Immediately after the Second World War, Italian cinema experienced a surge in popularity in the United States, notably with neorealist classics like Open City (Rossellini, 1945), Obsession (Visconti, 1943), Paisan (Rossellini, 1946) and Bicycle Thieves (De Sica, 1948).

After that, Italian cinema witnessed a steady increase in its distribution in American theatres, reaching its zenith in the mid-1960s, enjoying both high success with the public and appreciation from critics. The Academy awarded four Oscars to Vittorio De Sica (Shoeshine, 1948; Bicycle Thieves, 1950; Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, 1965, The Garden of the Finzi Contini, 1972) and four to Federico Fellini (La strada, 1957; The Nights of Cabiria, 1958; 8½, 1964; Amarcord, 1975).