Lionello De Felice (9 September 1916 – 14 December 1989) was an Italian screenwriter and film director.
Life and career
Born in Montoro Inferiore, De Felice was the son of a lawyer and a Baroness. After spending several years in
Naples
Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...
, he moved to
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, ...
, where he graduated in law. After studying at the
Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia
The (; CSC), also referred to as the (), is an Italian national film school headquartered in Rome, with satellite educational hubs in five other Italian regions.
It was established in 1935 and aims to promote the art and technique of cinemat ...
, De Felice started his career as an assistant director of
Alessandro Blasetti
Alessandro Blasetti (3 July 1900 – 1 February 1987) was an Italian film director and screenwriter who influenced Italian neorealism with the film ''Four Steps in the Clouds''. Blasetti was one of the leading figures in Italian cinema during the ...
.
In 1951, De Felice made his directorial debut with ''
Without a Flag
''Without a Flag'' () is a 1951 Italian drama film directed by Lionello De Felice and starring Massimo Serato, Paolo Stoppa and Walter Rilla. It was shot at the Cinecittà Studios in Rome. The film's sets were designed by the art director Alfredo ...
''. After directing some critically well-received films, in the 1960s he specialized as a screenwriter of
sword-and-sandal
Sword-and-sandal, also known as peplum (: pepla), is a subgenre of largely Italy, Italian-made historical, mythological, or biblical epics mostly set in the Greco-Roman antiquity or the Middle Ages. These films attempted to emulate the big-budget ...
films. He retired at the end of the decade, his last work being the second unit direction of Blasetti's ''
Simón Bolívar
Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios (24July 178317December 1830) was a Venezuelan statesman and military officer who led what are currently the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, and Bol ...
''. He died on 14 December 1989, at the age of 73.
Selected filmography
;Director and screenwriter
*''
Without a Flag
''Without a Flag'' () is a 1951 Italian drama film directed by Lionello De Felice and starring Massimo Serato, Paolo Stoppa and Walter Rilla. It was shot at the Cinecittà Studios in Rome. The film's sets were designed by the art director Alfredo ...
'' (1951)
*''
Il romanzo della mia vita
''Il romanzo della mia vita'' is a 1952 Italian biographical melodrama film. It depicts real life events of singer-actor Luciano Tajoli, who plays himself in the film.
Cast
*Luciano Tajoli: Himself
*Antonella Lualdi: Maria
*Fulvia Franco: Clara ...
'' (1952)
*''
100 Years of Love
''100 Years of Love'' () is a 1954 Italian anthology film directed by Lionello De Felice. It stars actor Gabriele Ferzetti.
It was shot at Cinecittà Studios in Rome. The film's sets were designed by the art director
Art director is a title ...
The Three Thieves
''The Three Thieves'' (Italian: ''I tre ladri'') is a 1954 Italian-French comedy film directed by Lionello De Felice and starring Totò, Jean-Claude Pascal and Simone Simon.Bìspuri p.143
Cast
References
Bibliography
* Ennio Bìspuri. ''Totò ...
'' (1954)
*''
Desperate Farewell
''Desperate Farewell'' () is a 1955 Italian melodrama film directed by Lionello De Felice and starring Massimo Girotti, Lise Bourdin and Andrea Checchi.Goble p.302 It is a medical drama based on a novel by Andrea Majocchi.
Cast
* Massimo Girotti ...
'' (1955)
*''
Constantine and the Cross
''Constantine and the Cross'' (Italian: ''Costantino il grande'') is a 1961 list of historical drama films, historical drama film about the early career of the emperor Constantine I, Constantine, who first legalized and then adopted Christianit ...
Sunday Heroes
''Sunday Heroes'' () is a 1952 Italian sports drama film directed by Mario Camerini and starring Raf Vallone, Cosetta Greco and Marcello Mastroianni. Moliterno p.5 It was shot at the Titanus Studios in Rome and on location at the San Siro in M ...
'' (1952)
*''
Venus Against the Son of Hercules
''Venus Against the Son of Hercules'' (, also known as ''Mars, God of War'' and ''The Son of Hercules vs. Venus'') is a 1962 Italian peplum film written and directed by Marcello Baldi and starring Roger Browne and Jocelyn Lane, Jackie Lane.Marco ...
'' (1962)
*''
Colossus of the Arena
''Colossus of the Arena'' (, also known as ''Death on the Arena'') is a 1962 Italian peplum film directed by Michele Lupo and starred by Mark Forest.
Synopsis
In the small kingdom of Mersabad, a man named Oniris leads a group of conspirators ...
The Revenge of Spartacus
''The Revenge of Spartacus'' or ''La vendetta di Spartacus'' (US title: ''Revenge of the Gladiators'') is a 1965 Italian film directed by Michele Lupo. It was shot back to back with '' Seven Slaves Against the World''.
Plot
Arminio and Trasone do ...
'' (1964)
*''
Seven Rebel Gladiators
''Sette contro tutti'' (lit; Seven against all; ) is a 1965 Italian sword-and-sandal film directed by Michele Lupo.
Plot
Vadius, a Roman tribune wants to take hold of the kingdom of Aristea, by marrying the king's daughter Assuer. Marco, a cent ...