Biography
Riccardo
Pallottini begun to work in the Movie industry as Camera Assistant by
the end of the 40's, to become Camera Operator with Tonino Delli Colli
in 1951 on "Accidenti
alle Tasse" by Mario Mattoli.
He worked as Cameraman for a very short time, in fact, after only one
year he debut as Director of Photography with "Oggi
Sposi" (1952) by Marino
Girolami. His career was very brilliant, and he made in thirty
years almost one hundred films.
The
first encounter with Antonio Margheriti happened on the film which is defined
by everybody his Masterpiece: "Castle of
Blood"
(even if many Antonio's biography says that
"The Fault of Rome" was made before). Antonio told me
once of their first day of work, which was a bit "electric",
in fact, the first day of shooting, when Antonio arrive on set, having a
very short time to complete the film, he start to press the crew and
Riccardo to work more fast. Riccardo, probably was upset by this pressings,
and for challenge this young director, he placed just one little light
hanged at the ceiling and says with a smirk: "Ready...".
Antonio was upset, but he maintained the calm and answer shouting:
"Very well... CAMERA!", then he
shot the scene and Riccardo was astonished. At the end of the shot
Antonio looks at him and said: "Very
well the first one... let's go to the next shot". At that
time Riccardo was forced to apologize and ask in to repeat the scene
with another lightings. Antonio agrees and they re-shot the scene, this
time with the correct light. Then they worked well for the rest of the
film, becoming good friends, and work together for over thirty years in
eighteen films where Antonio want Riccardo by his side.
My
first working experience with Riccardo was on "Killer
Fish" where we shot together some little inserts of
Second Unit, and after a big Second Unit in Rome for "The
Last Hunter". Riccardo teaches to me a lot, especially
how to change the scenes and the camera positions working on the light's
axes, without force the DoP to move the projectors for any shot, saving
time and work. He always said that he want to be the DoP of my debut
film as director, to "save it" (Riccardo
was the funniest person I've ever met, famous are his practical jokes on
the set during the work), unfortunately he did not have enough
time to halp me debut to direction, in fact Riccardo Pallottini it's
tragically dead during a film of Antonio (I wasn't
there because busy in the Army), crashing down with a plane while
he was doing the aerial shooting in the Philippines, for: "Tiger
Joe".
In
his long and prolific career, Riccardo has used many different pseudonyms,
as was used between 1960's and 1990's, like: Richard
Kramer, Richard Thierry e
Richard Palton.
Filmography
with Antonio Margheriti
-
CASTLE
OF BLOOD
-
THE
FAULT OF ROME
-
HORROR
CASTLE
-
THE
LONG HAIR OF DEATH
-
WILD,
WILD PLANET
-
WAR
OF THE PLANETS
-
PLANET
ON THE PROWL
-
SNOW
DEVILS
-
KILLERS
ARE CHALLENGED
-
LIGHTNING
BOLT
-
I
LOVE YOU
-
VENGEANCE
-
THE
UNNATURALS
-
AND
GOD SAID TO CAIN..
-
TAKE
A HARD RIDE
-
KILLER
FISH (only Photography for the Special Effects)
-
THE
LAST HUNTER
-
TIGER
JOE
