Mario Monicelli facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mario Monicelli
Monicelli in 2007
Born	(1915-05-16)16 May 1915 Rome, Italy
Died	29 November 2010(2010-11-29) (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 (born May 16, 1915 – died November 29, 2010) was a famous Italian film director and writer. He was one of the most important people behind a style of Italian movies called Commedia all'Italiana, which means "Comedy Italian Style." Mario Monicelli was nominated for an Oscar six times. He also won the Golden Lion award for his amazing career in film.

About Mario Monicelli

His Early Life and First Films

Mario Monicelli was born in Rome, Italy. His family was quite well-off. He was the second of five children. His father, Tomaso Monicelli, was a journalist, and his mother was Maria Carreri. Mario grew up in different Italian cities like Rome, Viareggio, and Milan. He had a fun and carefree youth. Many of the funny scenes in his later film Amici Miei (My Friends) were inspired by his own experiences growing up in Tuscany.

Mario studied at university in Pisa. He was very interested in movies from a young age. In 1934, he made his very first short film called Cuore rivelatore (Tell-tale Heart). He made it with his friends Alberto Mondadori and Alberto Lattuada. The film was based on a story by Edgar Allan Poe.

Starting His Film Career

Mario Monicelli continued making films with his friend Alberto Mondadori. They made a silent film called I ragazzi della Via Paal (which means The Paul Street Boys). This film won an award at the Venice Film Festival. This award helped Monicelli get a chance to work on professional movies. He started as a camera assistant for films like "Ballerine" and Lo squadrone bianco.

Later, he became an assistant director and co-writer. He worked on a film called Short Circuit in 1943. This movie is thought to be an early example of the "giallo" genre, which are Italian mystery-thriller films. In 1937, he also wrote and directed an amateur film called Pioggia d'estate ("Summer Rain").

From 1939 to 1942, Mario Monicelli wrote many screenplays, which are the scripts for movies. He also continued to work as an assistant director.

The Rise of Italian Comedy

Mario Monicelli officially started his career as a director in 1949. He worked with another director named Steno. Their first film was Totò cerca casa, starring the famous comedian Totò. Monicelli's films always had a great flow and style. He and Steno made eight successful movies together in just four years. Some of these include Cops and Robbers (1951) and Totò a colori (1952). After 1953, Monicelli started directing films on his own, but he still wrote screenplays.

Monicelli created some of the most famous Italian movies ever. His film I soliti ignoti (1958) is a great example. In this movie, he showed the funny side of actors like Vittorio Gassman and Marcello Mastroianni. Many people believe this film started the new style of modern "Comedy Italian Style." The film was even nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.

One of his most successful movies was The Great War, released in 1959. This film won a Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival and was also nominated for an Oscar. It starred famous actors like Vittorio Gassman, Alberto Sordi, and Silvana Mangano. The movie showed the Italian defeat during World War I in a sharp, funny, and sad way, without being too serious.

Monicelli faced challenges with film censorship. For example, his film "Totò e Carolina" had to be changed three times. Censors thought that having a policeman played by Totò made fun of the police.

He received two more Oscar nominations for his films I compagni (The Organizer, 1963) and The Girl with the Pistol (1968).

L'armata Brancaleone (For Love and Gold, 1966) is another masterpiece. It tells a funny and sad story about a medieval Italian knight who has big dreams but little money. The film's unique mix of Latin and Italian words was created by famous Italian comedy writers Age & Scarpelli. This film was so popular that a sequel, Brancaleone alle Crociate (Brancaleone at the Crusades), was made in 1970.

Amici miei (My Friends, 1975) was one of the most successful films in Italy. It showed Monicelli's talent for mixing humor, irony, and a deep understanding of people. The film was so popular that some of its lines became common sayings in Italy. His 1976 film Caro Michele won him the Silver Bear for Best Director award.

In Un borghese piccolo piccolo (A Very Little Man, 1978), Monicelli showed a more serious side. This film starred Alberto Sordi in his first dramatic role. Many critics see this movie as the end of the "Comedy Italian Style" era, as it showed a more pessimistic view of Italian society.

Later Works and Legacy

Monicelli returned to more cheerful comedies and historical stories with Il Marchese del Grillo (1981), again starring Alberto Sordi. This film earned Monicelli his third Silver Bear for Best Director award. The Rogues (1987) was another historical comedy set in the Renaissance.

Some of his later works include Let's Hope It's a Girl (1985), Dearest Relatives, Poisonous Relations (1992), and Dear ... Friends (1994). The latter received a special award at the 44th Berlin International Film Festival. His 1999 film Dirty Linen was shown at the 21st Moscow International Film Festival.

Mario Monicelli directed his last full-length film, The Roses of the Desert (Le rose del deserto), in 2006, when he was 91 years old.

In 1991, he received the Golden Lion award for his entire career at the Venice Film Festival.

His Final Years

Mario Monicelli passed away on November 29, 2010, at the age of 95. He had three daughters: Martina, Ottavia, and Rosa.

Selected Filmography

Director

Screenplays

Actor

• Rue du Pied de Grue (1979)
• Sono fotogenico, directed by Dino Risi (1980)
• Il ciclone, directed by Leonardo Pieraccioni (1996, voice)
• Sotto il sole della Toscana (Under the Tuscan Sun, 2003)

See also

In Spanish: Mario Monicelli para niños