Carlo Ponti was born on December 11, 1912 in Magenta, Lombardy, Italy as Carlo Fortunaro Pietro Ponti. He is known for his work on Doctor Zhivago (1965), La Strada (1954) and Blow-Up (1966). He was married to Sophia Loren and Giuliana Fiastri. He died on January 10, 2007 in Geneva, Switzerland.
Edoardo Ponti, Carlo Ponti Jr., Alessandro Ponti, Alex Ponti, Guendalina Ponti
Parents
Maria Zardone, Leone Ponti
Siblings
Lucia Ponti, Laura Ponti
Awards
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, David di Donatello for Best Producer, Nastro d'Argento for Best Producer, David di Donatello for Best Foreign Producer
Nominations
Academy Award for Best Picture
Movies
Two Women, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, Marriage Italian Style, Doctor Zhivago, La Strada, Blow-Up, The Gold of Naples, A Special Day, Boccaccio '70, The Cassandra Crossing, The Passenger, Contempt, Zabriskie Point, Heller in Pink Tights, Operation Crossbow, The Black Orchid, The Miller's Beautifu...
Star Sign
Sagittarius
#
Fact
1
During the shooting of Claude Chabrol's Bluebeard (1963), he was so appalled by Stéphane Audran's performance that he asked 'who's that slut who's playing Fernande?' Chabrol (who was already engaged to Audran) slapped Ponti in the face and screamed 'that's my woman!' The director and the actress married one year later.
2
Produced every motion picture made at Lux Films in Rome between 1945 and 1949.
3
Was considered for the role of Vito Corleone in The Godfather (1972) despite the fact that he was not an actor.
The controversy surrounding his first marriage to Sophia Loren, was that he was still legally married to his first wife Giuliana Fiastri at that time in the eyes of Cathoilc Italy, even though they had already divorced by 1957. In order to marry Loren he obtained a divorce in Mexico where they also got married by proxy, but this was not recognized back in Italy where Ponti was condemned and told he would be charged with bigamy should he return. Thus Ponti and Loren lived in exile in the States for a while until matters could be resolved. In the end the solution was for all three: Ponti, Loren and his ex-wife Fiastri to adopt French citizenship so that he and Fiastri could be legally divorced, and he and Loren could be legally married.
6
Founded the production company "Ponti-De Laurentiis" together with Dino De Laurentiis, which produced Totò a colori (1952), the first Italian movie in color.
7
After he had divorced from Giuliana Fiastri in Mexico, he married Sophia Loren in 1957. As the divorce was not legalized in Italy, he was accused of bigamy and his marriage to Loren was annulled in 1962. Thus, the couple and Ponti's first wife acquired French citizenship, so that he and Loren could marry again in 1966.
8
Got to know his future wife Sofia Villone Scicolone at the "Miss Rome" competition and gave her the stage name Sophia Loren (1952).
9
Studied law at the University of Milan.
10
Earned a law degree from the University of Milan. Practiced law in Milan in the late 1930s.
11
Member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1959
$800,000
