Comencini, Luigi 1916-2007

OBITUARY NOTICE—

See index for CA sketch: Born June 8, 1916, in Salo, Italy; died April 6, 2007. Film director and author. Considered by many the founding father of modern Italian comedies, Comencini was known for such films as Pane, amore e fantasia (1953) and Tutti a casa (1960). Originally a student of architecture at Milan Polytechnic, he became interested in movies and during his early career was a film reviewer. In 1949, he helped found Cineteca Italiana, Italy's first movie archive. His involvement in actually making films first came with Bambini in citta (1947), a documentary he wrote about street children. Soon he was also directing the films he wrote, with his first big success being L'imperatore di Capri (1948). His Pane, amore e fantasia was credited with making Gina Lollobrigida a star. Because many of his films feature children protagonists, some considered him a director of children's films, but such was not the case. Comencini was, instead, a social commentator who used humor and children's perspectives to make observations about human society and morality. Other films also written by the director include La finestra sul Luna Park (1956), A cavallo della tigre (1961), Delitto d'amore (1974), La storia (1986), and Marcellino pane e vino (1992). His Tutti a casa was released in the United States as Everybody Go Home! (1962).

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PERIODICALS

Times (London, England), April 11, 2007, p. 59.