Sergio Donati

Sergio Donati (13 April 1933 – 13 August 2024) was an Italian screenwriter. He wrote for more than 70 films beginning in 1952. He was born in Rome, Italy. He started as a writer and had some of his books optioned for film. He is well known for his collaboration with Italian director Sergio Leone, who encouraged him to take up screenwriting as a full-time career, and with Italian producer Dino de Laurentis.^[1]

What is film? In the first act, you hang a man up in a tree. In the second act, you throw stones at him. In the third act, he falls down. If he is alive, it is a comedy. If he is dead, it is a drama.

— Sergio Donati, from an interview^[1]

Sergio Donati
Born	(1933-04-13)13 April 1933 Rome, Italy
Died	13 August 2024(2024-08-13) (aged 91) Mentana, Italy
Occupation	Screenwriter
Years active	1952–2008

Donati died in Mentana on 13 August 2024, at the age of 91.^[2]

Selected filmography

• The Enemy (1952)
• For a Few Dollars More (1965) (uncredited)
• The Big Gundown (1966)
• Dollars for a Fast Gun (1966)
• Requiem for a Secret Agent (1966)
• Col cuore in gola (1967)
• Mission Stardust (1967)
• A Handful of Heroes (1967)
• Face to Face (1967)
• Seven Times Seven (1968)
• Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
• Rebus (1969)
• The Weekend Murders (1970)
• Duck, You Sucker! (1971)
• Stanza 17-17 palazzo delle tasse, ufficio imposte (1971)
• Ben and Charlie (1972)
• Slap the Monster on Page One (1972)
• They Believed He Was No Saint (1972)
• The Heroes (1973)
• Mean Frank and Crazy Tony (1973)
• Mr. Hercules Against Karate (1973)
• The Beast (1974)
• Policewoman (1974)
• Shoot First, Die Later (1974)
• The Boss and the Worker (1975)
• Cry, Onion! (1975)
• L'Italia s'è rotta (1976)
• Il mostro (1977)
• Orca (1977)
• Holocaust 2000 (1977)
• Tough to Kill (1978)
• A Dangerous Toy (1979)
• Island of the Fishmen (1979)
• Buddy Goes West (1981)
• Count Tacchia (1982)
• Bonnie and Clyde Italian Style (1983)
• A tu per tu (1984)
• Casablanca, Casablanca (1985)
• Raw Deal (1986)
• Man on Fire (1987)
• They Call Me Renegade (1987)
• Rimini Rimini - Un anno dopo (1988)
• Blowing Hot and Cold (1989)
• Voyage of Terror: The Achille Lauro Affair (1990)
• Beyond Justice (1992)
• North Star (1996)
• Almost Blue (2000)
• The Sicilian Girl (2008)