Mario Lanfranchi

Biography

Mario Lanfranchi was an Italian film, theater, and television director, screenwriter, and producer. After graduating from the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Milan (Accademia dei Filodrammatici) in the early 1950s, he was hired by Sergio Pugliese at RAI, at the onset of Italian television. Lanfranchi was the first to bring opera to the small screen in 1956 with Madama Butterfly, introducing a wide audience to the American soprano Anna Moffo. He directed several films, including Libido (1965) and Death Sentence (1968), showcasing his versatility across different media. Lanfranchi's contributions to Italian television and cinema have left a lasting impact on the industry.

Directed

1. Death Sentence (1968) — Director
2. The Mistress is Served (1976) — Director
3. The Kiss (1974) — Director
4. Merciless Man (1976) — Director
5. La traviata (1967) — Director
6. La serva padrona (1962) — Director
7. Lucia di Lammermoor (1971) — Director
8. La sonnambula (1956) — Director
9. Madama Butterfly (1956) — Director
10. Turandot (1958) — Director
11. Venezia, carnevale, un amore (1982) — Director
12. Ritorno dall'abisso (1963) — Director
13. Rossini: L'italiana in Algeri (1957) — Director

Also appeared in

1. Navajo Joe (1966) — Jefferson Clay
2. Spies Kill Silently (1966) — Lieutenant Fouad
3. Denn sie kennen kein Erbarmen - Der Italowestern (2006) — Self
4. Operation Hong Kong (1964) — Colonel Strong
5. The One Eyed Soldiers (1966) — Henchman (uncredited)
6. The Big Blackout (1966)
7. Dangerous Pleasures (1965)
8. The Beckett Affair (1966) — (as Mario Lanfranchi)
9. Zorikan The Barbarian (1964) — Luisa's Father
10. Red Chairs - Parma and the Cinema (2014) — Self