Luigi Comencini ([luˈidʒi komenˈtʃini]; 8 June 1916 – 6 April 2007) was an Italian film director. Together with Dino Risi, Ettore Scola and Mario Monicelli, he was considered among the masters of the commedia all'italiana genre.

His daughters Cristina and Francesca are both film directors.

Biography

Comencini was born in Salò.

His first successful movie was L'imperatore di Capri, featuring Totò. Comencini's 1953 Pane, amore e fantasia, with Vittorio De Sica and Gina Lollobrigida, is considered a primary example of neorealismo rosa (pink neorealism). It was followed by Pane, amore e gelosia.

After a first work with Alberto Sordi (La bella di Roma, 1955), Comencini again directed the Roman actor in what is considered his masterwork, Tutti a casa, a bitter comedy about Italy after the armistice of 1943. The film was entered into the 2nd Moscow International Film Festival where it won the Special Golden Prize. Also set in World War II, but devoted to the Italian partisans, are La ragazza di Bube (1963). This was followed by Incompreso (1966, based on the English novel by Florence Montgomery).

Comencini obtainted an outstanding success with what is ranked amongst the best production of Italian television ever, Le avventure di Pinocchio (1972). In the same year he directed the feature film Lo scopone scientifico, a notable dark comedy with Sordi and Silvana Mangano. In 1975 he released the mystery La donna della domenica, featuring Marcello Mastroianni, Jacqueline Bisset and Jean-Louis Trintignant.

Comencini subsequent works were characterized by the presence of one of most important Italian actors of the time, such as Ugo Tognazzi in Il gatto (1977) and Nino Manfredi for his episode of Basta che non si sappia in giro. In the 1980s Comencini's movies met with less success but his Cuore television series of 1984 was praised.

He died in Rome after a long illness in 2007.

Best films