Oscar-nominated director Mario Monicelli dies

[May 10, 2011]  ROME (AP) -- A Rome hospital says Oscar-nominated director Mario Monicelli has died after jumping from a fifth-story hospital window.

Anna Scoltore, who heads the media office of Rome's San Giovanni hospital, confirmed Monicelli died Monday night. He was 95.

Monicelli worked with some of the biggest names of the commedia all'Italiana of the 1940s, 50s and 60s, including Marcello Mastroianni, Toto and Alberto Sordi.

He directed Mastroianni in "Big Deal on Madonna Street," (1958) and his "The Great War" a year later picked up the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival.

He was nominated for Oscar's best foreign language film for "Casanova '70" of 1965 and "I Compagni" of 1963, according to film databases.

[Associated Press]

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