Isidoro Raponi Cause of Death Tragic: Mechanical Effects Artist Dead at 76
Isidoro Raponi, popularly known for being the man behind the fantastic practical effects seen in extraterrestrial movies like "E.T.," has passed away at the age of 76.
According to Variety, the mechanical effects artist died of congestive heart failure at a rehabilitation facility in Los Angeles, California.
The artist spent his early days in Frosinone, Italy. He was born in 1945. His first job was as an apprentice for effects creator Carlo Rambaldi, who had a workshop across the street from his family's bookstore.
Anyway, I'd like to talk about the dinosaur effects themselves, not so much the plot and stuff. The dinosaurs were built by Isidoro Raponi & R. Tantin. These were life-sized & miniature puppets & suits, the largest measuring 70 feet long. pic.twitter.com/kz4SoqLyAf
— Pop Paleo (@paleo_pop) November 20, 2020
With his mentor, he worked on several Italian films. To pursue more opportunities, Raponi moved to Los Angeles in 1975, where he worked with his mentor on the movie "King Kong."
While in Hollywood, he continued to work with the effects creator in the 70s and 80s. Some of their collaborations include "Alien" and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind."
The 1982 film "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" was one of the popular films at the time as many kids who grew up in that era still remember the lovely character today.
He was one of the leading designers and operators of the alien animatronic alongside Rambaldi.
Raponi then worked with Disney in the late 70s for the movies "Tron," "Science Wicked This Way Comes," and "My Science Project."
He was also under Touchstone Pictures as he worked on "Baby Secret of the Lost Legend." For the movie, he created numerous dinosaur characters, including a Brontosaurus that measures up to 70 feet long and 25 feet wide.
According to IMBd, his other film credits include "The Godfather: Part III," "The Hunt for Red October," "The Green Mile," "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor," "Gangs of New York," "The Shawshank Redemption," "Air Force One," and more.
Raponi retired from the industry in 2008 but returned to work on the award-winning Ben Affleck-directed movie "Argo."
Survivors include his wife, Nina Edelstein, and his daughter from his previous wife, Tiziana Raponi. His son Daniel passed away in 2007.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, a celebration is being planned to celebrate his life this July.
People can donate to the Daniel Raponi Memorial Scholarship Endowment at California State University, Northridge, or at CSUN Foundation.
