In 2018, one of the most famous producers in the history of European cinema could celebrate its 105th anniversary. The man whose name is forever inscribed in the history of cinema is Carlo Ponti. The holder of the special gift “to find diamonds”, he gave the world many brilliant movie stars, including Sophia Loren, Gina Lollobrigida and Alida Valley. Almost every film of his was a huge success with the public and film critics. In Hollywood they talked about him in a whisper and called a visionary, he accurately guessed the scripts that became legends. Being an incredible workaholic and charming man, he was able to work with the famous directors Federico Fellini, Giorgio Capitani, Vittorio De Sica, David Lina, Alberto Lattuado and Michelangelo Antonioni.
Carlo before the movie
The full name of the producer is Carlo Fartunato Pietro Ponti (it. Carlo Ponti). He was born on December 11, 1912 in the small province of Milan, in the town of Magenta. He died in January 2007 from lung disease.
Carlo's mother was a housewife, and his father practiced law and maintained his own office. Little Carlo attended school there, on the Majet. Immediately after its completion, the hero of our article firmly decided to follow in his father's footsteps and become a lawyer. He enters the University of Milan at the Faculty of Law, where he studies law. Carlo independently earns money for his studies, earning money in his father's office. After graduating from high school in 1934, Ponti received a bachelor's degree and got a job at his office in his father. Then he actively fulfills his instructions. One of Carlo’s first clients is filmmakers. Carlo helps them with the execution and verification of contracts with actors. This work enthralls the young lawyer so much that he decides to start producing films on his own.
The beginning of the creative path
Carlo Ponti manages to start her long and thorny path in cinema only at 29 years old. This area literally captivates an ambitious young man, he understands what can be realized in the profession of a producer and “make a fortune”. Already in the late 30s - early 40s, Carlo was trying to engage in his own production of films.
His first serious production work was the film "Little Old World", based on the story of Antonio Fogazzaro directed by Mario Soldati. This picture will play a bad role in the biography of Carlo Ponti. Despite the fact that the film was successful at the box office and was awarded the Golden Lion Award in 1941 for the best female role in the performance of Alida Valley, Ponti will be detained by the Nazis for some time.
World War II marched across Europe, destroying not only cities, but also Carlo Ponti's dreams. Despite the crisis in Europe, in 1943 he produced the film “The Idealist Giacomo”.
After the war ended in 1945, Carlo got a job at the Lux Film studio, where he works until 1950 and releases about a dozen films. After finishing work at the company, Carlo Ponti makes a decision to open his own studio, for which he finds a companion, who becomes an American producer with Italian roots Dino De Lawrence. Together they open up the Ponti di Lawrenceis Company.
Over the six years of the company’s existence, these two talented producers have released more than twenty films. The most famous works of that period were The Naples Gold, directed by Vittorio De Sica, The Road by Frederico Fellini and War and Peace, in which Audrey Hepburn took part. Fellini's painting is awarded the Golden Lion and the Oscar.
Life Style: Sophia Loren - Half a Century Love
Carlo’s further work and life will take place on the run. Hiding from the Italian police, Carlo moves to France. Blame everything - the love that will make Carlo abandon the homeland.
In 1946, Ponti got married, his chosen one was the daughter of the general, the beautiful Julian Fiastri. On paper, the marriage of Ponti and Fiastri was registered for 11 years, in reality, everything was different. The couple was married, but after the birth of children in their married life, problems began. According to Ponti, the last two years of marriage, they no longer lived together.
In the early 50s, the already famous film producer Carlo Ponti met with the main love of his life - Sofia Villani Chicolon. 38-year-old Carlo is having lunch with his friend in a Roman cafe with a view of the Colosseum. Sofia is also in the same cafe with friends. Carlo, who at that moment is the invited judge of the beauty contest, immediately notes the beauty. He asks a friend to approach the girl and ask if she wants to participate in the Miss Rome contest. Sofia first rejects the offer. But Ponty is very persistent, he tells the girl that he is a film producer and has opened the world to many film stars. Sophia’s face immediately seemed Carlo unusual, and facial expressions - very lively, it was such an actress that he was looking for. After some deliberation, Sofia takes part in a competition in which she takes second place and receives the title of “Miss Grace”.
After the competition, Carlo invites the girl to visit his office and take some test shots for the portfolio. Soon, Sophia arrives at Ponti’s office, but finds out that the pictures seem to be not very successful. Carlo criticizes Sofia and suggests that she lose weight and undergo a plastic surgery to reduce her nose. Sofia flatly refuses. In response, Ponti chases the girl away.
For some time, Sofia is trying to succeed on her own, she starred in base films, sometimes provocative in nature. After several failures, she returns to Carlo’s office and watches him at the office for several hours in a row. Ponti's secretary called Sofia "Miss Reception." Ponti gives up under such pressure and organizes the first tests for the girl. Chicolon is very talented in his role. And soon, Sophie became the main woman in work, and then in the personal life of Carlo Ponti.
At first, Carlo helps the young girl disinterestedly: she buys her clothes, teaches to dye and style her hair, even teaches to walk, makes her read books. He patiently shows the directors and cameramen how to shoot Sophie, which angle to choose. It was Carlo who invented the stage name for Sophie - Sophia Loren. Every day the girl becomes more beautiful, Carlo can no longer resist her feelings. They begin a stormy romance.
7 years after meeting, Sofia Loren and Carlo Ponti decide to get married, but meet with unexpected difficulties. Until 1970, divorces were banned in Italy, as the Vatican did not support them. In order to circumvent the law, Carlo hires lawyers. After lengthy consultations, a decision was made - Carlo and her first wife are bred in Mexico in absentia. Also in absentia in Mexico, the marriage of Carlo and Sophie is registered.
But in Italy, the divorce of Ponti and Juliana Fiastri refuse to recognize. Carlo is accused of bigamy, and Sophie - cohabitation before marriage. They stand trial. Miraculously, they manage to escape prison, they hide and live under strangers from 1957 to 1966, until they manage to get a divorce in France. The certificate of divorce is signed by J. Pompidou (Prime Minister of France). After that, they will not part until Carlo’s death.
Children
In his first marriage, Carlo had two children: Gwendalin and Alesandro. Gwen chose a law practice, like her grandfather, she has a daughter, Angelica (granddaughter of Ponti). Alex chose to follow his father’s example and become a producer.
After several attempts, Sophia Loren gave birth to two children Carlo Ponti: Carlo and Edoardo. Carlo became a famous conductor, and Edoardo worked as a film director.
Ponti Films
In France, Carlo creates many magnificent paintings. Directors from all over the world dreamed of working with Carlo. In total, Ponti took part in 150 films, 140 of which he produced while in France.
The most famous films of Carlo in France:
- 1954 - The Road. This film gave Carlo real fame. The work was awarded the Academy Award and the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival.
- 1958 - "This type of woman." The film was nominated at the Berlin Film Festival, but did not receive an award.
- 1960 - “Chochara”. The tape collected a whole bunch of awards: Oscar, Golden Globe, Blue Ribbon, Cannes Film Festival prize .
- 1961 - “Woman is woman”, the film was awarded two awards of the Berlin Film Festival.
- 1963 - “Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow” was awarded the “David di Donatello”, “Oscar”, “Silver Ribbon” and “Golden Globe” prizes.
- 1964 - “Marriage in Italian” won the Moscow Film Festival and received the Golden Globe.
- 1972 - "White, Red and ...". The film did not receive high-profile film awards, but thanks to the participation of Adriano Celentano and Sophia Loren, it was a huge success with the audience.
- 1976 - “Crossing of Kassandra”. This is one of the first disaster films in the history of cinema.
"Little old world"
The tape, shot in 1941, tells a post-revolutionary story taking place in Lombardy. A young descendant of an aristocratic family, Franco, is brought up by his grandmother and lives quite well, but one day falls in love with a poor girl Louise, which her grandmother immediately finds out. Not wanting a marginal wedding, she makes every effort to upset the happiness of her lovers.
"Road"
The script for the film “The Road” was invented and embodied on the screen by the famous Frederico Fellini. A difficult dramatic story about circus artists Giampano and his protege Jelsomin.
Giampano redeems the girl at a young age and teaches her craft, together they travel and perform. During one performance with a traveling troupe, Jelsomina meets an aerial gymnast and falls in love with him. Giampano kills the gymnast, and then escapes from the crime scene alone, leaving his protege. A few years later he returns to these places and finds out that the girl died.
"This type of woman"
This is a light comedy melodrama, which takes place in 1944. Young girl Kay accompanies her friend Jane on the trip. On the train, they meet two pretty guys. Kay is engaged to a rich man. She does not plan to continue the meeting, and after returning home, forgets about it until one and the guys arrive at her home in search of reciprocity.
Chochara
This is a military drama about the woman Cesira and her daughter, who, in an attempt to escape from the bombing, leave for a remote place where they are forced to fight hunger, fear and survive the death of their close friend.
“Woman is woman”
This is a comedy story of a woman who is eager to have a baby. The problem is that the men around her refuse to understand this.
Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
This is a film of three stories. The first is based on real events about a smuggler who gave birth to seven children in order to avoid punishment. The second story tells about the affair of a young guy and his wealthy girlfriend, who, trying to escape, learn a lot about each other. Can their love survive these difficulties? The third story is comical in nature and tells the story of a prostitute and student at a theological seminary.
“Marriage in Italian”
A melodrama in which a wealthy young man and a poor girl moonlighting as a prostitute get to know each other during the bombing of the city. It would seem that this harmless connection cannot result in anything serious. But fate orders otherwise. After the war, they meet again, and a little later the guy invites the girl to live with him and take care of his mother. However, he does not intend to marry. Their relationship has been going on for 20 years, a woman wants to get married and comes up with a plan: to pretend to be dying in order to marry a wealthy boyfriend. Having learned about the deception, the man is going to terminate the marriage. But he finds himself in an awkward position when he learns that a woman kept 3 children in secret from him, and one of them is his son.
"White, red and ..."
The film is a tragedy about the life of the nun Germana, who took a vow after the death of her lover. The woman goes to work in one of the hospitals in the city, where she meets Annibale, a young man who practically lives in this hospital. They have a difficult love relationship. Germana is trying to convince a man to stop being afraid of life and leave the walls of the hospital. Soon, a man dies during one of the strikes.
“Crossing Kassandra”
Last work by Carlo Ponti. A disaster film in which a person working in the World Health Organization makes his way onto a train going to Stockholm. He is the peddler of the plague that he received as a result of the leak of bacteria in the organization. They want to destroy all passengers in order to hide information about the leak. People are trying to escape.