{{Infobox person | name = Luigi Batzella | birth_date = 1924 | birth_place = San Sperate, Italy | death_date = 2008 (aged 83–84) | death_place = San Sperate, Italy | occupation = Film director, screenwriter actor | other_names = Ivan Kathansky, A.M. Frank }}
'''Luigi Batzella''' (1924 in San Sperate – 2008 in San Sperate) 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.{{sfn|Curti|2017|p=98}} 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''.{{sfn|Curti|2017|p=98}} 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.{{sfn|Curti|2017|p=98}} 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.{{sfn|Curti|2017|p=129}} His next feature would be the sex comedy ''Probito erotico'' starring Ajita Wilson where he is credited as Paul Selvin.{{sfn|Curti|2017|p=129}} 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.{{sfn|Curti|2017|p=129}} Curti has stated that some sources claim Batzella was involved with the Bruce Le production ''Mie ju que que''.{{sfn|Curti|2017|p=129}} Batzella died in San Sperate in 2008 at the age of 84.{{sfn|Curti|2017|p=129}}
==Partial filmography== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" width="80%" ! width="12%" rowspan="2" scope="col" | Title !! width="4%" rowspan="2" scope="col" | Year!! colspan="5" scope="col" | Credited as !! width="5%" rowspan="2" scope="col" class="unsortable"| Notes !! width="1%" rowspan="2" scope="col" class="unsortable" |{{abbr|Ref(s)|Reference(s)}} |- ! width=6% |Director!! width=6% | Screenwriter!! width=6% | Film editor!! width=6% | Actor!! width=6% | Other |- !scope="row"|''Slaughter of the Vampires'' |rowspan="2"|1962 | | | | {{yes}} | | as "Dr. Nietzsche" |{{sfn|Curti|2015|p=76}} |-
!scope="row"|''Hawk of the Caribbean'' | | | | {{yes}} | | as "Pirate" |{{sfn|Kinnard|Crnkovich|2017|p=33}} |- !scope="row"|{{sort|Saracens|''The Saracens''}} |1963 | | | | {{yes}} | | as "Mahmud" |{{sfn|Kinnard|Crnkovich|2017|p=149}}{{sfn|Kinnard|Crnkovich|2017|p=150}} |- !scope="row"|''Zorikan the Barbarian'' |1964 | | | | {{yes}} | | |{{sfn|Kinnard|Crnkovich|2017|p=194}} |- !scope="row"|{{sort|Last Gun|''The Last Gun''}} |1964 | | | | {{yes}} | | |{{sfn|Grant|2011|p=435}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.archiviodelcinemaitaliano.it/index.php/scheda.html?codice=AG1446|website=Archiviodelcinemaitaliano.it|title=Jim, il primo (1964)|access-date=27 August 2019|language=Italian}}</ref> |- !scope="row"|''Django's Cut Price Corpses'' |1971 | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | | | | |{{sfn|Grant|2011|p=456}} |- !scope="row"|{{sort|God Is My Colt .45|''God Is My Colt .45''}} |1972 | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | | | | |{{sfn|Grant|2011|p=460}} |- !scope="row"|{{sort|Devil's Wedding|''The Devil's Wedding Night''}} |1973 | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | | | | |{{sfn|Curti|2017|p=97}} |- !scope="row"|''Nude for Satan'' |1974 | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | | | |{{sfn|Curti|2017|p=126}} |- !scope="row"|{{sort|Bloodsucker Leads the Dance|''The Bloodsucker Leads the Dance''}} |1975 | | | | {{yes}} | | as "Police Inspector" |{{sfn|Curti|2017|p=154}} |- !scope="row"|''Special Squad Shoots on Sight'' |1976 | | | {{yes}} | | | |{{sfn|Curti|2013|p=196}} |- !scope="row"|{{sort|Bestia in calore|''La Bestia in calore''}} |rowspan="2"|1977 | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | | | |<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.archiviodelcinemaitaliano.it/index.php/scheda.html?codice=SW8376|website=Archiviodelcinemaitaliano.it|access-date=10 March 2018|language=Italian|title=La bestia in calore (1977)}}</ref>{{sfn|Curti|2017|p=129}} |- !scope="row"|''Kaput Lager – Gli ultimi giorni delle SS'' | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | | | |{{sfn|Curti|2017|p=129}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.archiviodelcinemaitaliano.it/index.php/scheda.html?codice=AG4369|website=Archiviodelcinemaitaliano.it|access-date=11 June 2018|language=Italian|title=Kaput lager gli ultimi giorni delle SS (1977)}}</ref> |- !scope="row"|''Strategia per una missione di morte'' |{{n/a}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | | | |<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.archiviodelcinemaitaliano.it/index.php/scheda.html?codice=CD7384|website=Archiviodelcinemaitaliano.it|access-date=12 June 2018|language=Italian|title=Strategia per una missione di morte (1979)}}</ref> |-
|}
==Footnotes== {{Reflist}}
===References=== {{Refbegin}} * {{cite book|last=Curti|first=Roberto|title=Italian Crime Filmography, 1968-1980|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0786469765|year=2013}} * {{cite book |last=Curti |first=Roberto |title=Italian Gothic Horror Films, 1957-1969 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-1476619897 |year=2015 }} * {{cite book |last=Curti |first=Roberto |title=Italian Gothic Horror Films, 1970-1979 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-1476629605 |year=2017 }} * {{cite book|last=Grant|first=Kevin|title=Any Gun Can Play|year=2011|publisher=Fab Press|isbn=9781903254615}} * {{cite book |last1=Kinnard |first1=Roy |last2=Crnkovich |first2=Tony |title=Italian Sword and Sandal Films, 1908-1990 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-1476662916 |year=2017 }} {{refend}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|0061608}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Batzella, Luigi}} Category:Italian film directors Category:20th-century Italian screenwriters Category:People from the Metropolitan City of Cagliari Category:1924 births Category:2008 deaths Category:Italian horror film directors Category:Spaghetti Western directors Category:Italian male screenwriters Category:20th-century Italian male writers