Roberto Leoni
Roberto Leoni (16 November 1940 – 5 March 2024) was an Italian screenwriter and film director best known for such films as Santa Sangre (on Empire's 500 Greatest Movies Of All Time); The Master Touch; Street People; Casablanca Express; California; and My Dear Killer.
Also recorded as Butch Lion
Roberto Leoni

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- Name
- Roberto Leoni
- Born
- 16 November 1940
- Birthplace
- Rome, Italy
- Died
- 5 March 2024
- Occupation
- Screenwriter, film director
- Nationality
- Italy.
- Languages
- Italian.
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Documentary summary
Roberto Leoni (16 November 1940 – 5 March 2024) was an Italian screenwriter and film director best known for such films as Santa Sangre (on Empire's 500 Greatest Movies Of All Time); The Master Touch; Street People; Casablanca Express; California; and My Dear Killer.
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Roberto Leoni (1940–2024) was a director, film director and screenwriter, among other activities, of Italian nationality. The director was born and died in Rome. Languages used include Italian.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 30 September 2026
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In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Roberto Leoni • Born — 16 November 1940 • Birthplace — Rome, Italy • Died — 5 March 2024 • Place of death — Rome, Italy • Occupation — Screenwriter, film director
Life and career
Life and career
Roberto Leoni was born in Rome and studied classics. While still a student at Sapienza University in Rome, he was awarded a grant by the C.U.T. (University Theatrical Center) and his collections of poems and short stories were published. An important producer made one of his short stories into a film, Eat It. His collection of poems won the Culture Award from the Italian Presidency of Ministries. After serving as first AD for directors like Tonino Valerii and Luciano Salce, Leoni wrote and directed a number of feature and short films including: The Guardians, Es Knallt - und die Engel singen, Film Monaco, Dark Tale, On the Right Side, and The Great Artists (18X35') series. From August 2017, he reviewed new and classic movies in his talk show, Roberto Leoni Movie Reviews. His last feature film was De Serpentis Munere - The Serpent's Gift.
Death
Death
Leoni died on 5 March 2024, in Rome, at the age of 83.
Television
Television
• 2007 – Gente di mare (51 episodes – original idea and writer) • 2002 – Vicious Game (TV movie as writer) • 2000 – The Framing Game (TV movie as writer) • 1999 – A High Price to Pay (TV movie as writer) • 1989 – Ocean (6 episodes – as writer) • 1974 – The Guardians (TV movie as writer and director)
Web
Web
• 2017–ongoing Roberto Leoni Movie Reviews (171 episodes – as writer director and main role)
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1940
Roberto Leoni born at Rome.
2024
Roberto Leoni died at Rome.
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Roberto Leoni, revision 1311728553 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
Film
• 2021 – De Serpentis Munere (The Serpent's Gift) (as writer and director) • 2021 – Heartstruck (as writer and director) • 2019 – Memory Island (as writer and director) • 2016 – A Heart in the Drawer (as writer and director) under the auspices of Amnesty International Italy) • 2014 – The Gypsy Angel (as writer and director) • 2012 – Miss Wolf and the Lamb (as writer and director) • 2009 – Terminal (as writer and director) • 2007 – Anita - Una vita per Garibaldi (as writer) • 2005 – On the Right Side (as writer and director) • 2005 – Raul (as writer) • 2000 – Si fa presto a dire amore (as writer) • 2000 – L'uomo della fortuna (as writer) • 1998 – Frigidaire, il film (as writer) • 1995 – Nefertiti (as writer) • 1993 – 18.000 giorni fa (as writer) • 1991 – Dark Tale (as writer and director) • 1990 – American Rickshaw (as writer) • 1989 – Casablanca Express (as writer) • 1989 – Santa Sangre (as writer) • 1987 – Distant Lights (as writer) • 1987 – Brothers in Blood (as writer) • 1987 – Hell's Heroes (as writer) • 1985 – La gabbia (as writer) • 1985 – Wild Team (as writer) • 1984 – Let's See It Clear (as writer) • 1984 – The Final Executioner (as writer) • 1982 – Vieni avanti cretino (as writer) • 1978 – How to Lose a Wife and Find a Lover (as writer) • 1977 – California (as writer) • 1976 – Street People (as writer) • 1976 – Pure as a Lily (as writer) • 1974 – Bang, and the Angels Sing (as writer and director) • 1972 – The Master Touch (as writer) • 1972 – My Dear Killer (as writer) • 1968 – Eat it (as writer)
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
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Citations
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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