Ralph B. Serpe; Producer Had Ties to Italian Film Industry

Ralph B. Serpe, a film producer with lengthy ties to the Italian motion picture community, died Saturday in Tarzana of cancer.

Serpe, who was 81, started his career in films in 1946 after serving in the Army during World War II. Prior to that he had been a theatrical agent.

From 1946 through 1948 he served as vice president of the Scalera Film Studios in Rome and subsequently helped found the Italian Films Export Corp. representing the Italian motion picture industry in the United States.

In 1953 Skerpe served as representative for the (Carlo) Ponti-DeLaurentiis Production Co., which in 1954 became the Dino DeLaurentiis Corp. Serpe negotiated distribution and production agreements for “La Strada,” “Ulysses,” “Nights of Cabiria,” “War and Peace,” “Barabbas” and “The Bible,” directed by John Huston.

In 1967 he formed Euro International, one of Italy’s most successful production/distribution companies, which became famous for the popular spaghetti Westerns featuring Clint Eastwood, among others. In 1972, as Ralph Serpe Enterprises, he served as associate producer and executive assistant to DeLaurentiis, during which time he produced “Across 110th Street” for United Artists, “Mandingo” and “Drum” for Paramount, and “The Brinks Job” for Universal-DeLaurentiis.

He is survived by his wife, Jane, two daughters and five grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held Nov. 7 at 12:30 p.m. at Forest Lawn Old North Church, Hollywood Hills.