Mauro Bolognini (28 June 1922 – 14 May 2001) was an Italian film and stage director of literate sensibility, known for his masterly handling of period subject matter.

Early years

Bolognini was born in

Pistoia Pistoia (, is a city and ''comune'' in the Italian region of Tuscany, the capital of a province of the same name, located about west and north of Florence and is crossed by the Ombrone Pistoiese, a tributary of the River Arno. It is a typi ...

, in the

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze''). Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...

region of Italy. After earning a master's degree in architecture at the

University of Florence The University of Florence (Italian: ''Università degli Studi di Firenze'', UniFI) is an Italian public research university located in Florence, Italy. It comprises 12 schools and has around 50,000 students enrolled. History The first universi ...

, Bolognini enrolled at the

Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia The Centro sperimentale di cinematografia (Experimental Film Centre or Italian National film school) was established in 1935 in Italy and aims to promote the art and technique of cinematography and film. The centre is the oldest film school in ...

(Italian National Film Academy) in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, where he studied stage design. After graduation, he became interested in film direction and set out to work as an assistant to directors

Luigi Zampa Luigi Zampa (2 January 1905 – 16 August 1991) was an Italian film director. Biography Son of a worker, Zampa studied filmmaking from 1932 to 1937 at the Italian film school Centro sperimentale di cinematografia in Rome. He directed several ...

in Italy, and

Yves Allégret Yves Allégret (13 October 1905 – 31 January 1987) was a French film director, often working in the film noir genre. He was born in Asnières-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine and died in Paris. He was an assistant to film directors such as his broth ...

and

Jean Delannoy Jean Delannoy (12 January 1908 – 18 June 2008) was a French actor, film editor, screenwriter and film director. Biography Although Delannoy was born in a Paris suburb, his family was from Haute-Normandie in the north of France. He was a P ...

in France.

Film and television

Bolognini began directing his own feature films in the mid-1950s, and received his first international success with '' Wild Love'' (''Gli innamorati''). His other notable films of the 1950s and early 1960s include ''

Young Husbands ''Young Husbands'' ( it, Giovani mariti) is a 1958 Italian comedy film directed by Mauro Bolognini. It was entered into the 1958 Cannes Film Festival. For this film Armando Nannuzzi won a Nastro d'Argento, Silver Ribbon (Nastro d'Argento) for Be ...

'' (''Giovani mariti''), '' The Big Night'' (''La notte brava''), '' From a Roman Balcony'' (''La giornata balorda''), and the

Marcello Mastroianni Marcello Vincenzo Domenico Mastroianni (28 September 1924 – 19 December 1996) was an Italian film actor, regarded as one of his country's most iconic male performers of the 20th century. He played leading roles for many of Italy's top di ...

Claudia Cardinale Claude Joséphine Rose "Claudia" Cardinale (; born 15 April 1938) is an Italian actress. She has starred in some of the most iconic European films of the 1960s and 1970s, acting in Italian, French, and English. Born and raised in La Goulette, a ...

starrer ''

Il bell'Antonio ''Il bell'Antonio'' ("Handsome Antonio") is a 1960 Italian-French drama film directed by Mauro Bolognini. The film is based on a novel by Vitaliano Brancati and adapted for the screen by Pier Paolo Pasolini and Gino Visentini. It stars Marcello ...

'' (arguably his masterpiece), all written by

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 ...

. Parting professionally with Pasolini in 1961, Bolognini directed two love stories starring Claudia Cardinale, '' The Lovemakers'' (''La viaccia'') and '' Careless'' (''Senilità''), and the coming-of-age films '' Agostino'' and ''

Corruption Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense which is undertaken by a person or an organization which is entrusted in a position of authority, in order to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's personal gain. Corruption m ...

'' (''La corruzione'') before turning his talents to a series of international anthology films, including '' The Dolls'' (''Le bambole''), '' Three Faces of a Woman'' (''I tre volti''), '' The Queens'' (''Le fate'') and '' The Witches'' (''Le streghe''). Bolognini returned to features in 1966 with ''

Madamigella di Maupin ''Madamigella di Maupin'' is a 1966 Italian adventure film directed by Mauro Bolognini. It is loosely based on the life of Mademoiselle de Maupin and the novel with the same name by Théophile Gautier. Cast * Catherine Spaak as Magdeleine d ...

'' (''Mademoiselle de Maupin'') featuring Catherine Spaak and

Robert Hossein Robert Hossein (30 December 1927 – 31 December 2020) was a French film actor, director, and writer. He directed the 1982 adaptation of ''Les Misérables'' and appeared in '' Vice and Virtue'', '' Le Casse'', '' Les Uns et les Autres'' and '' ...

. His films of the 1970s include the period dramas ''

Metello ''Metello'' is a 1970 Italian drama film directed by Mauro Bolognini. It was entered into the 1970 Cannes Film Festival. It starred Massimo Ranieri as the title character. Plot During the end of the 19th century, young Metello decides to start ...

'' and ''

Bubù ''Bubù'' (also known as ''Bubu'') is a 1971 Italian historical drama film directed by Mauro Bolognini. The film is a transposition, set in Milan and Turin, of the novel ''Bubu de Montparnasse'' by Charles-Louis Philippe. Cast * Massimo Rani ...

'', both starring

Massimo Ranieri Massimo Ranieri (born Giovanni Calone on 3 May 1951) is an Italian singer, actor, television presenter and director. Biography Early life Ranieri was born in Naples ( at Santa Lucia), the fifth of eight children in the family. When he was 10, y ...

, '' The Murri Affair'' (''Fatti di gente perbene'') starring

Giancarlo Giannini Giancarlo Giannini (born 1 August 1942) is an Italian actor and voice actor. He won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor for his performance in ''Love and Anarchy'' (1973) and received an Academy Award nomination for ''Seven Beauties' ...

and

Catherine Deneuve Catherine Fabienne Dorléac (born 22 October 1943), known professionally as Catherine Deneuve (, , ), is a French actress as well as an occasional singer, model, and producer, considered one of the greatest European actresses. She gained recogni ...

and '' The Inheritance'' (''L'eredità Ferramonti'') with

Anthony Quinn Manuel Antonio Rodolfo Quinn Oaxaca (April 21, 1915 – June 3, 2001), known professionally as Anthony Quinn, was a Mexican-American actor. He was known for his portrayal of earthy, passionate characters "marked by a brutal and elemental v ...

and

Dominique Sanda Dominique Marie-Françoise Renée Varaigne (born 11 March 1951), professionally known as Dominique Sanda, is a French actress and former fashion model. Life and career Sanda was born in Paris, to Lucienne (née Pichon) and Gérard Varaigne. She ...

. In 1981, Bolognini filmed ''

The Lady of the Camellias ''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 ...

'' (''La storia vera della signora delle camelie''), inspired by the

Alexandre Dumas, fils Alexandre Dumas (; 27 July 1824 – 27 November 1895) was a French author and playwright, best known for the romantic novel ''La Dame aux Camélias'' (''The Lady of the Camellias''), published in 1848, which was adapted into Giuseppe Verdi's 1 ...

novel and play. Throughout the decade, he continued directing feature films, as well as the television miniseries ''

The Charterhouse of Parma ''The Charterhouse of Parma'' (french: La Chartreuse de Parme, links=no) is a novel by Stendhal published in 1839. Telling the story of an Italian nobleman in the Napoleonic era and later, it was admired by Balzac, Tolstoy, André Gide, di Lam ...

'' and ''A Time of Indifference''. His final feature was the soft-core erotic drama '' Husband and Lovers'' (''La villa del venerdì'') starring

Julian Sands Julian Richard Morley Sands''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, ...

and

Joanna Pacula Joanna is a feminine given name deriving from from he, יוֹחָנָה, translit=Yôḥānāh, lit=God is gracious. Variants in English include Joan, Joann, Joanne, and Johanna. Other forms of the name in English are Jan, Jane, Janet, Janice ...

, released in 1991.

Stage and opera

In the mid-1960s, Bolognini started to show an interest, as stage director, in the production of operas and plays. His debut was in 1964 with

Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto to a provincial family of moderate means, receiving a musical education with the h ...

's ''

Ernani ''Ernani'' is an operatic ''dramma lirico'' in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, based on the 1830 play ''Hernani (drama), Hernani'' by Victor Hugo. Verdi was commissioned by the Teatro La Fenice in V ...

'' at the

Teatro Massimo The Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele is an opera house and opera company located on the Piazza Verdi in Palermo, Sicily. It was dedicated to King Victor Emanuel II. It is the biggest in Italy, and one of the largest of Europe (at the time of its i ...

Palermo Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan ...

, featuring tenor Mario Del Monaco. It was followed, in the same year, by

Puccini Giacomo Puccini ( Lucca, 22 December 1858Bruxelles, 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for his operas. Regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he was descended from a long ...

's ''

Tosca ''Tosca'' is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It premiered at the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900. The work, based on Victorien Sardou's 1 ...

'' at the

Teatro dell'Opera di Roma The Teatro dell'Opera di Roma (Rome Opera House) is an opera house in Rome, Italy. Originally opened in November 1880 as the 2,212 seat ''Costanzi Theatre'', it has undergone several changes of name as well modifications and improvements. The pre ...

in Rome, and by many others, including:

Vincenzo Bellini Vincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini (; 3 November 1801 – 23 September 1835) was a Sicilian opera composer, who was known for his long-flowing melodic lines for which he was named "the Swan of Catania". Many years later, in 1898, Giu ...

's ''

Norma Norma may refer to: * Norma (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) Astronomy *Norma (constellation) * 555 Norma, a minor asteroid *Cygnus Arm or Norma Arm, a spiral arm in the Milky Way galaxy Geography *Norma, Lazi ...

'' at

La Scala La Scala (, , ; abbreviation in Italian of the official name ) is a famous opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the ' (New Royal-Ducal Theatre alla Scala). The premiere performan ...

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 ...

(1972), and at the Bolshoi opera house in

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

(1975);

's ''

Aida ''Aida'' (or ''Aïda'', ) is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni. Set in the Old Kingdom of Egypt, it was commissioned by Cairo's Khedivial Opera House and had its première there on 24 December ...

'' at

La Fenice Teatro La Fenice (, "The Phoenix") is an opera house in Venice, Italy. It is one of "the most famous and renowned landmarks in the history of Italian theatre" and in the history of opera as a whole. Especially in the 19th century, La Fenice beca ...

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

(1978); and Henze's ''Pollicino'' at the

Poliziano Agnolo (Angelo) Ambrogini (14 July 1454 – 24 September 1494), commonly known by his nickname Poliziano (; anglicized as Politian; Latin: '' Politianus''), was an Italian classical scholar and poet of the Florentine Renaissance. His scho ...

opera house in

Montepulciano Montepulciano () is a medieval and Renaissance hill town and ''comune'' in the Italian province of Siena in southern Tuscany. It sits high on a limestone ridge, east of Pienza, southeast of Siena, southeast of Florence, and north of Rome b ...

(1995).

Death

Bolognini died in

Rome, Italy , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (Romulus and Remus, legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg ...

, in 2001, aged 78.

Filmography

*' / ''We're in the Gallery'' (1953) *''

Knights of the Queen ''Knights of the Queen'' (Italian:''I cavalieri della regina'') is a 1954 Italian-American swashbuckler based on ''The Three Musketeers'' starring Sebastian Cabot. It was shot in Europe. It later led to a TV series, ''The Queen's Musketeers'' or ...

'' (1954) *''

La vena d'oro ''The Golden Vein'' ( it, La vena d'oro) is a 1955 Italian drama film directed Mauro Bolognini and starring Märta Torén and Richard Basehart. It is based on a play by Guglielmo Zorzi which had previously been made into a 1928 silent film ''Th ...

'' / ''Golden Vein'' (1955) *'' Gli innamorati'' / ''Wild Love'' (1955) *''I tre moschettieri'' / ''The Three Musketeers'' (1956 - TV Series) *''

Guardia, guardia scelta, brigadiere e maresciallo ''Guardia, guardia scelta, brigadiere e maresciallo'' is a 1956 Italian comedy film directed by Mauro Bolognini. Cast *Aldo Fabrizi: Brigadiere Pietro Spaziani *Alberto Sordi: Alberto Randolfi *Peppino De Filippo: Giuseppe Manganiello *Gi ...

'' / ''Guard, Elite Guard, Brigadier and Marshall'' (1956) *' / ''Marisa'' (1957) *'' Giovani mariti'' / ''Young Husbands'' (1958) *''

Arrangiatevi! ''Arrangiatevi!'', internationally released as ''You're on Your Own'', is a 1959 Italian comedy film directed by Mauro Bolognini. In 2008 the film was selected to enter the list of the 100 Italian films to be saved. Plot summary Peppino and his ...

'' / ''You're On Your Own '' (1959) *'' La notte brava'' / ''The Big Night'' / ''Bad Girls Don't Cry'' (1959) *''

La giornata balorda ''From a Roman Balcony'' (also known as ''Pickup in Rome'' and ''The Crazy Day'') is a 1960 drama film directed by Mauro Bolognini. It is a co-production between Italy (where it was released as ''La giornata balorda'') and France (where it is know ...

'' / ''From a Roman Balcony'' (1960) *''

'' / ''Bell'Antonio'' (1960) *''

La viaccia ''The Lovemakers'' ( it, La viaccia) is a 1961 Italian drama film directed by Mauro Bolognini based on a novel by Mario Pratesi. The film which stars Claudia Cardinale and Jean-Paul Belmondo, was entered into the 1961 Cannes Film Festival. Plot ...

'' / ''The Lovemakers'' (1961) *'' Agostino'' (1962) *''

Senilità ''Senilità'', translated into English as ''As a Man Grows Older'' or ''Emilio's Carnival'', is Italo Svevo's second novel, first published in 1898. The novel's protagonist is Emilio Brentani, a failed writer torn between his longing for love and ...

'' / ''Careless'' (1962) *''

La corruzione ''Corruption'' ( it, La corruzione) is a 1963 Italian drama film directed by Mauro Bolognini. Plot A young man upon finishing college announces to his publisher father that he wants to become a priest. The father who wants his son to take over ...

'' / ''Corruption'' (1963) *'' La mia signora'' / ''My Wife'', segments "I miei cari" and "Luciana" (1964) *' / ''Woman Is a Wonderful Thing'', segments "Una donna dolce, dolce" and "La balena bianca" (1964) *''

Le bambole ''Le bambole'' (U.S. title: ''The Dolls'', UK title: ''Four Kinds of Love'') is a 1965 Italian comedy film in four segments; starring Nino Manfredi, Virna Lisi, Elke Sommer, and Mario Montuori. The four vignettes—The Telephone Call (La telef ...

'' / ''Four Kinds of Love'' / ''The Dolls'', segment "Monsignor Cupido" (1965) *'' I tre volti'' / ''The Three Faces of a Woman'', segment "Gli amanti celebri" (1965) *''

'' / ''Mademoiselle de Maupin'' (1966) *'' Le fate'' / ''The Queens'' / ''Sex Quartet'', segment "Fata Elena" (1966) *''

Le streghe ''The Witches'' ( it, Le streghe) is a 1967 ''commedia all'italiana'' anthology film produced by Dino De Laurentiis in 1965. It consists of five comic stories, directed by Luchino Visconti, Franco Rossi, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Mauro Bolognini a ...

'' / ''The Witches'', segment ''Senso civico'' (1967) *'' Le plus vieux métier du monde'' / ''The Oldest Profession'', segment "Nuits romaines" (1967) *''

Arabella ''Arabella'', Op. 79, is a lyric comedy, or opera, in three acts by Richard Strauss to a German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, their sixth and last operatic collaboration. Performance history It was first performed on 1 July 1933 at the Dr ...

'' (1967) *'' Capriccio all'italiana'' / ''Caprice Italian Style'', segments "Perché?" and "La gelosia" (1968) *''

L'assoluto naturale ''L'assoluto naturale'' (internationally released as ''He and She'' and ''She and He'') is a 1969 Italian drama film directed by Mauro Bolognini. The plot focuses on a mysterious romance involving an uninhibited woman (Koscina) and a dour photog ...

'' / ''She and He'' (1969) * ''

Un bellissimo novembre ''That Splendid November'' (Italian: ''Un bellissimo novembre'') is a 1969 Italian film directed by Mauro Bolognini. It stars actors Gabriele Ferzetti and Gina Lollobrigida. It is based on a novel with the same name written by Ercole Patti. Su ...

'' / ''That Splendid November'' (1969) *''

'' (1970) *''

'' (1971) *'' Imputazione di omicidio per uno studente'' / ''Chronicle of a Homicide'' (1972) *'' Libera, amore mio...'' / ''Libera, My Love...'' (1973) *'' Fatti di gente perbene'' / ''The Murri Affair'' (1974) *'' Per le antiche scale'' / ''Down the Ancient Staircase'' (1975) *''

L'eredità Ferramonti ''The Inheritance'' ( it, L'eredità Ferramonti) is a 1976 Italian drama film directed by Mauro Bolognini. It was entered into the 1976 Cannes Film Festival, where Dominique Sanda won the award for Best Actress. Plot Rome, 1880. Gregorio Ferram ...

'' / ''The Inheritance'' (1976) *'' Gran bollito'' / ''Black Journal'' (1977) *'' Dove vai in vacanza?'' / ''Where Are You Going on Holiday?'', segment "Sarò tutta per te" (1978) *''

La storia vera della signora dalle camelie LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figur ...

'' / ''La Dame aux camélias'' / ''The Lady of the Camellias'' (1980) *' / ''The Charterhouse of Parma'' (1981 - TV miniseries) *''

La Venexiana La Venexiana (founded 1995) is an Italian early music ensemble founded and led by Claudio Cavina, an Italian countertenor and conductor. Cavina studied in Bologna with the American singer and musicologist Candace Smith, and then with the Swiss bar ...

'' / ''The Venetian Woman'' (1986) *''

Mosca addio ''Farewell Moscow'' ( it, Mosca addio) is a 1987 Italian drama film directed by Mauro Bolognini. For this film Liv Ullmann was awarded with a David di Donatello for Best Actress. It is based on the life of Russian Jew Ida Nudel. Cast * Liv U ...

'' / ''Farewell Moscow'' (1987) *'' Imago urbis'' / ''Image of the City'' (1987) *' / ''A Time Of Indifference'' (1988 - TV miniseries) *' / ''12 Directors for 12 Cities'', segment "Palermo" (1989) *'' La villa del venerdì'' / ''Husband and Lovers'' (1992) *' / ''The Family Ricordi'' (1993 - TV miniseries)

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bolognini, Mauro 1922 births 2001 deaths People from Pistoia Italian film directors David di Donatello Career Award winners