Osvaldo Civirani (19 May 1917 - 20 February 2008) was an Italian still photographer, producer, director, cinematographer, screenwriter and author.
Until 1963, Civirani worked mainly as still photographer on over two hundred films.
From 1963 until 1976, Civirani produced and directed 20 films in such diverse genres as erotic mondo film, peplum, eurospy film, Spaghetti Western, costume drama, comedy, giallo, and exotic erotic drama.
As author, he wrote two autobiographical books that were published in 1995 and 2003.
Biography
1917-1963: Early life and work as still photographer
Civirani was born in Rome as son of a photographer.
From 1935 to 1965, Civirani was still photographer on the set of more than two hundred films.
In 1943, being hired as still photographer on the set of Luchino Visconti's Ossessione, Civirani introduced the novelty of taking pictures not after the scene was shot - in a constellation that was staged for this purpose -, but while the scene was being shot, using for that purpose the lighter and unobtrusive Plaubel Makina 3. According to Civirani, this was also the first time that the still photographer appeared in the title credits.
Civirani continued working as still photographer for other renowned Italian directors such as Alessandro Blasetti (Fabiola), Federico Fellini (The White Sheik), Roberto Rossellini (The Flowers of St. Francis) and Carlo Lizzani (Chronicle of Poor Lovers).
1963-1976: Work as producer and director
From 1963 to 1976, Civirani produced and directed 20 films in various genres.
It started in 1963 when Civirani convinced the producer Gino Mordini to co-finance with himself the low-budget night report Sexy proibito consisting of about 15 variety show numbers and six ballet numbers and compositions by Gino Landi, which Civirani directed with a troupe of 12 people in 12 days mostly at the De Paolis studio and pioneered using an Arriflex 35, a cheaper and lighter camera normally only used for news and documentaries, for a proper film. The soundtrack by Lallo Gori and the commentary written and spoken by Dino Verde were added afterwards at the moviola. Sexy proibito proved to be an unexpected financial success, which caused Mordini to produce another one like it on his own, titled Sexy proibitissimo.
In 1964, Civirani in turn produced and directed a second report film of his own titled Tentazioni proibite (Forbidden Temptations). The film was shot in techniscope with a very small troupe including, again, Gino Landi and Giuseppe Giannini as cameraman. The first numbers were shot on location at the Berlin Wall, at the Reeperbahn, in Soho and on the third platform of the Eiffel Tower for a striptease - a trip of nine days, after which a striptease in a gondola on the Grand Canal and a few dance numbers were added, including one starring Yvonne De Carlo.
In 1965, Civirani co-wrote, produced and directed the sword-and-sandal film Hercules Against the Sons of the Sun starring Mark Forest and Giuliano Gemma, which was shot in four weeks, and subsequently a second adventure film, Kindar the Invulnerable, starring, again, Mark Forest as well as Rosalba Neri, Mimmo Palmara and Orchidea De Santis and shot on location in Egypt with 300 horses and 200 camels and riders from the Egyptian cavalry.
In Civirani's next film, the western Sheriff with the Gold, Klaus Kinski was to have a major role, but Civirani tore up the contract due to Kinski insisting on his clause securing him the right to change any sequence as he saw fit. The film was shot with a small troupe in Sardinia starring Jacques Berthier and Kathleen Parker. Civirani used the pseudonym Richard Kean as it had become a fashion in Italian westerns to use American names.
For his next film, the eurospy film Operation Poker, Ken Clark had signed up as protagonist. Civirani asked for a new actor when Clark had not cut his hair as Civirani had asked, and was given Roger Browne. The film was shot on a tight schedule in Copenhagen at the Tuborg Brewery, in Lugano, in Marrakesh and in Torremolinos. Civirani remembers relentlessly and unsuccessfully courting main actress Josè Greci during the shoot, contrary to his own code of conduct.
With The Beckett Affair, Civirani produced and directed another eurospy film in 1966. It starred Lang Jeffries and was co-produced with a French company, who helped with the shooting in Paris and sent Civirani two actors: Ivan Desny and Krista Nell.
There followed Civirani's second western, Son of Django starring Guy Madison, Gabriele Tinti, Daniele Vargas and Gordon Mitchell. The film was shot entirely in Rome: the exteriors at the Magliana, the interiors at the De Paolis studio.