''Bellissima'' is a 1951 Italian neorealist

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by

Luchino Visconti Luchino Visconti di Modrone, Count of Lonate Pozzolo (; 2 November 1906 – 17 March 1976) was an Italian filmmaker, stage director, and screenwriter. A major figure of Italian art and culture in the mid-20th century, Visconti was one of the ...

and starring

Anna Magnani Anna Maria Magnani (; 7 March 1908 – 26 September 1973) was an Italian actress.Obituary ''Variety'', 3 October 1973, pg. 47 She was known for her explosive acting and earthy, realistic portrayals of characters. Born in Rome, she worked her ...

Walter Chiari Walter Annicchiarico (8 March 1924 – 20 December 1991), known as Walter Chiari , was an Italian stage and screen actor, mostly in comedy roles. Biography Walter Annicchiarico was born in Verona, Italy on 8 March 1924 to a family originally ...

and

Tecla Scarano Tecla Scarano (20 August 1894 – 22 December 1978) was an Italian actress and singer. She appeared in more than 30 films between 1937 and 1966. Life and career Born in Naples, the daughter of tenor Giovanni Moretti and operetta singer Ann ...

. The film is a satire of the postwar Italian film industry, and particularly the dreams of stardom encouraged by the neorealist movement which plucked out ordinary members of the public to appear in productions. Bellissima is the only feature film in Visconti's oeuvre with a predominantly comic tone. It was not a box office success.

Production

Alessandro Blasetti, a contemporary film director, appears as himself. Keeping in with the tradition of neorealism a number of roles went to members of the public. Magnani played a part in their selection, approving of Gastone Renzelli a

butcher A butcher is a person who may slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat, or participate within any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat and poultry for sale in retail or wholesale food establishm ...

who was cast as her husband.Gundle p.3 The film's sets were designed by the art director

Gianni Polidori Gianni Polidori (1923–1992) was an Italian art director. He designed the sets for several films by Michelangelo Antonioni.Chatman p.266-67 Selected filmography * '' Bellissima'' (1951) * '' Honeymoon Deferred'' (1951) * ''The Overcoat'' (1952 ...

. It was shot at the

Cinecittà Studios Cinecittà Studios (; Italian for Cinema City Studios), is a large film studio in Rome, Italy. With an area of 400,000 square metres (99 acres), it is the largest film studio in Europe, and is considered the hub of Italian cinema. The studios we ...

, which appear prominently in the film.

Plot

''Bellissima'' centers on a working-class mother in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, Maddalena (Anna Magnani), who drags her young daughter (Tina Apicella) to

Cinecittà Cinecittà Studios (; Italian for Cinema City Studios), is a large film studio in Rome, Italy. With an area of 400,000 square metres (99 acres), it is the largest film studio in Europe, and is considered the hub of Italian cinema. The studios we ...

to attend an audition for a new film by Alessandro Blasetti. Maddalena is a stage mother who loves movies and whose efforts to promote her daughter grow increasingly frenzied.

Cast

as Maddalena Cecconi *

as Alberto Annovazzi *Tina Apicella as Maria Cecconi *Gastone Renzelli as Spartaco Cecconi *

as Tilde Spernanzoni *

Lola Braccini Lola Braccini, born Camilla Cariddi (28 March 1889 - 19 March 1969) was an Italian film, television and stage actress. Life and career Born in Pisa, Braccini moved to Rome at 14 years old and debuted on stage in 1912 as an extra at the Teatr ...

as the photographer's wife *

Arturo Bragaglia Arturo Bragaglia (7 January 1893 – 21 January 1962) was an Italian actor. He appeared in more than one hundred films from 1938 to 1961. Selected filmography References External links * 1893 births 1962 deaths Italian male f ...

as the photographer *Nora Ricci as the laundry girl *Vittorina Benvenuti *

Linda Sini Linda Sini (13 February 1924 – 5 February 1999) was an Italian film actress. She made 75 appearances between 1950 and 1979 and several appearances after this, mostly in film. Debuting in '' Sigillo rosso'' in 1950, she went on to star in ...

as Mimmetta *Teresa Battaggi as a mother *Gisella Monaldi as a concierge *Amalia Pellegrini *

Corrado Mantoni Corrado Mantoni (2 August 1924 – 8 June 1999), known simply as Corrado, was an Italian radio and television host. Biography He was born in Rome, where he followed classic studies and in jurisprudence; before finishing university studies he s ...

radio announcer An announcer is a voice artist who relays information to the audience of a broadcast media programme or live event. Television and other media Some announcers work in television production, radio or filmmaking, usually providing narrations ...

Awards

*Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists

Nastro d'Argento The Nastro d'Argento, also known by its translated name Silver Ribbon, is an Italian film award awarded each year since 1946 by the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists (Italian: ''Sindacato Nazionale Giornalisti Cinematografici Italiani ...

**Winner: Best Actress (Migliore Attrice)-

References

Bibliography

* Gundle, Stephen. ''Fame Amid the Ruins: Italian Film Stardom in the Age of Neorealism''. Berghahn Books, 2019.

External links

* *

Pauline Kael Pauline Kael (; June 19, 1919 – September 3, 2001) was an American film critic who wrote for ''The New Yorker'' magazine from 1968 to 1991. Known for her "witty, biting, highly opinionated and sharply focused" reviews, Kael's opinions oft ...

'
review

1951 films 1951 comedy-drama films Italian comedy-drama films Italian neorealist films 1950s Italian-language films Italian black-and-white films Films set in Rome Films directed by Luchino Visconti Films with screenplays by Suso Cecchi d'Amico Films with screenplays by Cesare Zavattini Films shot at Cinecittà Studios 1950s Italian films {{1950s-Italy-film-stub