Rafaela Ottiano (4 March 1888 – 15 August 1942) was an Italian-American stage and film actress.

Early life

Rafaela Ottiano was born in

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...

, Italy. She immigrated to the United States with her parents and was processed at

Ellis Island Ellis Island is a federally owned island in New York Harbor, situated within the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, that was the busiest immigrant inspection and processing station in the United States. From 1892 to 1954, nearly 12 mill ...

in 1910."Rafaela Ottiano: The Venetian who Played the Villainess"
(Another source says that she and her sister, Maria Francesca, arrived in New York on April 30, 1899.) Ottiano was named for a sister, Rafaela Bellizia Ottiano, who was born in Boston in 1886 and died in infancy. Their parents were Antonio Ottiano, a musician, and his wife, Maddalena Polcari Ottiano. The couple also had three sons, Pasquale, James, and Augustino. The family lived in Boston. Ottiano worked as a saleslady in a New York City department store before she began her acting career.

Career

Ottiano began acting at age 18 and established herself as a stage actress in Europe before arriving in Hollywood in 1924 and appearing in American motion pictures. She appeared on Broadway in ''

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'' (1924), the

Mae West Mae West (born Mary Jane West; August 17, 1893 – November 22, 1980) was an American stage and film actress, playwright, screenwriter, singer, and sex symbol whose entertainment career spanned over seven decades. She was known for her breezy ...

play '' Diamond Lil'' (1928), and the play version of '' Grand Hotel'' (1930). Ottiano's first film was the John L. McCutcheon-directed drama ''The Law and the Lady'' (1924) with Len Leo, Alice Lake, and Tyrone Power, Sr. Ottiano was part of the original 1928 Broadway cast of the hit play ''Diamond Lil'', written by and starring Mae West. She reprised her role as Rita when the play was adapted for the movie ''

She Done Him Wrong ''She Done Him Wrong'' is a 1933 pre-Code American crime/comedy film starring Mae West and Cary Grant. The plot includes melodramatic and musical elements, with a supporting cast featuring Owen Moore, Gilbert Roland, Noah Beery Sr., Rochelle Huds ...

'' (1933), directed by

Lowell Sherman Lowell J. Sherman (October 11, 1888 – December 28, 1934) was an American actor and film director. In an unusual practice for the time, he served as both actor and director on several films in the early 1930s. He later turned exclusively to d ...

. Throughout the 1930s, she often specialized in roles as sinister, malevolent, or spiteful women, such as her role in the

Tod Browning Tod Browning (born Charles Albert Browning Jr.; July 12, 1880 – October 6, 1962) was an American film director, film actor, screenwriter, vaudeville performer, and carnival sideshow and circus entertainer. He directed a number of films of vari ...

-directed horror film '' The Devil-Doll'' (1936), opposite

Lionel Barrymore Lionel Barrymore (born Lionel Herbert Blythe; April 28, 1878 – November 15, 1954) was an American actor of stage, screen and radio as well as a film director. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in ''A Free Soul'' (1931) ...

and

Maureen O'Sullivan Maureen O'Sullivan (17 May 1911 – 23 June 1998) was an Irish-American actress, who played Jane in the ''Tarzan'' series of films during the era of Johnny Weissmuller. She performed with such actors as Laurence Olivier, Greta Garbo, William ...

. Other notable film roles for Ottiano include Lena in '' As You Desire Me'' (1932) with

Greta Garbo Greta Garbo (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson; 18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress. Regarded as one of the greatest screen actresses, she was known for her melancholic, somber persona, her film portrayals of tragic c ...

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Erich von Stroheim Erich Oswald Hans Carl Maria von Stroheim (born Erich Oswald Stroheim; September 22, 1885 – May 12, 1957) was an Austrian-American director, actor and producer, most noted as a film star and avant-garde, visionary director of the silent era. H ...

Owen Moore Owen Moore (12 December 1886 – 9 June 1939) was an Irish-born American actor, appearing in more than 279 movies spanning from 1908 to 1937. Early life and career Moore was born in Fordstown Crossroads, County Meath, Ireland. Along with his ...

, and

Hedda Hopper Hedda Hopper (born Elda Furry; May 2, 1885February 1, 1966) was an American gossip columnist and actress. At the height of her influence in the 1940s, her readership was 35 million. A strong supporter of the House Un-American Activities Committee ...

, Mrs. Higgins in the

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musical-comedy ''Curly Top'' (1935), as a matron in the crime-drama ''

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'' (1936), starring

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and

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, and as Suzette, Greta Garbo's devoted maid in the

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-directed drama '' Grand Hotel'' (1932). When ''Grand Hotel'' was turned into a

Broadway Musical Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Th ...

in 1989, her character was renamed Rafaela Ottiano in honor of the actress, who had appeared on Broadway in 1930 in the original play version of the

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novel, and in the subsequent movie adaptation. Ottiano's last film was the musical comedy ''

I Married an Angel ''I Married An Angel'' is a 1938 musical comedy by Rodgers and Hart. It was adapted from a play by Hungarian playwright János Vaszary, entitled ''Angyalt Vettem Felesegul''. The book was by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, with music by Rodge ...

'' (1942), starring

Nelson Eddy Nelson Ackerman Eddy (June 29, 1901 – March 6, 1967) was an American actor and baritone singer who appeared in 19 musical films during the 1930s and 1940s, as well as in opera and on the concert stage, radio, television, and in nightclub ...

and

Jeanette MacDonald Jeanette Anna MacDonald (June 18, 1903 – January 14, 1965) was an American singer and actress best remembered for her musical films of the 1930s with Maurice Chevalier (''The Love Parade'', '' Love Me Tonight'', '' The Merry Widow'' and '' ...

. During her film career, she appeared in approximately 45 motion pictures, opposite such actors as

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Conrad Nagel John Conrad Nagel (March 16, 1897 – February 24, 1970) was an American film, stage, television and radio actor. He was considered a famous matinée idol and leading man of the 1920s and 1930s. He was given an Academy Honorary Award in 1940 and ...

Peter Lorre Peter Lorre (; born László Löwenstein, ; June 26, 1904 – March 23, 1964) was a Hungarian and American actor, first in Europe and later in the United States. He began his stage career in Vienna, in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, before movi ...

Zasu Pitts Zasu Pitts (; January 3, 1894 – June 7, 1963) was an American actress who starred in many silent dramas, including Erich von Stroheim's epic 1924 silent film '' Greed'', and comedies, transitioning successfully to mostly comedy films with t ...

, and

Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress in film, stage, and television. Her career as a Hollywood leading lady spanned over 60 years. She was known for her headstrong independence, spirited perso ...

Personal life

Ottiano died on August 15, 1942, in her parents' Boston home, aged 54.

Partial filmography

*'' The Law and the Lady'' (1924) - Ma Sims *'' Married ?'' (1926) - Maid *'' Grand Hotel'' (1932) - Suzette *''

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'' (1932) - Evil Tongued Neighbor (uncredited) *'' As You Desire Me'' (1932) - Lena *''

The Washington Masquerade ''The Washington Masquerade'' is a 1932 American Pre-Code drama film directed by Charles Brabin and written by John Meehan and Samuel Blythe. The film stars Lionel Barrymore, Karen Morley, Diane Sinclair, Nils Asther and Reginald Barlow. Th ...

'' (1932) - Mona *''

'' (1933) - Russian Rita *'' Bondage'' (1933) - Miss Trigge *'' Ann Vickers'' (1933) - Mrs. Feldermans *''

Female Female (symbol: ♀) is the sex of an organism that produces the large non-motile ova (egg cells), the type of gamete (sex cell) that fuses with the male gamete during sexual reproduction. A female has larger gametes than a male. Females an ...

'' (1933) - Della - Alison's Maid (uncredited) *''

Mandalay Mandalay ( or ; ) is the second-largest city in Myanmar, after Yangon. Located on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, 631km (392 miles) (Road Distance) north of Yangon, the city has a population of 1,225,553 (2014 census). Mandalay was fou ...

'' (1934) - Madame Lacalles *''

All Men Are Enemies ''All Men Are Enemies'' is a 1934 American pre-Code drama film directed by George Fitzmaurice and written by Lenore J. Coffee. The film stars Helen Twelvetrees, Mona Barrie, Hugh Williams, Herbert Mundin, Henry Stephenson and Walter Byron. The ...

'' (1934) - Filomena *'' The Last Gentleman'' (1934) - Retta Barr *'' A Lost Lady'' (1934) - Rosa *''

Great Expectations ''Great Expectations'' is the thirteenth novel by Charles Dickens and his penultimate completed novel. It depicts the education of an orphan nicknamed Pip (Great Expectations), Pip (the book is a ''bildungsroman''; a coming-of-age story). It ...

'' (1934) - Mrs. Joe *'' Enchanted April'' (1935) - Francesca *'' Lottery Lover'' (1935) - Gaby's Maid *''

The Florentine Dagger ''The Florentine Dagger '' is a 1935 American film noir mystery film directed by Robert Florey. The film numbers among the first Hollywood movies in which psychoanalysis is a significant factor in the story.Smith, Richard Harland"The Florentin ...

'' (1935) - Lili Salvatore *''

One Frightened Night ''One Frightened Night'' is a 1935 American comedy mystery film directed by Christy Cabanne and starring Charley Grapewin, Lucien Littlefield and Mary Carlisle. The film has entered the public domain. Plot Faced with an upcoming inheritance ...

'' (1935) - Elvira *'' Curly Top'' (1935) - Mrs. Higgins *'' Remember Last Night?'' (1935) - Mme. Bouclier *''

Crime and Punishment ''Crime and Punishment'' ( pre-reform Russian: ; post-reform rus, Преступление и наказание, Prestupléniye i nakazániye, prʲɪstʊˈplʲenʲɪje ɪ nəkɐˈzanʲɪje) is a novel by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. ...

'' (1935) - Landlady (uncredited) *'' We're Only Human'' (1935) - Mrs. William Anderson (uncredited) *''

'' (1936) - Matron *'' The Devil-Doll'' (1936) - Malita *''

Anthony Adverse ''Anthony Adverse'' is a 1936 American epic historical drama film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Fredric March and Olivia de Havilland. The screenplay by Sheridan Gibney draws elements of its plot from eight of the nine books in Hervey A ...

'' (1936) - Signora Buvino *'' Mad Holiday'' (1936) - Ning *''

That Girl from Paris ''That Girl from Paris'' is a 1936 American musical comedy film directed by Leigh Jason and starring Lily Pons, Jack Oakie, and Gene Raymond. The film made a profit of $101,000. John O. Aalberg was nominated for an Academy Award in the category ...

'' (1936) - Nikki's Personal Maid (uncredited) *'' Seventh Heaven'' (1937) - Madame Frisson *'' Maytime'' (1937) - Ellen *''

The League of Frightened Men ''The League of Frightened Men'' is the second Nero Wolfe detective novel by Rex Stout. The story was serialized in six issues of ''The Saturday Evening Post'' (June 15–July 20, 1935) under the title ''The Frightened Men''. The novel was publish ...

'' (1937) - Dora Chapin *''

The Toy Wife ''The Toy Wife'' is a 1938 American drama film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Luise Rainer and Melvyn Douglas. The period film was produced by Merian C. Cooper and written by Zoë Akins. Plot Set before the American Civil War, ''The Toy ...

'' (1938) - Felicianne (uncredited) *''

Marie Antoinette Marie Antoinette Josèphe Jeanne (; ; née Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was the last queen of France before the French Revolution. She was born an archduchess of Austria, and was the penultimate child and ...

'' (1938) - Louise - Marie's Maid (uncredited) *'' I'll Give a Million'' (1938) - Proprietress *''

Suez Suez ( ar, السويس '; ) is a seaport city (population of about 750,000 ) in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez (a branch of the Red Sea), near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same boun ...

'' (1938) - Maria De Teba *''

Paris Honeymoon ''Paris Honeymoon'' is a 1939 American musical film directed by Frank Tuttle and written by Frank Butler and Don Hartman. The film stars Bing Crosby, Franciska Gaal, Akim Tamiroff, Shirley Ross, Edward Everett Horton and Ben Blue. Filming too ...

'' (1939) - Fluschotska *'' Vigil in the Night'' (1940) - Mrs. Henrietta Sullivan (uncredited) *''

The Long Voyage Home ''The Long Voyage Home'' is a 1940 American drama film directed by John Ford. It stars John Wayne, Thomas Mitchell and Ian Hunter. It features Barry Fitzgerald, Wilfrid Lawson, John Qualen, Mildred Natwick, and Ward Bond, among others. The fi ...

'' (1940) - Bella *'' A Little Bit of Heaven'' (1940) - Mme. Lupinsky *''

Victory The term victory (from Latin ''victoria'') originally applied to warfare, and denotes success achieved in personal combat, after military operations in general or, by extension, in any competition. Success in a military campaign constitutes a ...

'' (1940) - Madame Makanoff *''

Topper Returns ''Topper Returns'' is a 1941 fantasy comedy thriller directed by Roy Del Ruth and written by Jonathan Latimer. The third and final installment in the initial series of supernatural comedy films inspired by the novels of Thorne Smith, it succ ...

'' (1941) - Lillian - the Housekeeper *''

The Adventures of Martin Eden ''The Adventures of Martin Eden'' is a 1942 black-and-white adventure film directed by Sidney Salkow and starring Glenn Ford and Claire Trevor. It is based on Jack London's novel '' Martin Eden'' (1909). Premise Martin Eden (Glenn Ford) wants t ...

'' (1942) - Marie Sylva *''

'' (1942) - Madelon (uncredited) (final film role)

References

External links

* * *
Rafaela Ottiano: The Venetian who Played the Villainess
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ottiano, Rafaela 1888 births 1942 deaths American film actresses American stage actresses Italian emigrants to the United States Italian stage actresses Actors from Venice People from East Boston, Boston 20th-century American actresses Naturalized citizens of the United States Actresses from Boston