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Franco Cristaldi

Franco Cristaldi

Producer, also actor · Died July 1, 1992, aged 67 · Turin, Piedmont, Italy

Franco Cristaldi (Turin, 3 October 1924 – Montecarlo, 1 July 1992) was an Italian film producer, credited with producing (or co-producing) feature films from the 1950s to the 1990s. In 1946 Cristaldi founded Vides Cinematografica in Turin. This production company initially produced short and documentary films, and would later be renamed to Cristaldifilm in the 1980s. In the 1950s, Cristaldi changed his attention to feature films and moved to Rome. During his long career, he worked with directors and screenwriters such as Francesco Rosi, Pietro Germi, Mario Monicelli, Federico Fellini, Luchino Visconti, and Giuseppe Tornatore. A noted film producer from some years in his native Italy, some of Cristaldi's most successful films internationally included The Name of the Rose and Nuovo cinema Paradiso. (The former winning a César and two BAFTAs, and the latter winning several BAFTAs, the Grand Prix at Cannes, and Best Foreign Language Film at the 62nd Academy Awards). In 1977 Cristaldi was elected president of the International Federation of Film Producers Associations, and was a member of the jury at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival. Cristaldi was born in Turin, Italy in 1924, and studied at university for a time before focusing his interests on cinema. He was first married to Carla Simonetti with whom he had a son, Massimo. He applied to the Vatican to have this marriage annulled, and from 1966 lived with actress Claudia Cardinale. Cristaldi claimed to have married Cardinale, but she refuted this, saying he threw a marriage party, without ever officially marrying her. He mentored Cardinale through her own film career, producing many of her films, until their separation in 1975. In 1983, he married Eritrean actress Zeudi Araya, who starred in several Cristaldi-produced films. Franco Cristaldi died in Montecarlo in 1992, survived by his wife Zeudi, son Massimo, and adopted son Patrick, the son of Claudia Cardinale. Source: Article "Franco Cristaldi" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
October 3, 1924
Died
July 1, 1992 (aged 67)
From
Turin, Piedmont, Italy
Works as
Producer, also actor
Titles
28 on MovieCove · 79 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 21% in 30 days

What are Franco Cristaldi's films like?

Across their 30 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy10 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 84th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 93rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Adventure4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 46th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 61st percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 67th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Documentary2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 81st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
30%
Bonds
24%
Power
13%
Self
12%
Society
10%
Survival
7%
Ideas
3%
Romantic love9 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice5 titles, browse their movies with this themeMemory5 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass5 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 30 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 11 · Serious 8 · Dark 11

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 13 · Stylized 12 · Heightened 5

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 7 · Charged 15 · Intense 8

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 16 · Shifting 12 · Whiplash 2

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 17 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 8

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 13 · Even-paced 15 · Relentless 2

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

A split, not a type: Casual 13 · Engaged 12 · Full focus 5

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 12 · Affecting 8 · Heavy 10

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 23 · Open-ended 6 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
17
Melancholic
12
Joyful
8
Warm
7
Absurd
7
Other
24

How their films linger

Bittersweet11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy7
  • Bittersweet20
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Franco Cristaldi's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 10 of their 28 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on The Criterion Channel (6).

Subscription and free streaming for Franco Cristaldi's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

79 credits, 28 with a MovieCove page; 3 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Franco Cristaldi e il suo cinema Paradiso (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Actor

  • Flight of the Innocent(1992)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Cinema Paradiso(1988)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Dernier été à Tanger(1987)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Control (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Producer

  • The Name of the Rose(1986)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Ship Sails On(1983)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Hearts and Armour(1983)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Arrivano i miei (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Producer

  • Marco Polo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 8 episodes · Co-Producer

  • Tomorrow We Dance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Producer

  • Ho Fatto Splash (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Producer

  • The Persian Lamb Coat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Producer

  • Café Express (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Producer

  • Tesoromio(1979)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Operation Ogre(1979)

    Associate Producer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Christ Stopped at Eboli(1979)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Ratataplan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Producer

  • My Loves (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Producer

  • Wifemistress (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Producer

  • Mr. Robinson (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Producer

  • Movie Rush (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Producer

  • What's Your Sign?(1975)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Blonde in Black Leather (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Producer

  • Amarcord(1973)

    Presenter · Producer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Lucky Luciano(1973)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Lady Caroline Lamb (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Executive Producer

  • The Audience (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Producer

  • Winged Devils (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Producer

  • The Mattei Affair (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Producer

  • In the Name of the Father (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Producer

  • Touch and Go(1971)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Open Letter to the Evening News (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Producer

  • The Red Tent(1969)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Normal Young Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Producer

  • Oh, Grandmother's Dead (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Producer

  • Coup D'Etat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Producer

  • Alibi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Producer

  • A Fine Pair(1968)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • China Is Near (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Producer

  • Kill Me Quick, I'm Cold (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Producer

  • Per amore... per magia... (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Producer

  • A Rose for Everyone(1967)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Sandra(1965)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • The Dictator's Guns(1965)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Time of Indifference (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Producer

  • Seduced and Abandoned(1964)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Bebo's Girl(1964)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • The Train(1964)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Organizer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Producer

  • Crazy Sea (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Producer

  • Omicron (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Producer

  • My Son, the Hero (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Producer

  • Salvatore Giuliano (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Producer

  • Divorce Italian Style(1961)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Day by Day, Desperately (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Producer

  • A Day for Lionhearts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Producer

  • Ghosts of Rome (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Producer

  • The Assassin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Producer

  • The Dolphins (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Producer

  • Fiasco in Milan(1959)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Come Dance with Me!(1959)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • The Swindlers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Producer

  • South Wind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Producer

  • Rascel Marine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Producer

  • The Law Is the Law(1958)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • The Challenge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Producer

  • Piece of the Sky (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Producer

  • Big Deal on Madonna Street(1958)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Man of Straw(1958)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • White Nights(1957)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Rascel-Fifì (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Producer

  • Kean: Genius or Scoundrel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Producer

  • Nero's Mistress (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Producer

  • A Hero of Our Times (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Producer

  • The Seducer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Producer

  • Camilla (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Producer

  • La pattuglia sperduta (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Producer · Writer

  • Once Upon A Time... (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Producer

Career shape

A full career of 75 titles, 74 of them dated from 1954 to 2009.

Biggest box office

Cinema Paradiso (1988)

$14M worldwide

Highest rated

Cinema Paradiso (1988)

Midcredits 99th

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 75: 1 only acting, 0 with another roleWriting1 of 75: 0 only writing, 1 with another roleProducing74 of 75: 72 only producing, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score84thOther crew1 of 75: 0 only other crew, 1 with another role

By decade

1950s18 · crew1960s24 · crew1970s18 · crew1980s12 · crew1990s1 · crew2000s1 · acting

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Franco Cristaldi's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 82nd percentile, the median of all 28; across their 30 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 77th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

77thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 30

Approval · how many liked their films

81stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 30

Reach · how many have seen their films

57thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 30

Midcredits score across 28 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up16
  • 50th to 74th5
  • 25th to 49th3
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

11 of their 28 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved10
  • Crowd Pleaser11
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · producer

Hearts and Armour (1983)

60th percentile spread · 22% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · producer

Cinema Paradiso (1988)

Midcredits 99th · 92% liked

Reviewers score the acting 72/100 in their films, across 21 reviewed titles; fans 79, detractors 43. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Franco Cristaldi's work okay for kids?

Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs heavier than most films and frightening / intense lighter.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore5 titles27–66 · median 43 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity5 titles17–69 · median 55 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 26 · mildMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs5 titles11–36 · median 29 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense5 titles27–56 · median 29 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Franco Cristaldi work with?

People who share at least 2 of Franco Cristaldi's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Claudia Cardinale shares the most, 8.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles