Comedy Groundbreaker Franca Valeri

Comedic pioneer Franca Valeri was born Alma Franca Maria Norsa in Milan in 1920 to a Jewish father and non-Jewish mother. Forced to hide her religious identity during World War II, she turned personal sorrow into cinematic triumph in the decades to come.

In 1949, she founded Teatro dei Gobbi with fellow actors Luciano Salce and future husband Vittorio Caprioli. The trio invented a comedic performance style that focused on speed and timing. Unsure of how this new formula would be received in Italy, they decided to make their debut in Paris. “Italy is always a little scary to those who want to invent something new. It is always a bit hostile, a bit mocking,” Valeri told Rai Cultura. “Since the guys had already done a little experiment in Paris with the Piccolo Teatro di Milano, we decided to debut in Montmartre and had an incredible success.”

When work began to pick up, she adopted the stage name Franca Valeri because her father didn’t approve of a life in show business. She was inspired by a friend who was reading a book by French writer Paul Valéry.

During those busy years, Valeri’s career as a writer and creator of her own characters and scripts took off. Among her earliest creations — one she would return to throughout her life — was Signorina Snob. An uppity, highbrow type inspired by her Milanese roots, the character originally appeared on radio and was later adapted for the stage and television. In an early incarnation, Valeri hilariously plays the parts of both Signorina and the manicurist doing her nails.

Watch a clip..

Valeri appeared in dozens of television shows and films in the course of her seven-decade career. Among the films available in the United States is Dino Risi’s 1955 comedy “Il segno di Venere” (The Sign of Venus), which Valeri wrote. The story follows Milan-born Cesira (Valeri), who lives in the shadow of her tall, beautiful Roman cousin Agnese, played by Sophia Loren. “Together, they were Italy,” the Corriere della Sera declared. Click here to watch the film on Netflix.

Valeri often worked as a screenwriter alongside her male counterparts, providing a contemporary woman’s point of view. In so doing, she created and brought to life some of the most beloved characters of the commedia all’italiana genre. She later remarked on how beautiful it was to be a part of those films, describing her iconic collaborators as a big group of friends.

In Steno’s 1955 “Piccola posta,” Valeri plays Lady Eva, a popular advice columnist whose writings sometimes get her readers into trouble. When one of them follows her advice and enters an upscale nursing home, Lady Eva pays her a visit. There, she meets the manager, conman Rodolfo Vanzino (Alberto Sordi), who makes a practice of befriending the home’s aging women in the hopes they will make him a beneficiary to their fortunes. It’s a joy to watch these master comedians share epic scenes together while in the prime of their careers.

In Giorgio Bianchi’s 1959 “Il moralista” (The Moralist), Valeri and Sordi team up again to play Virginia and Agostino, a young couple set up in a new home by Virginia’s father and Agostino’s boss, played by Vittorio De Sica. Polar opposites, Virginia is outgoing and confident, while Agostino is awkward and self-righteous. An endearing dance scene reflects the closeness of their off-screen friendship. The two worked together often and were clearly at ease with each other. Their comic timing was impeccable and their chemistry strong.

In May of 2020, two months before her 100th birthday, Valeri received an Honorary David di Donatello Award for lifetime achievement. She celebrated her milestone birthday on July 31 and passed away in her sleep nine days later on Aug. 9. Younger Italians adored her despite her advanced age, making her a cinematic force to be reckoned with until the very end.

Stream "Piccola posta" and "Il moralista" on Amazon.. Click here to follow an Instagram account created in her honor.

Comments

The Timeless Talent of Stefania Sandrelli

On screen since the tender age of 14, she has captivated audiences for more than 50 years with a compelling combination of strength and vulnerability. She achieved stardom at just 14 years old playing the angelic cousin of a love-struck Marcello Mastroianni in Pietro Germi’s “Divorce Italian Style.” More than half a century later, she is still going strong and remains one of Italy’s most esteemed actors. Stefania Sandrelli was born on June 5, 1946, in Viareggio in the province of Lucca in northern Italy. As a child, she studied music and dance. Then in 1960, she won a beauty pageant and was featured on the cover of Le Ore magazine. Her purity captivated the country and shortly thereafter, movie offers began pouring in. Just one year later, she made her cinema debut in three feature films: Mario Sequi’s Gioventù di notte , Luciano Salce’s The Fascist, and Pietro Germi’s Divorce Italian Style . She instantly became a star and before long was a key figure in Italy’s legend...

Federico Fellini: A Look into the Life and Career of an Icon

A Fellini family portrait “The term became a common word to describe something on the surface you can say is bizarre or strange, but actually is really like a painter working on a film,” said Martin Scorsese when asked to define “Felliniesque,” an adjective inspired by one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. The oldest of three children, Federico Fellini was born in the seaside town of Rimini in 1920. His father was a traveling salesman, so his mother was left to do the bulk of raising the children. One can argue that Fellini was born for his destiny. “You could tell that even as a child, he was different and unique. He was very intelligent, well above average. He was always the one to organize things, direct the others, make up games. He could control the other kids with just a look, said Fellini’s sister, Maddalena, in an interview with journalist Gideon Bachmann. Not only was Fellini directing the children, but he was also putting on shows and charging ...

Gianfranco Rosi to premiere 'Sotto le nuvole' at Venice Film Fest, exploring Naples' history

Documentary filmmaker Gianfranco Rosi will premiere his much-anticipated latest film at the upcoming 82nd Venice International Film Festival , which runs August 27 - Sept. 6. "Sotto le nuvole" (Below the Clouds) takes a deep dive into the rich history and culture of Naples and the area surrounding Mount Vesuvius. There has not been much information revealed but so far, we know that the film will focus on themes similar to those explored by Rosi in his previous works, such as the examination of Roman culture in "Sacro GRA" (2013) and Lampedusa's refugee crisis in "Fuocoammare" (2016). The film's synopsis reads, “The land around Vesuvius is a vast palimpsest. On the surface, underground and even beneath the sea of the modern city of Naples and its surroundings, the memory of history is etched into tunnels, walls and fissures, the remains of women, children and men — statues, buried cities. Only thin layers separate contemporary and ancient life, an...

"Roma 11:00" – The Tragic True Story of Desperation in a World of Poverty

There couldn’t have been a more perfect couple than Lucia Bosè and Raf Vallone in Giuseppe De Santis’ 1952 “Roma 11:00.” A tragic story based on true events, the film follows several young women in post-WWII Rome as they answer a job listing for a typist. When 200 women are in line on one staircase over several floors, a crack leads to the collapse of the entire staircase. Dozens were injured and one was killed. The tragedy spoke to the poverty and desperation that existed for so many Italians in the early 1950s before the ‘58 industrial boom began. Cesare Zavattini was one of the screenwriters. Elio Petri was the assistant director who interviewed many of the victims and cast a few in supporting roles. In addition to Bosè and Vallone, the film stars Carla Del Poggio, Massimo Girotti, Maria Grazia Francia, Lea Padovani and Delia Scala. The film is set in Largo Circense 37, while in reality the collapse took place in via Savoia 31, in the Salario district, on J...

'Salvatore Giuliano' blends documentary realism with dramatic storytelling

"Salvatore Giuliano" is a 1962 Italian crime drama directed by Francesco Rosi that dramatizes the real-life events surrounding the life and death of the legendary Sicilian bandit and folk hero. Giuliano rose to notoriety after the liberation of Sicily from fascist control in 1943, when he formed a gang that joined a separatist army. When the army dissolved, he and his gang intensified their outlaw activities. One of their most significant crimes was the Portella della Ginestra incident, during which dozens of men, women, and children were killed or wounded. This act prompted the authorities to launch an all-out war against Giuliano. His defenses slowly crumbled, and on July 5, 1959, his body was discovered in the courtyard of a house in Castelvetrano. That moment serves as the starting point for Rosi's film. Giuliano's fame is tied to his involvement in the Sicilian independence movement and his battles against both the Italian government and the Mafia in the 1940s a...

Italian Cinema Today

Search This Blog