Piero Pierotti (1 January 1912 – 4 May 1970) was an Italian director, screenwriter and journalist.

Life and career

Born in

Pisa Pisa ( , or ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the cit ...

, Pierotti started his career as a journalist, working for ''

La Nazione ''La Nazione'' is one of the oldest regional newspapers in Italy, and was established on 8 July 1859. The paper is based in Florence. History and profile ''La Nazione'' was founded by Bettino Ricasoli, interim head of the Tuscan government. The ...

'' and ''Il Nuovo Corriere'', and later founding the newspaper ''Corriere dell'Arno''. After some amateur shorts, he moved to Rome where he enrolled in the courses of directing at the

Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia The Centro sperimentale di cinematografia (Experimental Film Centre or Italian National film school) was established in 1935 in Italy and aims to promote the art and technique of cinematography and film. The centre is the oldest film school in ...

, graduating in 1939. Pierotti later started teaching direction at the

University of Pisa The University of Pisa ( it, Università di Pisa, UniPi), officially founded in 1343, is one of the oldest universities in Europe. History The Origins The University of Pisa was officially founded in 1343, although various scholars place ...

, and at the same time he was also active as a documentarist and an assistant director, often collaborating with

Raffaello Matarazzo Raffaello Matarazzo (17 August 1909 – 17 May 1966) was an Italian filmmaker. Life Matarazzo started writing film reviews for the Roman newspaper ''Il Tevere'' before re-editing scripts for the Italian film company Cines. His first films w ...

. Active as a screenwriter since 1955, in the late 1950s he made his directional debut with '' L'arciere nero'' and he then directed fifteen films until 1969, being mainly active in the adventure and

peplum genre Sword-and-sandal, also known as peplum (pepla plural), is a subgenre of largely Italy, Italian-made historical, mythological, or Biblical epics mostly set in the Greco-Roman antiquity or the Middle Ages. These films attempted to emulate the big-b ...

s. He was sometimes credited as Peter E. Stanley.

Selected filmography

;Director and screenwriter * ''

The Pirate and the Slave Girl ''The Pirate and the Slave Girl'' ( it, La scimitarra del Saraceno, also known as ''The Pirate's Captive'') is a 1959 Italian adventure film written and directed by Piero Pierotti and starring Lex Barker. Plot Captain Drakut, called the "Dra ...

'' (1959) * ''

Marco Polo Marco Polo (, , ; 8 January 1324) was a Venetian merchant, explorer and writer who travelled through Asia along the Silk Road between 1271 and 1295. His travels are recorded in ''The Travels of Marco Polo'' (also known as ''Book of the Marv ...

'' (1961) * ''

A Queen for Caesar ''A Queen for Caesar'' ( it, Una regina per Cesare, french: Cléopâtre une reine pour César) is a 1962 Italian-French historical drama film directed by Piero Pierotti and Victor Tourjansky and starring Pascale Petit, George Ardisson and Rik Bat ...

'' (1962) * ''

Hercules and the Masked Rider ''Hercules and the Masked Rider'' ( it, Golia e il cavaliere mascherato, also known as ''Goliath and the Masked Rider'') is a 1963 Italian peplum film written and directed by Piero Pierotti and starring Alan Steel and Mimmo Palmara. A crossover ...

'' (1963) * ''

The Avenger of Venice ''The Avenger of Venice'' ( it, Il ponte dei sospiri, es, El puente de los suspiros, link=no) is a 1964 adventure film written and directed by Pierro Pierotti and Carlo Campogalliani and starring Brett Halsey and Gianna Maria Canale. It is b ...

'' (1964) * ''

Hercules Against Rome ''Hercules Against Rome'' ( it, Ercole contro Roma) is a 1964 '' peplum'' film directed by Piero Pierotti. Plot A childhood friend enlists Hercules to protect the Roman Emperor Gordiano, who is in danger from his own mutinous Praetorian Guards. ...

'' (1964) * ''

Hercules and the Treasure of the Incas ''Hercules and the Treasure of the Incas'' ( it, Sansone e il tesoro degli Incas) is a 1964 film written and directed by Piero Pierotti and starring Alan Steel. Originally conceived as a peplum film, given the contemporary success of ''A Fistfu ...

'' (1964) * ''

Giant of the Evil Island ''Il mistero dell'isola maledetta'', internationally released as ''Giant of the Evil Island'', is a 1965 Italy, Italian adventure film. Cast * Peter Lupus as Pedro Valverde (as Rock Stevens) * Halina Zalewska as Dona Alma Morales * Arturo Domini ...

'' (1965) * ''

Assault on the State Treasure ''Assault on the State Treasure'' (Italian: ''Assalto al tesoro di stato'') is a 1967 Italian action film directed by Piero Pierotti and starring Roger Browne, Anita Sanders and Franco Ressel.Cowie & Elley p.299 Plot Four criminals plan to rob ...

'' (1967) * ''

Heads or Tails Coin flipping, coin tossing, or heads or tails is the practice of throwing a coin in the air and checking obverse and reverse, which side is showing when it lands, in order to choose between two alternatives, heads or tails, sometimes used to res ...

'' (1969) ;Screenwriter * ''

Street of the Five Moons ''Street of the Five Moons'' (Italian: ''Via delle Cinque Lune'') is a 1942 romantic drama film directed by Luigi Chiarini. It marked the debut of actor Gabriele Ferzetti. It belongs to the movies of the calligrafismo style. Cast * Luisella Begh ...

'' (1942) * ''

Guai ai vinti ''Guai ai vinti'' (''Woe to the Vanquished Ones'') is a 1954 Italian melodrama film directed by Raffaello Matarazzo. It is based on the novel ''Vae Victis'' by Annie Vivanti. Plot During the First World War the Italian front at Caporetto is ...

'' (1954) * '' The White Angel'' (1955) * '' The Intruder'' (1956) * ''

The Witch's Curse ''The Witch's Curse'' ( it, Maciste all'inferno, lit=Maciste in Hell) is a 1962 peplum- fantasy film, directed by Riccardo Freda. Plot In the mid-1500s, a witch is burned in Scotland and places a curse on the inhabitants before she dies. One hu ...

'' (1962) * ''

Rome Against Rome ''Rome Against Rome'' ( it, Roma contro Roma) is a 1964 Italian ''peplum'' film directed by Giuseppe Vari. Cast * John Drew Barrymore as Aderbad * Susy Andersen as Tullio * Ettore Manni as Gaius * Ida Galli as Rhama * Mino Doro as Lutetius * ...

'' (1964) * '' Super Seven Calling Cairo'' (1965) * ''

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)

References

External links

* 1912 births 1970 deaths Italian film directors 20th-century Italian screenwriters Italian male screenwriters People from Pisa 20th-century Italian male writers {{Italy-bio-stub