Sergio Garrone(1925-2023)

Writer/director Sergio Garrone was born in 1925 in Rome, Italy. He serves as a classic example of a journeyman Italian exploitation filmmaker who happily capitalized on whatever cinematic trend was hot at the moment. Garrone began his movie career as a screenwriter and assistant director before making his solo directorial debut with the spaghetti Western Tire... si tu veux vivre ! (1968). Sergio went on to helm several other spaghetti Westerns that include Trois croix pour ne pas mourir (1968), La horde des salopards (1969), and Quel maledetto giorno della resa dei conti (1971). In 1974 Garrone directed the horror features Le amanti del mostro (1974) and La mano che nutre la morte (1974), both of which starred Klaus Kinski. Sergio achieved his greatest notoriety with the nasty Nazisploitation outings Horreurs nazies (1976) and Roses rouges pour le Führer (1977). These pictures were shot back-to-back using several of the same cast and crew members. As a freelance screenwriter Garrone penned scripts for everything from lowbrow sex comedies (La clinica dell'amore (1976), L'infirmière a le feu aux fesses (1979)) to various spaghetti Westerns (Deguejo (1966), Killer Kid (1967)) to even mystery thrillers (La mort sonne toujours deux fois (1969)). After writing the lackluster women-in-prison potboilers Perverse oltre le sbarre (1984) and Sévices à la prison de femmes (1984), Sergio Garrone retired from the film business and reportedly went on to run his own restaurant in Rome, Italy.