Otello Martelli

Director Of Photography

About

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Birth Place
Italy
Born
May 10, 1901
Died
February 20, 2000

Biography

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This celebrated Italian cinematographer began his career at the age of 13 as an assistant cameraman. Within six years, he was shooting his first features. In a career that spanned some forty-five years, Martelli worked with some of Italy's greatest directors from Roberto Roberti to Mario Bonnard. Martelli helped to define the look of Italian neorealism in the post-war years, particularly...

Filmography

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Variety Lights (1965)
Director of Photography
I Tre Volti (1965)
Director Of Photography
Boccaccio '70 (1962)
Photographer for "The Raffle"
Boccaccio '70 (1962)
Photographer for "The Temptation of Dr. Antonio"
Il bidone (1962)
Director of Photography
La dolce vita (1961)
Director of Photography

Photos & Videos

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0 Photos
La Strada (1954) — (Movie Clip) The Fool Will Perform
0 Photos
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La Strada -- (Movie Clip) Trifle

Biography

This celebrated Italian cinematographer began his career at the age of 13 as an assistant cameraman. Within six years, he was shooting his first features. In a career that spanned some forty-five years, Martelli worked with some of Italy's greatest directors from Roberto Roberti to Mario Bonnard. Martelli helped to define the look of Italian neorealism in the post-war years, particularly in his work on Rossellini's "Paisan" (1946) and "Stromboli" (1949). In 1950, he began working with Federico Fellini and was responsible for the beauteous black-and-white images of "La Strada" (1954), "Nights of Cabiria" (1957) and "La Dolce Vita" (1960).

Filmography

 

Cinematography (Feature Film)

Variety Lights (1965)
Director of Photography
I Tre Volti (1965)
Director Of Photography
Boccaccio '70 (1962)
Photographer for "The Raffle"
Boccaccio '70 (1962)
Photographer for "The Temptation of Dr. Antonio"
Il bidone (1962)
Director of Photography
La dolce vita (1961)
Director of Photography
The Law (1960)
Photography
This Angry Age (1958)
Director of Photography
Woman of the River (1958)
Director Of Photography
The Gold of Naples (1957)
Director Of Photography
Guendalina (1957)
Director Of Photography
War and Peace (1956)
Camera
La Fortuna di essere Donna (1956)
Cinematographer
La Strada (1954)
Director Of Photography
Siamo Donne (1953)
Cinematography (Prologue, "Il Pollo")
I Vitelloni (1953)
Director Of Photography
Anna (1951)
Cinematographer
Stromboli (1950)
Photography
Variety Lights (1950)
Cinematographer
Flowers of St. Francis (1950)
Director Of Photography
Riso Amaro (1949)
Cinematographer
Paisà (1946)
Cinematographer

Film Production - Main (Feature Film)

The Golden Madonna (1949)
Photography
The Glass Mountain (1948)
Photography
La Contessa di Parma (1937)
Photography
Allegri masnadieri (1937)
Photography
Un Bacio a fior d'acqua (1936)
Photography
Arma bianca (1936)
Photography
L' Ambasciatore (1936)
Photography
L' Antenato (1936)
Photography
Liberazione (1920)
Photography

Life Events

1916

Began career in features as assistant cameraman

1919

At age 16, shot first feature

1946

First collaboration with Roberto Rossellini, "Paisan"

1949

Shot "Stromboli" for Rossellini

1950

First collaboration with Federico Fellini, "Luci del Varieta"

1954

Won acclaim for Fellini's "La Strada"

1962

Final collaboration with Fellini, "Boccaccio '70"

1965

Shot last film to date, Pier Paolo Pasolini's documentary "Sopraluoghi in Palestina"

Videos

Movie Clip

La Strada (1954) — (Movie Clip) The Fool Will Perform Innocent Gelsomina (Giulietta Masina, directed by her husband Federico Fellini) has run away from her employer/owner (barnstorming entertainer Zampano, Anthony Quinn) and wandered into a nearby town where she sees a Catholic festival, then one of his rivals (Richard Basehart as “Il Matto,” or “The Fool”), in the worldwide hit La Strada, 1954.
La Strada -- (Movie Clip) Trifle Subtitled puns and slapstick in this famous scene as low-rent itinerant strong man performer Zampano (Anthony Quinn) and Gelsomina (Giulietta Masina, the director's wife), his new assistant, performing for the first time, charm their rural Italian audience, in Federico Fellini's La Strada, 1954.
La Strada -- (Movie Clip) Opening Credits Opening credit sequence for Federico Fellini's first international hit, La Strada, 1954, starring his wife Giuletta Masina, Anthony Quinn and Richard Basehart, from the new restoration by The Film Foundation, The Criterion Collection and The Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
La Strada -- (Movie Clip) Macho Man Directed by her husband Federico Fellini, country-girl Gelsomina (Giulietta Masina) at her first restaurant dinner with intoxicated roustabout strong-man Zampano (Anthony Quinn), who in-effect purchased her from her impoverished mother, and who soon becomes more interested in the barmaid (Anna Primula), in La Strada, 1954.
La Strada -- (Movie Clip) Here He Is, Zampano! On their first day together, traveling entertainer Zampano (Anthony Quinn) discovers Gelsomina (Giulietta Masina, the director's wife), the assistant he's basically purchased, can't cook, and offers some instruction on performance, in Federico Fellini's La Strada, 1954.
La Strada -- (Movie Clip) Gelsomina Opening scene in which Gelsomina (Giulietta Masina) is sold by her mother (Caterina Boratto) to entertainer Zampano (Anthony Quinn) for ten thousand lire, in Federico Fellini's La Strada, 1954.
I Vitelloni (1953) -- (Movie Clip) Now You'll Be In The Movies Federico Fellini begins in an Adriatic coastal town, resembling his native Rimini, introducing his gang, many by their own first names, Alberto Soldi, Leopoldo Trieste, Franco Interlenghi (the narrator), Fellini’s brother Riccardo, and Franco Fabrizi, and Eleonora Ruffo as beauty queen Sandra, in I Vitelloni, 1953.
I Vitelloni (1953) -- (Movie Clip) Lets Go Watch Guidizio Fish Arguably exquisite scene by Federico Fellini as “the young bulls,” (one translation of the ambiguous title), Riccardo Fellini, Franco Interlenghi, Leopoldo Trieste, winter at their Italian summer town, Alberto (Sordi) discovering his sister (Claude Farell) with a nasty boyfriend, in I Vitelloni, 1953.
I Vitelloni (1953) -- (Movie Clip) What Are You Crying For? Fausto (Franco Fabrizi) upbraided by his dad (Jean Brochard) for planning to leave his pregnant girlfriend, her brother Moraldo (Franco Interlenghi) narrating and impartial, then the wedding with Eleonara Ruffo as Sandra, Alberto (Sordi) and the gang, in Federico Fellini’s I Vitelloni, 1953.
Flowers Of St. Francis, The (1950) -- (Movie Clip) Make Me An Instrument Of Your Peace The first meeting between Francis (Nazario Girardi) and the man who will become "Giovanni the Simpleton" (Peparuolo) from Roberto Rossellini's The Flowers Of St. Francis, 1950.
Flowers Of St. Francis, The (1950) -- (Movie Clip) Such Severe Penance Cinematographer Otello Martelli capturing interesting forms in the rain, as Francis (Nazario Girardi) laments misleading his monks, in Roberto Rossellini's Flowers of St. Francis, 1950.
Flowers Of St. Francis, The (1950) -- (Movie Clip) Here Is Francis... The first appearance of Francis (Nazario Girardi) and his followers, narration by Gianfranco Bellini, from a screenplay by Federico Fellini and director Roberto Rossellini, in Flowers of St. Francis, 1950.

Trailer

War And Peace (1956) - (Original Trailer) Audrey Hepburn and Henry Fonda star in King Vidor's massive adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's classic War And Peace (1956).

Family

Luigi Martelli
Son
Director.

Bibliography

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