Famed opera, film director Zeffirelli dies at age 96

‘Romeo and Juliet’ set U.S. box-office records

ROME — Italian director Franco Zeffirelli, who delighted audiences around the world with his romantic vision and extravagant productions, most famously captured in “Romeo and Juliet” and the miniseries “Jesus of Nazareth,” died Saturday at 96.

While Zeffirelli was most known for his films, his name was inextricably linked to the theater and opera. He produced classics for the world’s most famous opera houses, from Milan’s venerable La Scala to the Metropolitan Opera in New York, and plays for London and Italian stages.

Zeffirelli’s son Luciano said his father died at home in Rome.

He made it his mission to make culture accessible to the masses, often seeking inspiration in literary greats for his films, and producing operas for TV audiences.

“I am not a film director. I am a director who uses different instruments to express his dreams and his stories — to make people dream,” Zeffirelli said in a 2006 interview.

Zeffirelli, born on Feb. 12, 1923, in the outskirts of Florence, became one of Italy’s most prolific directors, working with such opera greats as Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and Maria Callas and Hollywood stars including Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Mel Gibson, Cher and Judi Dench.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte called Zeffirelli “an Italian ambassador of cinema, art and beauty.”

Throughout his career, Zeffirelli took risks. His screen success in America was a rarity among Italian filmmakers.

He was one of the few Italian directors close to the Vatican, and the church turned to Zeffirelli’s theatrical touch for live telecasts of the 1978 papal installation and the 1983 Holy Year opening ceremonies in St. Peter’s Basilica.

But Zeffirelli was best known outside Italy for his colorful, softly-focused romantic films. His 1968 “Romeo and Juliet” brought Shakespeare’s tale to a new generation, and his 1973 “Brother Sun, Sister Moon,” told the life of St. Francis of Assisi in parables.

“Romeo and Juliet” set U.S. box-office records, though it was made with two unknown actors, Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey. The movie, which cost $1.5 million to make, grossed $52 million.

A year earlier, he directed Taylor and Burton in Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew.”

His 1977 made-for-television “Life of Jesus” became a classic with its portrayal of a Christ who seemed authentic and relevant. The film earned over $300 million worldwide.

In 1978, Zeffirelli threatened to leave Italy because of attacks by some Italians who saw him as an exponent of Hollywood.

Jerry Mosey The Associated Press file Italian film director Franco Zeffirelli in 1974 in New York. Zeffirelli died Saturday in Rome at 96.