Marisa Merlini
Encyclopedia
Marisa Merlini was an Italian
character actress active in Italy
's post-World War II
cinema
. Merlini appreared in over fifty film
s during her career, which spanned from World War II to 2005. She was, perhaps, best known for her role in the 1953 film Pane, Amore e Fantasia
, directed by Luigi Comencini
, in which she portrayed Annarella, a village midwife who marries the local police
marshal
l, played by actor Vittorio De Sica
.
A native of Rome
, where she was born on 6 August 1923, Merlini was well known for playing the romana verace, or "born-and-bred Roman" characters. Merlini also appeared in several high profile comedic films alongside Italian actor, Totò
, as well as the 1960 film Il Vigile
with actor Alberto Sordi
. Additionally, Merlini appeared in a number of films opposite her real life friend, Italian actress Anna Magnani
.
Merlini's awards included the Nastro d'Argento
(Silver Ribbon), a film critics' award in 1957 for portraying a tourist in the 1956 Antonio Racioppi directed film, Tempo di Villeggiatura.
Merlini's last appearance on screen came in the 2005 film, La Seconda Notte di Nozze, which was directed by Pupi Avati
.
Marisa Merlini died in Rome, Italy, on 27 July 2008, at the age of 83. Director Pupi Avati, who directed Merlini's final 2005 film, La Seconda Notte di Nozze, paid tribute to Merlini saying, "Marisa brought to the set the experience of somebody who had taken part in the golden years of Italian cinema, but she was down-to-earth both in front of and behind the camera...Working with her was an honour and a fantastic experience."
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
character actress active in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
's post-World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
cinema
Cinema of Italy
The history of Italian cinema began just a few months after the Lumière brothers had patented their Cinematographe, when Pope Leo XIII was filmed for a few seconds in the act of blessing the camera.-Early years:...
. Merlini appreared in over fifty film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
s during her career, which spanned from World War II to 2005. She was, perhaps, best known for her role in the 1953 film Pane, Amore e Fantasia
Pane, Amore e Fantasia
Bread, Love and Dreams is a 1953 Italian romantic comedy film directed by Luigi Comencini. At the 4th Berlin International Film Festival it won the Silver Bear award.-Plot summary:...
, directed by Luigi Comencini
Luigi Comencini
Luigi Comencini was an Italian film director. Together with Dino Risi, Ettore Scola and Mario Monicelli, he was considered among the masters of the commedia all'italiana genre....
, in which she portrayed Annarella, a village midwife who marries the local police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
marshal
Marshal
Marshal , is a word used in several official titles of various branches of society. The word is an ancient loan word from Old French, cf...
l, played by actor Vittorio De Sica
Vittorio de Sica
Vittorio De Sica was an Italian director and actor, a leading figure in the neorealist movement....
.
A native of Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, where she was born on 6 August 1923, Merlini was well known for playing the romana verace, or "born-and-bred Roman" characters. Merlini also appeared in several high profile comedic films alongside Italian actor, Totò
Totò
Prince Antonio Focas Flavio Angelo Ducas Comneno De Curtis di Bisanzio Gagliardi, best known by his stage name Totò and nicknamed il principe della risata was an Italian comedian, film and theatre actor, writer, singer and songwriter...
, as well as the 1960 film Il Vigile
Il Vigile
The Traffic Policeman is a 1960 Italian comedy film directed by Luigi Zampa.-Plot:An unemployed man gets a job as traffic policeman, but the traffic in the big city creates innumerable problems for him...
with actor Alberto Sordi
Alberto Sordi
Alberto Sordi, also known as Albertone, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI was an Italian actor. He was also a film director and the dubbing voice of Oliver Hardy in the Italian version of the Laurel & Hardy films....
. Additionally, Merlini appeared in a number of films opposite her real life friend, Italian actress Anna Magnani
Anna Magnani
Anna Magnani was an Italian stage and film actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress, along with four other international awards, for her portrayal of a Sicilian widow in The Rose Tattoo....
.
Merlini's awards included the Nastro d'Argento
Nastro d'Argento
The Nastro d'Argento is a movie award assigned each year, since 1946, for cinematic performances and production by Sindacato Nazionale dei Giornalisti Cinematografici Italiani, the association of Italian film critics...
(Silver Ribbon), a film critics' award in 1957 for portraying a tourist in the 1956 Antonio Racioppi directed film, Tempo di Villeggiatura.
Merlini's last appearance on screen came in the 2005 film, La Seconda Notte di Nozze, which was directed by Pupi Avati
Pupi Avati
Giuseppe Avati, better known as Pupi Avati is an Italian film director, producer, and screenwriter.-Early life and career:...
.
Marisa Merlini died in Rome, Italy, on 27 July 2008, at the age of 83. Director Pupi Avati, who directed Merlini's final 2005 film, La Seconda Notte di Nozze, paid tribute to Merlini saying, "Marisa brought to the set the experience of somebody who had taken part in the golden years of Italian cinema, but she was down-to-earth both in front of and behind the camera...Working with her was an honour and a fantastic experience."
Filmography
- 1942 - Stasera niente di nuovoStasera niente di nuovoStasera niente di nuovo is an Italian 1942 drama film directed by Mario Mattoli and starring Alida Valli.-Plot:...
- 1946 - Roma città libera
- 1949 L'Imperatore di Capri
- 1949 Totò cerca casaTotò cerca casaTotò cerca casa is a 1949 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Monicelli and Steno.-Cast:* Totò as Beniamino Lomacchio* Alda Mangini as Amalia, la moglie de Lomacchio* Lia Molfesi as Aida, la figlia* Mario Gattari as Figlio...
- 1951 Signori in carrozzaRome-Paris-RomeRome-Paris-Rome is a 1951 Italian comedy film directed by Luigi Zampa and starring Aldo Fabrizi.-Cast:* Aldo Fabrizi - Vincenzo Nardi* Sophie Desmarets - Ginette* Vera Nandi - Signora Nardi* Peppino De Filippo - Gennaro* Barbara Florian - Mirella...
- 1951 Il capitano Nero
- 1950 Amori e veleni
- 1951 Stasera sciopero
- 1952 ErgastoloErgastoloErgastolo is a black and white 1952 Italian prison drama film directed by Luigi Capuano.-Plot:Rosa Lulli, has an illegitimate 20-year old son, named Stefano, who lives with her in the house of Professor Arlotta. Stefano is in love with Lydia, the granddaughter of the professor...
- 1952 Il tallone d'Achille
- 1952 Gli angeli del quartiereGli Angeli del quartiereGli Angeli del quartiere is a 1952 Italian film....
- 1952 Io, Amleto
- 1952 L'eroe sono io
- 1953 Gli eroi della domenica
- 1953 Pane, amore e fantasiaPane, Amore e FantasiaBread, Love and Dreams is a 1953 Italian romantic comedy film directed by Luigi Comencini. At the 4th Berlin International Film Festival it won the Silver Bear award.-Plot summary:...
- 1953 Viva il cinema!
- 1953 Finalmente libero
- 1954 Pane, amore e gelosiaPane, amore e gelosiaBread, Love and Jealousy , Known as Frisky in USA is a 1954 Italian romantic comedy film directed by Luigi Comencini. It is the second part of the Italian trilogy, followed by Scandal in Sorrento-Overview and response:...
- 1954 Sua Altezza ha detto : no!
- 1954 Le signorine dello 04
- 1955 Porta un bacione a Firenze
- 1955 La canzone del cuore
- 1955 Il bigamo
- 1956 Tempo di villeggiatura
- 1957 Doctor and the HealerDoctor and the HealerDoctor and the Healer is a 1957 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Monicelli.-Cast:* Vittorio De Sica - Antonio Locoratolo* Marcello Mastroianni - Dr...
- 1957 Padri e figli
- 1957 The Most Wonderful MomentThe Most Wonderful MomentThe Most Wonderful Moment is a 1957 Italian drama film directed by Luciano Emmer.This drama deals with natural childbirth, and was described as "clinically pure, informative, edifying and, on occasion, tenderly dramatic". Pietro, a young champion of natural childbirth, is in love with a nurse;...
- 1958 Io mammeta e tu
- 1959 Roulotte e roulotte
- 1959 Everyone's in LoveEveryone's in LoveEveryone's in Love is a 1959 Italian comedy film directed by Giuseppe Orlandini.-Cast:* Gina Amendola* Carlotta Barilli* Clara Bindi* Nando Bruno - Cesare* Memmo Carotenuto - Ferruccio* Grazia Colelli* Livia Cordaro* Franco Di Trocchio...
- 1960 Il vigileIl VigileThe Traffic Policeman is a 1960 Italian comedy film directed by Luigi Zampa.-Plot:An unemployed man gets a job as traffic policeman, but the traffic in the big city creates innumerable problems for him...
- 1960 Il carro armato dell'8 settembreIl carro armato dell'8 settembreIl carro armato dell'8 settembre is a 1960 Italian film. It stars actor Gabriele Ferzetti....
- 1960 I piaceri dello scapolo
- 1960 Ferragosto in bikini
- 1961 Il giudizio universale
- 1962 La Vendetta (1962 film)La Vendetta (1962 film)La Vendetta , is a French comedy film from 1962, directed by Jean Chérasse, written by Albert Valentin, starring Francis Blanche and Louis de Funès. The film was known under the titles: "Bandito sì.....
- 1962 Nerone '71
- 1962 Colpo gobbo all'italiana
- 1963 I mostriI mostriI mostri is a 1963 commedia all'italiana film by Italian director Dino Risi. It was coproduced with France.The film was a huge success in Italy. It was censored in Spain...
- 1964 Ragazza in prestito
- 1965 La fabbrica dei soldi
- 1966 Io, io, io e gli altri
- 1968 Donne, botte e bersaglieri
- 1969 Lisa dagli occhi blu
- 1970 Dramma della gelosia – Tutti i particolari in cronaca
- 1970 Ninì Tirabusciò la donna che inventò la mossa
- 1976 Oh, Serafina!
- 1978 La mazzettaLa mazzettaLa mazzetta is is an Italian comedy-crime movie directed in 1978 by Sergio Corbucci. It is based on the 1976 crime novel of the same name by the writer Attilio Veraldi.- Cast :* Nino Manfredi: Sasà Jovine...
- 1980 La moglie in vacanza... l'amante in città
- 1981 L'onorevole con l'amante sotto il letto
- 1981 Pierino contro tutti
- 1981 Storia d'amore e d'amicizia
- 1981 Cornetti alla cremaCornetti alla cremaCornetti alla crema aka Cream Horn and Creampuffs is a 1981 Italian sex comedy, directed by Sergio Martino. Edwige Fenech, Lino Banfi and Milena Vukotic are featured in a comedic tale about a couple attempting to elude the woman's jealous boyfriend, a professional football player....
- 1982 Gian Burrasca
- 1992 Mutande pazze
- 1997 Mi fai un favore
- 1999 Teste di cocco
- 2002 Le ali della vitaLe ali della vitaLe ali della vita is an Italian television series....
- 2003 Le ali della vita 2
- 2005 La seconda notte di nozze