Giuseppe Patroni Griffi was an Italian dramatist, screenwriter, director, and novelist who died on December 15, 2005. He was born in Naples to an aristocratic family and went to Rome shortly after World War II ended, where he spent the rest of his professional life. Patroni Griffi is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in postwar Italian theater and film. Roberto Rossellini adapted his drama Anima nera into a film. Canzoni di mezzo secolo, a 1952 musical, was his first recognized film composition credit. Later, Patroni Griffi directed Charlotte Rampling, Elizabeth Taylor, Marcello Mastroianni, Laura Antonelli, Florinda Bolkan, Terence Stamp, and Fabio Testi.