De Sica, Vittorio << duh SEE kuh, vih TOHR ee `oh` >> (1901?-1974), was an Italian motion-picture director and actor. He became noted for his realistic portrayals of life among the poor.
De Sica’s best films include Shoeshine (1946), about war orphans, and The Bicycle Thief (1948), about postwar unemployment. In these and other motion pictures, he presented a grim view of life. De Sica’s films won critical acclaim, but the hopelessness they implied became unpopular with audiences. After Umberto D (1952), De Sica found it difficult to find backing for the type of film he wanted to make.
De Sica was born in Sora, Italy, on July 7 in 1901 or 1902. A popular actor, he turned to directing in 1939 and had his first success with The Children Are Watching Us (1942). His other films include Miracle in Milan (1951), Two Women (1961), Marriage, Italian Style (1964), and The Garden of the Finzi-Continis (1970). He died on Nov. 13, 1974.
See also Motion picture (Postwar Realism).
