Duccio Tessari (11 October 1926 – 6 September 1994) was an Italian film director, screenwriter and actor, considered one of the fathers of Spaghetti Westerns.
Born in Genoa, Tessari started in the fifties as documentarist and as screenwriter of peplum films. In 1964 he co-wrote Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars, one year later he gained an impressive commercial success and launched the Giuliano Gemma's career with A Pistol for Ringo and its immediate sequel, The Return of Ringo. In 1975, Tessari launched the most popular and successful European depiction of Zorro, when he directed Zorro starring Alain Delon as the titular masked hero. The movie was a smash hit in Europe, Russia, Japan and China.
He later touched different genres and worked in RAI, directing some successful TV-series. He died of cancer in Rome, at 67. He was married to actress Lorella De Luca.
Filmography Note: The films listed as N/A are not necessarily chronological. Title Year Credited as Notes Director ScreenwriterScreen story writer Other1958 Assistant director1959 Assistant directorCarthage in Flames1960 Messalina Goliath and the Dragon Colossus and the Amazon Queen Assistant director Hercules and the Conquest of Atlantis1961 Goliath and the Vampires Samson and the Seven Miracles of the World Hercules in the Haunted World Duel of the Titans My Son, the Hero1962 Marco PoloIl fornaretto di Venezia 1964 1965Kiss Kiss...Bang Bang1966Seven Guns for the MacGregorsDick Smart 2.007Per amore... per magia...1967La dama de Beyrut1968Better a WidowTrain for DurangoSundance and the Kid1969Quella piccola differenzaDeath Occurred Last Night1970Long Live Your Death1971Winged DevilsThe HeroesTony Arzenta1973Three Tough Guys1974PuzzleZorro1975Sexycop1976Safari Express1978Tex and the Lord of the Deep19851989There Was a Castle with Forty Dogs
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