Born February 12, 1923 in Florence, Italy, Franco Zeffirelli was the product of an affair between a fashion designer and a wool and silk dealer, both of whom were married to others. Unable to give her child either name, his mother came up with “Zeffiretti”, the little breezes mentioned in Mozart’s opera, Indomeneo. However, the name was misspelled in the city register and became “Zeffirelli”, which it has remained ever since.

Zeffirelli’s mother died when he was six and he subsequently grew up under the auspices of the English expatriate community in Florence, most notably the group of old ladies known as the Scorpioni who were imprisoned in San Gimignano during World War II. All of this is chronicled in Zeffirelli’s thinly disguised autobiographical 1999 film, Tea with Mussolini.

Having graduated from the Academia di Belle Artie Firenze in 1941, Zeffirelli entered the University of Florence to study art and architecture. During World War II, he fought as a partisan and later became an interpreter for the British soldiers of the Scots Guards. After the war he re-entered Florence University, but gravitated toward the stage after seeing Laurence Olivier’s Henry V.

While working for a scenic painter in Florence, Zeffirelli was introduced to Luchino Visconti who hired him as assistant director for 1948’s La Terra Trema. He also worked in that capacity for Visconti for 1951’s Bellissima and 1954’s Senso. It was during the making of the latter film that he and Visconti were rumored to be having an affair. It would be their last film together.

A major director of operas throughout the world, Zeffirelli directed his first English language film, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew in 1967. Originally intended to star Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni, it went before the cameras with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. His next film, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet was a box-office phenomenon, the first production ever to star teenagers (Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting) instead of middle-aged actors as the teenage lovers. It brought Zeffirelli his first and only Oscar nomination for Best Director.

Having conquered Shakespeare, the director next turned to religious drama with 1972’s Brother Sun, Sister Moon about the early lives of St. Francis of Assisi and Saint Clare, founder of the Poor Clares. He was still in his religious mode five years later when he directed the TV mini-series Jesus of Nazareth. He then turned to popular fare with the 1979 remake of The Champ and the romantic drama, Endless Love. Beginning in 1982, he directed a series of filmed operas beginning with La Traviata for which he received an Oscar nomination for Art Direction and Set Decoration.

Zeffirelli only directed four narrative films from 1990 on: Hamlet (1990), Jane Eyre (1996), Tea with Mussolini (1999) and Callas Forever (2002). He was a member of the Italian Senate from 1994 to 2001.

Franco Zeffirelli died on June 15, 2017 at 96.

ESSENTIAL FILMS

ROMEO AND JULIET (1968)

Zeffinrelli’s undisputed masterpiece, and still the best screen version of Shakespeare’s romantic drama, was informed not just by his directorial style, but by his background in art direction and set direction as well as his ear for music. The film, in which the teenage lovers are played for the first time by actual teenagers, was nominated for four Academy Awards – Best Picture, Director, Cinematography and Costume Design. Somehow it missed a nomination for Nino Rota’s lovely score. Olivia Hussey as Juliet, Leonard Whiting as Romeo, John McEnery as Mercutio, Michael York as Tybalt and Pat Heywood as Juliet’s Nurse were superbly cast.

BROTHER SUN, SISTER MOON (1972)

Zeffirelli’s eye for art direction and set decoration was again evident in this study of the young St. Francis of Assisi and Sister Clare as anti-war, anti-establishment hippies of their day, resulting in the film’s Oscar nomination for Best Art Direction and Set Decoration. Although newcomers Graham Faulkner as Francis and Judi Bowker as Clare are fine, the film is stolen as are most films that he participated in, by Alec Guinness as Pope Innocent III. Also, in the cast are Leigh Lawson as Francis’ disciple, Bernardo and Valentina Cortese as Francis’ mother. The film’s excellent score is by Riz Ortolani and Donovan.

THE CHAMP (1979)

Zeffirelli’s remake of King Vidor’s 1931 classic earned a Golden Globe nomination for Jon Voight in the role that won Wallace Beery an Oscar as the washed-up prizefighter in the earlier version. Ricky Schroeder won a Golden Globe for Best New Star – Male in Jackie Cooper’s old role as the prizefighter’s hero-worshiping son. Faye Dunaway had Irene Rich’s old role as his ex-wife. The supporting cast included such familiar faces as  Strother Martin, Elisha Cook, Jr. and Joan Blondell in one of her last performances. Zeffirelli’s ear for music also paid off with an Oscar nomination for Dave Grusin’s score.

ENDLESS LOVE (1981)

Despite generally bad reviews, this heated love story was a box-office sensation buoyed by Lionel Richie’s Oscar-nominated title song. Brooke Shields, fresh from 1980’s controversial The Blue Lagoon, and Zeffirelli discovery Martin Hewitt were the young lovers. Shirley Knight and Don Murray were Shields’ parents, Richard Kiley and Beatrice Straight were Hewitt’s Parents. James Spader was Shields’ brother. Aside from Richie’s Oscar nomination, the only other awards recognition the film received were from the Young Artist Awards for which both Shields and Hewitt were nominated.

TEA WITH MUSSOLINI (1999)

Zeffirelli’s semi-autobiographical film about a motherless boy raised in Florence by British expatriates throws in a couple of American expatriates to give roles to Cher and Lily Tomlin who are very good, as is Judi Dench as one of the three British women who take care of him, but the film belongs to Joan Plowright and Maggie Smith. Plowright is the boy’s father’s secretary who supplies the brunt of his care in a role that was strong enough to have won her an Oscar. Smith is also very good, and in fact, has the film’s best scene for which she earned a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Sadly, Oscar ignored them both.

FRANCO ZEFFIRELLI AND OSCAR

Romeo and Juliet (1968) – nominated – Best Director

La Traviata (1982) – nominated – Best Art Direction – Set Decoration