Giovanni Grimaldi (14 November 1917 – 25 February 2001) was an Italian screenwriter,

journalist A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalis ...

and film director. He was sometimes credited as Gianni Grimaldi.

Biography

Born in Catania,

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

, Grimaldi entered the cinema industry in 1952 as a screenwriter of a large number of often highly successful films, frequently working together with Bruno Corbucci. Since 1964 he became a prolific director of comedy films, often working with

Lando Buzzanca Gerlando "Lando" Buzzanca (24 August 1935 – 18 December 2022) was an Italian stage, film, and television actor whose career spanned 65 years. Life and career Early years Born in Palermo the son of a cinema projectionist, at 16 years old Buz ...

and with the couple

Franco and Ciccio Franco () and Ciccio () were a comic comedy duo formed by Italian actors Franco Franchi (1928–1992) and Ciccio Ingrassia (1922–2003), particularly popular in the 1960s and 1970s. Their collaboration began in 1954 in the theater field, and end ...

. Aside from films, Grimaldi was a journalist, a collaborator and even the director of several Italian humor magazines such as ''Trilussa'', ''

Candido Candido is both a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include: Given name * Candido Amantini (1914–1992), Italian Roman Catholic priest * Candido Camero known simply as "Candido" (1921-2020), Cuban percussionist * Candido Jacu ...

'' 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 ...

''. He was also a radio author, a playwright and a television director. He was the father of the director and screenwriter

Aldo Grimaldi Aldo Grimaldi (1942 – 5 August 1990) was an Italian director and screenwriter. Born in Catania, the son of the director and screenwriter Giovanni Grimaldi, he started his career as an assistant director in the films of his father. He made ...

Selected filmography

Director and screenwriter

* '' Questo pazzo, pazzo mondo della canzone'' (1965) * ''

In a Colt's Shadow ''In a Colt's Shadow'' ( it, All'ombra di una colt) is a 1965 Italian Spaghetti Western film directed and written by Giovanni Grimaldi. Story Two professional gunfighters separate after they complete a job in a small Mexican town where they rid i ...

'' (1965) * '' James Tont operazione U.N.O.'' (1965) * ''

The Handsome, the Ugly, and the Stupid ''Il bello, il brutto, il cretino'', internationally known as ''The Handsome, the Ugly, and the Stupid'' is a 1967 Italian film directed by Giovanni Grimaldi starring the comic duo Franco and Ciccio. It is a Spaghetti Western parody of ''The Good, ...

'' (1967) * ''

I 2 deputati I, or i, is the ninth letter and the third vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''i'' (pronounced ), plural ...

'' (1968) * ''

Don Chisciotte and Sancio Panza ''Don Chisciotte and Sancio Panza'' ( it, Don Chisciotte e Sancio Panza) is an Italian 1968 comedy film written and directed by Giovanni Grimaldi and starring the comic duo Franco and Ciccio. It is based on the Miguel de Cervantes' novel ''Don Qui ...

'' (1968) * ''

Un caso di coscienza ''Un caso di coscienza'' (Italian for ''A matter of conscience'') is a 1970 Italian comedy-drama film written and directed by Giovanni Grimaldi. It is based on the Leonardo Sciascia's short story with the same name, which is part of the collect ...

'' (1970) * '' Il magnate'' (1973) * ''

La governante ''La governante'' (''The Governess'') is a 1974 Italian comedy-drama film directed by Giovanni Grimaldi and starring Turi Ferro and Martine Brochard. It is based on a stage play by Vitaliano Brancati. The film got a great commercial success, gr ...

'' (1974) * ''

Il fidanzamento ''Il fidanzamento'' (''The Engagement'') is a 1975 Italian romantic comedy-drama film directed by Giovanni Grimaldi. It is based on the novel with the same name written by Goffredo Parise. Plot Catania. Luigi Manozzi is a public official who h ...

'' (1975)

Screenwriter

* ''

I, Hamlet ''I, Hamlet'' (Italian: ''Io, Amleto'') is a 1952 Italian comedy film directed by Giorgio Simonelli and starring Erminio Macario, Franca Marzi and Rossana Podestà. A parody of William Shakespeare's tragedy ''Hamlet'', its lack of commercial suc ...

'' (1952) * '' Matrimonial Agency'' (1953) * ''

It Happened at the Police Station ''It Happened at the Police Station'' (Italian: ''Accadde al commissariato'') is a 1954 Italian comedy film directed by Giorgio Simonelli and starring Nino Taranto, Alberto Sordi and Walter Chiari.Lanzoni p.18 Cast * Nino Taranto as Police Commis ...

'' (1954) * '' Buonanotte... avvocato!'' (1955) * ''

Allow Me, Daddy! ''Allow Me, Daddy!'' ( it, Mi permette, babbo!) is a 1956 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Bonnard. Plot Rodolfo, a young man with the ambitions of an opera singer in the bass register, does not work, gets up at midday and lives on the shou ...

'' (1956) * ''

Who Hesitates is Lost Who or WHO may refer to: * Who (pronoun), an interrogative or relative pronoun * Who?, one of the Five Ws in journalism * World Health Organization Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Who, a creature in the Dr. Seuss book ''Horton Hear ...

'' (1960) * ''

The Two Marshals ''The Two Marshals'' ( it, I due marescialli) is a 1961 Italian comedy film written and directed by Sergio Corbucci. The film was a hit at the Italian box office, with 2.765.531 spectators and a total gross of 536.513.000 lire.Matilde Amorosi, ...

'' (1961) * '' Totò, Peppino e... la dolce vita'' (1961) * ''

Gladiators 7 ''Gladiators 7'' is a 1962 film directed by Pedro Lazaga. The film has several elements from Akira Kurosawa's film ''The Seven Samurai''. Plot A Greek gladiator seeks revenge for the murder of his father and finds his lover captured by an evil t ...

'' (1962) * '' The Slave'' (1962) * ''

Lo smemorato di Collegno ''Lo smemorato di Collegno'' (Italian for "The Collegno amnesiac") is a 1962 commedia all'italiana film directed by Sergio Corbucci. It is loosely based on the Bruneri-Canella case. Plot A man is hospitalized in a neurological clinic, due to a ...

'' (1962) * ''

The Two Colonels ''I due colonnelli'' (internationally released as ''The Two Colonels'') is a 1963 Italian comedy film directed by Steno. The character of Totò took inspiration from a similar character he played in '' Totò Diabolicus''. Plot The story is of I ...

'' (1962) * ''

Toto's First Night ''Toto's First Night'' (Italian: ''Totò di notte n. 1'') is a 1962 Italian musical comedy film directed by Mario Amendola and starring Totò and Erminio Macario.Bìspuri p.264 Plot Ninì and Mimi are two friends, itinerant players, who can not ...

'' (1962) * '' Toto vs. Maciste'' (1962) * ''

The Monk of Monza ''The Monk of Monza'' ( it, Il monaco di Monza) is a 1963 Italian comedy film directed by Sergio Corbucci. It parodies the story of the Nun of Monza, as depicted in the Alessandro Manzoni's novel '' The Betrothed''. Plot Monza, 1630, a period ...

'' (1963) * ''

Toto vs. the Four ''Totò contro i quattro'', internationally released as ''Toto vs. the Four'', is a List of Italian films of 1963, 1963 Cinema of Italy, Italian comedy film directed by Stefano Vanzina, Steno. Despite its title, it was not a true fusion between To ...

'' (1963) * '' Totò Diabolicus'' (1963) * ''

Toto and Cleopatra ''Toto and Cleopatra'' ( it, Totò e Cleopatra) is a 1963 Italian adventure-comedy film written and directed by Fernando Cerchio. Plot Mark Antony has a brother-lookalike, Totonno, a sinister slave trader. Totonno secretly replaces Mark Antony ...

'' (1963) * '' Sexy Toto'' (1963) * ''

I due mafiosi '' I due mafiosi'' ( es, Dos de la mafia, literally "Two Mafiamen") is a 1964 Italian-Spanish crime comedy film directed by Giorgio Simonelli and starring the comedy duo Franco and Ciccio. It is a parody of Alberto Lattuada's '' Mafioso''.Franco e ...

'' (1964) * ''

Tears on Your Face ''Tears on Your Face'' (Italian: ''Una lacrima sul viso'') is a 1964 Italian " musicarello" film directed by Ettore Maria Fizzarotti. It is named after the Bobby Solo's hit song " Una lacrima sul viso".Daniele Magni, ''Cuori matti - Dizionario dei ...

'' (1964) * '' What Ever Happened to Baby Toto?'' (1964) * '' Toto of Arabia'' (1965) * '' Latin Lovers'' (1965) * '' Mi vedrai tornare'' (1966) * ''

4 Dollars of Revenge ''4 Dollars of Revenge'' ( es, Cuatro dólares de venganza) is a 1966 Spanish-Italian action western film directed by Alfonso Balcázar and Jaime Jesús Balcázar, written by Bruno Corbucci, Aldo Grimaldi and Giovanni Grimaldi and starring Rob ...

'' (1966) * '' Nel sole'' (1967) * ''

Angeli senza paradiso ''Angeli senza paradiso'' ("''Angels without Paradise''") is a 1970 Italian "musicarello" directed by Ettore Maria Fizzarotti. It is an unofficial remake of the 1933 film '' Gently My Songs Entreat'' by Willi Forst.Daniele Magni, ''Cuori matti - ...

'' (1970) * '' Paths of War'' (1970) * ''

When Women Were Called Virgins ''When Women Were Called Virgins'' ( it, Quando le donne si chiamavano madonne) is a 1972 commedia sexy all'italiana written and directed by Aldo Grimaldi. It is part of a series of derivative erotic comedies set in the Middle Ages which were bas ...

'' (1972)

Sources

External links

* 1917 births 2001 deaths Italian film directors 20th-century Italian screenwriters Italian male screenwriters Italian dramatists and playwrights Journalists from Catania Italian male journalists Italian male dramatists and playwrights 20th-century Italian dramatists and playwrights 20th-century Italian male writers 20th-century Italian journalists Film people from Catania {{Italy-film-director-stub