# Luigi Batzella

Luigi Batzella (San Sperate, 1924 – San Sperate, 2008) also known as Paolo Solvay was an Italian film director, editor, screenwriter and actor. He made numerous low-budget genre films.

## Life and career

Luigi Batzella was born in San Sperate, Sardinia in 1924. After what film historian and critic Roberto Curti described as "a nondescript career as an actor," Batzella began his career as a director in 1966 with the war film Tre franchi die pietà. After directing a few low budget westerns, Batzella directed his first horror film The Devil's Wedding Night which was directed with an uncredited Joe D'Amato. Following the release of his next horror film Nude for Satan in 1978, Batzella directed two Nazisploitation films Kaput Lager – Gli ultimi giorni delle SS and La Bestia in calore for which he was credited as Ivan Kathansky. His next feature would be the sex comedy Probito erotico starring Ajita Wilson where he is credited as Paul Selvin. His final official film credit was for the film Strategia per una missione di morte where he is credited as Kathansky in some prints and as A.M. Frank in the French version. Curti has stated that some sources claim Batzella was involved with the Bruce Le production Mie ju que que. Batzella died in San Sperate in 2008 at the age of 84.

## Partial filmography

| Title | Year | Credited as | Credited as | Credited as | Credited as | Credited as | Notes | Ref(s) |
| Title | Year | Director | Screenwriter | Film editor | Actor | Other | Notes | Ref(s) |
| Slaughter of the Vampires | 1962 | | | | Yes | | as "Dr. Nietzsche" | |
| Hawk of the Caribbean | 1962 | | | | Yes | | as "Pirate" | |
| The Saracens | 1963 | | | | Yes | | as "Mahmud" | |
| Zorikan the Barbarian | 1964 | | | | Yes | | | |
| The Last Gun | 1964 | | | | Yes | | | |
| Django's Cut Price Corpses | 1971 | Yes | Yes | | | | | |
| God Is My Colt .45 | 1972 | Yes | Yes | | | | | |
| The Devil's Wedding Night | 1973 | Yes | Yes | | | | | |
| Nude for Satan | 1974 | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | | |
| The Bloodsucker Leads the Dance | 1975 | | | | Yes | | as "Police Inspector" | |
| Special Squad Shoots on Sight | 1976 | | | Yes | | | | |
| La Bestia in calore | 1977 | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | | |
| Kaput Lager – Gli ultimi giorni delle SS | 1977 | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | | |
| Strategia per una missione di morte | — | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | | |

## Footnotes

* 1 2 3 Curti 2017, p. 98.
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Curti 2017, p. 129.
* ↑ Curti 2015, p. 76.
* ↑ Kinnard & Crnkovich 2017, p. 33.
* ↑ Kinnard & Crnkovich 2017, p. 149.
* ↑ Kinnard & Crnkovich 2017, p. 150.
* ↑ Kinnard & Crnkovich 2017, p. 194.
* ↑ Grant 2011, p. 435.
* ↑ "Jim, il primo (1964)". Archiviodelcinemaitaliano.it (in Italian). Retrieved 27 August 2019.
* ↑ Grant 2011, p. 456.
* ↑ Grant 2011, p. 460.
* ↑ Curti 2017, p. 97.
* ↑ Curti 2017, p. 126.
* ↑ Curti 2017, p. 154.
* ↑ Curti 2013, p. 196.
* ↑ "La bestia in calore (1977)". Archiviodelcinemaitaliano.it (in Italian). Retrieved 10 March 2018.
* ↑ "Kaput lager gli ultimi giorni delle SS (1977)". Archiviodelcinemaitaliano.it (in Italian). Retrieved 11 June 2018.
* ↑ "Strategia per una missione di morte (1979)". Archiviodelcinemaitaliano.it (in Italian). Retrieved 12 June 2018.