Hollywood’s Most Successful Italian American Film Directors

We should take pride in our roots. I’m proud to be an American with Italian ancestry. Call me an Italian American or American Italian, but knowing where you come from is indeed a powerful anchor for life’s uncertain journey.

Moviemakers come in all shapes, sizes, and flavors. Many have a distinctly Italian spice! Meet some of the best Italian American film directors. And you can catch all the popular movies directed by these Italian movie legends on Tinyzone. Tinyzone is the Best website to watch stream online HD that you can try.  

Frank Capra

With the holiday film classic, It’s A Wonderful Life alone to his credit, this Italian American is a giant amongst movie makers.

Capra not only directed the movie but also wrote the screenplay. When he approached Jimmy Stewart about starring, Stewart was eager, even though he’d be painted in a new light with incredibly tough, even dark dramatic scenes. The rest of course is history, as the movie is a beloved classic. Capra also scored another hit with Stewart, Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, the journey of an idealistic man as he plays in the big political leagues of Washington D.C. In an election year, especially the turbulent one we’re in now, it’s definitely worth a look.

Martin Scorsese

This director finally won his long-elusive Oscar in 2007 for his brutal crime drama The Departed.

With classic films like Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, and Goodfellas, Scorsese boasts one of the most critically acclaimed and diverse bodies of work for any filmmaker. His biopic of Howard Hughes starring Leonardo DiCaprio, The Aviator is one of his most epic movies for an unflinching look at such a tortured, though brilliant genius as Hughes against the backdrop of the burgeoning American aviation industry.

Francis Ford Coppola

Although the organized crime was seen before in movies, Coppola’s masterwork The Godfather literally redefined the entire genre.

This American Italian filmmaker made three Godfather films and although some felt the third was a bit disappointing, the trilogy remains one of the most influential and respected series of American films. Coppola took on the dark mythology of Dracula in 1992 with Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and the highly stylized film starring Anthony Hopkins, Gary Oldman, and Winona Ryder won Oscars for costume design, sound design, and make-up.

Sylvester Stallone

This superstar’s buff physique gives weight to icons like Rocky Rambo, however, people may forget Stallone is a true filmmaker in his own right.

Winning the best screenplay Oscar for the original Rocky movie in 1977, Stallone has focused more on acting, but lately, he’s going back to his film making roots. Last year he directed and wrote Rocky Balboa, which not only excited fans but impressed critics. This year Rambo, which he also wrote, directed and stars in promises to bring back the just minded, but always bloodthirsty avenging Rambo in a really big way.

Penny Marshall

You may not know this funny, nasally voiced actress who turned the top filmmaker is American Italian. Her Dad changed his last name from Marscharelli to Marshall.

First seen on the classic TV sitcom, The Odd Couple as Oscar Madison’s bizarre secretary, Marshall helped created one of the more memorable funny acting teams by being Laverne to Cindy Williams Shirley in the Happy Days spin-off Laverne Shirley. Created by big brother Gary Marshall – who’s also a powerful moviemaker in his own right – Marshall has brought audiences movie favorites like Tom Hanks in Big, Robert De Niro in Awakenings, and Rosie O’Donnell and Madonna in A League Of Their Own.

Brian DePalma

This Italian American writer/director specializes in creating intense films that linger in the imagination.

DePalma is perhaps best known for his bloody gangster epic Scarface starring Al Pacino and the adaptation of Stephen King’s novel Carrie. Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie starred in the 1976 film chronicling the sad life of psychokinetically powered and psychopathically disturbed teenager Carrie White as she deals with abuse from her mother and peers by wielding awesome mental powers.