A former law student, Nino Manfredi made a name for himself in the world of Italian show business as a radio and music hall performer in the WWII years. After several years of voice-over work, he made his film debut in 1949, rapidly establishing himself as a prolific and reliable character actor. In 1962 he began directing, winning a Cannes Festival award for his first feature-length directorial assignment, Per Grazia Ricevuta, which he also scripted. Nino Manfredi has since written or co-written most of his films, most memorably 1977's Bread and Chocolate. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide