Claudio Argento, the second-born son of renowned Italian producer Salvatore Argento, entered the world in 1943. Following the completion of his grade school and college studies in the late 1960s, Claudio embarked on his film career as an employee with several Italian film distribution companies.
Within a relatively short period, he was entrusted with the responsibility of leading the Press and Publicity department of the CIC (Cinema International Corporation),a USA-based company. In this capacity, Claudio played a crucial role in organizing the release of notable films such as Love Story (1970) and The Godfather (1972) in Italy.
Claudio's professional journey first intersected with that of his older brother, Dario Argento, and their father, Salvatore Argento, on the film The Five Days (1973),where he served as an executive producer. Although the film ultimately turned out to be a box office disappointment, Claudio's subsequent collaborations with his brother and father would yield more fruitful results.
The trio's subsequent films, including Deep Red (1975),Suspiria (1977),and Inferno (1980),required immense effort to achieve success. Claudio and Dario went to great lengths to secure the involvement of American director George A. Romero, offering to finance and produce a sequel to the acclaimed Night of the Living Dead (1968) film. The brothers also contributed to the screenplay, editing, and soundtrack production for the film, and covered 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, became a worldwide success, bringing significant recognition to both Claudio and Dario. Throughout the 1980s, Claudio continued to produce films, including Little Flames (1985) and the low-budget thriller Distant Lights (1987).
Claudio's production masterpiece was the crime thriller Santa Sangre (1989),which was shot in Mexico City under challenging circumstances. Since then, he has primarily focused on producing television productions, as well as occasional cinema movies.
