Duccio Tessari

Duccio Tessari

Actor · Director · Writer

Genoa, Italy
October 11, 1926

Biography

Duccio Tessari was an Italian director, screenwriter and occasionally 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 his immediate sequel, The Return of Ringo. He later touched different genres and worked in RAI TV, directing some successful TV-series. He died of cancer in Rome, at 68. He was married to actress Lorella De Luca.

Photo

Duccio Tessari 1

Representative Works

Zorro
Zorro
6.6
/ Italian
Messalina
Messalina
5.6
/ Italian
A Pistol for Ringo
A Pistol for Ringo
6.3
/ Italian
The Return of Ringo
The Return of Ringo
6.3
/ Italian
The Heroes
The Heroes
5.7
/ Italian
Tony Arzenta
Tony Arzenta
6.1
/ Italian
Romulus and Remus
Romulus and Remus
5.2
/ Italian

Awards and Honors

Critical Favorites

A Fistful of Dollars
1964Winner

Best Writing

A Fistful of Dollars

Zorro
1975Nominee

Best Director

Zorro

Messalina
1960Nominee

Best Writing

Messalina

Career Highlights

A Pistol for Ringo
1965Highlight

Best Performance

A Pistol for Ringo

Alive or Preferably Dead
1969Highlight

Best Director

Alive or Preferably Dead

Video