Luigi Comencini (; 8 June 1916 – 6 April 2007)
''The Guardian'' was an Italian

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, pr ...

. Together with

Dino Risi Dino Risi (23 December 1916 – 7 June 2008) was an Italian film director. With Mario Monicelli, Luigi Comencini, Nanni Loy and Ettore Scola, he was one of the masters of ''commedia all'italiana''. Biography Risi was born in Milan. He had an o ...

Ettore Scola Ettore Scola (; 10 May 1931 – 19 January 2016) was an Italian screenwriter and film director. He received a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film in 1978 for his film '' A Special Day'' and over the course of his film career was nominated for fiv ...

and

Mario Monicelli Mario Alberto Ettore Monicelli (; 16 May 1915 – 29 November 2010) was an Italian film director and screenwriter and one of the masters of the '' Commedia all'Italiana'' (Comedy Italian style). He was nominated six times for an Oscar, and was a ...

, he was considered among the masters of the ''

commedia all'italiana Commedia all'italiana (, pl. Commedie all'italiana, "Comedy in the Italian way") or Italian-style comedy is an Italian film genre born in Italy in the 1950s and developed in the 1960s and 1970s. It is widely considered to have started with Mar ...

'' genre. His daughters Cristina and Francesca are both film directors.

Biography

His first successful movie was ''

L'imperatore di Capri ''The Emperor of Capri'' (Italian: ''L'imperatore di Capri'') is a 1949 Italian comedy film directed by Luigi Comencini and starring Totò, Yvonne Sanson and Marisa Merlini.Moliterno p.88 The film's sets were designed by the art director Carlo ...

'', featuring Totò. Comencini's 1953 '' Pane, amore e fantasia'', with

Vittorio De Sica Vittorio De Sica ( , ; 7 July 1901 – 13 November 1974) was an Italian film director and actor, a leading figure in the Italian neorealism, neorealist movement. Four of the films he directed won Academy Awards: ''Shoeshine (film), Sciuscià ...

and Gina Lollobrigida, is considered a primary example of ''neorealismo rosa'' (pink neorealism). It was followed by '' Pane, amore e gelosia''. After first directing

Alberto Sordi Alberto Sordi (15 June 1920 – 24 February 2003) was an Italian actor, voice actor, singer, comedian, director and screenwriter. Early life Born in Rome to a schoolteacher and a musician and the last of five children, Sordi was named in hon ...

in ''La bella di Roma'' (1955), Comencini again worked with Sordi in what is considered his masterwork, '' Tutti a casa'', a bitter comedy about Italy after the armistice of 1943. The film won the Special Golden Prize at the

2nd Moscow International Film Festival The 2nd Moscow International Film Festival was held from 9 to 23 July 1961. The Grand Prix was shared between the Japanese film ''The Naked Island'' directed by Kaneto Shindo and the Soviet film '' Clear Skies'' directed by Grigori Chukhrai. Ju ...

. Also set in World War II, but devoted to the

Italian partisans The Italian resistance movement (the ''Resistenza italiana'' and ''la Resistenza'') is an umbrella term for the Italian resistance groups who fought the occupying forces of Nazi Germany and the fascist collaborationists of the Italian Socia ...

, is ''

La ragazza di Bube LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figure ...

'' (1963). This was followed by ''Incompreso'' (1966, based on the English novel by Florence Montgomery). Comencini obtained an outstanding success with what is ranked amongst the best productions of Italian television, ''

The Adventures of Pinocchio ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' ( ; it, Le avventure di Pinocchio ; commonly shortened to ''Pinocchio'') is a children's fantasy novel by Italian author Carlo Collodi. It is about the mischievous adventures of an animated marionette named Pi ...

'' (1972). In the same year, he directed the feature film '' Lo scopone scientifico'', a dark comedy with Sordi and Silvana Mangano. In 1975, he released the mystery ''La donna della domenica'', featuring

Marcello Mastroianni Marcello Vincenzo Domenico Mastroianni (28 September 1924 – 19 December 1996) was an Italian film actor, regarded as one of his country's most iconic male performers of the 20th century. He played leading roles for many of Italy's top di ...

, Jacqueline Bisset and Jean-Louis Trintignant. Comencini's subsequent works were characterized by the presence of famous Italian actors of the time:

Ugo Tognazzi Ugo Tognazzi (23 March 1922 – 27 October 1990) was an Italian actor, director, and screenwriter. Early life Tognazzi was born in Cremona, in northern Italy but spent his youth in various localities as his father was a travelling clerk fo ...

in ''Il gatto'' (1977), or Nino Manfredi in his episode of ''Basta che non si sappia in giro''. In the 1980s, Comencini's movies met with less success but his '' Cuore'' television series of 1984 was praised. He died in Rome after a long illness in 2007.

Filmography

* ''Bambini in città'' (1947) * '' Hey Boy (Proibito rubare)'' (1948) * '' The Emperor of Capri (L'imperatore di Capri)'' (1949) * ''L'ospedale del delitto'' (1950) * ''

Behind Closed Shutters ''Behind Closed Shutters'' ( it, Persiane chiuse) is a 1951 Italian crime-melodrama film directed by Luigi Comencini and starring Massimo Girotti, Eleonora Rossi Drago and Giulietta Masina.Barattoni p. 224 Plot Sandra (Rossi Drago) searches for h ...

(Persiane chiuse)'' (1950) * '' Heidi'' (1952) * ''

La Tratta delle bianche ''La Tratta delle bianche'' (" The Trade in White Women") is a 1952 Italian-language crime film directed by Luigi Comencini. It stars Eleonora Rossi Drago, Marc Lawrence, Ettore Manni, Tamara Lees, Barbara Florian, Silvana Pampanini, and Vittor ...

'' (1953) * '' La valigia dei sogni'' (1953) * ''

Bread, Love and Dreams ''Bread, Love and Dreams'' ( it, Pane, amore e fantasia) is a 1953 Italian romantic comedy film directed by Luigi Comencini. At the 4th Berlin International Film Festival it won the Silver Bear award. Plot The film is set in Sagliena, an imaginar ...

(Pane, amore e fantasia)'' (1953) * '' Bread, Love and Jealousy (Pane, amore e gelosia)'' (1954) * ''

The Belle of Rome ''The Belle of Rome'' ( it, La bella di Roma) is a 1955 Italian comedy film directed by Luigi Comencini. Cast * Silvana Pampanini: Nannina * Alberto Sordi: Gracco * Paolo Stoppa: Oreste * Antonio Cifariello: Mario * Luisella Beghi: Ines * S ...

(La bella di Roma)'' (1955) * '' The Window to Luna Park'' (1957) * ''

Husbands in the City ''Husbands in the City'' ( it, Mariti in città) is a 1957 Italian comedy film directed by Luigi Comencini. Plot When wives go on vacation, husbands hope to have fun but they don't always succeed. Cast * Nino Taranto: Giacinto * Franco Fabriz ...

(Mariti in città)'' (1957) * ''

Mogli pericolose ''Mogli pericolose'' ("Dangerous wives") is a 1958 Italian comedy film written and directed by Luigi Comencini. Cast * Sylva Koscina: Tosca, Pirro's wife * Dorian Gray: Ornella, Bruno's wife * Renato Salvatori: Dr. Federico Carpi * Nino Ta ...

'' (1958) * ''

Le sorprese dell'amore ''Le sorprese dell'amore'' ("Surprise of Love") is a 1959 Italian romantic comedy film written and directed by Luigi Comencini. Cast *Dorian Gray as Didì *Walter Chiari as Ferdinando *Anna Maria Ferrero as Mariarosa *Sylva Koscina as Marian ...

'' (1959) * ''

And That on Monday Morning ''And That on Monday Morning'' (german: Und das am Montagmorgen) is a 1959 West German comedy film directed by Luigi Comencini and starring O.W. Fischer, Ulla Jacobsson and Vera Tschechowa . Based on the 1955 British play '' Mr. Kettle and Mrs ...

'' (1959) * ''

Everybody Go Home ''Everybody Go Home'' ( it, Tutti a casa) is a 1960 Italian comedy-drama film directed by Luigi Comencini. It features an international cast including the U.S. actors Martin Balsam, Alex Nicol and the Franco-Italian Serge Reggiani. Nino Manfred ...

(Tutti a casa)'' (1960) * '' A cavallo della tigre'' (1961) * ''

Il commissario ''The Police Commissioner'' ( it, Il commissario) is a 1962 Italian comedy film directed by Luigi Comencini. Cast *Alberto Sordi as Vice Commissioner Dante Lombardozzi *Franca Tamantini as Marisa Santarelli * Alessandro Cutolo as Police Commi ...

'' (1962) * ''

'' (1963) * '' Tre notti d'amore'' (1964) * '' La mia signora'' (1964) * '' Il compagno Don Camillo'' (1965) * '' Six Days a Week (La bugiarda)'' (1965) * ''

Le bambole ''Le bambole'' (U.S. title: ''The Dolls'', UK title: ''Four Kinds of Love'') is a 1965 Italian comedy film in four segments; starring Nino Manfredi, Virna Lisi, Elke Sommer, and Mario Montuori. The four vignettes—The Telephone Call (La telefona ...

'' (1965, episode "Il trattato di eugenetica") * '' Misunderstood (Incompreso)'' (1966) * ''

Italian Secret Service ''Italian Secret Service'' (also known as ''Il nostro agente Natalino Tartufato'') is a 1968 Italian comedy film directed by Luigi Comencini. For his performance in this film and in '' Il padre di famiglia'', Nino Manfredi was awarded with a Golde ...

'' (1968) * '' Infanzia, vocazione e prime esperienze di Giacomo Casanova, veneziano'' (1969) * ''

Senza sapere niente di lei ''Senza sapere niente di lei'' (internationally released as ''Unknown Woman'') is a 1969 Italian giallo film produced and directed by Luigi Comencini. It is based on the novel ''La morale privata'' by Antonio Leonviola. For this film Paola Pitagor ...

'' (1969) * ''

'' (1972, TV series) * '' Lo scopone scientifico (

The Scientific Cardplayer ''The Scientific Cardplayer'', also known as ''The Scopone Game'' ( it, Lo scopone scientifico), is a 1973 Italian comedy-drama film directed by Luigi Comencini. The screenplay was written by Rodolfo Sonego. Plot An aging and wealthy American w ...

)'' (1973) * ''

Somewhere Beyond Love ''Somewhere Beyond Love'' ( it, Delitto d'amore) is a 1974 Italian drama film directed by Luigi Comencini. It was entered into the 1974 Cannes Film Festival. It won the Grand Prix of the Belgian Film Critics Association. Cast * Giuliano Gemma - ...

(Delitto d'amore)'' (1974) * '' Mio Dio, come sono caduta in basso!'' (1974) * '' La donna della domenica'' (1975) * '' Basta che non si sappia in giro'' (1976, episode "L'equivoco)'' * '' Quelle strane occasioni'' (1976) * '' Signore e signori, buonanotte'' (1976) * '' The Cat (Il gatto)'' (1977) * '' L'ingorgo - Una storia impossibile'' (1978) * ''

Voltati Eugenio ''Voltati Eugenio'' (internationally released as ''Eugenio'' and ''Turn Around Eugenio'') is a 1980 Italian comedy drama film by Luigi Comencini. It entered the 37th Venice International Film Festival. The film won the David di Donatello for be ...

'' (1980) * ''Cercasi Gesù'' (1982) * ''Cuore'' (1984, TV series) * ' (1986) * '' A Boy from Calabria (Un ragazzo di Calabria)'' (1987) * ''

La Bohème ''La bohème'' (; ) is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions '' quadri'', '' tableaux'' or "images", rather than ''atti'' (acts). composed by Giacomo Puccini between 1893 and 1895 to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giusep ...

'' (1988) * '' Buon Natale... buon anno'' (1989) * ''Marcellino'' (1992)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Comencini, Luigi 1916 births 2007 deaths People from Salò Italian film directors Italian Waldensians German-language film directors David di Donatello winners Burials at the Cimitero Flaminio