Cinema lost one of its greats, probably the last of his age, with the death of Italian film-maker Dino de Laurentiis who recently passed away at the age of 91 after a distinguished career that saw him make memorable films, many of which enjoyed mass-market success.

His success was more defined by the success of cult films such as Flash Gordon and Dune. But at the same time, he earned critical acclaim for his success with greats such as the four Hannibal Lecter films: Manhunter, Hannibal, Red Dragon and Hannibal Rising.

Dino also had the honour of working with legends like Roberto Rossellini and Federico Fellini. In fact, he bagged his first Oscar for producing Fellini’s 1954 La Strada (The Road) which told the the tale of a young woman who is sold to a gypsy entertainer played by Anthony Quinn. A year later, he again claimed Oscar glory with The Nights of Cabiria, also directed by Fellini, which tells of the travails of a young prostitute in Rome. But he was the man for all genre of film-making, going on to do action films such as Serpico (1973), which earned Al Pacino an Oscar nomination in the lead role and the film based on a killer whale, Orca.

Some two generations of filmgoers in Pakistan remember his work: in the 1950s epic Ulysses with Kirk Douglas and War and Peace with Audrey Hepburn. Later came the more mass-market successes Death Wish and the 1976 remake of King Kong. But his biggest hit with the audiences in the country was the prodigal 1980s classic, Conan the Barbarian. The film helped launch strongman Arnold Schwarzenegger’s film career, much before the success of his later cyborgian roles in the Terminator series.

Dino de Laurentiis also made Barbarella with Jane Fonda. Thereafter, he moved to the US. Still, the audience appeal of his work is evident from the fact that he brought to the screen some 500 films, propelling many to label him more as the master showman.

Dino’s career was marked by extremes. Successes, at time commercial and at times critical, often left him wanting. But that didn’t deter him to establish film studios, first in Rome, Dinocitta in the mid-1960s, only to see it go bankrupt. Then on the East Coast of the US, far away from California, a decision that left many puzzled.

In 2000/01, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognised de Laurentiis’ contribution to cinema world and gave him the Irving G. Thalberg Award that honours all creative producers.