The ANNOTICO Report

Mr. Lattuada originally trained as an architect and writer, and began his
cinematic career as a screenwriter and assistant director, became a highly
regarded Italian filmmaker, and is known as the mentor of Frederico Fellini.

Italian Americans may remember Mr. Lattuada for "Christopher Columbus," a
television miniseries broadcast in the United States in 1985. But he is
better known around the world for "Il Cappotto" ("The Overcoat," 1952), "Il
Bandito" ("The Bandit," 1946), "Senza Pietà" ("Without Pity," 1948),
"Giacomo l'Idealista" ("Giacomo the Idealist), "Luci del Varietà" ("Variety
Lights"), "Anna" (1951), starring Anna Magnani, "La Spiaggia" ("The Beach,"
1954),and "Così Come Sei ("Stay As You Are," 1978).

ALBERTO LATTUADA IS DEAD AT 90; MADE POSTWAR ITALIAN FILMS

By Margalit Fox
July 16, 2005

Alberto Lattuada, a highly regarded Italian filmmaker of the postwar years
who was also known for giving a young screenwriter named Federico Fellini
his first directing job, died on July 3 at his home outside Rome. He was 90.

Rome city officials announced the death to The Associated Press.

Originally trained as an architect and writer, Mr. Lattuada defied easy
categorization as a director. His films included literary adaptations like
"Il Cappotto" ("The Overcoat," 1952), based on the Gogol story; neorealist
dramas like "Il Bandito" ("The Bandit," 1946), about a released prisoner of
war who turns to crime; and melodramas like "Senza Pietà" ("Without Pity,"
1948), about an interracial relationship.

But despite their thematic variety, most of Mr. Lattuada's films were
ultimately social commentaries on contemporary Italian mores, with
particular attention paid to sexual peccadilloes. (Besides Mr. Fellini, he
was credited with discovering several very young actresses, among them
Nastassja Kinski.)

Alberto Lattuada was born in Milan in 1914. His father, Felice, was a
well-known composer who would later write the scores of several of his
son's films. As a young man, Alberto helped found what became the Cineteca
Italiana, Italy's national film archive. An ardent anti-Fascist, he
screened banned movies, among them "La Grande Illusion" (1937), an antiwar
film by Jean Renoir, on the eve of Italy's entrance into World War II.

Mr. Lattuada began his cinematic career as a screenwriter and assistant
director. He made his directorial debut in 1943, with "Giacomo l'Idealista"
("Giacomo the Idealist), the story of a woman raped by a nobleman. But
because of his political activity, he was compelled to go into hiding for
the rest of the war and did not make another film until 1945.

In 1950, Mr. Lattuada hired Mr. Fellini, who had scripted several of his
films, to share the direction of "Luci del Varietà" ("Variety Lights"),
about itinerant vaudevillians. Mr. Lattuada's other films include "Anna"
(1951), starring Anna Magnani as a sultry nightclub singer who becomes a
nun; "La Spiaggia" ("The Beach," 1954), about a good-natured prostitute on
vacation; and "Così Come Sei ("Stay As You Are," 1978), about a middle-aged
bounder (Marcello Mastroianni) who begins a heated affair with a young
woman (Ms. Kinski) despite the fact that she may be his daughter.

In later years, Mr. Lattuada turned to more commercial projects, among them
"Christopher Columbus," a television miniseries broadcast in the United
States in 1985.

Mr. Lattuada is survived by his wife, the actress Carla Del Poggio, and
their two sons, The Guardian of London reported.