Mario Monicelli
| Mario Monicelli | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
16 May 1915 Viareggio, Italy |
| Died | 29 November 2010 (aged 95) Rome, Italy |
| Occupation | Screenwriter, director, actor |
| Years active | 1935–2010 |
| Awards |
Silver Bear for Best Director 1957 Padri e figli 1976 Caro Michele 1981 Il Marchese del Grillo Golden Lion 1959 La Grande Guerra Career Golden Lion 1991 Lifetime Achievement |
Mario Monicelli (Italian: [ˈmaːrjo moniˈtʃɛlli]; 16 May 1915 – 29 November 2010) was a six times-Oscar nominated Italian director and screenwriter and one of the masters of the Commedia all'Italiana (Comedy Italian style).
Monicelli was born in Viareggio in Tuscany and was the youngest son of the journalist Tommaso Monicelli. His older brother Giorgio worked as writer and translator. Another older brother, Franco, was a journalist.
He attended studies in the local lyceum, and entered into the film world through his friendship with Giacomo Forzano, son of the playwright Giovacchino Forzano, who had been put in charge of the founding of cinema studios in Tirrenia by Benito Mussolini. Monicelli lived a carefree youth, and many of the cinematic jokes he later shot in Amici Miei were inspired from his own experience.
Monicelli made his first short in 1934, in collaboration with his friend Alberto Mondadori. He followed this work up with the silent film I ragazzi della Via Paal (an adaptation of the novel The Paul Street Boys), which was an award-winner in the Venice Film Festival. His first feature length work was made in 1937 (Pioggia d'estate, "Summer Rain"). In the years 1939–1942 Monicelli also produced numerous screenplays (up to 40), and worked as an assistant director.
Monicelli made his official debut as a director in 1949, with Totò cerca casa, along with Steno. From the very beginning of his career Monicelli's cinematic style had a remarkable flow to it. The duo produced eight successful movies in four years, including Guardie e ladri (1951) and Totò a colori (1952). From 1953 onwards Monicelli worked alone, without leaving his role as a writer of screenplays.
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