Damiano Damiani (23 July 1922 – 7 March 2013) was an Italian screenwriter, film director,

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

and writer. Poet and director

Pier Paolo Pasolini Pier Paolo Pasolini (; 5 March 1922 – 2 November 1975) was an Italian poet, filmmaker, writer and intellectual who also distinguished himself as a journalist, novelist, translator, playwright, visual artist and actor. He is considered one of ...

referred to him as "a bitter moralist hungry for old purity", while film critic

Paolo Mereghetti Paolo Mereghetti (born 28 September 1949) is an Italian film critic. Born in Milan, Mereghetti graduated in philosophy with a thesis about Orson Welles.Giorgio Dell’Arti, Massimo Parrini. "Mereghetti, Paolo". ''Catalogo dei viventi''. Marsilio ...

said that his style made him "the most American of Italian directors". In 1946 Damiano Damiani became part of the so-called Group of Venice with

Fernando Carcupino Fernando Carcupino (23 July 1922 – 22 March 2003) was an Italian painter, illustrator and comics artist. He was most widely known for his female nudes, but he also painted landscapes, still lifes, historical subjects, and portraits of mothers ...

Hugo Pratt Ugo Eugenio Prat, better known as Hugo Pratt (15 June 1927 – 20 August 1995), was an Italian comic book creator who was known for combining strong storytelling with extensive historical research on works such as ''Corto Maltese''. He was ind ...

and

Dino Battaglia Dino Battaglia (1 August 1923 – 4 October 1983) was an Italian comic artist, noted for a distinctive and expressive style, best known for his visual adaptations of classic novels. In 1946 Dino Battaglia became part of the so-called Group of Ven ...

Life and career

Born in Pasiano di Pordenone,

Friuli Friuli ( fur, Friûl, sl, Furlanija, german: Friaul) is an area of Northeast Italy with its own particular cultural and historical identity containing 1,000,000 Friulians. It comprises the major part of the autonomous region Friuli Venezia Giuli ...

, Damiani studied at the

Accademia di Brera The Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera ("academy of fine arts of Brera"), also known as the or Brera Academy, is a state-run tertiary public academy of fine arts in Milan, Italy. It shares its history, and its main building, with the Pinacoteca di ...

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

, then made his début in 1947 with the documentary ''La banda d'Affari''. After a few years as a screenwriter, he directed his first feature film in 1960, '' Il rossetto''. Before his career as a big screenwriter, Damiani was first a comic cartoonist in association with the "Group of Venice". Focused on the comic ''

Asso di Picche Asso di Picche was an Italian comic series featuring an eponymous masked crime fighter who combats an international crime syndicate known as the Band of Panthers - the action occurs all over the world, but chiefly in a dark, melancholic version of ...

'' (1945–49) the comic featured a masked vigilante who fights crime all over the globe and is in charge of the crime stopping organization, "Band of Panthers". A smaller publication to which he also contributed through illustration was ''Mike Lazy'' (1946) producing two volumes in Albo Dinamite by Edizioni Il Carro in

. Then individually producing his own gangster comic, ''Pat la Rocca'' (1946). Two books were published in the collection Collana Gialli Film, also by Edizioni Il Carro. A third comic was scheduled and advertised to release yet never materialized. Continuing his work in the comic industry, Damiani wrote scripts for the photo comic strip ''Arizona Kid'' (1949) published in

Mondadori Arnoldo Mondadori Editore () is the biggest publishing company in Italy. History The company was founded in 1907 in Ostiglia by 18-year-old Arnoldo Mondadori who began his publishing career with the publication of the magazine ''Luce!''. In 1 ...

magazines such as ''Avventuroso Film'' and ''Bolero Film''. Moving on to work on the launch of a similar magazine, ''

Sogno ''Sogno'' ( en, Dream) is the fifth studio album by Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli. The album sold 2.5 million copies in the United States,

'', alongside editor

Luciano Pedrocchi Luciano is an Italian, Spanish and Portuguese given name and surname. It is derived from Latin ''Lucianus'', patronymic of ''Lucius'' ("Light"). The French form is ''Lucien'', while the Basque form is ''Luken''. Single name * Luciano (rapper) ...

, he also later worked as a screenwriter for an adventure comic ''I Tre Boyscouts'' (Edizioni Castello, 1948; which was illustrated by Rino Ferrari,

Giovanni Benvenuti Giovanni "Nino" Benvenuti (born 26 April 1938) is an Italian former professional boxer and actor. He held world titles in two weight classes, having held the undisputed super-welterweight championship from June 1965 to June 1966 and the undispute ...

and

Andrea Bresciani Andrea Bresciani (29 January 1923 – 7 February 2006) was an Italian-born comics artist, illustrator, and animator. Of Slovenian origin, he was born Dušan Brešan in Tolmino (at the time part of Italy) and emigrated to Australia in 1950. Amongst ...

). Later in his career, Damiani did some illustration work for the crime noir comic, '' Hogart il Giustiziere'', which was reprinted and published under the title ''

Bogart il Giusitiziere Humphrey DeForest Bogart (; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American film and stage actor. His performances in Classical Hollywood cinema films made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film Ins ...

'' (1968–69). His 1962 film, ''

Arturo's Island ''Arturo's Island'' ( it, L'isola di Arturo) is a novel by Italian author Elsa Morante. Published in 1957, it won the Premio Strega. Plot synopsis In the novel, Arturo, a small boy, grows up on the island of Procida in the Bay of Naples. The isl ...

'', won the

Golden Shell The Golden Shell ( es, Concha de Oro; eu, Urrezko Maskorra) is the highest prize given to a competing film at the San Sebastián Film Festival. It was introduced in 1957. In 1953 and 1954, the highest prize had been called the Gran Premio. In 19 ...

at the

San Sebastián International Film Festival The San Sebastián International Film Festival ( SSIFF; es, Festival Internacional de San Sebastián, eu, Donostia Zinemaldia) is an annual FIAPF A category film festival held in the Spanish city of Donostia-San Sebastián in September, in ...

. The 1960s were Damiani's "golden decade"; he was praised by critics and his films were box office successes. In 1966, he directed '' A Bullet for the General'', one of the first political " Spaghetti Westerns". In 1968, with ''

The Day of the Owl ''The Day of the Owl'' ( it, Il giorno della civetta ) is a crime novel about the Sicilian Mafia by Leonardo Sciascia, finished in 1960 and published in 1961. As the author wrote in his preface of the 1972 Italian edition, the novel was writ ...

'', he started a series of films in which social criticism, often related to the connections between politics and crime, was mixed with spectacular plots. His 1971 film ''

Confessions of a Police Captain ''Confessions of a Police Captain'' ( it, Confessione di un commissario di polizia al procuratore della repubblica, also known as ''Confessions of a Police Commissioner to the District Attorney'') is an Italian crime-drama film. The film won the ...

'' won the Golden Prize at the

7th Moscow International Film Festival The 7th Moscow International Film Festival was held from 20 July to 3 August 1971. The Golden Prizes were awarded to the Italian film '' Confessions of a Police Captain'' directed by Damiano Damiani, the Japanese film ''Live Today, Die Tomorrow! ...

. In 1973 Damiani débuted as an actor, playing

Giovanni Amendola Giovanni Amendola (15 April 1882 – 7 April 1926) was an Italian journalist, professor and politician, noted as an opponent of Italian Fascism. Biography Early life and education Amendola was born in Naples on 15 April 1882. He moved to Rome, ...

Florestano Vancini Florestano Vancini (24 August 1926 – 18 September 2008) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He directed over 20 films since 1960. His 1966 film '' Le stagioni del nostro amore'', starring Enrico Maria Salerno, was entered into t ...

's '' The Matteotti Murder''. He was known to cult horror film fans for directing '' Amityville II: The Possession'' in 1982 for

Dino de Laurentiis Agostino "Dino" De Laurentiis (; 8 August 1919 – 10 November 2010) was an Italian-American film producer. Along with Carlo Ponti, he was one of the producers who brought Italian cinema to the international scene at the end of World War II. He ...

. In 1984, he directed one of the most famous Italian television series, '' La piovra'', a description of the contemporary

Italian Mafia Organized crime in Italy and its criminal organizations have been prevalent in Italy, especially Southern Italy, for centuries and have affected the social and economic life of many Italian regions since at least the 19th century. There are six ...

and its involvement in politics. His last feature film was ''Assassini dei giorni di festa '', directed in 2002.

Death

Damiani died on 7 March 2013, at his home in Rome, from respiratory failure; he was 90 years old.

Filmography

Screenwriter

* ''

The Mysteries of Paris ''The Mysteries of Paris'' (french: Les Mystères de Paris) is a novel by the French writer Eugène Sue. It was published serially in 90 parts in ''Journal des débats'' from 19 June 1842 until 15 October 1843, making it one of the first seria ...

'' (1957) * ''

Herod the Great Herod I (; ; grc-gre, ; c. 72 – 4 or 1 BCE), also known as Herod the Great, was a Roman Jewish client king of Judea, referred to as the Herodian kingdom. He is known for his colossal building projects throughout Judea, including his renova ...

'' (1958) * ''

Head of a Tyrant ''Head of a Tyrant'' or ''Judith and Holofernes'' (Italian:''Giuditta e Oloferne'') is a 1959 Italian-French historical film directed by Fernando Cerchio and starring Massimo Girotti, Isabelle Corey and Renato Baldini.Parish p.53 It is part of t ...

'' (1959)

Director

* ''

Lipstick Lipstick is a cosmetic product used to apply coloration and texture to lips, often made of wax and oil. Different pigments are used to produce color, and minerals such as silica may be used to provide texture. The use of lipstick dates back t ...

'' (''Il rossetto'', 1960) * ''

Blood Feud A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one pa ...

'' (1961) aka ''Il sicario'' (1960) * ''

'' (''L'isola di Arturo'', 1962) * ''

The Empty Canvas ''The Empty Canvas'' is a 1963 Italian drama film directed by Damiano Damiani. The screenplay written by Damiani, Tonino Guerra and Ugo Liberatore is based on the best-selling novel ''La noia'' by Alberto Moravia. The film stars Horst Buchholz ...

'' (''La noia'', 1963) * '' The Reunion'' (''La rimpatriata'', 1963) * '' The Witch in Love'' (''La strega in amore'', 1966) * '' A Bullet for the General'' (''El Chuncho, quien sabe?'', 1966) * ''

'' also known as ''Mafia'' (''Il giorno della civetta'', 1967) * ''

A Complicated Girl ''Una ragazza piuttosto complicata'' (internationally released as ''A Complicated Girl'') is a 1968 Italian giallo film directed by Damiano Damiani. For her performance in this film and in '' Metti una sera a cena'', Florinda Bolkan was awarded wi ...

'' (''Una ragazza piuttosto complicata'', 1968) * ''

The Most Beautiful Wife ''The Most Beautiful Wife'' ( it, La moglie più bella) is a 1970 Italian film directed by Damiano Damiani, based on the 1965 case of Franca Viola, who challenged the still frequent southern Italian custom of kidnapping and raping a prospective ...

'' (''La moglie più bella'', 1970) * ''

'' (''Confessioni di un Commissario di Polizia al Procuratore della Repubblica'') (1971) * ''

The Case Is Closed, Forget It ''L'istruttoria è chiusa: dimentichi '' (internationally released as ''The Case Is Closed, Forget It'') is a List of Italian films of 1971, 1971 Cinema of Italy, Italian crime drama film directed by Damiano Damiani. It is based on the novel ''Tan ...

'' (''L'istruttoria è chiusa: dimentichi'', 1972) * ''

The Assassin of Rome ''The Assassin of Rome'' ( it, Girolimoni, il mostro di Roma) is a 1972 Italian historical drama film directed by Damiano Damiani. The film tells, with some historical licenses, the story of Gino Girolimoni, wrongfully accused of a series of chil ...

'' (''Girolimoni, il mostro di Roma'', 1972) * '' The Devil Is a Woman'' (''Sorriso del grande tentatore'', 1974) * '' How to Kill a Judge'' (''Perché si uccide un magistrato'', 1974) * '' A Genius, Two Partners and a Dupe'' (''Un genio, due compari, un pollo'', 1975) * ''

Goodbye and Amen ''Goodbye & Amen'' is a 1978 Italian film. It stars Claudia Cardinale, Tony Musante and John Forsythe in the leading roles. Cast *Tony Musante: John Dhannay *Claudia Cardinale: Aliki *John Forsythe: USA ambassador *John Steiner: Donald Grayso ...

'' (''Goodbye e amen'', 1977) * ''

I Am Afraid ''I Am Afraid'' ( it, Io ho paura, link=no) is an Italian crime film directed by Damiano Damiani. Cast * Gian Maria Volonté as Brigadeer Lodovico Graziano *Mario Adorf as Judge Moser *Erland Josephson as Judge Cancedda *Angelica Ippolit ...

'' (''Io ho paura'') (1977) * ''

A Man on His Knees ''Un uomo in ginocchio'' (internationally released as ''A Man on His Knees'') is a 1979 Italian crime-drama film directed by Damiano Damiani. For his performance Giuliano Gemma won the Grolla d'oro for Best Actor. Cast * Giuliano Gemma: Nino ...

'' (''Un uomo in ginocchio'') (1978) * '' The Warning'' (''L'Avvertimento'', 1980) * '' Amityville II: The Possession'' (1982) * '' Parole e sangue'' (1983, TV) * '' La piovra'' (1984, TV) * '' Pizza Connection'' (1985) * ''

The Inquiry The Inquiry was a study group established in September 1917 by Woodrow Wilson to prepare materials for the peace negotiations following World War I. The group, composed of around 150 academics, was directed by the presidential adviser Edward Hou ...

'' (''L'inchiesta'', 1986) * '' Imago urbis'' (1987) * '' Massacre Play'' (1989) * '' Lenin...The Train'' (1990, TV) * ''

The Dark Sun ''Il sole buio'', internationally released as ''The Dark Sun'' and ''Dark Sun'', is a 1990 Italian thriller-drama film directed by Damiano Damiani.''Variety Film Reviews'', Volume 21, Garland Pub., 1989 Plot Cast * Jo Champa: Lucia Isgr� ...

'' (''Il sole buio'', 1990) * '' Man of Respect'' (''Uomo di rispetto'') (1992) * '' L'angelo con la pistola'' (1992) * '' Una bambina di troppo'' (1994, TV) * '' Ama il tuo nemico'' (1999, TV) * '' Alex l'ariete'' (2000) * '' Ama il tuo nemico 2'' (2001, TV) * '' Another World Is Possible'' (', 2001) * '' Assassini dei giorni di festa'' (2002)

Actor

* ''7 Bullets for Gringo'' (1967) - Journalist with Gen. Elías (uncredited) * ''

'' (1971) - Vanzi's lawyer (uncredited) * ''

The Assassination of Matteotti ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' (1973) -

* '' How to Kill a Judge'' (1975) - Giacomo Solaris' Attorney (uncredited) (final film role)

Awards

* Golden Seashell at San Sebastian Film Festival for ''L'isola di Arturo'' (1962) * Berlin FIPRESCI Prize - Honorable Mention, for ''La rimpatriata''(1963) * Silver Berlin Bear - Honorable Mention for '' Pizza Connection''(1985) * David di Donatello, Alitalia Award, for L'Inchiesta (1986) * Golden Prize at

Moscow Film Festival The Moscow International Film Festival (russian: Моско́вский междунаро́дный кинофестива́ль, translit. ''Moskóvskiy myezhdunaródniy kinofyestivál''; abbreviated as MIFF) is the film festival first h ...

for ''Confessione di un commissario di polizia al procuratore della repubblica'' (1971)

Nominations

*Golden Berlin Bear for ''Pizza Connection'' (1985) *Golden Berlin Bear for ''Il giorno della civetta'' (

1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – " Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * Janu ...

) *Golden Berlin Bear for ''La rimpatriata'' (

1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Co ...

)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Damiani, Damiano 1922 births 2013 deaths People from the Province of Pordenone Giallo film directors Italian film directors Italian screenwriters Spaghetti Western directors Poliziotteschi directors Deaths from respiratory failure Italian male screenwriters