Director, Screenwriter. Mario began to become familiar with filmmaking as a teenage boy, and made his first short film in 1934. Much of his filmmaking was inspired by his own carefree youth experiences, and this is how he came to be particularly involved with comedy. His first feature-length film was made in 1937, and from 1939 to 1942, he created as many as 40 screenplays, and also worked as an assistant director. He made his official debut as a director in 1949, with "Totò cerca casa", along with Stefano Vanzina (a.k.a. Steno). The duo went on to produce eight successful movies in four years, including "Guardie e ladri" (1951) and "Totò a colori" (1952). A number of Mario's works are considered to be great in the realm of Italian filmmaking. Among them are "I soliti ignoti" ("Big Deal on Madonna Street") (1958), "La Grande Guerra" ("The Great War") (1959), "I compagni" ("The Organizer") (1963), "Brancaleone" ("For Love and Gold") (1966), "The Girl with the Pistol" (1968), "Amici miei" ("My Friends") (1975), "Caro Michele" (1976), "Un borghese piccolo piccolo" ("A Very Little Man") (1978), "Il Marchese del Grillo" (1981), "Speriamo che sia femmina" (1985), "Parenti serpenti" (1992), and "Cari fottutissimi amici" (1994). His last feature film was "The Roses of the Desert" (2006) ("Le rose del deserto"), which he directed when is was 91-years-old. He won awards for a number of the above-mentioned films, including an Academy Award nomination for the Best Foreign Film (for "La Grande Guerra"). In his screenwriting and filmmaking, he was known for connecting with audiences by creating characters that were everyday people, and showing in entertaining ways the tribulations they encountered throughout their lives. He worked also for television and theatre, occasionally as an actor, and is considered to be a noteworthy playwright as well. Through his work, he also helped launch the careers of a number of other Italian directors and actors. In 2008, Roberto Salinas and Marina Catucci made a documentary about Mario's life, "Una Storia da Ridere, breve biografia di Mario Monicelli". He passed away at the age of 95 when he threw himself out of a fifth-story hospital window, after receiving a terminal diagnosis relating to pancreatic problems. Despite his sudden end, he is regarded in the industry as one of the masters of the "Commedia all'Italiana" style in screenwriting and filmmaking.
Director, Screenwriter. Mario began to become familiar with filmmaking as a teenage boy, and made his first short film in 1934. Much of his filmmaking was inspired by his own carefree youth experiences, and this is how he came to be particularly involved with comedy. His first feature-length film was made in 1937, and from 1939 to 1942, he created as many as 40 screenplays, and also worked as an assistant director. He made his official debut as a director in 1949, with "Totò cerca casa", along with Stefano Vanzina (a.k.a. Steno). The duo went on to produce eight successful movies in four years, including "Guardie e ladri" (1951) and "Totò a colori" (1952). A number of Mario's works are considered to be great in the realm of Italian filmmaking. Among them are "I soliti ignoti" ("Big Deal on Madonna Street") (1958), "La Grande Guerra" ("The Great War") (1959), "I compagni" ("The Organizer") (1963), "Brancaleone" ("For Love and Gold") (1966), "The Girl with the Pistol" (1968), "Amici miei" ("My Friends") (1975), "Caro Michele" (1976), "Un borghese piccolo piccolo" ("A Very Little Man") (1978), "Il Marchese del Grillo" (1981), "Speriamo che sia femmina" (1985), "Parenti serpenti" (1992), and "Cari fottutissimi amici" (1994). His last feature film was "The Roses of the Desert" (2006) ("Le rose del deserto"), which he directed when is was 91-years-old. He won awards for a number of the above-mentioned films, including an Academy Award nomination for the Best Foreign Film (for "La Grande Guerra"). In his screenwriting and filmmaking, he was known for connecting with audiences by creating characters that were everyday people, and showing in entertaining ways the tribulations they encountered throughout their lives. He worked also for television and theatre, occasionally as an actor, and is considered to be a noteworthy playwright as well. Through his work, he also helped launch the careers of a number of other Italian directors and actors. In 2008, Roberto Salinas and Marina Catucci made a documentary about Mario's life, "Una Storia da Ridere, breve biografia di Mario Monicelli". He passed away at the age of 95 when he threw himself out of a fifth-story hospital window, after receiving a terminal diagnosis relating to pancreatic problems. Despite his sudden end, he is regarded in the industry as one of the masters of the "Commedia all'Italiana" style in screenwriting and filmmaking.
