Mario Monicelli, the Italian director responsible for Big Deal on Madonna Street (the Italian title is I Soliti Ignoti, or Persons Unknown), committed suicide on Monday. He was 95 years old and was being treated at a Rome hospital for what The New York Times characterized as a "pancreatic condition that appeared terminal."
Monicelli was credited with directing 65 pictures in his career. He was generally considered a master of Italian film comedy, working with actors such as Alberto Sordi, Toto, and Marcello Mastroianni (shown at right in I Soliti Ignoti).
One of Monicelli's last public appearances this year was for the funeral of the great screenwriter Suso Cecchi D'Amico.
The YouTube link connects to a 2008 television interview with Monicelli. It shows an engaged, intelligent person still quite active at age 93, and not simply coasting on his considerable laurels.
