Apr. 6, 1918 - Jan. 13, 2001

Please note:  This biography was compiled from data obtained from several sources and various reference materials, both online and off.  While I've tried to verify material as best as possible, there may be some inaccuracies found.  I welcome any and all correspondence regarding the information found here, and will be happy to correct or modify the information if source material is provided.

 For a complete list of references, please visit Credits and Links.

Formative Years

Amando De Ossorio was a true professional of his craft, who knew from an early age exactly what he wanted to do with his life. By his career's end, he had made several memorable and lasting contributions to the horror genre, and now has a world wide fan base, ensuring that he will never be forgotten. 

Amando De Ossorio was born April 6, 1918 in the village of A Coruna, located in the region of Galicia, Spain.  From early childhood through his teen years, Amando had constant exposure to the local arts and culture scene due to his father's line of work and community activities.  Although his parents had hoped for a different career choice,  Amando found himself drawn to the arts, and financed his true ambitions by working in business and banking positions.  Beginning with photography equipment he purchased himself, Amando quickly learned the ins and outs of his craft, continuing to experiment and perfect his abilities. 

While enrolled as a Journalism at the local city college, Amando began writing scripts, and also found himself working in radio, performing a variety of behind-the-scenes tasks.  He was soon asked to oversee the production of a radio play, and this experience provided him with a sampling of what it was like to work with actual actors.

After graduating with his degree, Amando continued to write scripts, and through the connections he made at school, eventually found work in film, beginning with documentaries.  It was during this time that he began shooting his own short films.  His first two credits appearing on IMDB are writing credits, for Ultimo Dia (1952) and Ciudad de los Suenos (1954).  

Initial Film Projects

His first directorial break came with La Bandera Negra a.k.a. The Black Flag (1956), which was a rather depressing account of one man's struggle with his feelings of doom. 

With a cast of one and the subject matter it depicted, the film would most certainly have caused some sort of ripple through the industry had it not been for a lawsuit brought on by the author of the original play it was based on, as well as problems regarding the lack of proper permits.

After an initial negative experience, Amando persevered, continuing to write and direct.  In 1964, while preparing a script for a horror tale, he scored his first box office hit with La Tumba del Pistolero a.k.a. Tomb of the Pistolero (1964).  The success of this feature film fueled his energy for the next several years, directing several more films that performed well until he completed work on his horror script and began shooting.  

Horror Successes and A Few Real Messes

Malenka (1969) was released to much notice worldwide, mostly due to the casting of Anita Ekberg, a major international sex symbol during the 50's and early 60's.  By the time of her role in Malenka, although her star status was not what it once was, she still enjoyed popularity and her name was still a big enough draw to ensure the film's success, or at least, provide it with a certain degree of notoriety, especially given the fact that many reviews were not kind.  Ossorio, in fact, had scheduling trouble during the film's production, and had to improvise the finale.

His next horror outing was an entirely different experience from that of Malenka, and was the film responsible for putting the name of Amando De Ossorio on the map for good.  La Noche del Terror Ciego a.k.a. Tombs of the Blind Dead, opened to much acclaim and worldwide success. 

The film told the tale of the Knights Templar, an evil pagan sect who viciously sacrificed young women, drinking their blood in ceremony and then leaving the remains for crabs and other scavengers to finish off.  The local villagers gathered en masse and massacred the Templars,

putting out their eyes with burning stakes.  Before they expire, however, the Templars swear revenge, and after the introduction of its present day characters and plot, the Templars rise from their graves and take care of business, and rather quickly too.

Although the concept of zombies had already been introduced rather vividly with George Romero's Night of the Living Dead (1968), and had almost become old hat within the few short years between that and the 'Blind Dead' film due to the mass of 'living dead' themed movies coming from all countries,

Ossorio's film presented audiences with something quite original in both the look of the undead and the style in which they carried out their actions.  

The Templars were depicted as rotting skeletons, shrouded in the moldy ceremonial robes they died in.  Seated upon equally terrifying horses, they rode on horseback through the countryside, seeking their victims not by sight (as they had no eyes) but by sound (even though technically, skeletons didn't really have ears either, but let's not be petty). 

Truly horrifying and unique, Tombs of the Blind Dead was definitely a movie to remember, and it spawned not one but three sequels throughout the mid-70's.

He continued on his run of strange and bizarrely themed horror films, each one anticipated by fans of the genre, meeting with varied levels of critical and box office success.

The first film released after La Noche del Terror Ciego was the higher budgeted and quicker paced sequel to his initial 'Blind Dead' smash,

El Ataque de los Muertos sin Ojos a.k.a. Return of the Blind Dead (1973), which enjoyed similar success, and today it is a familiar debate amongst fans which movie is the better of the two.  

Topping the Blind Dead

After the second 'Blind Dead' film, Amando completed La Noche de los Brujos a.k.a. Night of the Sorcerers that same year, followed by Las Garras del Lorelei a.k.a. The Lorelei's Grasp (1974), which gave audiences another unique monster, a female siren-like monster based on ancient German folklore.

This film was released on video during the mid-80's under the title When the Screaming Stops, and was somewhat deceptively packaged as a slasher film by the video distributor.

A third 'Blind Dead' film followed, this time taking place on the open sea.  El Buque Maldito a.k.a. The Ghost Galleon (1974) was released to somewhat poor box office and dismal reviews. 

Changing the setting of the film may have been the reason why it was not nearly as successful in its initial run as the first two, but perhaps it was also due to the fact that despite the location change, and a rather interesting one at that, little else was different about this film, and perhaps audiences were growing tired of the concept that was so groundbreaking only three years prior. 

Either situation is understandable.

Following the poor reception of El Buque Maldito, his next film, La Endemoniada a.k.a. Demon Witch Child (1974) was lost in a sea of "Exorcist" rip-offs, and although it is certainly easy to understand why that occurred, the fact was Ossorio had completed his script treatment before the international smash hit was released, so although it is generally agreed as to which film is superior to the other, the labeling and discarding of La Endemoniada as a poorly done Exorcist rip-off is rather unfair.

Following several disappointments, Amando de Ossorio returned to familiar ground, completing the fourth and final 'Blind Dead' film. 

This time, the action took place in yet another locale, a beachside village living in fear of the Templars.  The citizens of the village sacrificed their own daughters to the Templars in hopes that the villagers as a whole, and their village itself, would be spared the Templars' wrath.

La Noche de las Gaviotas a.k.a. Night of the Seagulls was released in 1975, and although it was certainly well done, and is arguably the most atmospheric of the series (it's my favorite), it did not do much to restore Ossorio to the top of his game, and in fact was not shown theatrically in many of the countries where the first two films enjoyed initial success.

Post-Seventies Activity

After the last 'Blind Dead' film, Amando's directorial output slowed considerably, and only two films were completed during a ten year period, one being an apparent erotic film of sorts, and the other,

Los Cantabros, an adventure tale featuring Jacinto Molina--better known to international horror fans as Paul Naschy.  Amando kept busy with his many other interests, including his love for art and painting.  Among the subjects he frequently chose to commit to canvas were the Templar Knights.  It certainly goes to show how impressive these stories must have been for him, as he found himself revisiting them  throughout his life.

Amando De Ossorio's last film was the funky-but-entertaining Serpiente de Mar (1984) a.k.a. Hydra, and released in the U.S.A. on video as The Sea Serpent. 

Although featuring several cameos from rather talented Ossorio regulars and a surprising appearance by American actor Ray Milland, the film is a mixed bag of unintentional hilarity, mostly due to its shoddy effects. 

Still, in the right mind-set, the film can be highly entertaining and amusing, and it's hard to dislike something that was so obviously made out of Amando's love to entertain. 

It was during this film that Ossorio suffered a heart attack, limiting his ability to work, and causing him to retire somewhat prematurely. 

Prematurely in that he most probably had a few more ideas left in him, including a once discussed fifth "Blind Dead" film, which may or may not have met with success, but sadly, these were not to be, as Amando De Ossorio, after several years of quiet retirement (and the rather insulting false report of his death in 1996) , passed away in 2001.

Amando De Ossorio gave the world something to fear with his horror output, most notably his 'Blind Dead' series, and proved to be a hard-working, dedicated and talented film-maker, who made the best of his resources, often betraying the actual budgets he had to work with.

He accomplished what he set out to do from an early age, obviously had a lot of fun while at it, and left a legacy that he will be remembered by for as long as there exists the cinematic world.  

On behalf of Night of the Sorcerers, Blind Dead & Horror Movie fans everywhere:

"Amando, thank you for your many contributions to the cinematic arts;

 you will always be fondly remembered."