While in the Golden Age of Hollywood, there were producers like David O’Selznick who became almost as famous as the people who starred in their films, few in the modern age can say that, but Dino De Laurentiis could. Sadly though, the Legendary movie producer has passed away at the age of 91 in his Beverly Hills home.
Dino De Laurentiis won his first Oscar for producing Federico Fellini’s 1957 movie La Strada, which won Best Foriegn Language Film. His Nights of Cabiria won the same award a year later. He then moved from Italy to Hollywood in the 1960s and produced such movies as Serpico, the 1976 failed remake of King Kong, Conan The Barbarian, Dune, Army Of Darkness and the Silence Of The Lambs sequels Hannibal and Red Dragon. Indeed he was a producer who became as well known for his noble failures, such as Dune and Flash Gordon, as his successes, simply because many admired how he stuck by projects others would have shied away from.
Dino De Laurentiis was born on August 8, 1919 in a small village near Naples, Italy. He first entered the movie business at the age of 20 and never looked back. He also received the Irving Thalberg Award at the 2001 Academy Awards for his lifetime of achievement in the film industry. Here’s what he said after receiving the award: “I’ve been very lucky in my long life. On three continents, in diverse cultures, through happy moments, not-so-happy moments, and moments as marvelous as this one, I’ve had the privilege of working with the cinema’s greatest masters.”
He is survived by his third wife, Martha, and six daughters.
Dino De Laurentiis – August 8th, 1919-November 11th, 2010 – RIP