Titanus is an Italian

film production Filmmaking (film production) is the process by which a motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, starting with an initial story, idea, or commission. It then continues through screenwriting, casti ...

company, founded in 1904 by

Gustavo Lombardo Gustavo Lombardo (1885–1951) was an Italian film producer. He founded the Naples-based production company Lombardo Film in 1917, having previously made his reputation in film distribution. He was married to the actress Leda Gys who starred in hi ...

(1885–1951). The company's headquarters are located at 28 Via Sommacampagna, Rome and its studios on the

Via Tiburtina Via Tiburtina is an ancient road in Italy leading east-northeast from Rome to Tivoli (Latin, Tibur) and then, with the via Valeria, on to Pescara (Latin, Aternum). Historical road It was probably built by the Roman censor Marcus Valerius Maxi ...

, 13 km from the centre of Rome. Lombardo ran the studios until his death in 1951. His son,

Goffredo Lombardo Goffredo Lombardo (15 May 1920 – 2 February 2005) was an Italian film producer. He was the son of the producer Gustavo Lombardo and took over control of the company Titanus after his father's death in 1951. Selected filmography * ''Chain ...

(1920–2005) and later his grandson, Guido Lombardo have continued to run the company. Titanus sede Roma

The company has been responsible for hundreds of Italian productions. Titanus made many peplum films and comedies featuring

Totò 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 ...

and

Franco Franco may refer to: Name * Franco (name) * Francisco Franco (1892–1975), Spanish general and dictator of Spain from 1939 to 1975 * Franco Luambo (1938–1989), Congolese musician, the "Grand Maître" Prefix * Franco, a prefix used when ref ...

and Ciccio. The film ''

The Shortest Day ''The Shortest Day'' ( it, Il giorno più corto) is a 1963 Italian comedy film. It is a parody of the war movie '' The Longest Day'' and stars the popular duo Franco and Ciccio in the leading roles. Dozens of other well-known actors, from both Eu ...

'' was not only a parody of '' The Longest Day'' but featured a galaxy of stars who made the film to help the studio. The studio made numerous

international co-production A co-production is a joint venture between two or more different production companies for the purpose of film production, television production, video game development, and so on. In the case of an international co-production, production companies ...

s with American (''

Sodom and Gomorrah Sodom and Gomorrah () were two legendary biblical cities destroyed by God for their wickedness. Their story parallels the Genesis flood narrative in its theme of God's anger provoked by man's sin (see Genesis 19:1–28). They are mentioned frequ ...

'', ''

The Angel Wore Red ''The Angel Wore Red'', also known as ''La sposa bella'' in its Italian version, is a 1960 Italian-American MGM/Titanus coproduction war drama starring Ava Gardner and Dirk Bogarde. It was directed by Nunnally Johnson and produced by Goffredo Lomb ...

'') and French (''

Plein Soleil ''Purple Noon'' (french: Plein soleil; it, Delitto in pieno sole; also known as ''Full Sun'', ''Blazing Sun'', ''Lust for Evil'', and ''Talented Mr. Ripley'') is a 1960 crime thriller film directed by René Clément, loosely based on the 1955 nove ...

'') film studios. After the arrival of the

French new wave French New Wave (french: La Nouvelle Vague) is a French art film movement that emerged in the late 1950s. The movement was characterized by its rejection of traditional filmmaking conventions in favor of experimentation and a spirit of iconocla ...

films, Titanus launched a "youth operation", which gave young film artists a chance to create low-budget films with relative freedom. This had approximately 100 first and second productions for Titanus made between 1960 and 1965. This included films by new directors such as

Ermanno Olmi Ermanno Olmi (24 July 1931 – 7 May 2018)Lane, John Francis (May 7, 2018).Ermanno Olmi obituary. ''The Guardian''. theguardian.com. Retrieved 11 May 2018. was an Italian film director and screenwriter. Biography Olmi was born to a Catholic ...

Elio Petri Eraclio Petri (29 January 1929 – 10 November 1982), commonly known as Elio Petri, was an Italian film director, screenwriter, theatre director, and critic associated with the political cinema in the 1960s and '70s. His film ''Investigation ...

Damiano Damiani Damiano Damiani (23 July 1922 – 7 March 2013) was an Italian screenwriter, film director, actor and writer. Poet and director Pier Paolo Pasolini referred to him as "a bitter moralist hungry for old purity", while film critic Paolo Mere ...

and

Lina Wertmuller Lina (pronounced "Leena") is a feminine given name. Languages of origin include: English, Italian, Lithuanian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Persian, Kurdish, Arabic. It is also the short form of a variety of names ending in -lina including Catali ...

. Titanus closed down its production branch in 1964. After a hiatus of approximately ten years, Titanus reorganized and resumed film production on a smaller scale. Despite a few false starts, the company seemed to be back on its feet by the late 1980s, though, now, most of its work is being done for television.

Selected films

* ''L'avvenire in agguato'' directed by Giulio Antamoro (1916) * ''L'ombra'' directed by Mario Caserini (1917) * ''Il piacere'' directed by Amleto Palermi (1918) * ''Io ti uccido!'' directed by Giulio Antamoro (1919) * ''Friquet'' directed by Gero Zambuto (1919) * ''Vautrin'' directed by Alexandre des Varennes (1919) * ''Il castello di bronzo'' directed by Emilio Ghione (1920) * '' I figli di nessuno'' (1951) * ''

Il Cappotto ''The Overcoat'' ( it, Il Cappotto) is a 1952 Italian fantasy-drama film directed by Alberto Lattuada. It stars Renato Rascel and is a modern-day version, set in Italy, of the same-named 1842 short tale by Nikolai Gogol. The director's sister, ...

'' (1952) * '' Rome 11:00'' (1952) * ''

Storms A storm is any disturbed state of the natural environment or the atmosphere of an astronomical body. It may be marked by significant disruptions to normal conditions such as strong wind, tornadoes, hail, thunder and lightning (a thunderstorm), ...

'' (1953) * ''

Pane, amore e fantasia ''Bread, Love and Dreams'' ( it, Pane, amore e fantasia) is a 1953 Italian romantic comedy film directed by Luigi Comencini. At the 4th Berlin International Film Festival it won the Silver Bear award. Plot The film is set in Sagliena, an imaginar ...

'' (1953) * ''

Pane, amore e gelosia ''Bread, Love and Jealousy'' ( it, Pane, amore e gelosia), known as ''Frisky'' in the US, is a 1954 Italian romantic comedy film directed by Luigi Comencini. It is the second part of the Italian trilogy, preceded by ''Bread, Love and Dreams'' an ...

'' (1954) * ''

Siamo donne ''We, the Women'' (also known as ''Of Life and Love'' and in it, Siamo donne) is a 1953 Italian portmanteau film divided into five segments and directed by five different directors. Four of these segments focus upon alleged events in the privat ...

'' (1953) * ''

Il segno di Venere ''The Sign of Venus'' ( it, Il segno di Venere) is a 1955 Italian comedy film directed by Dino Risi and starring Sophia Loren. It was entered into the 1955 Cannes Film Festival. Plot The story revolves around an attractive woman named Agnese (Lor ...

'' (1955) * ''

Il bidone ''Il bidone'' (, "The Drum .html" ;"title="ontainer/nowiki>">ontainer/nowiki>"; also known as ''The Swindle'' or ''The Swindlers'') is a 1955 Italian film directed by Federico Fellini from his own screenplay co-written with Ennio Flaiano and Tull ...

'' (1955) * '' Pane, amore e...'' (1955) * ''

Il Tetto ''The Roof'' ( it, Il tetto) is a 1956 Italian drama film directed and produced by Vittorio De Sica. Plot Natale, an apprentice bricklayer, and Luisa, who has no marketable skill, marry and try to live with Natale's parents and other relatives i ...

'' (1956) * ''

Poveri ma belli ''Poveri ma belli'' (U.S. title: ''Poor, But Handsome''; U.K. title: ''A Girl in Bikini'') is a successful 1957 Italian comedy film directed by Dino Risi. There have been two sequels, also directed by Risi and starring Marisa Allasio, Maurizio ...

'' (1957) * ''

Arrivederci Roma "Arrivederci Roma" (English: "Goodbye, Rome") is the title and refrain of a popular Italian song, composed in 1955 by Renato Rascel, with lyrics by Pietro Garinei and Sandro Giovannini. It was published in 1957 as part of the soundtrack of the Ita ...

'' (1958) * ''

The Naked Maja ''The Naked Maja'' is a 1958 Italian-American co-production made by S.G.C., Titanus, and United Artists. This historical film recounting of the romance between the painter Francisco Goya and the Duchess of Alba was directed by Henry Koster, an ...

'' (1958) * '' Il magistrato'' (1959) * '' The Law'' (1959) * ''

Estate violenta ''Estate violenta'' (U.S. title: ''Violent Summer'') is a 1961 Italian award-winning black-and-white drama film directed by Valerio Zurlini, depicting a love affair between a prominent Fascist's young draft-dodging son, portrayed by Jean-Louis Tr ...

'' (1959) * ''

À double tour ''Web of Passion'' (also released as ''Leda'', original French title: ''À double tour'') is a 1959 French/Italian psychological Thriller (genre), thriller film directed by Claude Chabrol and based on the novel ''The Key to Nicholas Street'' by Am ...

'' (1959) * ''

Plein soleil ''Purple Noon'' (french: Plein soleil; it, Delitto in pieno sole; also known as ''Full Sun'', ''Blazing Sun'', ''Lust for Evil'', and ''Talented Mr. Ripley'') is a 1960 crime thriller film directed by René Clément, loosely based on the 1955 nove ...

'' (1960) * ''

Le Trou ''The Hole'' (french: Le Trou) is a 1960 French crime film directed by Jacques Becker. It is an adaptation of José Giovanni's 1957 book '' The Break''. It was called ''The Night Watch'' when first released in the United States, but is released ...

'' (1960) * ''

A Breath of Scandal ''A Breath of Scandal'' (released as ''Olympia'' in Italy) is a 1960 American/Italian international co-production romantic comedy-drama film directed by Michael Curtiz, based on the stage play ''Olympia'' by Ferenc Molnár. It stars Sophia Lore ...

'' (1960) * '' Rocco e i suoi fratelli'' (1960) * ''

Audace colpo dei soliti ignoti ''Audace colpo dei soliti ignoti'' (also known as ''Fiasco in Milan'' or ''Hold-up à la milanaise'') is a 1959 Italian comedy crime film directed by Nanni Loy. The film stars Vittorio Gassman, Renato Salvatori and Claudia Cardinale. It is the s ...

'' (1960) * ''

Il Posto ''Il Posto'' is a 1961 Italian film directed by Ermanno Olmi. Often cited as Olmi's first major work, it is an example of Italian neorealism. Olmi won the David di Donatello for Best Director for his work on the film. Plot The film tells the sto ...

'' (1961) * ''

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 ...

'' (1961) * ''

Girl with a Suitcase ''Girl with a Suitcase'' ( it, La ragazza con la valigia) is a 1961 cinema of Italy, Italian romantic drama film by Valerio Zurlini starring Claudia Cardinale as a spirited but naive young woman who lives on the fluctuating good will of others. It ...

'' (1961) * '' A cavallo della tigre'' (1961) * ''

Les Sept péchés capitaux ''Les Sept péchés capitaux'' is a 1962 French film composed of seven different segments, one for each of the seven deadly sins, each being by different directors and featuring different casts. At the time it served as a showcase for rising dire ...

'' (1962) * ''

Il giorno più corto ''The Shortest Day'' ( it, Il giorno più corto) is a 1963 Italian comedy film. It is a parody of the war movie '' The Longest Day'' and stars the popular duo Franco and Ciccio in the leading roles. Dozens of other well-known actors, from both Eu ...

'' (1962) * '' Le quattro giornate di Napoli'' (1962) * ''

Family Diary ''Family Diary'' ( it, Cronaca familiare) is a 1962 Italian film directed by Valerio Zurlini and based on the novel by Vasco Pratolini. It tells the story of two brothers (played by Marcello Mastroianni and Jacques Perrin) who are brought up ap ...

'' (1962) * ''

I Sequestrati di Altona ''The Condemned of Altona'' ( it, I sequestrati di Altona) is a 1962 Italian-French drama film directed by Vittorio De Sica. It is based on the play of the The Condemned of Altona, same name by Jean-Paul Sartre. For this film Vittorio De Sica wo ...

'' (''

The Condemned of Altona ''The Condemned of Altona'' (French: ''Les Séquestrés d'Altona'') is a play written by Jean-Paul Sartre, known in Great Britain as ''Loser Wins''. It was first produced in 1959 at the Théâtre de la Renaissance in Paris. It was one of the last ...

'', 1962) * ''

Il Gattopardo ''The Leopard'' ( it, Il Gattopardo ) is a novel by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa that chronicles the changes in Sicilian life and society during the ''Risorgimento''. Published posthumously in 1958 by Feltrinelli, after two rejections by the ...

'' (1963) * ''

I Fidanzati ''The Fiancés'' ( it, I fidanzati) is a 1963 Italian film directed by Ermanno Olmi. It tells the story of a young man who moves to Sicily for a job, but pines for his fiancée back home. It was entered into the 1963 Cannes Film Festival. Plot Gio ...

'' (1963) * ''

The Tigers of Mompracem ''The Tigers of Mompracem'' (original title: ''Le Tigri di Mompracem'') is an exotic adventure novel written by Italian author Emilio Salgari, published in 1900. It features his most famous character, Sandokan. It was adapted into a 1970 film '' ...

'' (1970) * '' La prima notte di quiete'' (1972) * ''

Sinbad and the Caliph of Baghdad ''Sinbad and the Caliph of Baghdad'' (Italian: ''Simbad e il califfo di Bagdad'') is a 1973 Italian adventure film directed by Pietro Francisci and starring Robert Malcolm, Sonia Wilson, Luigi Bonos and Arturo DominiciMoliterno p.136 Based on th ...

'' (1973) * ''

Help Me Dream ''Help Me Dream'' (Italian: ''Aiutami a sognare'') is a 1981 Italian romance film directed by Pupi Avati and starring Mariangela Melato, Anthony Franciosa and Orazio Orlando. For this film Mariangela Melato was awarded with a David di Donatello Da ...

'' (1981) * ''

Dagger Eyes ''Dagger Eyes'' ( it, Mystère) is a 1983 Italian thriller film directed by Carlo Vanzina, starring Carole Bouquet as Mystère. Plot Mystère is a high-class French prostitute who works in Rome. Her friend and colleague Pamela steals a gold lig ...

'' (1983)

References

Footnotes

* Film distributors of Italy Film production companies of Italy Italian film studios Italian companies established in 1904 Mass media in Rome {{IT-film-company-stub

Selected films

See also

References

Footnotes