Carlo Ponti facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Carlo Ponti
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Carlo Ponti in 1951
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| Born |
Carlo Fortunato Pietro Ponti
11 December 1912 |
| Died | 10 January 2007 (aged 94) Geneva, Switzerland
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| Spouse(s) |
Giuliana Fiastri
(m. 1946; div. 1957)
(m. 1966) |
| Children | 4, including Carlo Ponti Jr. and Edoardo Ponti |
| Awards | Best Foreign Language Film 1956 La strada |
Carlo Ponti (born December 11, 1912 – died January 10, 2007) was a famous Italian film producer. He helped create over 140 movies during his career. He was also married to the well-known international film star Sophia Loren.
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Carlo Ponti's Career in Film
Carlo Ponti was born in Magenta, Lombardy, a town in Italy. His grandfather had been the mayor there. Carlo studied law at the University of Milan. After finishing his studies, he joined his father's law firm. This is where he first got involved in the film business by helping with movie contracts.
In 1940, Ponti tried to start a film industry in Milan. He produced a movie called Piccolo Mondo Antico. This film starred Alida Valli in one of her first big roles. The movie was about Italy's fight for independence. It became very popular because people saw it as a story about standing up to powerful forces during World War II.
Later, in 1941, Ponti moved to Rome and joined Lux Film. There, he produced many successful movies with the comedian Totò. In 1954, he had a huge artistic success with the movie La strada, directed by Federico Fellini.
Ponti continued to produce many important films. These included Boccaccio '70 (1962), Marriage Italian Style (1964), and Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (1965). His most famous and financially successful film was Doctor Zhivago (1965), directed by David Lean. He also worked with director Michelangelo Antonioni on films like Blowup (1966), Zabriskie Point (1970), and The Passenger (1974).
Carlo Ponti's Family Life
His Marriages
In 1946, Carlo Ponti married Giuliana Fiastri. They had a daughter, Guendalina, in 1951, and a son in 1953.
In 1951, Ponti met a young actress named Sofia Lazzaro (whose real name was Sofia Villani Scicolone) at a beauty contest. He later cast her in films like Anna (1951). In 1952, her name was changed to Sophia Loren.
Carlo Ponti and Sophia Loren fell in love. They married in 1957. Later, in 1962, their marriage was officially ended. To make things simpler, Carlo, Giuliana, and Sophia moved to France, where divorce was allowed. In 1965, Giuliana divorced Carlo. This allowed Carlo and Sophia to marry again in 1966 in France. They both became French citizens.
His Children
Carlo Ponti and Sophia Loren had two sons:
- Carlo Ponti Jr. (born in 1968), who became an orchestral conductor.
- Edoardo Ponti (born in 1973), who became a film director.
They also have four grandchildren. Sophia Loren remained married to Carlo Ponti until he passed away. She has said that she would never marry again because it would be impossible to love anyone else as much.
Carlo Ponti's Art Collection
Carlo Ponti was a big art collector. He owned many valuable artworks by famous artists. Some of these artists included Picasso, Georges Braque, Renoir, René Magritte, Salvador Dalí, and Henry Moore.
His collection was especially known for having ten paintings by Francis Bacon. These paintings were very private and rarely shown in public art shows. Over the years, some of these artworks were sold to other collectors.
Carlo Ponti's Passing
Carlo Ponti died in Geneva, Switzerland, on January 10, 2007. He was 94 years old. He passed away due to lung problems. He was survived by his wife, Sophia Loren, and his four children: Guendalina, Alessandro, Carlo Jr., and Edoardo. His body was laid to rest in his family's tomb in Magenta, Lombardy, Italy.
See also
In Spanish: Carlo Ponti para niños
