Piero Gherardi (20 November 1909 – 8 June 1971) was an Italian costume designer, production designer and art director. He is best known to international audiences for his collaborations with directors Mario Monicelli and Federico Fellini. Gherardi has been nominated three times for both the Academy Award for Best Costume Design and the Academy Award for Best Production Design for his work on Fellini's films, and he won twice for creating the costumes for La dolce vita (1960) and (1963).

Piero Gherardi
Born(1909-11-20)20 November 1909
Poppi, Kingdom of Italy
Died8 June 1971(1971-06-08) (aged 61)
Rome, Italy
Occupations
  • Costume designer
  • production designer
  • art director
Years active1947–1971

Born in Poppi, Tuscany, Gherardi studied to become an architect but went into the budding Italian film industry instead after World War II.[1] He began his artistic collaboration with Fellini during the production of I Vitelloni (1953); it all started when the director recognized Gherardi's talent for scouting locations and extras as well as his deep knowledge of the Lazio region. Gherardi then proved his designing skills with providing the sets and costumes for Fellini's Nights of Cabiria (1957).[2]

Gherardi died in Rome on 8 June 1971, at the age of 61.

Selected filmography

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List of Piero Gherardi film credits
Year Title Director Credited as Notes
Costume Designer Production Designer
1947 Daniele Cortis Mario Soldati No Yes aka Elena
1948 Prelude to Madness Gianni Franciolini Yes Yes aka Loveless Lovers
Without Pity Alberto Lattuada Yes No Also set decorator
Escape to France Mario Soldati Yes No Also set decorator
Hey Boy Luigi Comencini Yes No Also art director
aka No Stealing and Guagilo
1949 Alarm Bells Luigi Zampa Yes Yes
1950 My Beautiful Daughter Duilio Coletti Yes No aka Miss Italia
Her Favourite Husband Mario Soldati Yes No Also art director
aka The Taming of Dorothy and Quel bandito sono io
Side Street Story Eduardo De Filippo Yes Yes Co-designed sets with Piero Filippone
Romanzo d'amore Duilio Coletti No Yes
1952 Barefoot Savage Clemente Fracassi Yes Yes
Red Shirts Goffredo Alessandrini
Francesco Rosi
Yes Yes Co-designed sets with Camillo Del Signore and Alfredo Montori
aka Anita Garibaldi
1953 The Unfaithfuls Mario Monicelli
Steno
Yes No Also set decorator
The Wayward Wife Mario Soldati Yes No
1955 Proibito Mario Monicelli No Yes
1957 Fathers and Sons Yes Yes aka A Tailor's Maid
Nights of Cabiria Federico Fellini Yes Yes
Doctor and the Healer Mario Monicelli Yes Yes
1958 Big Deal on Madonna Street Yes Yes
1959 The Great War Yes No Co-designed with Danilo Donati
Gherardi only designed costumes for Silvana Mangano
1960 La dolce vita Federico Fellini Yes Yes
Under Ten Flags Duilio Coletti Yes No
Le pillole di Ercole Luciano Salce Yes No Co-designed with Lucia Mirisola
The Passionate Thief Mario Monicelli Yes Yes
The Hunchback of Rome Carlo Lizzani Yes No
Crimen Mario Camerini Yes Yes aka ...And Suddenly It's Murder! and Killing in Monte Carlo
1961 Black City Duilio Coletti Yes Yes
1962 Boccaccio '70 Mario Monicelli No Yes Segment: "Renzo e Luciana"
1963 Federico Fellini Yes Yes
La ragazza di Bube Luigi Comencini Yes No aka Bebo's Girl
1964 High Infidelity Mario Monicelli
Elio Petri
Franco Rossi
Luciano Salce
Yes Yes Co-designed costumes with Lucia Mirisola
Designed sets (Segment: "Peccato nel Pomeriggio")
Three Nights of Love Renato Castellani
Luigi Comencini
Franco Rossi
Yes No
1965 Le bambole Luigi Comencini Yes No Segment: "Il trattato di eugenetica"
aka The Dolls and Four Kinds of Love
Juliet of the Spirits Federico Fellini Yes No Also art director
1966 L'armata Brancaleone Mario Monicelli Yes Yes aka For Love and Gold and The Incredible Army of Brancaleone
Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die Jack Pulman
Dino Maiuri
Yes No Co-designed with Maria De Matteis
Gherardi only designed costumes for Dorothy Provine
Sex Quartet Mario Monicelli No Yes Segment: "Fata Armenia"
aka The Queens
1968 Black on White Jörn Donner Yes No
Roma come Chicago Alberto De Martino Yes No Co-designed with Elio Micheli
1969 Nerosubianco Tinto Brass Yes No Co-designed with Giuliana Serano
aka Attraction
The Appointment Sidney Lumet Yes No Also art director
Giacomo Casanova: Childhood and Adolescence Luigi Comencini Yes Yes aka Casanova: His Youthful Years

Awards and nominations

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Award Year Category Work Result Ref.
Academy Awards 1962 Best Art Direction – Black-and-White La dolce vita Nominated [3]
Best Costume Design – Black-and-White Won
1964 Best Art Direction – Black-and-White Nominated [4]
Best Costume Design – Black-and-White Won
1967 Best Art Direction – Color Juliet of the Spirits Nominated [5]
Best Costume Design – Color Nominated
Nastro d'Argento Awards 1961 Best Production Design La dolce vita Won
1964 Best Costume Design Nominated
Best Production Design Nominated
1966 Best Costume Design Juliet of the Spirits Won
Best Production Design Won
1967 Best Costume Design L'armata Brancaleone Won
Best Production Design Nominated
1970 Best Costume Design Giacomo Casanova: Childhood and Adolescence Nominated
Best Production Design Nominated

References

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  1. ^ "Piero Gherardi, 61, Winner of Oscars for Fellini Films". The New York Times. 9 June 1971.
  2. ^ Tullio Kezich, Federico Fellini: His Life and Work, New York: Faber and Faber, 2006, p. 177.
  3. ^ "34th Academy Awards". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  4. ^ "36th Academy Awards". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  5. ^ "39th Academy Awards". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Retrieved February 4, 2023.
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