1976-03-17

LUCHINO VISCONTI, Italian director, died on this date (b. 1906); An Italian theater and cinema director and writer, best known for films such as The Leopard (1963) he was born into a noble and wealthy family (one of the richest of northern Italy), in Milan, Visconti’s father was the Duke of Grazzano. Visconti made no secret of his sexuality. His last partner was the Austrian actor Helmut Berger, who played Martin in The Damned. Berger also appeared in Visconti’s Ludwig in 1972 and Conversation Piece in 1974 along with Burt Lancaster. Other lovers included Franco Zeffirelli. He died in Rome of a stroke at the age of 69. There is a museum in Ischia, Italy dedicated to the director’s work.