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Vittorio De Sica

Directing Born Jul 7, 1901 Died Nov 13, 1974 Sora, Frosinone, Lazio, Italy 238 credits

Biography

Vittorio De Sica was an Italian film director and actor. He was a leading figure in the neorealist movement. De Sica directed four films that won Academy Awards, with Sciuscià and Bicycle Thieves receiving honorary recognition. His films Sciuscià and Bicycle Thieves are considered part of the canon of classic cinema and helped establish the permanent Best Foreign Film Award. De Sica was born on 7 July 1901 and died on 13 November 1974. He was born in Sora, Frosinone, Lazio, Italy, and died in Neuilly-sur-Seine. De Sica directed at least 205 films throughout his career.

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Career

Career overview

Vittorio De Sica was a prominent Italian film director. He was a leading figure in the neorealist movement. De Sica directed several notable films, including Sciuscià and Bicycle Thieves. These two films are considered part of the canon of classic cinema. Bicycle Thieves was cited by Turner Classic Movies as one of the 15 greatest films of all time.

De Sica's films received international recognition. Four of his directed films won Academy Awards. Sciuscià and Bicycle Thieves were recognized with honorary awards. De Sica's films Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow and Il giardino dei Finzi Contini won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. These awards helped establish the permanent Best Foreign Film Award.

De Sica's contributions to film have been acknowledged. He is considered one of the greatest Italian film directors and actors. His work in the neorealist movement has had a lasting impact on the film industry. De Sica's films continue to be studied and appreciated by audiences and film scholars alike.

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Frequent co-stars

Career timeline

Vittorio De Sica: Staging Life
Quelli che il cinema
Belmondo: The IncorrigibleThe Garden That Doesn't Exist
We Are CinemaCinecittà, de Mussolini à la Dolce Vita
Sophia Loren, a special destiny
1960
Vittorio D.
The Sons of His Mistress · AuthorWorking with De Sica
Filmmakers vs. Tycoons
How We Got the Italian Movie Business Into Trouble: The True Story of Franco and Ciccio
Cesare Zavattini
That's Life: Vittorio De Sica
Bellissimo: Images of the Italian Cinema
My Name Is Anna Magnani
Un sorriso, uno schiaffo, un bacio in bocca
We All Loved Each Other So MuchWe All Loved Each Other So Much · PresenterBlood for DraculaThe Voyage · Director
The Assassination of MatteottiA Brief Vacation · DirectorStoria de fratelli e de cortelliThe Small MiracleViaggia, ragazza, viaggia, hai la musica nelle vene
The Adventures of PinocchioThe Adventures of PinocchioScandal ManWe'll Call Him Andrea · DirectorHector the Mighty
Samedi soirBirth of the Republic · DirectorBirth of the Republic · WriterTrastevereWe Are All in Temporary Liberty
Sunflower · DirectorThe Couples · DirectorThe Garden of the Finzi-Continis · DirectorIo e Dio · Producer
Twelve Plus OneIf It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium
Dear CarolineThe Shoes of the FishermanA Place for Lovers · DirectorThe Biggest Bundle of Them All
Lionpower from MGMWoman Times Seven · DirectorThe Witches · DirectorCinéma et RéalitéAn Italian in America
Me, Me, Me... and the OthersAfter the FoxAfter the Fox · DirectorA Young World · DirectorMan of Three Worlds: Luchino Visconti
Tokyo Olympiad · ThanksThe Amorous Adventures of Moll FlandersCinéastes de notre temps : Max Ophuls ou la ronde
Marriage Italian Style · DirectorSophia Loren in Rome
Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow · DirectorThe Boom · Director
Boccaccio '70 · DirectorLafayetteThe Condemned of Altona · DirectorLykke og kroneEva
The Last JudgmentThe Last Judgment · DirectorThe Two MarshalsThe Wonders of AladdinLong Live Henry IV... Long Live Love!
AusterlitzTwo Women · DirectorIt Started in NaplesLove in RomeThe Traffic Policeman

Full filmography

  • Vittorio De Sica: Staging Life (2026) as Self (Archive Footage)
  • Quelli che il cinema (2025) as Self
  • Belmondo: The Incorrigible (2022)
  • The Garden That Doesn't Exist (2022) as Self (archive footage)
  • We Are Cinema (2021) as Self (archive footage)
  • Cinecittà, de Mussolini à la Dolce Vita (2021) as Self (archive footage)
  • Sophia Loren, a special destiny (2019) as Self (archive footage)
  • 1960 (2010) as Self (archive footage)
  • Vittorio D. (2009) as Self (archive footage)
  • The Sons of His Mistress (2007) Author
  • Working with De Sica (2007) as Self (archive footage)
  • Filmmakers vs. Tycoons (2005) as Self (archive footage)
  • How We Got the Italian Movie Business Into Trouble: The True Story of Franco and Ciccio (2004) as (archive footage)
  • Cesare Zavattini (2003) as Self (archive footage)
  • That's Life: Vittorio De Sica (2001) as Self (archive footage)
  • Bellissimo: Images of the Italian Cinema (1985) as Self
  • My Name Is Anna Magnani (1980) as Self (archive footage)
  • Un sorriso, uno schiaffo, un bacio in bocca (1975) as (archive footage)
  • We All Loved Each Other So Much (1974) as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
  • We All Loved Each Other So Much (1974) Presenter
  • Blood for Dracula (1974) as Marquis Di Fiore
  • The Voyage (1974) Director
  • The Assassination of Matteotti (1973) as Mauro Del Giudice
  • A Brief Vacation (1973) Director
  • Storia de fratelli e de cortelli (1973) as Maresciallo Cenciarelli
  • The Small Miracle (1973) as Father Damico
  • Viaggia, ragazza, viaggia, hai la musica nelle vene (1973)
  • The Adventures of Pinocchio (1972) as Giudice
  • The Adventures of Pinocchio (1972) as giudice
  • Scandal Man (1972) as Milord
  • We'll Call Him Andrea (1972) Director
  • Hector the Mighty (1972) as Giove
  • Snow Job (1972) as Enrico Dolphi
  • Samedi soir (1971) as Self
  • Birth of the Republic (1971) Director
  • Birth of the Republic (1971) Writer
  • Trastevere (1971) as Enrico Formichi
  • We Are All in Temporary Liberty (1971) as Giuseppe Mancini 'Pulcinella'
  • I Don't See, You Don't Speak, He Doesn't Hear (1971) as Player in Venice casino
  • Mafia Things (1971) as Don Michele
  • Sunflower (1970) Director
  • The Couples (1970) Director
  • The Garden of the Finzi-Continis (1970) Director
  • Io e Dio (1970) Producer
  • Twelve Plus One (1969) as Di Seta
  • If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium (1969) as Shoemaker
  • Dear Caroline (1968) as Le comte de Bièvre
  • The Shoes of the Fisherman (1968) as Cardinal Rinaldi
  • A Place for Lovers (1968) Director
  • The Biggest Bundle of Them All (1968) as Cesare Celli
  • Lionpower from MGM (1967) as Self - Cesare Celli (archive footage) (uncredited)
  • Woman Times Seven (1967) Director
  • The Witches (1967) Director
  • Cinéma et Réalité (1967) as Self
  • An Italian in America (1967) as Lando Marossi
  • Me, Me, Me... and the Others (1966) as Commendator Trepossi
  • After the Fox (1966) as Vittorio De Sica (uncredited)
  • After the Fox (1966) Director
  • A Young World (1966) Director
  • Man of Three Worlds: Luchino Visconti (1966) as Self - Interviewee
  • Gli altri, gli altri e noi (1966) as Retired
  • Tokyo Olympiad (1965) Thanks
  • The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders (1965) as der Graf
  • Cinéastes de notre temps : Max Ophuls ou la ronde (1965) as Self
  • Marriage Italian Style (1964) Director
  • Sophia Loren in Rome (1964) as Self
  • Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (1963) Director
  • The Boom (1963) Director
  • Boccaccio '70 (1962) Director
  • Lafayette (1962) as Bancroft
  • The Condemned of Altona (1962) Director
  • Lykke og krone (1962)
  • Eva (1962) as (uncredited)
  • The Last Judgment (1961) as Defense lawyer
  • The Last Judgment (1961) Director
  • The Two Marshals (1961) as Maresciallo Vittorio Cotone
  • The Wonders of Aladdin (1961) as Genie
  • Long Live Henry IV... Long Live Love! (1961) as Ambassador of Spain
  • The Honored Society (1961) as Salvatore il 'Capintesta'
  • The Orderly (1961) as Colonnello Filippo Bitossi
  • Austerlitz (1960) as le pape Pie VII
  • Two Women (1960) Director
  • It Started in Naples (1960) as Mario Vitale
  • Love in Rome (1960) as le réalisateur
  • The Traffic Policeman (1960) as Il sindaco
  • The Millionairess (1960) as Joe
  • The Angel Wore Red (1960) as General Clave
  • Gastone (1960) as The Prince
  • Le pillole di Ercole (1960) as Colonel Piero Cuocolo
  • Three Etc.'s and the Colonel (1960) as Colonel Belalcazar
  • The Four Just Men (1959) as Ricco Poccari
  • General Della Rovere (1959) as Bardone AKA 'Grimaldi'
  • Ferdinand I King of Naples (1959) as Seccano
  • My Wife's Enemy (1959) as professor Ottavio Tornabuoni
  • Venetian Honeymoon (1959) as Alfredo
  • The Moralist (1959) as O.I.M.P. President
  • Il mondo dei miracoli (1959) as Director Pietro Giordani
  • Nel blu dipinto di blu (1959) as Spartaco
  • Policarpo, ufficiale di scrittura (1959) as Il prestigiatore con il piccione (uncredited)
  • Men and Noblemen (1959) as marchese Nicola Peccoli Macinelli di Afragola
  • Winter Holidays (1959) as Maurizio
  • Cannon Serenade (1958) as Ernesto de Rossi, Kapitän
  • Bread, Love and Andalucia (1958) as Tonino
  • Bread, Love and Andalucia (1958) Producer
  • Bread, Love and Andalucia (1958) Original Music Composer
  • Fast and Sexy (1958) as Don Luigi
  • Fast and Sexy (1958) Supervising Technical Director
  • Fast and Sexy (1958) Original Music Composer
  • Fast and Sexy (1958) Co-Director
  • Orson Welles at Large: Portrait of Gina (1958) as Self
  • Domenica è sempre domenica (1958) as Il 'comandante' Gastaldi
  • The Inveterate Bachelor (1958) as Il professore
  • The Girl of San Pietro Square (1958) as Armando Conforti
  • Love and Chatter (1958) as Avvocato Bonelli
  • Angel in a Taxi (1958)
  • A Farewell to Arms (1957) as Major Rinaldi
  • It Happened in Rome (1957) as The Count
  • Fathers and Sons (1957) as Vincenzo Corallo
  • Totò, Vittorio and the Doctor (1957) as Marchese Vittorio De Vittti
  • Doctor and the Healer (1957) as Antonio Locoratolo
  • Il conte Max (1957) as Conte Max Orsini Varaldo
  • The Woman Who Came from the Sea (1957) as Console Bordogin
  • Holiday Island (1957) as Engineer Occhipinti
  • Paris Casino (1957) as Alexander Gordy
  • The Guilty (1957) as Giorgio Vasari
  • Cinépanorama (1956) as Self
  • The Roof (1956) Director
  • The Roof (1956) Producer
  • The Monte Carlo Story (1956) as Count Dino della Fiaba
  • Nero's Mistress (1956) as Seneca
  • The Bigamist (1956) as Honorable Prince / Attorney Prince
  • Time of Vacation (1956) as Aristide Rossi
  • Noi siamo le colonne (1956) as Alfredo Celimontani, il guitto squattrinato
  • I giorni più belli (1956)
  • Roman Tales (1955) as Mazzoni Baralla - the lawyer
  • The Miller's Beautiful Wife (1955) as Don Teofilo - governatore
  • Scandal in Sorrento (1955) as Maresciallo Carotenuto
  • The Sign of Venus (1955) as Alessio Spano
  • It Happens in Roma (1955) as Carlo Reani
  • Too Bad She's Bad (1954) as Vittorio Stroppiani
  • Frisky (1954) as Maresciallo Carotenuto
  • The Gold of Naples (1954) as Il conte Prospero B. (segment "I giocatori")
  • The Gold of Naples (1954) Director
  • The Gold of Naples (1954) Screenplay
  • The Cheerful Squadron (1954) as General
  • The Anatomy of Love (1954) as Conte Ferdinando / Don Corradino Scognamiglio
  • 100 Years of Love (1954) as Duke Giovanni del Bagno aka Signor Pallini (segment "Pendolin")
  • The Secrets of the Bed (1954) as Roberto Bernardini (segment "Divorce, Le")
  • Gran varietà (1954) as Veneziani
  • Il matrimonio (1954) as Gregory Stefanovich Smirnov
  • Modern Virgin (1954) as Antonio Valli
  • It Happened in the Park (1953) as Arturo Cavazzuti (segment "Incidente a Villa Borghese")
  • The Earrings of Madame de... (1953) as Baron Fabrizio Donati
  • Indiscretion of an American Wife (1953) Director
  • Indiscretion of an American Wife (1953) Producer
  • Bread, Love and Dreams (1953) as Maresciallo Carotenuto
  • Umberto D. (1952) Director
  • Umberto D. (1952) Producer
  • Times Gone By (1952) as Defense Advocate (segment "Il processo di Frine")
  • Hello Elephant (1952) as Carlo Caretti
  • Hello Elephant (1952) Producer
  • Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951)
  • Mamma mia, che impressione! (1951) Producer
  • Miracle in Milan (1951) Director
  • Miracle in Milan (1951) Screenplay
  • Miracle in Milan (1951) Producer
  • Position Wanted (1951) as Leonardo Leonardi
  • Tomorrow Is Too Late (1950) as Professor Landi
  • Bicycle Thieves (1948) Screenplay
  • Bicycle Thieves (1948) Director
  • Bicycle Thieves (1948) Producer
  • Heart (1948) as Master Perboni
  • Heart (1948) Director
  • Unknown Men of San Marino (1948) as Leo, l'ateo
  • Lost in the Dark (1947) as Carmine
  • Lost in the Dark (1947) Screenplay
  • Christmas at Camp 119 (1947) as Don Vicenzino
  • Christmas at Camp 119 (1947) Screenplay
  • Shoeshine (1946) Director
  • Rome: Free City (1946) as Il signore distinto
  • Peddlin' in Society (1946) as Il conte Ghirani
  • Il mondo vuole così (1946) as Paolo Morelli
  • The Gates of Heaven (1945) Director
  • The Gates of Heaven (1945) Screenplay
  • Lo sbaglio di essere vivo (1945) as Adriano Lari
  • No One Comes Back (1945) as Maurizio
  • The Children Are Watching Us (1943) Director
  • The Children Are Watching Us (1943) Screenplay
  • Our Dreams (1943) as Leo
  • Our Dreams (1943) Screenplay
  • A Garibaldian in the Convent (1942) as Nino Bixio
  • A Garibaldian in the Convent (1942) Director
  • A Garibaldian in the Convent (1942) Screenplay
  • If I Was Honest (1942) as Pietro Kovach
  • If I Was Honest (1942) Screenplay
  • La guardia del corpo (1942) as Riccardo, investigatore privato
  • La guardia del corpo (1942) Writer
  • Teresa Venerdì (1941) as Dott. Pietro Vignali
  • Teresa Venerdì (1941) Director
  • Teresa Venerdì (1941) Screenplay
  • The Adventuress from the Floor Above (1941) as Fabrizio Marchini
  • Red Roses (1940) as Alberto Verani
  • Red Roses (1940) Director
  • Maddalena, Zero for Conduct (1940) as Alfredo Hartman
  • Maddalena, Zero for Conduct (1940) Director
  • Pazza di gioia (1940) as Conte Corrado Valli
  • The Sinner (1940) as Pietro Bandelli
  • Manon Lescaut (1940) as Renato Des Grieux
  • Castles in the Air (1939) as Riccardo Pietramola
  • It Always Ends That Way (1939) as Alberto Milnar
  • Napoli che non muore (1939)
  • Department Store (1939) as Bruno Zacchi
  • Ai vostri ordini, signora... (1939) as Pietro Haguet
  • The Cuckoo Clock (1938)
  • Hanno rapito un uomo (1938) as L'attore cinematografico
  • Napoli d'altri tempi (1938) as Mario Esposito
  • Le due madri (1938) as Salvatore
  • La mazurka di papà (1938) as Stefano San Mauro / Il figlio di San Mauro
  • Mister Max (1937) as Gianni / Max Varaldo
  • The Man Who Smiles (1937) as Pio Fardella
  • Questi ragazzi (1937) as Vincenzo
  • But It's Nothing Serious (1936) as Memmo Speranza
  • I Don't Know You Anymore (1936) as Il dottore Alberto Spinelli
  • Lohengrin (1936) as Alfredo
  • I'll Give a Million (1935) as Gold
  • Amo te sola (1935) as Giovanni
  • La canzone del sole (1934) as Paladino, l'avvocato
  • Full Speed (1934) as Il professore Giacomo Banti
  • Un cattivo soggetto (1933) as Willy
  • Lisetta (1933) as Fritz Peters
  • Das Lied der Sonne (1933) as Dr. Giuseppe Paladino
  • What Scoundrels Men Are! (1932) as Bruno
  • Two Happy Hearts (1932) as Mr. Brown
  • The Secretary for Everyone (1932)
  • The Old Lady (1932) as Fine dicitore
  • La compagnia dei matti (1928) as Prof. Rosolillo
  • La bellezza del mondo (1927)
  • The Clemenceau Affair (1917) as Pierre Clémenceau bambino