Mannino, Franco

(1924-2005)

   Composer and musician. A prolific and wide-ranging composer who published over 500 musical works during his lifetime, Mannino also scored the music for a host of films. He initiated his association with the cinema in the early 1950s by composing the music for Leonide Moguy's Domani e un altro giorno (Tomorrow Is Another Day, 1950). He then worked extensively with Luchino Visconti, scoring or arranging the music for Bellissima (1951), Morte a Venezia (Death in Venice, 1968), Ludwig (1972), Gruppo di famiglia in un interno (Conversation Piece, 1974), and L'innocente (The Innocent, 1976), the last being awarded the David di Donatello for Best Musical Score. At the same time he also composed the music for Carlo Lizzani's Ai margini della metropoli (At the Edge of the City, 1952), Mario Soldati's La provinciale (The Wayward Wife, 1953), John Huston's Beat the Devil (1953, known in Italy as Il tesoro dell'Africa), and Luigi Zampa's La romana (Woman of Rome, 1954). Beginning in the mid-1950s he also collaborated with directors of the more popular genres such as Antonio Margheriti and Riccardo Freda, for whom he scored I vampiri (The Devil's Commandment, 1957), the film that initiated the Italian horror genre. Mannino's last credited film score was in fact for Freda's L'ossessione che uccide (Murder Syndrome, 1981).

   Historical Dictionary of Italian Cinema by Alberto Mira