# Umberto Lenzi filmography

Umberto Lenzi (August 6, 1931 – October 19, 2017) was an Italian film director whose filmography encompassed a ranges of genres across a prolific career. Born in Massa Marittima, Tuscany, Lenzi studied law before enrolling at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in Rome. As part of his studies, he wrote and directed the short film Ragazzi di Trastevere, based on Pier Paolo Pasolini's novel Ragazzi di vita. During this time, he worked as a film critic for the Centro's journal Bianco e Nero, and was an avid follower of both European and American films, favouring the work of directors John Ford, Raoul Walsh, and Michael Curtiz.
Lenzi's production career began as a location scout for the 1958 film Raw Wind in Eden; his directorial debut would come with 1961's pirate film Queen of the Seas. Lenzi worked across a broad variety of film genres, helming Spaghetti Westerns, gialli, spy films, war films, and poliziotteschi across his career. He was also an early figure in the cannibal boom as a result of his work on 1972's Man from the Deep River, along with later cannibal follow-ups Eaten Alive! (1980) and Cannibal Ferox (1981); these films would feature on the United Kingdom's "video nasties" list of banned releases. Although dismissive of his horror films and their cult following among fans, Lenzi believed that his work on genre films, and that of his peers in the Italian film industry, effectively bankrolled more artistic output from his compatriots.
Stylistically, Lenzi regularly made use of prominent close-up shots of his actors and employed zoom lens effects, but preferred to be seen primarily as a storyteller who was not heavy-handed with cinematic effects. Towards the end of his film career, Lenzi worked on foreign productions in the United States, including Welcome to Spring Break and Ghosthouse (both 1988), as well as directing a pair of television films for ReteItalia, La casa delle anime erranti and La casa dei sortilegi. He would continue to produce small-market films for a few years before retiring from film-making to become an author of detective fiction. Lenzi died at the age of 86, on October 19, 2017.

## Filmography

| Year | Italian release title | English titles | Director | Writer | Notes | Ref(s) |
| 1956 | Ragazzi di Trastevere | | Yes | Yes | Short, student film | |
| 1958 | | Raw Wind in Eden | | | Location scout | |
| 1960 | Apocalisse sul fiume giallo | The Dam on the Yellow RiverYellow River | | | Assistant director | |
| 1961 | Costantino il grande: In hoc signo vinces | Constantine and the CrossConstantine the Great | | | Assistant director | |
| 1961 | Il terrore dei mari | Guns of the Black Witch | | Yes | Story | |
| 1961 | Le avventure di Mary Read | Hell Below DeckQueen of the Seas | Yes | | | |
| 1962 | Le verdi bandiere di Allah | Slave Girls of Sheba | | Yes | Story | |
| 1962 | Duello nella sila | Duel of Fire | Yes | | | |
| 1962 | Il trionfo di Robin Hood | Triumphs of Robin Hood | Yes | | | |
| 1963 | Caterina di Russia | Catherine of Russia | Yes | | | |
| 1963 | L'invincibile cavaliere mascherato | The Invincible Masked Rider | Yes | | | |
| 1963 | Zorro contro Maciste | Samson and the Slave Queen | Yes | Yes | | |
| 1963 | Sandokan, la tigre di Mompracem | Sandokan the Great | Yes | Yes | Story and screenwriter | |
| 1964 | I tre sergenti del Bengala | | Yes | | | |
| 1964 | Sandok, il Maciste della giungla | | Yes | Yes | | |
| 1964 | L'ultimo gladiatore | | Yes | | | |
| 1964 | I pirati della Malesia | | Yes | | | |
| 1965 | A 008, operazione Sterminio | | Yes | | | |
| 1965 | La montagna di luce | | Yes | | | |
| 1965 | Superseven chiama Cairo | Super Seven Calling Cairo | Yes | Yes | | |
| 1966 | Kriminal | | Yes | Yes | Screenwriter and story | |
| 1966 | Un milione di dollari per sette assassini | | Yes | Yes | | |
| 1966 | Le spie amano i fiori | The Spy Who Loved Flowers | Yes | Yes | | |
| 1968 | Il figlio di Aquila Nera | | | Yes | Story | |
| 1968 | Tutto per tutto | | Yes | | | |
| 1968 | Una pistola per cento bare | Pistol for a Hundred Coffins | Yes | | | |
| 1969 | Orgasmo | Paranoia | Yes | Yes | | [55] [56] |
| 1969 | La legione dei dannati | Battle of the Commandos | Yes | | | |
| 1969 | Così dolce... così perversa | So Sweet.... So PerverseKiss Me, Kill Me | Yes | | | |
| 1970 | Paranoia | | Yes | | | |
| 1971 | Un posto ideale per uccidere | | Yes | | | |
| 1972 | Il coltello di ghiaccio | Knife of Ice | Yes | | | |
| 1972 | Il paese del sesso selvaggio | Man from Deep RiverSacrifice! | Yes | | | |
| 1972 | Sette orchidee macchiate di rosso | Seven Blood-Stained Orchids | Yes | | | |
| 1973 | Milano rovente | Gang War in MilanBurning City | Yes | Yes | | |
| 1974 | Spasmo | | Yes | Yes | | |
| 1974 | Milano odia: la polizia non può sparare | Almost HumanThe Death Dealer | Yes | | | |
| 1975 | Gatti rossi in un labirinto di vetro | Eyeball | Yes | | | |
| 1975 | L'uomo della strada fa giustizia | Manhunt in the CityThe Manhunt | Yes | | | |
| 1975 | Il giustiziere sfida la città | Syndicate SadistsRambo's RevengeOne Just ManFinal Payment | Yes | | | |
| 1976 | Con la rabbia agli occhi | | | | Producer | |
| 1976 | Napoli violenta | Violent NaplesDeath Dealers | Yes | | | |
| 1976 | Roma a mano armata | Rome Armed to the TeethAssault With a Deadly Weapon | Yes | Yes | | |
| 1976 | Il trucido e lo sbirro | Free Hand for a Tough Cop | Yes | Yes | Story and screenplay | |
| 1977 | Il cinico, l'infame, il violento | The Cynic, the Rat and the Fist | Yes | Yes | | |
| 1977 | La banda del gobbo | Brothers Till We Die | Yes | Yes | Story and screenplay | |
| 1978 | Il grande attacco | | Yes | Yes | | |
| 1979 | De Dunquerque à la victoire | | Yes | Yes | | |
| 1979 | Scusi lei è normale? | | Yes | | | |
| 1979 | Da Corleone a Brooklyn | From Corleone to Brooklyn | Yes | Yes | Story and screenplay | |
| 1980 | Mangiati vivi! | Eaten Alive! | Yes | | | |
| 1980 | Incubo sulla città contaminata | Nightmare City | Yes | | Cameo appearance | |
| 1981 | Cannibal Ferox | | Yes | Yes | | |
| 1982 | Pierino la peste alla riscossa | | Yes | | | |
| 1982 | Incontro nell'ultimo paradiso | | Yes | | | |
| 1982 | Cicciabomba | | Yes | | | |
| 1983 | La guerra del ferro: Ironmaster | Ironmaster | Yes | | | |
| 1985 | Squadra selvaggia | | Yes | | | |
| 1985 | I cinque del condor | | Yes | | | |
| 1987 | Un ponte per l'inferno | | Yes | | | |
| 1987 | Tempi di guerra | | Yes | Yes | | |
| 1988 | Rage: Furia primitiva | | | Yes | | |
| 1988 | La casa 3 | Ghosthouse | Yes | Yes | Screenwriter and Story | |
| 1988 | Welcome to Spring Break | Nightmare Beach | Yes | Yes | | |
| 1988 | Striker | | | Yes | | |
| 1989 | Cop Target | | Yes | | Cameo appearance | |
| 1989 | Paura nel buio | Hitcher in the Dark | Yes | | | |
| 1989 | Le porte dell'inferno | | Yes | Yes | | |
| 1990 | Cacciatore dello scorpione d'oro | | Yes | | | |
| 1990 | Hornsby e Rodriguez | | Yes | | | |
| 1991 | Black Demons | | Yes | Yes | Story | |
| 1991 | Detective Malone | | Yes | | | |
| 1993 | Gli occhi dentro | | Yes | | | |
| 1993 | Graffiante desiderio | | | Yes | | |
| 2000 | La casa delle anime erranti | | Yes | Yes | Television film | |
| 2000 | La casa dei sortilegi | | Yes | Yes | Television film | |
| 2013 | I Tarantiniani | | | Yes | Interviewee | |