian: ''Massacro al Grande Canyon'', lit. "Massacre at Grand Canyon") is a 1964 Italian Spaghetti Western filmed in Croatia starring James Mitchum, Milla Sannoner, and George Ardisson. It was directed by Sergio Cor ...
'' (1964) (as Stanley Corbett) *''
Castle of Blood ''Castle of Blood'' ( it, Danza Macabra, links=no) is a 1964 horror film directed by Antonio Margheriti and Sergio Corbucci. The film stars Barbara Steele, Arturo Dominici and Georges Rivière. The film was initially commissioned to director Serg ...
(1964) (uncredited) *''
Minnesota Clay ''Minnesota Clay'' is a 1964 Spaghetti Western directed by Sergio Corbucci. Plot The year is 1883. Clay, a gunfighter with health problems, is interned in Drunner Labor Camp. He's determined to prove his innocence since he was framed by Fox, the ...
'' (1965) *'' Sons of the Leopard'' (1965) *''
The Man Who Laughs ''The Man Who Laughs'' (also published under the title ''By Order of the King'' from its subtitle in French) is a novel by Victor Hugo, originally published in April 1869 under the French title ''L'Homme qui rit''. It takes place in England beg ...
'' (1966) *'' Django'' (1966) *'' Ringo and his Golden Pistol'' (''Johnny Oro'', 1966) *''
Navajo Joe ''Navajo Joe'' is a 1966 Spaghetti Western film directed by Sergio Corbucci and starring Burt Reynolds as the titular Navajo Indian who opposes a group of bandits responsible for killing his tribe. Plot Having massacred an Indian village with ...
'' (1966) *'' The Cruel Ones'' (''The Hellbenders'', 1967) *'' Death on the Run'' (1967) *'' The Mercenary'' (''A Professional Gun'', 1968) *'' The Great Silence'' (1968) *'' Zum zum zum'' (1969) Co-director
Bruno Corbucci Bruno Corbucci (23 October 1931 – 7 September 1996) was an Italian screenwriter and film director. He was the younger brother of Sergio Corbucci, and wrote many of his films. He was born in Rome, where he also died. The vast majority of ...
. *'' The Specialists'' (''Drop Them or I'll Shoot'', 1969) *'' Compañeros'' (1970) *''Er più: storia d'amore e di coltello'' (1971) *'' La Banda J.S.: Cronaca criminale del Far West'' (''Sonny and Jed'', 1972) *'' What Am I Doing in the Middle of the Revolution?'' (1972) *'' The Beast'' (1974) *'' Shoot First... Ask Questions Later'' (''The White the Yellow and the Black'', 1975) *'' Di che segno sei?'' (1975) *'' The Con Artists'' (1976) *'' Mr. Robinson'' (1975) *''
Three Tigers Against Three Tigers ''Three Tigers Against Three Tigers'' ( it, Tre tigri contro tre tigri) is a 1977 comedy film directed by Sergio Corbucci and Steno. It consists of three segments. Plot Cast ; First Segment ** Renato Pozzetto as Don Cimbolano ** Cochi Po ...
'' (1977) *'' Ecco noi per esempio...'' (1977) *'' The Payoff'' (1978) *'' Odds and Evens'' (1978) *'' Neapolitan Mystery'' (1979) *''
Super Fuzz ''Super Fuzz'' ( it, Poliziotto superpiù), also known as ''Super Snooper'', is a 1980 superhero comedy film directed by Sergio Corbucci. The film stars Terence Hill and Ernest Borgnine. It is about Dave Speed, a bumbling Miami police officer w ...
'' (1980) *'' I Don't Understand You Anymore'' (1980) *''
I'm Getting a Yacht ''I'm Getting a Yacht'' ( it, Mi faccio la barca) is a 1980 Italian comedy film directed by Sergio Corbucci. Plot Piero is a dentist who lives apart from his wife Roberta. To spend the traditional two weeks of vacation with his children Fi ...
'' (1980) *''
Who Finds a Friend Finds a Treasure ''Who Finds a Friend Finds a Treasure'' ( it, Chi trova un amico trova un tesoro also known as ''A Friend Is a Treasure'') is an Italian adventure- comedy movie directed in 1981 by Sergio Corbucci and starring the comedy team of Terence Hill an ...
'' (1981) *''
My Darling, My Dearest ''My Darling, My Dearest'' ( it, Bello mio, bellezza mia) is a 1981 Italian comedy film directed by Sergio Corbucci. Plot Cast * Giancarlo Giannini: Gennarino Laganà * Mariangela Melato: Armida * Stefania Sandrelli: Clarabella * Massi ...
'' (1982) *''Count Tacchia'' (1982) *''Sing Sing'' (1983) *''Questo e quello'' (1983) *''A tu per tu'' (1984) *''I Am an ESP'' (1985) *''Rimini Rimini'' (1987) *''Roba da ricchi'' (1987) *''
Days of Inspector Ambrosio ''Days of Inspector Ambrosio'' (Italian: ''I giorni del commissario Ambrosio'') is a 1988 Italian crime film directed by Sergio Corbucci. It is loosely based on several novels written by Renato Olivieri. Plot A few days before Inspector Ambrosio ...
'' (1988) *'' Night Club'' (1989) *'' Women in Arms (1991)


Actor

*''Suonno d'ammore'' (1955) - Bank customer (uncredited) *'' Who Hesitates Is Lost'' (1960) - Billiard Player (uncredited) *'' Totò, Peppino e... la dolce vita'' (1961) - Signore in coda al telefono (uncredited) *'' Lo smemorato di Collegno'' (1962) - Man waiting for Minister (uncredited) *''
Gli onorevoli ''Gli onorevoli'' is a 1963 Italian anthology comedy film directed by Sergio Corbucci. Simple plot The film is composed of several small stories that have to do with the votes of politicians in Italy in the sixties. A senior sharpshooter decide ...
'' (1963) - Albergatore di Roccasecca (uncredited) (final film role)


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Corbucci, Sergio 1926 births 1990 deaths Film directors from Rome Giallo film directors Comedy film directors Parody film directors Spaghetti Western directors Italian parodists