Carlo Ponti

The Italian producer, Carlo Ponti was born as Carlo Fortunaro Pietro Ponti, Sr.on 11th of December in the year of 1912 at Magenta, Lombardy, Italy.He did his higher studies in Law from the University of Milan, Italy after which he started helping his father’s firm. Carlo’s journey to film industry was by producing the film ‘Piccolo Mondo Antico’ featuring Alida Valli and directed by Mario Soldati. From there he has achieved 140 plus production credits.

Ponti tied up with the Italian Industrialist Riccardo Gualino under the Lux Film banner in Rome, 1914. This team produced a number of commercially thriving motion pictures. His greatest hits include Boccaccio’70 an Italian comedy-drama in 1962, Marriage Italian Style, an Italian romance set up in 1964 and the movie Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow produced in 1965. The film La Strada won the Academy Award to Loren for the Best Actress, in 1954. 

Ponti has also produced other successful films like David Lean’s Doctor Zhivago, which turned out to be his biggest hit, Michelangelo Antonioni, Blowup as well as the Passenger.

Ponti jointly with Dino De Laurentiis Dino De Laurentiis was born on 8th August 1919. He >> Read More... started ‘Ponti-De Laurentiis’ and in 1952 released the first Italian color picture, Toto.

Giuliana Fiastri was Ponti’s first wife whom he married in 1946. he has two children,  Alex Ponti the producer and Guendalina Ponti a lawyer by profession.
Ponti wedded his second wife Sofia Lazzaro whom he met at a beauty pageant where he was one of the panel members. She changed her name to Sophia Loren and had starred in films like Anna in 1951. Their marriage was considered illegal in Italy as Ponti already had another wife. Ponti and Loren remained away from the eyes of media until this issue was sorted. After five years Ponti obtained a legal Mexican divorce from Giuliana and remarried Sophia lawfully in 1966 in Sevres. She remained his faithful wife till he died on the 10th of Jan 2007. Carlo died of pulmonary complications, at Geneva. His end rituals were done at Magenta, Lombardy, resting his body at their family tomb.

Carlo Ponti, born to Loren and Mr. Ponti on 29th of Dec 1968 was their first son and Edoardo Ponti, their second, was born on 6th of Jan 1973. Sasha Alexander and Andrea Meszros are their daughter-in-laws and are known to have four grandchildren.

In 1975, there was news about two kidnapping attempts directed toward Ponti, including gunfire attack on his car. It remained unsuccessful, though.