Former journalist, novelist and writer of children's stories, who rose to prominence in the 1940's as a leading force in Italy's neo-realist movement. He was particularly noted for his three decade-long collaboration with director 'Vittorio de Sica', resulting in such enduring classics as
Shoeshine (1946) and
Bicycle Thieves (1948). In the 1960's, Zavattini tried, less successfully, to adapt his style of writing to the emerging French New Wave.