Cesare Zavattini

Screenwriter

About

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Birth Place

Italy

Born

September 29, 1902

Died

October 13, 1989

Cause of Death

Stroke

Biography

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Central architect of Italian neorealist cinema who laid down the blueprint for the movement with writings ranging from screenplays and novels to theory and poetry.After an uneventful screenwriting debut with "Daro un Milione" (1935), Zavattini, a committed Marxist, began to formulate his vision of a cinema of truth, free of artificiality and pretense, which would concern itself with the ...

Filmography

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La Veritaaa' (1982)

Love in the City (1953)

Strand: Under the Dark Cloth (1989)

La Veritaaa' (1982)

The Boom (2017)

The Boom (2017)

Photos & Videos

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Umberto D. (1952) -- (Movie Clip) Quiet Morning In Rome

Umberto D. (1952) -- (Movie Clip) Sentimental To Me

Bibliography

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"Straparole/Extra Words"

Cesare Zavattini (1967)

"Toto the Good"

Cesare Zavattini

Biography

Central architect of Italian neorealist cinema who laid down the blueprint for the movement with writings ranging from screenplays and novels to theory and poetry.

After an uneventful screenwriting debut with "Daro un Milione" (1935), Zavattini, a committed Marxist, began to formulate his vision of a cinema of truth, free of artificiality and pretense, which would concern itself with the problems of everyday people. He collaborated with another key figure of the movement, Vittorio De Sica, as early as "Teresea Venerdi" (1941), but it was with "The Children are Watching Us" (1943), about a young boy who experiences the separation of his parents, that the foundations for the movement were laid. Zavattini and De Sica went on collaborate on such classic films as "Shoeshine" (1946), "Bicycle Thieves" (1948), "Miracle in Milan" (1950) "Umberto D" (1952), "The Roof" (1956) and "Two Women" (1960).

Zavattini also wrote several books (some of which were turned into films) as well as screenplays for other directors, among them Alessandro Blasetti ("Four Steps in the Clouds" 1942), Rene Clement ("The Walls of Malpaga" 1949) and Luchino Visconti ("Bellissima" 1951). At the age of 80 he directed his first film, the surrealistic "The Truth" (1982).

Filmography

Director (Feature Film)

La Veritaaa' (1982)

Love in the City (1953)

Cast (Feature Film)

Strand: Under the Dark Cloth (1989)

La Veritaaa' (1982)

Writer (Feature Film)

The Boom (2017)

The Boom (2017)

Un homme et son chien (2009)

A Walk in the Clouds (1995)

A Walk in the Clouds (1995)

The Garden of the Finzi-Continis (1987)

La Veritaaa' (1982)

Un Cuore Semplice (1978)

The Children of Sanchez (1978)

Una Breve Vacanza (1973)

We'll Call Him Andrea (1972)

Sunflower (1970)

A Place for Lovers (1969)

The Witches (1968)

Screenplay for "A Night Like Any Other"

The Witches (1968)

Story & Screenplay for "The Witch Burned Alive"

Woman Times Seven (1967)

A Young World (1966)

Original Screenplay & dial

After the Fox (1966)

The Doll That Took the Town (1965)

Lipstick (1965)

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (1964)

Screenplay for "Anna"

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (1964)

Screenplay for "Mara"

The Condemned of Altona (1963)

Screenplay (see note)

Boccaccio '70 (1962)

Boccaccio '70 (1962)

Screenplay for "The Raffle"

Arturo's Island (1962)

Two Women (1961)

The Roof (1959)

The Awakening (1958)

The Awakening (1958)

The Gold of Naples (1957)

The Virtuous Bigamist (1957)

From Original Screenplay ("Four Steps In The Clouds")

The Sign of Venus (1955)

Indiscretion of an American Wife (1954)

Ali-Baba (1954)

Siamo Donne (1953)

Love in the City (1953)

Love in the City (1953)

From Story ("Tentato Suicidio"--"When Love Fails")

Umberto D. (1952)

Umberto D. (1952)

Bellissima (1951)

Miracle in Milan (1951)

Miracle in Milan (1951)

Bellissima (1951)

The Walls of Malapaga (1949)

The Walls of Malapaga (1949)

The Bicycle Thief (1948)

Shoeshine (1946)

The Children are Watching Us (1944)

Quattro Passi fra la Nuvole (1942)

Producer (Feature Film)

Love in the City (1953)

Music (Feature Film)

La Veritaaa' (1982)

Misc. Crew (Feature Film)

Strand: Under the Dark Cloth (1989)

Life Events

1935

Screenwriting debut with "Daro un Milione"

1941

First collaboration with Vittorio De Sica, "Teresa Venerdi"

1982

Film directing debut with "La Verita/The Truth"

Videos

Umberto D. (1952) -- (Movie Clip) Quiet Morning In Rome Following opening credits and a dedication to his father, director Vittorio De Sica introduces his title character, a professor and non-actor, Carlo Battisti, in post-war Rome, in Umberto D., 1952.

Umberto D. (1952) -- (Movie Clip) Sentimental To Me Having sneaked away from his bed where he's feigning illness, Carlo Battisti (title character) sells his prized books, then enlists Maria (Maria Pia Casillo) to urge the landlady (Lina Gennari) to accept partial payment, in Vittorio De Sica's Umberto D., 1952.

Bicycle Thieves (1948) -- (Movie Clip) This Isn't A Pizzeria Antonio (Lamberto Maggiorani) decides he and Bruno (Enzo Staiola) deserve a break, expressing confidence he'll get his bike and his job back, in Vittorio De Sica's Bicycle Thieves, 1948.

Bicycle Thieves (1948) -- (Movie Clip) Open, Ricci Opening sequence and news of a job for Antonio (Lamberto Maggiorani), from Vittorio De Sica's neo-realist landmark, cast entirely with non-professional actors, Bicycle Thieves, 1948, from a novel by Luigi Bartolini.

Bicycle Thieves (1948) -- (Movie Clip) Three Doubles Three Singles Maria (Lianella Carell) figures out how to get the bicycle out of hock, rescuing Antonio (Lamberto Maggiorani) from his misery, in Vittorio De Sica's Bicycle Thieves, 1948.

Bicycle Thieves (1948) -- (Movie Clip) You Look Like A Cop! Young Bruno (Enzo Staiola), Antonio (Lamberto Maggiorani) and Maria (Lianella Carell) prepare for the first day on the new job, in Vittorio De Sica's Bicycle Thieves, 1948.

Bicycle Thieves (1948) -- (Movie Clip) A Boy Is Drowning! Antonio (Lamberto Maggiorani) takes out his frustration on Bruno (Enzo Staiola) as they chase the old man who knows the thief, in Vittorio De Sica's Bicycle Thieves, 1948.

Two Women (1960) -- (Movie Clip) Those Men Will Come Back Now on foot on their trek from wartime Rome to her rural home province, mother Cesira (Sophia Loren) and daughter Rosetta (Eleanora Brown) are also fleeing local fascist militia brigands, meeting a passerby as Allied aircraft roar overhead, in Vittorio De Sica’s drama of the “Marocchinate” war crime campaign, Two Women, 1960.

Two Women (1960) -- (Movie Clip) Those Germans Aren't So Bad Fleeing Allied bombs in Rome, Cesira (Sophia Loren) and daughter Rosetta (Eleanora Brown), decide to walk when the train can't go on, amusing German soldiers, in Vittorio De Sica's drama of the war crime campaign known as the “Marocchinate,” Two Women, 1960.

Two Women (1960) -- (Movie Clip) To A New World Cesira (Sophia Loren), Rosetta (Eleanora Brown) and their Marxist friend Michele (Jean-Paul Belmondo), are the only villagers willing to feed two English soldiers, in Vittorio De Sica's Two Women, 1960.

Umberto D. (1952) -- (Movie Clip) For A Hole Like Thisi! Carlo Battisti (title character) returns home to find the landlady (Lina Gennari) is renting out his room by the hour, seeking support from servant Maria (Maria Pia Casillo), early in director Vittorio De Sica's Umberto D., 1952.

Gold Of Naples (1954) -- (Movie Clip) At Your Service The celebrated Italian comic “Toto” is the father, Lianella Carrell his wife, griping about the racketeer who’s been dominating their home for ten years when he (Pasquale Cennamo) appears, demonstrating his power over the family, in the first vignette in Vittorio De Sica’s Gold Of Naples, 1954.

Bicycle Thief, The - (Re-release trailer) A working man's livelihood is threatened when someone steals his bicycle in one of the great classics of world cinema, The Bicycle Thief (1948).

After The Fox - (Original Trailer) A notorious con man (Peter Sellers) poses as a film director to front a major caper in After The Fox (1966) written by Neil Simon.

Bibliography

"Straparole/Extra Words"

Cesare Zavattini (1967)

"Toto the Good"

Cesare Zavattini

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