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Enzo Barboni, also known as E.B. Clucher, is one of the most notable filmmakers of the final era of the Italian western, famed for the parodic and lively Trinity series. Born in 1922, Barboni began his career as a camera operator in 1942. Two decades later, in 1961, he became a director of photography with Sergio Corbucci's film The Two Marshals. Around the same time, he started working as a screenwriter. Barboni transitioned to directing in 1970 under the pseudonym E.B. Clucher (Clucher being his grandmother's surname) with a traditional western, Ciakmull – The Man of Revenge, which saw limited success. That same year, he directed the cult classic They Call Me Trinity, starring Terence Hill and Bud Spencer, for which he also co-wrote the story and screenplay. The film’s success surpassed all expectations, becoming one of the highest-grossing movies of its time. Its appeal lay largely in the humor introduced into the typically rigid and serious western genre. Following this hit, Barboni directed the 1971 sequel, Trinity Is Still My Name, which also achieved massive commercial success. He went on to direct three more films starring Terence Hill and Bud Spencer: Crime Busters (1977), Go for It (1983), and Double Trouble (1984). Barboni’s works are known for their wholesome, family-friendly tone, which resonated well with audiences through the early 1980s. However, the unique charm of the Trinity films was never replicated, and the spaghetti western genre, both traditional and comedic, fell into a deep decline from which it has not recovered. Barboni continued writing for other films but gradually retired; his last projects were penned by his son Marco Tullio, including Sons of Trinity (1995), an unsuccessful attempt to revive the historic success of the Trinity series, featuring American actors Heath Kizzier and Keith Neubert. Enzo Barboni passed away in 2002, just days before his 80th birthday.
