Dino De Laurentiis, producer of genre staples Barbarella, Conan the Barbarian, Conan the Destroyer, Flash Gordon and Dune, passed away today at the age of 91.
During his 60-plus years in the film industry, he was known as much for his sprawling, epic style as his expensive box-office flops, and he was an instrumental part of a group of Italian producers who helped restore Italy’s film industry after World War II, with both home grown projects and high-profile Hollywood productions.
Dino De Laurentiis won Oscars for La Strada (1956), and Nights of Cabiria (1957), and received 36 Oscar nominations during his career. He also received the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in 2001.
