Amedeo Nazzari: The Once and Future Idol

He’s been referred to as the “mustachioed matinee idol,” but a newfound interest in 1950s melodramas has made him an international art house legend.

Amedeo Nazzari was born Salvatore Amedeo Buffa on Dec. 10, 1907, in Sardinia. Assuming his maternal grandfather’s last name and moving to Rome during the 1930s to pursue a career in acting, he found an immediate place in theater but had a tough time breaking into film because of his towering height and slim build.

Nazzari landed small film parts during the mid-’30s before scoring the title role in Goffredo Alessandrini’s 1938 “Luciano Serra, pilota” (Luciano Serra, Pilot), about an American pilot attacked by Ethiopian soldiers. The film was awarded the Mussolini Cup for Best Italian Film at the 6th Venice International Film Festival and launched Nazzari’s silver screen career.

Although he rose to fame during tumultuous times, and was personally invited by Mussolini to join the Fascist Party, Nazzari managed to stay politically neutral and worked prolifically in postwar Italy. In 1946, he won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Ernesto in Alberto Lattuada’s “Il bandito” (The Bandit), the story of World War II prisoners of war sent home from Germany.

Raffaello Matarazzo’s 1949 “Catene” (Chains) was the first in a string of dramatic films appreciated by Italians while neorealism had its grips on the international audience. Nazzari plays Gugliemo, an honest, everyday man working as a mechanic. When a thief pulls into his garage after the getaway vehicle breaks down, Gugliemo’s life spirals out of control. The episode leads to a reunion between Gugliemo’s wife (Yvonne Sanson) and her aggressive ex-fiancé. Although she begs him to leave her in peace, he doesn’t let up and eventually presents her with a deadly ultimatum. The film is featured in a wonderful scene in Giuseppe Tornatore’s 1988 “Cinema Paradiso” in which the entire audience is in tears.

Anna and Carlo just can’t catch a break in Matarazzo’s 1950 follow-up, “Tormento.” Nazzari and Sanson play lovers facing impossible odds. When Anna’s evil stepmother berates her in front of Carlo, he takes her away to live with him. Anna writes to her father for help but her stepmother does not give the letters to him. When Carlo asks his shady employer for an advance, a fight breaks out and Carlo is wrongfully accused of murder. Just as he is sentenced to prison for 20 years, Anna learns that she is pregnant. Despite Carlo’s incarceration, the two decide to marry. Anna gets by working odd jobs while caring for their daughter, Angela, but the demands of motherhood become overwhelming when Angela falls ill. Carlo’s lawyer reaches out to Anna’s father who is so devastated to learn that his wife hid his daughter’s letters, he suffers a fatal heart attack. Anna feels her only option to save Angela’s life is to ask for help from her stepmother. She agrees on the condition that Anna give up Angela altogether and check into an institution for wayward women. The tears flow as she leaves but there is some redemption in the end.

That same year, Nazzari costarred in Giorgio Pastina’s drama, “Alina,” with Gina Lollobrigida in the title role as a desperate woman trying to make ends meet. When Alina’s father died, Paolo, a family friend, took her in. With intentions of curbing the town gossip, he married her. A much older man, Paolo falls ill and Alina is burdened with becoming the bread winner. Having no skills, she resorts to smuggling drugs over the France-Italy border. During one of her jobs, she meets Giovanni (Nazzari), a card dealer in a high society French supper club. After their initial meeting in which Giovanni mistakes Alina for a burglar and knocks her out, the two develop a kinship. When Giovanni helps Alina and her cohorts run from police, he realizes his love for her and pledges to stay in Italy if they reach the border alive. Nazarri had the opportunity to offer bits of comedy relief in “Alina” and he embraced it.

A small but memorable part in Federico Fellini’s 1957 “Nights of Cabiria,” a decade later along with supporting roles in Henri Verneuil’s 1969 “Le clan des siciliens” (The Sicilian Clan) and Terence Young’s 1972 “The Vallachi Papers” brought Nazzari some international exposure before his death in 1979.

Six of Matarazzo’s dramas featuring Nazzari are available to stream on Criterion Channel. The others are available to stream on Amazon. Click on the titles for direct links.

-Written by Jeannine Guilyard for the December, 2021 issue of Fra Noi Magazine. Click here to subscribe.

Comments

A Conversation with Actor Mirko Frezza of David di Donatello Winner "Il più grande sogno"

The 2017 David di Donatello award show, which took place on Monday, was an exciting event that celebrated many great contemporary talents of Italian cinema. I was fortunate to have seen most of the nominees. Among my personal favorites is Michele Vannucci's Il più grande sogno simply because it is based on one of the most inspiring, beautiful stories I've ever heard, and the person behind that story is as authentic and down-to-earth as they come. The film won the 3 Future Award, which is determined by the public. With Director Michele Vannucci and Actor Mirko Frezza I first saw Il più grande sogno last September when it premiered at the Venice Film Festival. I didn't make it to Venice, but thanks to a great online platform called Festival Scope , which offers a handful of premieres to be screened on the web, I felt like I was there. The film itself blew me away, and then when I realized it was based on a true story, I knew t...

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...

Golden Age Masterpiece: Luchino Visconti’s 1957 “White Nights”

Photo Credit: Archivio Luce Cinecittà Luchino Visconti’s 1957 film, “White Nights” (“Le notti bianche”), offers a thoughtful and poignant exploration of themes such as loneliness, desire and emotional vulnerability. Based on Fyodor Dostoevsky’s novella of the same name, it transports the tale from 19th-century St. Petersburg to a dreamy mid-20th-century Italian setting. While Visconti remains largely faithful to Dostoevsky’s narrative, his characteristic style infuses the film with emotional depth, striking visuals, and a focus on class and societal constraints. The story follows a young man named Matteo, played by Marcello Mastroianni, who lives a solitary life in a small Italian town. One evening, he encounters a beautiful young woman named Natalia, portrayed by Austrian-Swiss actress Maria Schell, who is also feeling isolated. Although she is initially reluctant, Natalia eventually confides in Matteo about her love for a man who has promised to return and marry her, but he ha...

Film at Lincoln Center honors Monica Vitti with retrospective featuring restored classics

Photo Courtesy of Archivio Luce-Cinecitt à A retrospective dedicated to the films of Italian cinema icon Monica Vitti will be held from June 6 to June 19 at Lincoln Center in New York City. The 14-film series, titled "Monica Vitti: La Modernista," is presented by Film at Lincoln Center and Cinecittà and marks the first North American retrospective celebrating Vitti's 35-year career. "We are pleased to partner with Cinecittà to celebrate one of Italy's most revered actresses," said Film at Lincoln Center Vice President of Programming Florence Almozini. "It is a privilege to present decades' worth of films from Monica Vitti's illustrious and prolific career, especially with many restored versions of her legendary works." Monica Vitti, a key figure in film history, began her career in the mid-1950s and quickly became a captivating presence on screen. Her collaboration with director Michelangelo Antonioni produced memorable films in the 196...

Documentary Filmmaker Gianni Minà presents "Pope Francis, Cuba and Fidel" in Toronto

Gianni Minà and Cristiano de Florentiis Update February 2, 2017 It's recently been announced that documentary filmmaker Gianni Minà will receive an honorary Nastro d'Argento award for career achievement. Read the full story on Ansa Italian news. The World Premiere of “Pope Francis, Cuba and Fidel,” directed by Gianni Minà and presented by ICFF and AMBI screened in Toronto in occasion of the TIFF, Toronto International Film Festival, was met with standing ovation and appreciation from Canadian critics. ICFF Artistic Director Cristiano de Florentiis awarded Gianni Minà with the ICFF Award of Excellence for addressing themes of historical, economic, social and cultural development with insight, nuance, professionalism and personal commitment. Minà’s documentary explores the recent story of Cuba and its undisputed leader, Fidel Castro, through the lens of last year’s visit of Pope Francis to the Caribbean island. Fidel appears onscreen at age 89, his body marked by hi...

Italian Cinema Today

Search This Blog