Albert Magnoli graduated from the University of Southern California's Film School, where he completed ten student films, culminating with his Thesis Film project Jazz (1979). The 23-minute film, which he wrote, produced, edited, and directed, won 15 filmmaking awards and is listed in the 1983 edition of The Encyclopedia Britannica as the most honored student film made in the United States in the last twenty years.
After graduation, Magnoli was asked to edit the MGM film Reckless (1984),directed by his former USC classmate James Foley. While editing the film, rock star Prince and his manager, Robert Cavallo, came looking for a director to helm Prince's feature film debut. Foley passed on the project, but suggested Magnoli. Prince and Cavallo screened "Jazz" and offered the project to him.
Magnoli went to Prince's hometown, Minneapolis, and sequestered himself in a hotel room for four weeks to research and write the script for Purple Rain (1984). As director, writer, and editor, Magnoli delivered "Purple Rain" to the theaters eleven months later. The film topped the box office in its first weekend, knocking Ghostbusters (1984) from the #1 position, and has grossed over $125 million worldwide.
Magnoli followed with the Lorimar-Columbia feature American Anthem (1986) and directed the critically acclaimed concert film Sign 'o' the Times (1987) for Prince. Magnoli was then commissioned to develop the sequel to "Purple Rain" for Warner Bros., which began a four-year association with Prince, culminating with Magnoli becoming Prince's manager and handling his personal and creative affairs for two years.
The soundtrack album for Batman (1989) was created during this union, and two #1 videos, "Batdance" and "Partyman", were written and directed by Magnoli to promote the "Batman" film and soundtrack. Mark Canton and Jon Peters then asked Magnoli to take over the directing reins from Andrei Konchalovsky on Tango & Cash (1989) starring Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell.
Magnoli then directed Born to Run (1993) for Fox Television, starring Richard Grieco. He then completed Dark Planet (1997) as a science-fiction film for producers John Eyres and Barnet Bain and the Sci-Fi cable channel. Magnoli has also directed several episodes of Nash Bridges (1996) for CBS and written several teleplays.
