Delia Scala (born Odette Bedogni; 25 September 1929 – 15 January 2004) was an Italian

ballerina A ballet dancer ( it, ballerina fem.; ''ballerino'' masc.) is a person who practices the art of classical ballet. Both females and males can practice ballet; however, dancers have a strict hierarchy and strict gender roles. They rely on ye ...

, actress and singer who played a leading role in the nascent ''commedia musicale''.

Career

Scala was born as Odette Bedogni in Bracciano, Lazio, Italy. When she was a young girl, her family moved to

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

where she studied ballet at "La Scala" Ballet School for seven years. She performed in numerous ballets until

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, after which she began appearing in motion pictures using the stage name, Delia Scala. These include ''

Difficult Years ''Difficult Years'' ( it, Anni difficili) is a 1948 Italian drama film directed by Luigi Zampa and starring Umberto Spadaro, adapted from the 1946 short story ''Vecchio con gli stivali'' (''Old Man in Boots''), by the Sicilian author Vitaliano B ...

'' (''Anni difficili,'' 1948)'',

Side Street Story ''Side Street Story'' ( it, Napoli milionaria , meaning "Millionaire Naples") is a 1950 Italian comedy film directed by Eduardo De Filippo, who wrote the play upon which the film is based. It was entered into the 1951 Cannes Film Festival. Plo ...

'' (''Napoli milionaria,'' 1950)'', Rome 11:00'' (''Roma ore 11'', 1952), ''

Touchez pas au grisbi ''Touchez pas au grisbi'' (, French for "Don't touch the loot"), released as ''Honour Among Thieves'' in the United Kingdom and ''Grisbi'' in the United States, is a 1954 French-Italian crime film based on a novel by Albert Simonin. It was dire ...

'' (1954)'', Gentlemen Are Born'' (''Signori si nasce,'' 1960). In 1954 Delia made her theatre debut with ''Giove in doppiopetto'' (Double-breasted Jupiter). The show is considered the first "Commedia musicale", an italian musical genre created by playwrights

Pietro Garinei Pietro Garinei (1 February 1919 – 9 May 2006) was an Italian playwright, actor, and songwriter. Brother of Enzo Garinei. Biography Garinei was born in Trieste in 1919. He later worked as a sports journalist for the daily newspaper in Milan and ...

and

Sandro Giovannini Sandro is an Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swiss, Georgian and Croatian given name, often a diminutive of Alessandro or Alexander. It is also a surname. Sandro may refer to: Given name or nickname Sports * Sandro (footballer, born 1973), Brazi ...

with the collaboration of the musician and songwriter Gorni Kramer. Scala later starred in '' Buonanotte Bettina'' (Goodnight Bettina'','' 1956) with

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 ...

, ''L'adorabile Giulio'' (The Adorable Giulio, 1957) with

Carlo Dapporto Carlo Dapporto (26 June 1911 – 1 October 1989) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 35 films between 1944 and 1987. He was born in Sanremo, Italy and died in Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC ...

, ''Un trapezio per Lisistrata'' (A Trapeze for Lisistrata, 1958) with

Nino Manfredi Saturnino "Nino" Manfredi (22 March 1921 – 4 June 2004) was an Italian actor, voice actor, director, screenwriter, playwright, comedian, singer, author, radio personality and television presenter. He was one of the most prominent Italian a ...

and

Paolo Panelli Paolo Panelli (15 July 1925 – 18 May 1997) was an Italian comedian and film actor. He appeared in 55 films between 1948 and 1996. He was married to Bice Valori. Selected filmography * '' Guarany'' (1948) * ''Arrivederci, papà!'' (1948 ...

, ''Delia Scala Show'' (1960), ''Rinaldo in campo'' (Rinaldo into the Field, 1961) with Domenico Modugno, ''My Fair Lady'' (1964) with

Gianrico Tedeschi Gianrico Tedeschi (20 April 1920 – 27 July 2020) was an Italian actor and voice actor. Life and career Born in Milan in April 1920, Tedeschi got a degree in pedagogy before enrolling at the Silvio D'Amico National Academy of Dramatic Art, wh ...

and

Mario Carotenuto Mario Carotenuto (30 June 1916 – 14 April 1995) was an Italian actor of film and theatre. Biography Carotenuto, the son of a silent film actor and younger brother of the actor Memmo Carotenuto, took various humble jobs for many years be ...

, and ''Il giorno della tartaruga'' (The Day of the Turtle, 1965) with

Renato Rascel Renato Rascel (), stage name of Renato Ranucci (; 27 April 1912 – 2 January 1991), was an Italian film actor and singer. He appeared in 50 films between 1942 and 1972. He represented Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1960 with the s ...

. In 1956 Scala appeared in the TV show ''Lui e Lei'' (Him and Her, 1956) with

Nino Taranto Nino Taranto (28 August 1907 – 23 February 1986) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in more than 80 films between 1924 and 1971. Life and career Born in Naples, Taranto started his career as a child actor in 1918 starring in some loca ...

. In 1959–60 she co-hosted ''

Canzonissima ''Canzonissima'' was an Italian musical variety show broadcast by Rai 1 from 1958 to 1974, aired on Saturday evening except for the last two editions in which it was aired on Sunday afternoon. The program was referred to as "the synthesis and the ...

'' with

and

. After twelve consecutive years of performances in Italy and Europe, Scala began to experience fatigue. In 1965, at the height of her success (she had received offers from

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

), she suddenly decided to drop out from live performances. In 1966 she married and temporarily retired to spend time with her family. In 1968 Scala made a comeback with ''Delia Scala Story'', a show written by Garinei and Giovannini. This was followed in 1970 by the very successful ''Signore e signora'' (Mr. and Madame) with Lando Buzzanca. After a nine-year break, she starred in the show ''Che combinazione'' (What a Coincidence) alongside

Don Lurio Donald Benjamin Lurio, better known by his stage name of Don Lurio (15 November 1929, in New York City – 26 January 2003, in Rome) was an American-born Jewish Italian dancer, choreographer and TV presenter for RAI, the Italian radio and televisi ...

. From 1980 to 1983, Scala conceived and hosted the show ''Una rosa per la Vita'' (A Rose for Life) to raise funds to support cancer prevention and research at the Bussoladomani arena in

Lido di Camaiore Camaiore is a city and ''comune'' of 32,513 inhabitants within the province of Lucca, Tuscany, central-western Italy. It stretches from the Apuan Alps to the east, to the plains and the coast of Versilia to the west. History Camaiore has Roman or ...

, together with

Raimondo Vianello Raimondo Vianello (7 May 1922 – 15 April 2010) was an Italian film actor, comedian, and television host. He was a well-known Italian television personality. Biography He was born in Rome, but spent his youth in Pula, where his father, an ...

and Sandra Mondaini, . In 1982 Scala returned to television with the

RAI RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana (; commercially styled as Rai since 2000; known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane) is the national public broadcasting company of Italy, owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. RAI operates many ter ...

fiction ''Casa Cecilia'' (Cecilia's Home), where she performed for three seasons. Her final TV role was in the sitcom ''Io e la mamma'', (Mum and I) aired between 1996 and 1998 on Canale 5.

Personal life

Scala achieved great professional success, but her personal life was marred by misfortune and tragedy. In 1946, at the age 17, she married a Greek military officer who had come to Italy to join the partisan forces in the fight against the Nazi-fascists. They separated two years later, and she got the marriage voided in 1956. During the mid-1950s Scala was engaged with

Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...

race car driver

Eugenio Castellotti Eugenio Castellotti (10 October 1930 – 14 March 1957) was a Formula One driver from Italy. Driving career Castellotti was born in Lodi, Italy. He acquired a Ferrari at the age of twenty, from a local benefactor, and began racing sports cars ...

. He died in 1957 when his Ferrari crashed while attempting a speed record at the Modena race track. In 1967 she married Piero Giannotti.The marriage lasted until 1982 when Giannotti died of a heart attack while cycling along the beach in

Viareggio Viareggio () is a city and ''comune'' in northern Tuscany, Italy, on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea. With a population of over 62,000, it is the second largest city within the province of Lucca, after Lucca. It is known as a seaside resort as ...

. She married a third time in 1985 with industrialist Arturo Fremura. The marriage ended with her husband's death of liver cancer in 2001. In 1974 Delia Scala was diagnosed with breast cancer, and underwent a radical

mastectomy Mastectomy is the medical term for the surgical removal of one or both breasts, partially or completely. A mastectomy is usually carried out to treat breast cancer. In some cases, women believed to be at high risk of breast cancer have the operat ...

. Although she appeared to have made a full recovery, in 2002 she was struck again with the same illness. Scala died in 2004 in Livorno, Tuscany. She rests in the Cimitero della Misericordia in Livorno. At the time of her death, Italian President

Carlo Azeglio Ciampi Carlo Azeglio Ciampi (; 9 December 1920 – 16 September 2016) was an Italian politician and banker who was the prime minister of Italy from 1993 to 1994 and the president of Italy from 1999 to 2006. Biography Education Ciampi was born i ...

called her a "model of enthusiasm and rigorous professionalism" and said he rated her among ''"the most beloved and popular artists in the history of Italian entertainment"''.

Credits

Stage

Film

Television

Radio

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Scala, Delia 1929 births 2004 deaths People from Bracciano Italian ballerinas Italian film actresses Italian television actresses Deaths from breast cancer Deaths from cancer in Tuscany Italian television presenters Italian women television presenters