Steno, the artistic name of Stefano Vanzina (19 January 1917 – 13 March 1988), 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 ...

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. ...

and

cinematographer The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the photographing or recording of a film, television production, music video or other live action piece. The cinematographer is the ch ...

. Two of his films, ''

Un giorno in pretura ''A Day in Court'' (Italian: ''Un giorno in pretura'') is a 1954 Italian comedy film directed by Steno and starring Peppino De Filippo, Silvana Pampanini, Sophia Loren, and Alberto Sordi. The film is an anthology, consisting of a day's cases be ...

'' (1954) and ''

Febbre da cavallo ''Febbre da cavallo'' is a 1976 Italian comedy film directed by Steno and starring Gigi Proietti. It was shown as part of a retrospective on Italian comedy at the 67th Venice International Film Festival. Plot Bruno Fioretti, known as "Mandrak ...

'' (1976), were shown in a retrospective section on Italian comedy at the

67th Venice International Film Festival The 67th annual Venice International Film Festival held in Venice, Italy, took place from 1 to 11 September 2010. American film director and screenwriter Quentin Tarantino was the head of the Jury. The opening film of the festival was Darren Aro ...

Selected filmography

* '' Abandonment'' (1940) * '' In High Places'' (1943) * ''

Two Hearts Among the Beasts ''Two Hearts Among the Beasts'' (Italian: ''Due cuori fra le belve'') is a 1943 Italian comedy film directed by Giorgio Simonelli and starring Totò, Vera Carmi and Enrico Glori.Parish p.139 A dancing master takes part in an expedition to Africa fi ...

'' (1943) * ''

Annabella's Adventure ''Annabella's Adventure'' or ''The Adventure of Annabella'' (Italian:''L'avventura di Annabella'') is a 1943 Italian comedy film directed by Leo Menardi and starring Fioretta Dolfi, Maurizio D'Ancora and Paola Borboni.Moliterno p.25 The film's s ...

'' (1943) * ''

Black Eagle The black eagle (''Ictinaetus malaiensis'') is a bird of prey. Like all eagles, it is in the family Accipitridae, and is the only member of the genus ''Ictinaetus''. They soar over forests in the hilly regions of tropical and subtropical South ...

'' (1946) * ''

The Courier of the King ''The Courier of the King'' (Italian: ''Il corriere del re'') is a 1947 Italian historical film directed by Gennaro Righelli and starring Rossano Brazzi, Irasema Dilián and Valentina Cortese.Moliterno p.208 It is an adaptation of the 1830 novel '' ...

'' (1947) * ''

The Captain's Daughter ''The Captain's Daughter'' (russian: «Капитанская дочка», Kapitanskaya dochka) is a historical novel by the Russian writer Alexander Pushkin. It was first published in 1836 in the fourth issue of the literary journal ''Sovremen ...

'' (1947) * ''

Fear and Sand ''Fear and Sand'' ( it, Fifa e arena) is a 1948 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Mattoli and starring Totò. Plot Nicolino is a kitchen boy who works in a small pharmacy in the country, run by a woman unbearably rude. So Nicolino really wan ...

'' (1948) * ''

The Wolf of the Sila ''The Wolf of the Sila'' (Italian: ''Il lupo della Sila'') is a 1949 Italian drama film directed by Duilio Coletti and starring Silvana Mangano, Amedeo Nazzari and Vittorio Gassman.Forgacs & Gundle p.166 Much of the film was shot on location around ...

'' (1949) * ''

Toto Looks for a House ''Toto Looks for a House'' ( it, Totò cerca casa) is a 1949 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Monicelli and Steno. The film is stylistically related to Italian neorealism, though it can be seen as a parody. It was a commercial success, bei ...

'' (1949) * ''

A Night of Fame ''A Night of Fame'' ( it, Al diavolo la celebrità) is a 1949 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Monicelli and Steno. Cast * Marcel Cerdan as Maurice Cardan * Ferruccio Tagliavini as Gino Marini * Mischa Auer as Bernard Stork * Marilyn Bu ...

'' (1949) * ''

A Dog's Life ''A Dog's Life'' is a 1918 American Comedy short silent film written, produced and directed by Charlie Chaplin. This was Chaplin's first film for First National Films. Chaplin plays opposite an animal as "co-star". "Scraps" (the dog) was the ...

'' (with

Mario Monicelli Mario Alberto Ettore Monicelli (; 16 May 1915 – 29 November 2010) was an Italian film director and screenwriter and one of the masters of the ''Commedia all'Italiana'' (Comedy Italian style). He was nominated six times for an Oscar, and was awa ...

, 1950) * ''

The Knight Has Arrived! ''The Knight Has Arrived!'' (Italian: ''È arrivato il cavaliere!'') is a 1950 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Monicelli and Steno and starring Tino Scotti, Silvana Pampanini and Nyta Dover. The film's sets were designed by the art di ...

'' (with

, 1950) * ''

Her Favourite Husband ''Her Favourite Husband'' (also known by the alternative titles ''The Taming of Dorothy'' and ''Quel bandito sono io'') is a 1950 British-Italian comedy film directed by Mario Soldati and starring Jean Kent, Robert Beatty and Margaret Rutherford ...

'' (1950) * ''

The Elusive Twelve ''The Elusive Twelve'' (Italian: ''L'inafferrabile 12'') is a 1950 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Mattoli and starring Walter Chiari, Silvana Pampanini and Isa Barzizza. It was shot at the Farnesina Studios of Titanus in Rome. The film's ...

'' (1950) * ''

The Ungrateful Heart ''The Ungrateful Heart'' ( nap, Core 'ngrato) is a 1951 Italian melodrama film directed by Guido Brignone and starring Carla Del Poggio, Frank Latimore and Gabriele Ferzetti.Forgacs & Gundle p.29 It takes its name from the Neapolitan song "Core ' ...

'' (1951) * '' Cops and Robbers'' (with

, 1951) * ''

Toto in Color ''Toto in Color'' (Italian: ''Totò a colori'') is a 1952 Italian comedy film, and was the first Italian color film shot with the Ferraniacolor system. The film was directed by Steno and starred the comic actor Totò. Plot Antonio Scannagatti is ...

'' (1952) * ''

Le infedeli ''The Unfaithfuls'' ( it, Le infedeli) is a 1953 Italian comedy drama film directed by Mario Monicelli and Steno and starring Gina Lollobrigida. Cast * Gina Lollobrigida as Lulla Possenti * May Britt as Liliana Rogers * Pierre Cressoy as Osval ...

'' (1953) * ''

Man, Beast and Virtue ''L'uomo, la bestia e la virtù'' (), internationally released as ''Man, Beast and Virtue'', is a List of Italian films of 1953, 1953 Cinema of Italy, Italian comedy film directed by Stefano Vanzina, Steno. It starred Italian comedian Totò and fa ...

'' (1953) * ''

Un americano a Roma ''An American in Rome'' (originally ''Un americano a Roma'') is a 1954 Italian comedy film directed by Steno. The film consists in a satire of Americanization, and it was referred as "a milestone in the evolution of Italian self-identification". I ...

'' (1954) * ''

A Day in Court ''A Day in Court'' (Italian: ''Un giorno in pretura'') is a 1954 Italian comedy film directed by Steno and starring Peppino De Filippo, Silvana Pampanini, Sophia Loren, and Alberto Sordi. The film is an anthology, consisting of a day's cases b ...

'' (1954) * ''

Le avventure di Giacomo Casanova ''Le avventure di Giacomo Casanova'' (a.k.a. ''The Sins of Casanova'') is a 1955 Italian comedy film directed by Steno. It stars Gabriele Ferzetti, Corinne Calvet and Irène Galter. Famed horror film director Lucio Fulci wrote the script, one of ...

'' (1955) * ''

Nero's Weekend ''Mio figlio Nerone'' (literally: ''My Son Nero''), released in the US as ''Nero's Mistress'' is a 1956 Italian historical comedy film directed by Steno and starring Alberto Sordi, Vittorio De Sica, Gloria Swanson and Brigitte Bardot, with cine ...

'' (1956) * '' Totò nella luna'' (1958) * ''

I Tartassati ''I Tartassati'' is an Italian comedy film from 1959, directed by Stefano Vanzina, written by Aldo Fabrizi, starring Totò and Louis de Funès. The film is known under the titles ''The Overtaxed'' (English) and ''Fripouillard et Compagnie'' (Fren ...

'' (1959) * ''

Tempi duri per i vampiri ''Uncle Was a Vampire'' ( it, Tempi duri per i vampiri, lit=Hard Times for Vampires) is a 1959 Italian film directed by Steno. Plot Baron Osvaldo Lambertenghi is forced to sell his ancestral castle to pay his debts. The manor is ingloriously tr ...

'' (1959) * ''

Totò, Eva e il pennello proibito ''Toto in Madrid'' ( it, Totò, Eva e il pennello proibito) is an Italian comedy film from 1959, directed by Steno, written by Vittorio Metz, starring Totò and Louis de Funès. The film is known under the titles: "Toto in Madrid" (English title ...

'' (1959) * ''

Letto a tre piazze ''Letto a tre piazze'' (translation: ''The King-Sized Bed'') is a 1960 Italian Totò comedy film directed by Steno. The film marked the last collaboration between Totò and Lucio Fulci, author of the script and initially chosen as director. Cast ...

'' (1960) * ''

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 It ...

'' (1962) * ''

Copacabana Palace Belmond Copacabana Palace, better known as simply Copacabana Palace, is a hotel in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, facing Copacabana beach. Designed by French architect Joseph Gire, it was built in a style that follows the line and model of th ...

'' (1962) * ''

Totò Diabolicus Antonio Griffo Focas Flavio Angelo Ducas Comneno Porfirogenito Gagliardi de Curtis di Bisanzio (15 February 1898 – 15 April 1967), best known by his stage name Totò (), or simply as Antonio de Curtis, and nicknamed ''il Principe della risata ...

'' (1963) * '' Toto vs the Four'' (1963) * ''

Letti sbagliati ''Letti sbagliati'' is a 1965 Italian comedy film directed by Steno starring the comic duo Franco and Ciccio. Cast * Franco Franchi ... (segment "La seconda moglie") * Ciccio Ingrassia ... (segment "La seconda moglie") *Lando Buzzanca ... (s ...

'' (1965) * ''

Caprice Italian Style ''Caprice Italian Style'' ( it, Capriccio all'italiana) is a 1968 Italian comedy film directed by six different directors, including Mario Monicelli and Pier Paolo Pasolini. The film starred both Totò and the comic duo Franco and Ciccio. Plot ...

'' (1968) * ''

Execution Squad ''Execution Squad'' ( it, La polizia ringrazia) is a 1972 crime film directed by Steno and starring Enrico Maria Salerno. Set during Italy's tumultuous '' anni di piombo'' ("Years of Lead"), the film obtained a great commercial success. Cast * ...

'' (1972) * '' Flatfoot'' (1973) * ''

Policewoman The integration of women into law enforcement positions can be considered a large social change. A century ago, there were few jobs open to women in law enforcement. A small number of women worked as correctional officers, and their assignment ...

'' (1974) * ''

'' (1976) * ''

Double Murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person without justification or excuse, especially the c ...

'' (1977) * ''

Amori miei ''Amori miei'' (internationally released as ''My Loves'') is a 1978 Italian comedy film directed by Steno. For this film Monica Vitti was awarded with a David di Donatello for Best Actress. Cast *Monica Vitti: Anna Lisa Bianchi *Johnny Dore ...

'' (1978) * ''

La patata bollente ''Hot Potato'' ( it, La patata bollente) is a 1979 Commedia all'italiana film directed by Steno. The film discusses a range of issues such as homophobia in the political left, ''Anni di piombo'' violence, working class culture, and the sustainabi ...

'' (1979) * ''

Dr. Jekyll Likes Them Hot ''Dr. Jekyll Likes Them Hot'' ( it, Dottor Jekyll e gentile signora) is a 1979 Italian film directed by Steno. Plot The evil genius Dr. Jekyll, director of the powerful multinational food company PANTAC which has flooded the world with a large ...

'' (1979) * ''

Quando la coppia scoppia ''Quando la coppia scoppia'' is a 1981 Italian comedy film directed by Steno. It reproposes the couple formed by Enrico Montesano and Claude Brasseur, who had successfully starred in the two years older comedy film '' Aragosta a colazione''. C ...

'' (1981) * ''

Banana Joe Joe Montione, commonly referred to as Banana Joe, (born in Hartford, CT, January 21, 1954 – died in Los Angeles, Sept.11, 2021) was a well-known a radio personality. Early career Banana Joe grew up in Pittston, PA, about 100 miles north of Phil ...

'' (1982) * ''

An Ideal Adventure ''An Ideal Adventure'' (Italian: ''Sballato, gasato, completamente fuso'') is a 1982 Italian comedy film directed by Stefano Vanzina and starring Edwige Fenech, Diego Abatantuono and Liù Bosisio.Chiti & Poppi p.205 Cast * Edwige Fenech as Patriz ...

'' (1982)

References

External links

* 1917 births 1988 deaths Italian film directors 20th-century Italian screenwriters Italian male screenwriters Italian cinematographers Writers from Rome Poliziotteschi directors Burials at the Cimitero Flaminio 20th-century Italian male writers Comedy film directors Italian parodists Parody film directors {{Italy-film-director-stub