Riccardo Freda (24 February 1909 – 20 December 1999) was an Italian film director. He worked in a variety of genres, including sword-and-sandal, horror, giallo and spy films.
Freda began directing I Vampiri in 1956. The film became the first Italian sound horror film production.
Biography Riccardo Freda was born in 1909 in Alexandria, Egypt to Italian parents. Freda attended school in Milan where he took art classes at the Centro Sperimantale. After school he took on work as a sculptor and art critic.
Film career Freda first began working in the film industry in 1937 and directed his first film Don Cesare di Bazan in 1942. Freda began directing I Vampiri. I Vampiri was the first Italian horror film of the sound era, following the lone silent horror film Il mostro di Frankenstein (1920) A wave of Italian horror productions did not follow until Mario Bava's film Black Sunday was released internationally.
Freda died on 20 December 1999 in Rome.
Filmography
Title Year Credited as Notes Director WriterEditor OtherLasciate ogni speranza1937 L'allegro cantante1938 Fuochi d'artificio 1939 Piccoli naufraghi Assistant directorIl cavaliere di San Marco In the Country Fell a Star Collaborator to directionFascino1940 Il barone di Corbò La granduchessa si diverte Cento lettere d'amore Lucky Night1941 Caravaggio, il pittore maledetto Collaboration to the makingL'avventuriera del piano di sopra Don Cesare di Bazan1942 ProducerL'abito nero da sposa1945 Non canto più Tutta la città canta Story07... Tassì 1946 Story1948 StoryO caçula do barulho1949 Story Guarany1950 Story StoryL'astuto barone Short filmMagia a prezzi modici1951Short filmDouble CrossTenori per forzaShort filmRevenge of Black Eagle StorySee Naples and Die1952La Leggenda del PiaveSins of Rome1953Theodora, Slave Empress1954Story, general managerI mosaici di RavennaDa qui all'eredità1955 Beatrice Cenci1956 StoryI Vampiri1957Actor (Autopsy doctor)Trapped in TangiersStorySheba and the Gladiator1959 2nd unit director–battle scenesCaltiki – The Immortal Monster1960 1961 Director–battle scenesSamson and the Seven Miracles of the WorldCaccia all'uomoMarco Polo1962 Director–battle scenes Alone Against Rome Director–Arena sequencesSeven Seas to Calais Editor–naval battle scene StoryGold for the Caesars1963 2nd unit director StoryRomeo e Giulietta1964Genoveffa di Brabante StoryThe Two Orphans1965Coplan FX 18 casse tout Trap for the Assassin1966Mexican Slayride1967La morte non conta i dollari Double Face1969Tamar Wife of Er19701971StoryTragic Ceremony1972Murder Obsession1981Un tour de manège1989 Actor (Riccardo the film director)Revenge of the Musketeers1994 Based on "an idea by Freda and Éric Poindron
Notes a Freda has denied having taken part in writing the script for this film, despite being credited. b Freda was originally to direct the film but stated that he walked off the set on the first day of shooting. c Freda name is not in the credits but some sources state he directed several battles scenes in the film, which Freda denies. d Freda name is not in the credits but some sources state he edited the naval battle scenes in the film, which Freda denies. e Freda has claimed to have shot the entire film.
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