Bernardino Zapponi (4 September 1927 – 11 February 2000) was an Italian novelist and screenwriter best known for his films written in collaboration with

Federico Fellini Federico Fellini (; 20 January 1920 – 31 October 1993) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He is known for his distinctive style, which blends fantasy and baroque images with earthiness. He is recognized as one of the greatest and ...

and

Tinto Brass Giovanni "Tinto" Brass (born 26 March 1933) is an Italian film director and screenwriter. In the 1960s and 1970s, he directed many critically acclaimed avant-garde films of various genres. Today, he is mainly known for his later work in the Erot ...

Biography

Zapponi was born in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

in 1927. He began his literary career writing for ''Orlando'' and ''

Marc'Aurelio ''Marc'Aurelio'' was an Italian satirical magazine, published between 1931 and 1958, and briefly resurrected in 1973. History and profile The weekly magazine was founded in Rome by Oberdan Catone and Vito De Bellis in 1931. It was the first satir ...

'', two well-established Italian satirical magazines, later branching out into radio and television. An expert in literary innovation, Zapponi founded the cult magazine ''Il Delatore'' (''The Spy''), and published four novels including ''Gobal'', a famous collection of short stories, as well as songs, plays and theatre sketches. Revered for his work with

Fellini Federico Fellini (; 20 January 1920 – 31 October 1993) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He is known for his distinctive style, which blends fantasy and baroque images with earthiness. He is recognized as one of the greatest and ...

, he also collaborated on films by

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 ...

and co-wrote

Dario Argento Dario Argento (; born 7 September 1940) is an Italian film director, screenwriter and producer. His influential work in the horror film, horror and giallo genres during the 1970s and 1980s has led him to being referred to as the "Master of the ...

's ''

Deep Red ''Deep Red'' (), also known as ''The Hatchet Murders'', is a 1975 Italian ''giallo'' film directed by Dario Argento and co-written by Argento and Bernardino Zapponi. It stars David Hemmings as a musician who investigates a series of murders perf ...

''.

Fellini, Poe and ''Toby Dammit''

Zapponi first met Fellini in July 1967 during pre-production of the " Toby Dammit" segment in the omnibus film, ''

Histoires extraordinaires ''Spirits of the Dead'' (, ), also known as ''Tales of Mystery and Imagination'' and ''Tales of Mystery'', is a 1968 horror anthology film comprising three segments respectively directed by Roger Vadim, Louis Malle and Federico Fellini, based on ...

'' after Fellini had abandoned his ambitious project, '' The Voyage of G. Mastorna''. While recovering from a devastating illness (provoked by the ''Mastorna'' fiasco), Fellini read Zapponi's ''Gobal'' and hoped to convince French producer, Raymond Eger, of financing one of its short stories. The story in question, ''The Driver'', was a macabre tale of a chauffeur demolishing the car he doesn't own. Interested solely in screen adaptations of work by

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales involving mystery and the macabre. He is widely re ...

, Eger rejected the proposal. Fellini then instructed his assistant Liliana Betti to read and summarize all of Poe's tales for him. Although tempted by several stories, it was ''Never Bet the Devil Your Head'' with the protagonist Toby Dammit that fired his imagination. Zapponi read a news item while scouting locations with Fellini that concerned the collapsed Ariccia Bridge in the Castelli Romani quarter outside Rome. Visiting the area at night, they were deeply impressed by the bridge's ruined splendour and decided to make it a crucial element in the death of Toby Dammit.Bernardino Zapponi, ''Il Mio Fellini'', Venezia: Marsilio Editori, 1995, p. 17. In Fellini's version of ''Toby Dammit'', the eponymous hero is decapitated by a steel wire strung across the collapsed bridge as he attempts to clear the gap in the Ferrari given to him by his film producers. In addition to "Toby Dammit", Zapponi collaborated on Fellini: A Director's Notebook,

Satyricon The ''Satyricon'', ''Satyricon'' ''liber'' (''The Book of Satyrlike Adventures''), or ''Satyrica'', is a Latin work of fiction believed to have been written by Gaius Petronius in the late 1st century AD, though the manuscript tradition identifi ...

I clowns ''The Clowns'' (, also known as ) is a 1970 mockumentary film by Federico Fellini about the human fascination with clowns and circuses. Plot summary Cast Main * Riccardo Billi as himself – Italian Clown (credited as Billi) * Federico Fellini ...

Roma Roma or ROMA may refer to: People, characters, figures, names * Roma or Romani people, an ethnic group living mostly in Europe and the Americas. * Roma called Roy, ancient Egyptian High Priest of Amun * Roma (footballer, born 1979), born ''Paul ...

Fellini's Casanova ''Fellini's Casanova'' () is a 1976 Italian film directed by Federico Fellini from a screenplay he co-wrote with Bernardino Zapponi, adapted from the autobiography of 18th-century Venetian adventurer and writer Giacomo Casanova, played by Dona ...

, and

City of Women ''City of Women'' () is a 1980 fantasy comedy-drama film directed by Federico Fellini, who co-wrote it with Bernardino Zapponi and Brunello Rondi. Amid Fellini's characteristic combination of dreamlike, outrageous, and artistic imagery, Marcel ...

, for a total of seven films with the Italian director.

Publications

Prose

*''Gobal'' *''Trasformazioni'' *''Nostra Signora dello Spasimo: l'inquisizione e i sistemi inquisitori'' *''Passione''

Theatre

*''Italiani si nasce'' (1961) *''Se il tempo fosse un gambero'' (1987) *''La strada'' (1999) - a musical co-written with

Tullio Pinelli Tullio Pinelli (24 June 1908 – 7 March 2009) was an Italian screenwriter known for his work on the Federico Fellini films ''I Vitelloni'', ''La Strada'', ''La Dolce Vita'' and ''8½''. Biography Born in Turin, Pinelli began his career as a ...

and based on the film directed by Fellini

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zapponi, Bernardino Italian male screenwriters 20th-century Italian screenwriters 1927 births 2000 deaths Writers from Rome 20th-century Italian novelists 20th-century Italian male writers Italian male novelists