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Umberto Lenzi

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Umberto Lenzi
Umberto Lenzi at the Festival de Cine de Sitges in October 2008.
Born(1931-08-06)6 August 1931
Massa Marittima, Italy
Died(2017-10-19)19 October 2017 (aged 86)
Rome, Italy
Occupation(s)Film director and screenwriter
Years active1958-1993
SpouseOlga Pehar

Umberto Lenzi (6 August 1931 – 19 October 2017) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and novelist.

A fan of film since young age, Lenzi studied at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia and made his first film in 1958 which went unreleased, while his official debut happened in 1961 with Queen of the Seas. Lenzi's films of the 1960s followed popular trends of the era, which led to him directing several spy and erotic thriller films. He followed in suit in the 1970s making giallo films, crime films and making the first Italian cannibal film with Man from the Deep River. He continued making films up until the 1990s and later worked as a novelist writing a series of murder mysteries.

Biography

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Early life

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Umberto Lenzi was born on 6 August 1931 in the Massa Marittima province of Italy.[1][2] Lenzi was a film enthusiast as early as grade school.[2] While studying law, Lenzi also created film fan clubs.[2] Lenzi eventually put off studying law and began pursuing the technical arts of filmmaking.[2]

He graduated from Rome's Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in 1956[3] and made I ragazzi di Trastevere as his final exam, a short film influenced by the writings of Pier Paolo Pasolini.[2] Lenzi also worked as a journalist for various newspapers and magazines, including Bianco e Nero[2] and, between 1957 and 1960, penned a number of detective novels and adventure stories using a pseudonym.[1]

1960s

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Prior to his officially first credited film as a director, Queen of the Seas, Lenzi directed a film in Greece in 1958 titled Mia Italida stin Ellada, or Vacanze ad Atene, which was never released.[2]

Lenzi's films of the 1960s revolved around popular genres of their respective time periods.[2] In the early 1960s, Lenzi directed many adventure films including two features about Robin Hood (The Triumph of Robin Hood and The Invincible Masked Rider) and two films about Sandokan (Sandokan the Great (1963) and Pirates of Malaysia (1964)).[1]

By 1965, Lenzi began directing European spy films, such as 008: Operation Exterminate, followed by Super Seven Calling Cairo and The Spy Who Loved Flowers, and even adapted the fumetti neri comic character Kriminal to the screen.[4][1][5] Lenzi then turned to making war films such as Desert Commandos and Legion of the Damned and westerns such as Pistol for a Hundred Coffins and All Out (1968).[4]

Lenzi had box office success in Italy with his erotic thrillers starring Carroll Baker such as Orgasmo, So Sweet... So Perverse and A Quiet Place to Kill which were influenced by French "film noir" movies drawing from the works of Jacques Deray and René Clément.[2]

1970s

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After the commercial success of giallo films by Dario Argento, Lenzi followed the new trend with Seven Bloodstained Orchids, which referenced both Cornell Woolrich and Edgar Wallace novels, while another giallo Knife of Ice was a variation of Robert Siodmak's The Spiral Staircase.[4] Other gialli created by Lenzi in the early 1970s included Spasmo and Eyeball.[4]

During the early 1970s, Lenzi also directed the first of the Italian cannibal films, with Man from the Deep River, a genre that he would explore again in the 1980s with Eaten Alive! and Cannibal Ferox.[4] During the late 1970s, Lenzi devoted himself almost exclusively to crime dramas, with the exception of two war films: The Greatest Battle and From Hell to Victory (1979).[4]

1980s

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The 1980s marked the release of films that Roberto Curti described as some of Lenzi's "most notorious".[4] These included Nightmare City and the previously mentioned Cannibal Ferox.[4]

Lenzi also worked on horror films towards the late 1980s, such as Ghosthouse (1988) under the name Humphrey Humbert and the slasher film Nightmare Beach which was credited to Harry Kirkpatrick as Lenzi refused to sign his name to the film.[4] Other later 1980s work included horror films made for television, such as The House of Witchraft and The House of Lost Souls.[4] Both films were part of a series titled Le case maldette (transl. Houses of Doom) which were set up by Luciano Martino and were related by the theme of haunted houses.[6] The films were shot but the series was not broadcast immediately.[7] Lenzi reflected on these films saying he made them as if they were designed for theatrical release and that the producers, his colleagues and himself did not consider that television sponsors would not accept horror films.[7] The two television series were eventually released on VHS in 2000 in Italy and later broadcast on Italian satellite TV in 2006.[7] In 1989, Lenzi directed the police action film Cop Target in Miami and Santo Domingo, starring Robert Ginty and Charles Napier.[8][9]

Post-1980s

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In 1990, using his own company and a low amount of funds, Lenzi also shot two films in Brazil in a period of three months: the horror film Black Demons, which in 1996 he considered to be his masterpiece, and the adventure film Hunt for the Golden Scorpion.[9]

In 1992, he shot the adventure film Mean Tricks (also known as Hornsby and Rodriguez) starring Charles Napier, David Warbeck and David Brandon.[10][11] Variety reported in 2006 that Lenzi was shooting a slasher film in Italy titled Horror Baby. The film's story was about a 15-year-old paraplegic girl who becomes a serial killer after viewing a neighbor having sex from her window.[12]

Lenzi later embarked on a career as a novelist, writing a series of murder mysteries set in the 1930s and '40s Cinecittà, involving real-life characters of the Italian film industry.[4]

Death

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Lenzi died on 19 October 2017.[13][14] The director was hospitalized in the Ostia district of Rome.[14] The cause of death is unknown.[14]

Personal life

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Umberto Lenzi was married to Olga Pehar, who co-wrote some of his films.[13][15]

Lenzi was an anarchist.[16]

Legacy

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Roberto Curti referred to Lenzi as "one of the undisputed leading figures in Italian genre cinema" and that he was "a sort of institution in Italian genre cinema."[2][4] Louis Paul suggested that Lenzi released some "quite enjoyable action films in the 1960s and some good thrillers in the '70s, he never consistently excelled at any one genre" and that Lenzi would "probably be remembered most for his cannibal-themed horror films."[17] Kim Newman discussed Lenzi in 2021, stating that the director "has been rated towards the bottom of the ranks of Italian genre craftsmen by many - me included - because of the greater availability of his pulpier, more gruesome 1980s work" noting Cannibal Ferox and Nightmare City and stated that "though a trailblazer for the little-loved jungle cannibal cycle, contributing its earliest and most gruesome entries, in general Lenzi seemed one of the coat-tail riders, turning to whatever subgenre of exploitation was selling that year...and even in that class, he's less consistently interesting and exciting than Sergio Martino."[18] Newman did note the film Lenzi made with Carroll Baker in the late 1960s, which Newman stated "force a reassessment" on Lenzi's work.[18]

Select filmography

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Main article: Umberto Lenzi filmography
Title Year Credited as Notes Ref(s)
Director Writer Other
Queen of the Seas 1961 Yes [19]
The Triumph of Robin Hood 1962 Yes [20]
Catherine of Russia 1963 Yes Yes [21]
The Invincible Masked Rider Yes Yes [22]
Samson and the Slave Queen Yes Yes [23]
Sandokan the Great Yes Yes [24][25]
Temple of the White Elephant 1964 Yes Yes [26]
Messalina vs. the Son of Hercules Yes [27]
Pirates of Malaysia Yes [28]
Kriminal 1966 Yes Yes [29]
The Spy Who Loved Flowers Yes Yes [30]
Desert Commandos 1967 Yes Yes [31][32]
All Out 1968 Yes [33]
A Pistol for a Hundred Coffins Yes [34]
Battle of the Commandos 1969 Yes [35]
Orgasmo Yes Yes [36]
So Sweet... So Perverse Yes [37][38]
A Quiet Place to Kill 1970 Yes [39][40]
Gang War in Milan 1973 Yes Yes [41][42]
Almost Human 1974 Yes [43]
Spasmo Yes Yes [44][45]
Manhunt in the City 1975 Yes Yes [46]
Syndicate Sadists Yes [47]
Rome Armed to the Teeth 1976 Yes Yes [48][49]
Free Hand for a Tough Cop Yes Yes [50][51]
Violent Naples Yes [52]
Brothers Till We Die 1977 Yes Yes [53]
The Cynic, the Rat and the Fist Yes Yes [54]
From Corleone to Brooklyn 1979 Yes Yes [55]
Eaten Alive! 1980 Yes Yes [56][57][58]
Cannibal Ferox 1981 Yes Yes [59][60]
Ironmaster 1983 Yes Yes [61]
Ghosthouse 1988 Yes Yes Story author [62][63]
Hitcher in the Dark 1989 Yes Yes Story author [62][63]
The House of Witchcraft Yes Yes Made-for-tv film. [7][64]
The House of Lost Souls Yes Yes Made-for-tv film. [7][64]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Paul 2005, p. 143.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Curti 2013, p. 296.
  3. ^ Paul 2011, p. 143.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Curti 2013, p. 297.
  5. ^ Paul 2005, p. 144.
  6. ^ Curti 2019, p. 205.
  7. ^ a b c d e Curti 2019, p. 209.
  8. ^ Paul 2005, p. 153.
  9. ^ a b Palmerini & Mistretta 1996, p. 70.
  10. ^ Curti 2013, p. 151.
  11. ^ Paul 2005, p. 154.
  12. ^ Vivarelli, Nick (30 July 2006). "Buzz is back on Italian B-pix". Variety. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  13. ^ a b Vitali, Alessandra (19 October 2017). "È morto Umberto Lenzi, papà del Monnezza e dei film più amati da Tarantino". la Repubblica (in Italian). Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  14. ^ a b c "Morre Umberto Lenzi, ícone do cinema policialesco italiano" (in Spanish). Istore. 19 October 2017. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  15. ^ "Olga Pehar". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 24 October 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
  16. ^ È morto Umberto Lenzi. Il regista amato da Tarantino che inventò Er monnezza: "Macché fascista. Io ero e sono rimasto anarchico"
  17. ^ Paul 2005, p. 151.
  18. ^ a b Newman 2021.
  19. ^ Kinnard & Crnkovich 2017, p. 133.
  20. ^ Kinnard & Crnkovich 2017, p. 178.
  21. ^ Kinnard & Crnkovich 2017, p. 34.
  22. ^ Kinnard & Crnkovich 2017, p. 102.
  23. ^ Kinnard & Crnkovich 2017, p. 145.
  24. ^ "Sandokan the Great". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on 21 December 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  25. ^ "<< I re del sole>>: storia dei Maya <<Sandokan, la tigre di Mompracem>>". La Stampa (in Italian). 20 December 1963. p. 4. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  26. ^ Kinnard & Crnkovich 2017, p. 171.
  27. ^ Kinnard & Crnkovich 2017, p. 118.
  28. ^ Kinnard & Crnkovich 2017, p. 147.
  29. ^ Curti 2016a, p. 47.
  30. ^ "Le Spie amano i fiori" (in French). Bifi.fr. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
  31. ^ "Attentato ai tre grandi". Cinematografo.it (in Italian). Fondazione Ente dello Spettacolo - Tutti i diritti sono riservati. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
  32. ^ Cowie & Elley 1977, p. 300.
  33. ^ Cowie & Elley 1977, p. 344.
  34. ^ Cowie & Elley 1977, p. 330.
  35. ^ "Die zum Teufel gehen". Filmportal.de. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
  36. ^ Firsching, Robert. "Orgasmo (1968)". AllMovie. Archived from the original on 4 August 2012. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
  37. ^ Firsching, Robert. "Kiss Me, Kill Me". AllMovie. Archived from the original on 4 August 2012. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
  38. ^ "Cosi dolce, cosi perversa (1969) Umberto Lenzi" (in French). Bifi.fr. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
  39. ^ Firsching, Robert. "Paranoia (1969)". AllMovie. Archived from the original on 4 August 2012. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
  40. ^ Combs, Richard (1973). "Paranoia (A Quiet Place to Kill)". Monthly Film Bulletin. Vol. 40, no. 468. British Film Institute. p. 105.
  41. ^ Curti 2013, p. 82.
  42. ^ Curti 2013, p. 83.
  43. ^ Curti 2013, p. 105.
  44. ^ Cooper, Tracie. "Spasmo". AllMovie. Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
  45. ^ "Spasmo". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 19 September 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
  46. ^ Curti 2013, p. 142.
  47. ^ Curti 2013, p. 152.
  48. ^ Curti 2013, p. 162.
  49. ^ Curti 2013, p. 163.
  50. ^ Curti 2013, p. 174.
  51. ^ Curti 2013, p. 175.
  52. ^ Curti 2013, p. 200.
  53. ^ Curti 2013, p. 206.
  54. ^ Curti 2013, p. 211.
  55. ^ Curti 2013, p. 258.
  56. ^ Shipka 2011, p. 136.
  57. ^ Pulleine, Tim (1981). "Mangiati vivi dai cannibali (Eaten Alive)". Monthly Film Bulletin. Vol. 48, no. 564. British Film Institute. p. 251.
  58. ^ "Eaten Alive!". AllMovie. Archived from the original on 30 May 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
  59. ^ Firsching, Robert. "Cannibal Ferox". AllMovie. Archived from the original on 15 November 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
  60. ^ "Cannibal Ferox". AllMovie. Archived from the original on 30 May 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
  61. ^ Kinnard & Crnkovich 2017, p. 203.
  62. ^ a b Curti 2019, p. 54.
  63. ^ a b Curti 2019, p. 55.
  64. ^ a b Curti 2019, p. 204.

Bibliography

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  • "Umberto Lenzi". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 21 September 2016. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  • Cowie, Peter; Elley, Derek (1977). World Filmography. Fairleigh Dickinson University Press.
  • Curti, Roberto (2013). Italian Crime Filmography, 1968-1980. McFarland. ISBN 978-0786469765.
  • Curti, Roberto (2016a). Diabolika: Supercriminals, Superheroes and the Comic Book Universe in Italian Cinema. Midnight Marquee Press. ISBN 978-1-936168-60-6.
  • Curti, Roberto (2016b). Tonino Valerii: The Films. McFarland. ISBN 978-1476664682.
  • Curti, Roberto (2019). Italian Gothic Horror Films, 1980-1989. McFarland. ISBN 978-1476672434.
  • Giusti, Marco (2007). Dizionario del western all'italiana (in Italian). Mondadori. ISBN 978-8804572770.
  • Kinnard, Roy; Crnkovich, Tony (2017). Italian Sword and Sandal Films, 1908-1990. McFarland. ISBN 978-1476662916.
  • Lancia, Enrico; Melelli, Fabio (2006). Attori stranieri del nostro cinema. Gremese Editore. ISBN 8884404258.
  • Luther-Smith, Adrian (1999). Blood and Black Lace: The Definitive Guide to Italian Sex and Horror Movies. Stray Cat Publishing Ltd.
  • Newman, Kim (May 2021). "Expectations Exceeded". Sight & Sound. Vol. 31, no. 4. p. 85.
  • Palmerini, Luca M.; Mistretta, Gaetano (1996). Spaghetti Nightmares: Italian Fantasy-horrors as Seen Through the Eyes of Their Protagonists. Fantasma Books. ISBN 9780963498274.
  • Paul, Louis (2005). Italian Horror Film Directors. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-8749-3.
  • Paul, Louis (2010). Italian Horror Film Directors. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-6113-4.
  • Paul, Louis (2011). Italian Horror Film Directors. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-6113-4.
  • Shipka, Danny (2011). Perverse Titillation: The Exploitation Cinema of Italy, Spain and France, 1960-1980. McFarland. ISBN 978-0786448883.
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