FLAIANO, ENNIO

(1910-1972)

Novelist, playwright, journalist, and screenwriter. Flaiano began writing for films in the early 1940s and achieved an early success with the award of aNastro d'argentofor the screenplay of Marcello Pagliero'sRoma citta libera(Rome Free City, 1946). While continuing to pursue a literary career—he won the prestigious Premio Strega in 1947 with his novelTempo di uccidere(Time to Kill)—he also collaborated on numerous screenplays with many of the major directors, fromRoberto Rossellini, for whom he helped to writeDov'e la liberta?(Where Is Freedom, 1954) toMichelangelo Antonioni, for whom he wroteLa notte(The Night, 1960). His greatest screenwriting successes, however, came from his long association withFederico Fellini, with whom he worked on almost a dozen films, includingLa dolce vita(1960) andOtto e mezzo(8V2, 1963), the latter earning him two Nastri d'argento as well as an Oscar nomination. In 1989Giuliano Montaldoadapted Flaiano'sTempo di ucciderefor the screen.