Guido Malatesta (1919 – 14 June 1970), born in

Gallarate Gallarate (; Lombard: ''Galaraa'') is a city and ''comune'' of Alto Milanese of Lombardy and of Milan metropolitan area, northern Italy, in the Province of Varese. It has a population of some 54,000 people. It is the junction of railways to Va ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

, was a

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, p ...

and

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. ...

. He began working as a professional journalist. After he moved to

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 was drawn to cinema, as creator of treatments, then scriptwriter and assistant director, and finally becoming director in 1957 with the film ''The Billionaires''. He continued to make films until a few days before his death in 1970. He was known for his Peplum movies and having a simple fun style without being overdone by plot. His most popular of the present remains ''

Colossus and the Headhunters ''Colossus and the Headhunters'' ( it, Maciste contro i cacciatori di teste, lit=Maciste against the head-hunters), is a 1963 Italian ''peplum'' film written and directed by Guido Malatesta, and starring Kirk Morris. Plot The heroic Maciste arr ...

'' and ''

Fire Monsters Against the Son of Hercules ''Fire Monsters Against the Son of Hercules'' ( it, Maciste contro i mostri) is a 1962 film directed by Guido Malatesta that was filmed in Yugoslavia and Italy. Plot summary Set in the Ice Age, a nomadic tribe of sun worshippers reach an area t ...

''. The former is notable for having no monsters which went against the tradition of the sword and sandal genre as well as being the subject of a 1994 episode of the popular movie-mocking television show ''

Mystery Science Theater 3000 ''Mystery Science Theater 3000'' (abbreviated as ''MST3K'') is an American science fiction comedy film review television series created by Joel Hodgson. The show premiered on KTMA-TV (now WUCW) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on November 24, 1988. ...

''. He wrote the story and screenplay of ''

Devil of the Desert Against the Son of Hercules ''Devil of the Desert Against the Son of Hercules'' is a 1964 international co-production filmed in Algeria and directed by Anthony Dawson. Plot summary An evil and ambitious usurper named Ganor seizes a kingdom by assassinating the Sultan and ...

''. In the sixties, following the fashion of the time, he signed a few films with the Americanized name of "James Reed".

Selected filmography

* ''

For You I Have Sinned ''For You I Have Sinned'' ( it, Per salvarti ho peccato) is a 1953 Italian melodrama film directed by Mario Costa and starring Pierre Cressoy, Milly Vitale and Frank Latimore.Parish & Canham p.63 Cast * Pierre Cressoy as Guido * Milly Vitale ...

'' (1953) * ''

Barrier of the Law ''Barrier of the Law'' (Italian: ''La barriera della legge'') is a 1954 Italian thriller film directed by Piero Costa and starring Rossano Brazzi, Lea Padovani and Maria Frau. It was shot at the Fert Studios in Turin.Chiti & Poppi p.57 The film' ...

'' (1954) * ''

Head of a Tyrant ''Head of a Tyrant'' or ''Judith and Holofernes'' (Italian:''Giuditta e Oloferne'') is a 1959 Italian-French historical film directed by Fernando Cerchio and starring Massimo Girotti, Isabelle Corey and Renato Baldini.Parish p.53 It is part of t ...

'' (1959) * ''

'' (1962) * ''

'' (1963) * ''

The Son of Black Eagle ''The Son of Black Eagle'' (Italian: ''Il figlio di Aquila Nera'') is a 1968 Italian historical adventure film directed by Guido Malatesta and starring Mimmo Palmara, Edwige Fenech and Franco Ressel. It was inspired by the historic success of Ri ...

'' (1968) * Five Dolls For an August Moon (1970)

External links and sources

* Italian film directors 20th-century Italian screenwriters Italian male screenwriters 1919 births 1970 deaths 20th-century Italian male writers {{Italy-film-director-stub