RIZZOLI, ANGELO

(1889-1970)

One of Italy's most successful publishers from the early part of the 20th century, Rizzoli moved into film in the mid-1930s, founding the Novella Film company, with which he produced Max Ophiils'sLa signora di tutti(Everybody's Woman, 1934) andVittorio De Sica's first film as director,Rose scarlatte(Red Roses, 1940). In the immediate postwar period Rizzoli was involved extensively in both commercial and art house cinema and generously supported several neorealist films that lost money at the box office, including De Sica'sUmberto D(1952) andRoberto Rossellini'sFrancesco, giullare di Dio(Francis, God's Jester, 1950). He was rewarded, however, by the overwhelming commercial and critical success of two ofFederico Fellini's key films,La dolce vita(1960) andOtto e mezzo(8V2, 1963).