Born in Viareggio, Tuscany, Italy; educated at the Universities of Pisa and Milan. Former film critic whose writing and directing career began in earnest after the end of WWII. Monicelli first gained attention with his satirical treatment of a bungled heist, I SOLITI IGNOTI / BIG DEAL ON MADONNA STREET (1958). He has proved himself a master of satirical black comedy, notably in films such as LA GRANDE GUERRA / THE GREAT WAR (1959) and I COMPAGNI / THE ORGANIZER (1963), and has elicited fine performances from some of Italy's best actors, notably Vittorio Gassman and Marcello Mastroianni. Monicelli also has a reputation for turning out uninspired commercial vehicles such as CASANOVA '70 (1965) and LADY LIBERTY (1972) in between his more "personal" projects. Visit the Internet Movie Database for a listing of Monicelli's extensive writing, producing and directing credits.  Nominated for Writing (Best Story and Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) 1964: I COMPAGNI (THE ORGANIZER) (w. Age & Scarpelli)  Nominated for Writing (Best Story and Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) 1965: CASANOVA '70 (w. Age & Scarpelli, Tonino Guerra, Giorgio Salvioni & Suso Cecchi D'Amico) 2 nominations