Lattuada was born at Caselle di Morimondo, near Milan. In his early adulthood, he worked as a school teacher and was a self-taught amateur composer. That changed when he entered the Milan Conservatory

Giacomo the Idealist is a 1943 Italian historical drama film directed by Alberto Lattuada and starring Massimo Serato, Marina Berti and Andrea Checchi. It represents the directorial debut of Lattuada.