Renato Castellani (4 September 1913 in Varigotti,

Liguria Liguria (; lij, Ligûria ; french: Ligurie) is a Regions of Italy, region of north-western Italy; its Capital city, capital is Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the Alps and the Apennine Mountains, Apennines Mountain chain, mountain range and is ...

– 28 December 1985 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 ...

) was an Italian

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...

and

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

Early life

Son of a representative of

Kodak The Eastman Kodak Company (referred to simply as Kodak ) is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in analogue photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorpor ...

, he was born in Varigotti, a hamlet at the time of Final Pia, which became

Finale Ligure Finale Ligure ( lij, O Finâ, locally ; la, Finarium) is a ''comune'' on the Gulf of Genoa in the Province of Savona in Liguria, Italy. It is considered part of the Italian Riviera. Geography Known for its white sand beaches and its views, Final ...

(

Savona Savona (; lij, Sann-a ) is a seaport and ''comune'' in the west part of the northern Italy, Italian region of Liguria, capital of the Province of Savona, in the Riviera di Ponente on the Mediterranean Sea. Savona used to be one of the chie ...

) in 1927, where his mother had returned from

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

to give birth to his son. He spent his childhood in

, in the city of

Rosario Rosario () is the largest city in the central provinces of Argentina, Argentine province of Santa Fe Province, Santa Fe. The city is located northwest of Buenos Aires, on the west bank of the Paraná River. Rosario is the third-most populous ci ...

. After 12 years, he returned to

and resumed his studies in

Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the List of cities in Italy, sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian ce ...

. He moved to

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 ...

, where he graduated from the Polytechnic University in

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...

. In Milan he met

Livio Castiglioni Livio Castiglioni (16 January 1911 – 30 April 1971) was an Italian architect and designer. He made a significant contribution to twentieth-century Italian lighting design and was an early proponent of the practice of industrial design in I ...

and together they aired for GUF (Fascist University Group) ''L'ora radiofonica'' and ''La fontana malata'' by

Aldo Palazzeschi Aldo Palazzeschi (; 2 February 1885 – 17 August 1974) was the pen name of Aldo Giurlani, an Italian novelist, poet, journalist and essayist. Biography He was born in Florence to a well-off, bourgeois family. Following his father's direction, ...

, experimenting with new techniques for sound editing on radio.

Career

He began collaborating in 1936 as a military consultant for '' The Great Appeal'', a film by

Mario Camerini Mario Camerini (6 February 1895 – 4 February 1981) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. The cousin of Augusto Genina, he made the most well-known films in Italy during the 1930s, most of them comedies starring Vittorio De Sica. H ...

. He worked as a

film critic Film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films and the film medium. In general, film criticism can be divided into two categories: journalistic criticism that appears regularly in newspapers, magazines and other popular mass-media outlets ...

and worked - as a screenwriter or assistant director - with important names of the Italian cinema of the time, such as Augusto Genina, with whom he signed the script for ''Castles in the air'' (1939), by

Mario Soldati Mario Soldati (17 November 1906 – 19 June 1999) was an cinema of Italy, Italian writer and film director. In 1954 he won the Strega Prize for ''Lettere da Capri.'' He directed several works adapted from novels, and worked with leading Ital ...

, of which he was assistant director on the set of ''Malombra'' (1942). He then worked with the director

Alessandro Blasetti Alessandro Blasetti (3 July 1900 – 1 February 1987) was an Italian film director and screenwriter who influenced Italian neorealism with the film ''Quattro passi fra le nuvole''. Blasetti was one of the leading figures in Italian cinema during ...

, signing the screenplays of his movies ''

An Adventure of Salvator Rosa ''An Adventure of Salvator Rosa'' (Italian: ''Un'avventura di Salvator Rosa'') is a 1939 Italian historical adventure film directed by Alessandro Blasetti and starring Gino Cervi, Luisa Ferida and Rina Morelli. It is set in seventeenth century ...

'' (1939), ''

The Iron Crown ''The Iron Crown'' () is a 1941 Italian adventure written and directed by Alessandro Blasetti, starring Massimo Girotti and Gino Cervi. The narrative revolves a sacred iron crown and a king who is prophesied to lose his kingdom to his nephew. I ...

'' (1941), ''

Four Steps in the Clouds ''Four Steps in the Clouds'' () is a 1942 Italian comedy-drama film directed by Alessandro Blasetti, starring Gino Cervi and Adriana Benetti. It tells the story of a married man who agrees to act as the husband of a young pregnant woman who has ...

'' (1942) and with the director

Camillo Mastrocinque Camillo Mastrocinque (11 May 1901 – 23 April 1969) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He directed more than 60 films between 1937 and 1968, and is known to horror film fans for directing '' Terror in the Crypt'' (1964) starring ...

, signing the screenplay of ''The Cuckoo Clock'' (1938). His first work as a director was '' A Pistol Shot'' (1942), based on a story by Aleksandr Puskin, in which

Alberto Moravia Alberto Moravia ( , ; born Alberto Pincherle ; 28 November 1907 – 26 September 1990) was an Italian novelist and journalist. His novels explored matters of modern sexuality, social alienation and existentialism. Moravia is best known for his d ...

also took part in the screenplay, with

Fosco Giachetti Fosco Giachetti (28 March 1900, in Sesto Fiorentino – 22 December 1974, in Rome) was an Italian actor. Fosco Giachetti was the protagonist of ''Lo squadrone bianco'' (1936), directed by Augusto Genina. He became the leading man in Fascist ...

and

Assia Noris Assia Noris (16 February 1912 – 27 January 1998) was a Russian-Italian film actress. Born Anastasia Noris fon Gerzfeld (Anastassia Noris von Herzfeld), she appeared in over 35 films between 1932 and 1965. She starred in films such as the Ma ...

. This movie, as well as the subsequent ''Zazà'' (1942), fit into the caligraphism genre. With ''

Under the Sun of Rome ''Under the Sun of Rome'' ( it, Sotto il sole di Roma) is a 1948 Italian drama film directed by Renato Castellani. It was the first film of Castellani's Italian neorealism trilogy about poor people, followed by '' È primavera...'' in 1949 and Cann ...

'' (1948), ''

It's Forever Springtime ''It's Forever Springtime'' (Italian: ''È primavera...'') is a 1950 Italy, Italian drama film directed by Renato Castellani. Plot Beppe Agosti, Florentine, baker's boy and orphan, is very popular with girls, especially the servants, for his ea ...

'' (1950), both shot outdoors with non-professional actors, and especially ''

Two Cents Worth of Hope ''Two Cents Worth of Hope'' ( it, Due soldi di speranza) is a 1952 film directed by Renato Castellani. It is the third part of Castellani's ''Young Love'' trilogy, following '' Sotto il sole di Roma'' (1948) and '' È primavera...''(1950). It sh ...

'' (1952), Castellani gave rise to a new genre, defined as "pink neorealism", considered by critics at the time as the downward trend of neorealism, but destined to a vast audience success. With ''Two Cents Worth of Hope'', he won the ex aequo

Grand Prix Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to: Arts and entertainment ...

at the

1952 Cannes Film Festival The 5th Cannes Film Festival was held from 23 April to 10 May 1952. As in the previous three festivals, the entire jury of this festival was made up of French persons, with Maurice Genevoix as the Jury President. The Grand Prix of the Festival w ...

. With ''Romeo and Juliet'' (1954), he won the

Golden Lion The Golden Lion ( it, Leone d'oro) is the highest prize given to a film at the Venice Film Festival. The prize was introduced in 1949 by the organizing committee and is now regarded as one of the film industry's most prestigious and distinguishe ...

at the 1954 Venice Film Festival. After some other significant films such as ''

Dreams in a Drawer ''Dreams in a Drawer'' ( it, I sogni nel cassetto) is a 1957 Italian romantic drama film written and directed by Renato Castellani and starring Lea Massari. Plot Mario and Lucia, two young students from the University of Pavia, fall in love. Luci ...

'' (1957) and ''The Brigand'' (1961), Castellani devoted himself mainly to biopics in episodes shot for television, widely followed, such as ''

The Life of Leonardo da Vinci ''La Vita di Leonardo Da Vinci'' — in English, ''The Life of Leonardo da Vinci '' — is a 1971 Italian television miniseries dramatizing the life of the Italian Renaissance genius Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519). The Golden Globe-winning mini ...

'' (1971) and ''The Life of Verdi'' (1982). File:Varigotti-DSCF0991.JPG, The pier dedicated to Castellani in the town of Varigotti, his birthplace File:Varigotti-DSCF0992.JPG, Plate of the pier

Filmography

Film

Television

* ''

'' (Rai, 1971) * ''Il furto della Gioconda'' (Rai, 1978) * '' The Life of Verdi'' (Rai, 1982)

Theater

* '' Blithe Spirit'', by

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time'' magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and ...

, Rome, Teatro delle Arti, December 1945

References

Bibliography

* * * *

Externals links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Castellani, Renato 1913 births 1985 deaths Italian film directors 20th-century Italian screenwriters Nastro d'Argento winners Directors of Palme d'Or winners Directors of Golden Lion winners Italian male screenwriters 20th-century Italian male writers