Dino De Laurentiis left home at age 17 to enrol in film school, supporting himself as an actor, extra, propman, or any other job he could get in the film industry. His persistence paid off, and by the time he reached his 20th birthday he already had one produced film under his belt. He later married its star, Silvana Mangano. De Laurentiis eventually formed a partnership with producer Carlo Ponti , and the team had a string of hits, including several by director Federico Fellini. After the partnership dissolved, De Laurentiis embarked on a plan to build his own studio facilities, which would enable him to make the kind of massive spectacles he wanted to make.

He produced or co-produced more than films, of which 38 were nominated for Academy Awards. He also had a brief acting career in the late s and early s. De Laurentiis was born at Torre Annunziata in the province of Naples , and grew up selling spaghetti made by his father's pasta factory. He started his studies at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in Rome in the years — then interrupted by the outbreak of the Second World War.

Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. To get the free app, enter your mobile phone number. In a career that has spanned six decades-and shows no sign of slowing down-Dino DeLaurentiis has walked the cutting edge of lmmaking. He has personied the powerful, visionary Hollywood producer for one reason: he invented the role.