Toth Database - Cinema

Alberto Lattuada

Vaprio d'Adda, 14 November 1914 – 3 July 2005, Orvieto

Son of Felice Lattuada, in 1932 he founded together with Alberto Mondadori periodical Walk, focusing on art criticism, with Mario Monicelli that dealt with film criticism. In 1933 realizes the tell-tale heart short film, loosely based on a short story by Edgar Allan Poe directed by Mario Monicelli. In 1957 he was Assistant Director of a feature film with Vittorio Gassman and Giovanna Ralli and came into contact with John Comencini and Mario Ferrari, working on the restoration of old films, saved from waste paper and laying the groundwork for future water film library Italiana in Milan. During his university studies he enrolled to Guf (fascist University groups) participating in the Littoriali of culture and art, and became noted for his intelligence and capacity for initiative, so to be called to organize screenings retrospectives of cinema section. After graduating in architecture, he attached to Time Shown, Domus and Frontispiece, writing, film, architecture, literature. In 1940 for the Triennale of Milan, a retrospective on French cinema, encountering in an uproar following the screening of La Grande illusion, so much so that he had to save all films of the Festival to save them from seizure of the police. In 1941 is the Assistant Director of Mario Soldati in delivering small world Ancient, and screenwriter to stay out of trouble by Ferdinando Maria Poggioli. Between 1942 and 1943 he directed two films, the first entirely directed by him, taken from the novels of Emilio De Marchi, Giacomo the idealist, and Luciano Zuccoli, the arrow in the side. When the two works were not appreciated, considered to be formal and caligrafiche, while today we find in it all the elements of its stylistic, balance within the frame of balanced, skilful lighting, camera movements and especially by mounting deadlifts syntactic. In Giacomo the idealist, Lattuada, trace a real psychology, a real culture of female character, in this case the participation of Marina Berti, while in the arrow in the side explores the world of female sexuality. After the war, Lattuada, turn Turin movie Neorealist The Bandit, manifesting his love of American cinema, the Bonnie and Clyde of Scarface. 

The next film, The Murder of John Episcopal, taken from an artwork of Gabriele D'Annunzio, him away from any trend or current, to start his own poetic unscrupulous individual on individualism special youIn contrast to the society, with every attention to acting, set design and all that connotes a cinematographic work as a work of art, on this occasion begins his collaboration with Aldo Fabrizi. 

In 1948 with Tullio Pinelli and Federico Fellini, the work mercilessly, in ' 49 il Mill of the Po, and later Dido and Aeneas at the Rome Opera, beginning his association with Michelangelo Antonioni, Carlo Lizzani, Elsa Malcolm as well as Federico Fellini, addressing social issues such as that of prison life and property speculation. With Giulietta Masina and Federico Fellini realizes Variety lights, in the world of variety shows, opening his business in all directions, from the tragic to those reading, achieving great economic successes that the allow to realize one of his important works, adapted from the novel by Nikolai Gogol's coat and starring Renato Rascel, a movie free from any relationship with reality, totally fantastic.

Report in the reality that recovers in his next opera, the she-Wolf, is from a story by Giovanni Verga in which explores female sexuality, ushering in a plot that will accompany him throughout its history. 

With the episode Italians turn around, contained in love in the city, examines the phenomenon of male sexual conceit in a brancatiana. In the work the beach and in elementary school, apply to aspects of middle-class life, revealing all the pettiness, frustration and trying to social climbing almost never succeeded. In the diptych Guendalina and sweet deception follows the sexual transformation of two teenagers played by Jacqueline Sassard and Catherine Spaak. These were years of frantic activity, where you follow the storm, the steppe, Letters of a novice, mandragona, Don Giovanni in Sicilia, come and have a coffee with us, the latter satire of some provincial bourgeoisie hypocrite andundersexed, then a hop continuously, from Pushkin to Chekhov, Piovene to Machiavelli, Brancati to Clare. In 1970 he made his lyrical filmmaker's experience, the May Florentine, with la vestale by Gaspare Spontini. Subsequently produces white, red and ...... with Sophia Loren and I did it! with Giancarlo Giannini, two movies not fully successful, but his redemption takes place in ' 74 with I'm going to be my father. and Oh, Serafina, which will be followed by as if . At the end of the decade he directed the cicada and a thorn in the heart.

In 1981 it starts working -woman with interpreter Nino Manfredi, but not the door at the end due to disagreements and difference of views, so that by the late Manfredi became the Director. In the years ' 80, works for the small screen, with Christopher Columbus, the series two brothers and stolen Hand.

In later years, is silent on the whole front, except for an appearance in the movie the bull of Charles Massacurati. In 1994, died at his home in Orvieto.

Director Filmography

1942/ Giacomo the idealist 

1943/ The arrow in the side 

1945/ Our war 

1946/ The Bandit 

1947/ The Murder of John Episcopal 

1948/ Without mercy 

1949/ The Mill of the Po 

1950/ Variety lights 

1951/ Anna 

1952/ The coat 

1953/ The she-Wolf  

1953/ Love in the city, episode Italians turn around 

1954/ The beach 

1954/ Elementary school 

1957/ Abigail 

1958/ The storm 

1960/ Sweet deception 

1960/ Letters from a novice

1961/ The unexpected 

1962/ Mafioso 

1962/ The steppe 

1965/ The Mandragola 

1966/ Matchless 

1967/ Don Giovanni to Sicily 

1968/ Fräulein Doktor 

1969/ The friend 

1970/ Come and have coffee with us 

1972/ White, red and ... 

1973/ I did it! 

1974/ I'm going to be my father.

1976/ Oh, Serafina! 

1978/ Stay as you are

1980/ The cicada 

1981/ Naked woman 

1986/ A thorn in the heart 

1989/ 12 directors for 12 cities, episode Genoa 

Television Director

1977/ Maidens in bloom

1985/ Christopher Columbus 

1987/ Two brothers 

1989/ Hand stolen  

Collaborations

1933/ Tell-tale heart, short film, directed by Alberto Mondadori and Caesar Civita -scenography of love, medium-length film, directed by Mario Baffico (1935)-consultant for color

1936/ The dance of the hands, regia di Mario Baffico, assistant director Little Ancient World, directed by Mario Soldati help director and screenwriter

1941/ Yes, Ma'am,directed by Ferdinando Maria Poggioli -Assistant Director and screenwriter On priest's hat, directed by Ferdinando Maria Poggioli – screenwriter

1955/ A hero of our times, directed by Mario Monicelli / actor

1978/ The body of the girl, directed by Pasquale Festa Campanile - adaptation of the novel by Gianni Brera

1994/ The bull, directed by Carlo Mazzacurati -actor