Claudio Argento, the second-born son of renowned Italian producer Salvatore Argento, entered the world in 1943. Following his completion of grade school and college studies in the late 1960s, Claudio began his film career as an employee with several Italian film distribution companies.
Within a remarkably short period, he was entrusted with the role of Chief of the Press and Publicity department for the CIC (Cinema International Corporation),a USA-based company. In this capacity, Claudio was responsible for organizing the release of notable films such as Love Story (1970) and The Godfather (1972) in Italy.
Claudio's professional journey took a significant turn when he collaborated with his older brother, Dario Argento, and their father, Salvatore Argento, on the film The Five Days (1973),serving as an executive producer. Although the film ultimately proved to be a box office flop, Claudio's subsequent projects, including Deep Red (1975),Suspiria (1977),and Inferno (1980),required immense effort to achieve their success.
In an ambitious endeavor, Claudio and Dario tracked down renowned American director George A. Romero and offered to finance and produce a sequel to the iconic Night of the Living Dead (1968) film. The duo also worked on the screenplay, editing, and producing the soundtrack for the film, and financed the majority of the $2 million budget. The resulting film, Dawn of the Dead (1978),initially released in Italy and later in the USA seven months later, achieved worldwide success and brought significant recognition to both Claudio and Dario.
Throughout the 1980s, Claudio continued to produce films such as Little Flames (1985) and the low-budget thriller Luci lontane (1987). His magnum opus, the crime thriller Santa Sangre (1989),was shot in Mexico City under challenging circumstances. Currently, Claudio focuses on producing television productions as well as occasional cinematic projects.
