Fernando Di Leo

Fernando Di Leo
Born(1932-01-11)11 January 1932
San Ferdinando di Puglia, Italy
Died1 December 2003(2003-12-01) (aged 71)
Rome, Italy
OccupationsFilm director, screenwriter

Fernando Di Leo (11 January 1932 – 1 December 2003)[1] was an Italian film director and script writer. He made 17 films as a director and about 50 scripts from 1964 to 1985.[2]

Biography

Fernando Di Leo was born on 11 January 1932 in San Ferdinando di Puglia.[2] After briefly working in a Rome film school Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, Di Leo made his debut as a director as part of the omnibus comedy Gli eroi di ieri, oggi, domani with his episode titled Un posto in paradiso (transl. A Place in Heaven).[3] Following this Di Leo wrote several scripts for Westerns, often uncredited.[3] This included work on A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More.[3] Some of his Westerns had uncredited literary sources, such as Days of Vengeance which as loosely based on Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo.[3]

Di Leo was a fan of film noir and wanted to make an Italian version of these films.[3] Among his first efforts was the script for Mino Guerrini's Date for a Murder based on Franco Enna's novel Tempo di massacro written in 1955.[3] In Di Leo's version, the setting is moved to a contemporary Rome and has elements of contemporary spy films.[3] Di Leo worked with Guerrini again on the film Gangsters '70 which did not do well in the box office.[3] Di Leo began directing more of his own films at the time including the war film Code Name: Red Roses and a few erotic films: A Woman on Fire, A Wrong Way to Love and Seduction.[3] From 1969 to 1976, di Leo was able to produce many of his own works with his production company Duania cineproduzioni 70.[2] He followed this with a return to noir with Naked Violence, a film adapting a novel by Giorgio Scerbanenco, a writer who Di Leo would adapt for several future film productions.[3]

Di Leo would make a giallo film with Slaughter Hotel starring Klaus Kinski and Margaret Lee.[3] Following this, Di Leo worked on Caliber 9 and The Italian Connection which were both inspired by the writing of Scerbanenco.[3] He followed up this film Il Boss, a film which got Di Leo in trouble with politicians and authorities due to the films display connections between the mafia and Italy's major party, Democrazia Cristiana.[3] Di Leo followed this up with Shoot First, Die Later in 1974.[3] Di Leo worked through the latter half of the 1970's directing Mister Scarface, Kidnap Syndicate, and Nick the Sting.[4] He also wrote scripts for other directors such as Romolo Guerrieri's Young, Violent, Dangerous and Ruggero Deodato's Live Like a Cop, Die Like a Man.[4] Di Leo's last film produced by his company Duania cineproduzioni 70 was Rulers of the City in 1976.[4] He continued with a few more films after with the film noir Blood and Diamonds, the erotic drama To Be Twenty - both in 1978, and Madness in 1980.[4]

Di Leo worked in television in the 1980's, starting with the television series L'assassino ha le ore contate, which involved six one-hour long made-for-TV films produced by RAI Uno which as of 2013 are unreleased.[4] Di Leo also made The Violent Breed and his last film Killer vs. Killers towards the mid-1980's.[4] Killer vs. Killers wasn't released theatrically in Italy and only surfaced 20 years later on DVD.[5]

Di Leo died in December 2003.[5]

Select filmography

TitleYearCredited asNotesRef(s)
DirectorScreenwriterStory authorOther
Un cuore per odiarvi 1962 Yes [6]
Gli eroi di ieri, oggi, domani 1963 Yes Yes [7][8]
A Fistful of Dollars 1964 Yes Uncredited [9]
The Return of Ringo 1965 Yes Yes Yes Assistant director [10][11][12]
For a Few Dollars More Yes Yes Yes Uncredited as screenwriter. Also 2nd assistant director [13]
Django 1966 Yes Uncredited [6]
Kiss Kiss...Bang Bang Yes Yes [14][15]
Massacre Time Yes Yes [16][17]
Seven Guns for the MacGregors Yes [18][19]
Johnny Yuma Yes [20][21]
Navajo Joe Yes [22][23]
Sugar Colt Yes [6]
Long Days of Vengeance 1967 Yes [24][25]
Up the MacGregors! Yes Yes [26][27]
Wanted Yes [6]
Pecos Cleans Up Yes [6]
Date for a Murder Yes Yes [6]
Poker with Pistols Yes [6]
Hate for Hate Yes Yes [6]
Death Rides Along Yes Yes [6]
La lunga sfida  Yes [6]
The Ruthless Four 1968 Yes Yes [28][29][30]
Beyond the Law Yes [6]
Code Name: Red Roses Yes Yes Yes Dialogue [31]
Gangsters '70 Yes Yes [32]
...e venne il tempo di uccidere  Yes Yes [32]
Train for Durango Yes Uncredited [6]
A Woman on Fire 1969 Yes Yes Yes [31]
A Wrong Way to Love Yes Yes Yes [31]
Naked Violence Yes Yes [33][34]
Slaughter Hotel 1971 Yes Yes [3]
Caliber 9 1972 Yes Yes [35]
Bloody Friday Yes Yes Uncredited [36][37]
The Italian Connection Yes Yes Yes Yes Also dialogue [38]
Il Boss 1973 Yes Yes Yes [39]
Seduction Yes Yes [40]
Shoot First, Die Later 1974 Yes Yes [41]
Kidnap Syndicate 1975 Yes Yes [42]
Loaded Guns Yes Yes [43]
Live Like a Cop, Die Like a Man 1976 Yes Yes [44]
Nick the Sting Yes [44]
Mister Scarface Yes Yes Yes [45][46]
Young, Violent, Dangerous Yes Yes [47]
Blood and Diamonds 1978 Yes Yes Yes [48]
To Be Twenty Yes Yes Yes [48]
Madness 1980 Yes Yes [49]
Pover'ammore 1982 Yes [50]
The Violent Breed 1984 Yes Yes Yes [50]
Killer vs. Killers 1985 Yes Yes Yes [51]

References

  1. ↑ "Fernando Di Leo - filmportal.de". filmportal.de (in German). Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 Curti 2013, p. 292.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Curti 2013, p. 293.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Curti 2013, p. 294.
  5. 1 2 Curti 2013, p. 295.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Curti & Monetti 2026, p. 235.
  7. ↑ Curti 2016, p. 293.
  8. ↑ "Gli eroi di ieri, oggi, domani (1963)" (in Italian). Archviodelcinemaitaliano.com. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  9. ↑ Curti 2016, p. 192.
  10. ↑ "Cast and Crew". A Pistol for Ringo / The Return of Ringo (Booklet). Arrow Video. 2018. p. 5. AV137 / FCD1710.
  11. ↑ Hughes 2006, p. 29.
  12. ↑ Hughes 2006, p. 36.
  13. ↑ Curti 2016, p. 193.
  14. ↑ "Kiss kiss... bang bang" (in Italian). Archvio del cinema italiano. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  15. ↑ Erickson, Hal. "Kiss Kiss...Bang Bang". AllMovie. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  16. ↑ Howarth 2015, p. 106.
  17. ↑ Firsching, Robert. "Massacre Time". AllMovie. Archived from the original on 30 August 2013. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  18. ↑ "7 Pistole Per I Macgregor (7 Guns for the MacGregors), Italy/Spain, 1965". Monthly Film Bulletin. Vol. 34, no. 405. British Film Institute. October 1967. p. 158.
  19. ↑ Grant 2011, p. 443.
  20. ↑ Grant 2011, p. 442.
  21. ↑ "Johnny Yuma (1966)" (in Italian). Archiviodelcinemaitaliano.it. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  22. ↑ Hughes 2006, p. 81.
  23. ↑ Hughes 2006, p. 92.
  24. ↑ "Lunghi giorni della vendetta (1967)" (in Italian). Archiviodelcinemaitaliano.it. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  25. ↑ Grant 2011, p. 446.
  26. ↑ "7 donne per i Mac Gregor (1967)" (in Italian). Archiviodelcinemaitaliano.it. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
  27. ↑ "Up the MacGregors". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on 3 April 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
  28. ↑ "Das Gold von Sam Cooper". Filmportal.de. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  29. ↑ "Ognuno per sé" (in French). Bifi.fr. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  30. ↑ "Ognuno per sé (1968)" (in Italian). Archvio del Cinema Italiano. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  31. 1 2 3 Curti & Monetti 2026, p. 236.
  32. 1 2 Curti 2013, p. 23.
  33. ↑ Curti 2013, p. 31.
  34. ↑ Curti & Monetti 2026, p. 237.
  35. ↑ Curti 2013, p. 52.
  36. ↑ Curti 2013, p. 51.
  37. ↑ "Blutiger Freitag" (in German). Filmportal.de. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  38. ↑ Curti 2013, p. 61.
  39. ↑ Curti & Monetti 2026, p. 238.
  40. ↑ Curti & Monetti 2026, p. 239.
  41. ↑ Curti 2013, p. 118.
  42. ↑ Curti 2013, p. 137.
  43. ↑ Curti 2013, p. 141.
  44. 1 2 Curti 2013, p. 181.
  45. ↑ Curti 2013, p. 190.
  46. ↑ Curti 2013, p. 191.
  47. ↑ Curti 2013, p. 202.
  48. 1 2 Curti 2013, p. 237.
  49. ↑ Curti 2013, p. 274.
  50. 1 2 Curti & Monetti 2026, p. 242.
  51. ↑ Curti & Monetti 2026, pp. 242–243.

Bibliography

  • Allen, Jane (2015). Pier Angeli: A Fragile Life. McFarland & Company. ISBN 9781476603575.
  • Curti, Roberto (2013). Italian Crime Filmography, 1968-1980. McFarland. ISBN 978-0786469765.
  • Curti, Roberto (2016). Tonino Valerii: The Films. McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-1476664682.
  • Curti, Roberto; Monetti, Deminico (2026). Fernando Di Leo: Master of Italian Film Noir. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-1-4766-9640-9. LCCN 2026008765.
  • Grant, Kevin (2011). Any Gun Can Play. Fab Press. ISBN 9781903254615.
  • Howarth, Troy (2015). Splintered Visions: Lucio Fulci and His Films. Midnight Marquee Press, Inc. ISBN 978-1936168538.
  • Hughes, Howard (2006). Once Upon a Time in the Italian West. I B Tauris. ISBN 0857730452.
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