Lilli Carati (23 September 1956 – 21 October 2014) was an Italian actress.
Biography
Lilli Carati was born in
Varese
Varese ( , ; or ; ; ; archaic ) is a city and ''comune'' in north-western Lombardy, northern Italy, north-west of Milan. The population of Varese in 2018 was 80,559.
It is the capital of the Province of Varese. The hinterland or exurban part ...
, Italy. In 1974, she was named "Miss Elegance Lombardy" at a
beauty contest
A beauty pageant is a competition in which the contestants are judged and ranked based on various physical and mental attributes. Per its name, beauty pageants traditionally focus on judging the contestants' physical attractiveness, sometimes so ...
and began working as a
fashion model
A model is a person with a role either to display commercial products (notably fashion clothing in fashion shows) or to serve as an artist's model.
Modelling ("modeling" in American English) entails using one's body to represent someone ...
in
Milan
Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
. She was first runner-up at ''
Miss Italia
Miss Italia is a beauty pageant awarding prizes every year to young, female contestants from Italy. Since the first edition of the contest, in 1939, many of the contestants have gone on to notable careers in television and film.
History Early ...
'' contest of 1974 in
Calabria
Calabria is a Regions of Italy, region in Southern Italy. It is a peninsula bordered by the region Basilicata to the north, the Ionian Sea to the east, the Strait of Messina to the southwest, which separates it from Sicily, and the Tyrrhenian S ...
and moved on to cinema.
After a soft-core film entitled Lilli Carati's Dream by Giorgio Grand (1987), the actress moved on to the porn genre, starring in five films in total, four directed by Grand himself, shot between 1987 and 1988, in which she also worked a Rocco Siffredi at the beginning of his career, and the last in 1989, in the United States of America, directed by Alex de Renzy and Henri Pachard. He also created numerous hardcore photo shoots for the magazine Le Ore.
1
Most of her
box office
A box office or ticket office is a place where ticket (admission), tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through a hole in a wall or window, or at a Wicket gate, wicket. ...
hits were in the genre of ''
commedia sexy all'italiana
The ''commedia sexy all'italiana'' (, lit. "sex comedy Italian style"), also known as ''commedia scollacciata'' ("low-cut comedy") or ''commedia erotica all'italiana'', is a subgenre of the Italian ''commedia all'italiana'' film genre.
Style
'' ...
'', but she also appeared in films of different genres such as ''
Squadra antifurto'' (1977, a
crime
In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definiti ...
story with
Tomas Milian
Tomás Quintín Rodríguez-Varona Milián Salinas de la Fé y Álvarez de la Campa (3 March 1933 – 22 March 2017) was a Cuban-born actor with American and Italian citizenship, known for the emotional intensity and humor he brought to starring ...
), ''Le evase – Storie di sesso e di violenze'' (1978, a prototypical
exploitation film
An exploitation film is a film that seeks commercial success by capitalizing on current trends, niche genres, or sensational content. Exploitation films often feature themes such as suggestive or explicit sex, sensational violence, drug use, nudi ...
), and ''
La fine del mondo nel nostro solito letto in una notte piena di pioggia'' (1978, a film by
Lina Wertmüller
Arcangela Felice Assunta "Lina" Wertmüller (; 14 August 1928 – 9 December 2021) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. She is best known for her 1970s art film, art house films ''Seven Beauties'',' ''The Seduction of Mimi'', ''Lov ...
).
She also appeared in nude photos on the pages of Italian men's magazines like ''
Playmen
''Playmen'' was an Italian adult entertainment magazine. It was founded in 1967 by a mother of three, Adelina Tattilo, achieving fame as Italy's version of ''Playboy'' magazine.
The magazine was published monthly and featured photographs of nude ...
''and ''Albo Blitz''. Around 1990, she retired from public life. On 21 October 2014, she died of a brain tumour.
Films
Her first lead role was in 1976's ''
La professoressa di scienze naturali'' ("School Days") by
Michele Massimo Tarantini
Michele Massimo Tarantini (born 7 August 1942) is an Italian film director.
Life and career
Born in Corato, Bari, at young age Tarantini was assumed by the production company Dania Cinematografica, for which he held various positions including ...
. In this film, Carati plays a substitute teacher of
natural science
Natural science or empirical science is one of the branches of science concerned with the description, understanding and prediction of natural phenomena, based on empirical evidence from observation and experimentation. Mechanisms such as peer ...
named Stefania Marini who soon gets one of her students, Andrea (Marco Gelardini), as her lover and a physician Baron Cacciapuopolo (
Michele Gammino
Michele Gammino (born 16 June 1941) is an Italian actor, voice actor and television presenter.
Biography
Born in Rome to parents who originated from Palermo, Gammino began his career during the early 1970s. For his work on Italian television, ...
) as an admirer. In the end, she marries the Baron but keeps Andrea as a lover.
Her next "school film" was ''
La compagna di banco
''La compagna di banco'' is a 1977 commedia sexy all'italiana directed by Mariano Laurenti.
Cast
* Lino Banfi: Teo D'Olivo
* Lilli Carati: Simona Girardi
* Gianfranco D'Angelo: Professor Ilario Cacioppo
* Alvaro Vitali: Salvatore
* Antonio Me ...
'' by
Mariano Laurenti
Mariano Laurenti (15 April 1929 – 6 January 2022) was an Italian film director and actor.
Career
He started as a script supervisor and later became an assistant director for, among others, Mauro Bolognini and Stefano Vanzina. He directed 50 f ...
in 1977. In this film, Carati is a rich schoolgirl and a basketball player named Simona Girardi with a lover named Mario (Antonio Melidoni).
Alvaro Vitali
Alvaro Vitali (; born 3 February 1950) is an Italian actor.
He was an electrician until he was discovered by Federico Fellini and played a small part in ''Satyricon'' (1969), which led to other roles, notably in the movie '' Amarcord'' (1973 ...
, a regular of school films, is present in both films as the main comic character. The same year she played Paola in the
poliziotteschi
''Poliziotteschi'' (; : ''poliziottesco'') constitute a subgenre of crime and action films that emerged in Italy in the late 1960s and reached the height of their popularity in the 1970s. They are also known as ''polizieschi all'italiana'', ''I ...
film ''
Gangbuster''.
In 1978, in ''
Candido Erotico
''Candido Erotico'' (also known as ''Copenhagen Nights'', ''The Exhibitionist'', ''A Man for Sale'' and ''Look at Me'') is a 1978 Italian erotic romance-drama film written and directed by Claudio Giorgi (here credited as Claudio De Molinis). Lui ...
'' (''Copenhagen Nights'') by
Claudio de Molinis, she plays Charlotte, a young student who is drawn into confusion when she falls in love with her stepmother's lover, Carlo (Mircha Carven) who works as an actor in sex shows. Eventually, she discovers the ''ménage à trois'' involving her father, stepmother, and Carlo and decides to carry on with her relationship.
Her greatest success came with ''
Avere vent'anni
''Being Twenty'' (, also known as ''To Be Twenty'') is a 1978 Italian erotic-drama film directed by Fernando Di Leo and starring Gloria Guida and Lilli Carati.
Plot
Lia (Gloria Guida) and Tina (Lilli Carati) are two beautiful girls who mee ...
'' ("To Be Twenty") by
Fernando Di Leo in 1978. The film, about the story of two girls who leave home and move into a hippie commune in pursuit of freedom but end up in the hands of thugs to be violently murdered, later attained a
cult
Cults are social groups which have unusual, and often extreme, religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals. Extreme devotion to a particular person, object, or goal is another characteristic often ascribed to cults. The term ...
status as expressed by its screening at
Venice Film Festival
The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival (, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival held in Venice, Italy. It is the world's oldest film festival and one of the ...
in 2004. The film contains a brief lesbian sex scene.
In ''
Il corpo della ragassa'' (1979) by
Pasquale Festa Campanile
Pasquale Festa Campanile (28 July 1927 – 25 February 1986) was an Italian screenwriter, film director and novelist, best known as a prominent exponent of the ''commedia all'italiana'' genre.
Life and career
Born at Melfi, in the prov ...
, Carati plays Teresa Aguzzi, a naïve-looking but cunning country girl involved in a
Pygmalion story set in 1950s Italy. The same year she appeared in ''Senza buccia'' (''Skin Deep'') by
Marcello Aliprandi
Marcello Aliprandi (2 January 1934–26 August 1997) was an Italian film director. In addition to his work in television and the theater, he directed seven feature films, including '' Smiling Maniacs'' (1975) and '' Vatican Conspiracy'' (1982 ...
, a story of love relationships at a holiday hideout.
In ''
There Is a Ghost in My Bed
There may refer to:
* ''There'' (film), a 2009 Turkish film (Turkish title: ''Orada'')
* ''There'' (virtual world)
*''there'', a deictic adverb in English
*''there'', an English pronoun used in phrases such as ''there is
English grammar is the se ...
'' (1980), an Italo-Spanish production by
Claudio de Molinis, she played newlywed Adelaide Fumagalli who arrives at the "Black Castle" in England with her husband on honeymoon. The castle is home to the ghost of 17th century nobleman Sir Archibald, played by veteran actor
Renzo Montagnani
Renzo Montagnani (11 September 1930 – 22 May 1997) was an Italian actor and voice actor.
Biography
Montagnani was born in Alessandria, Piedmont, and debuted as theatre actor thanks to the help of Erminio Macario. His first cinema succes ...
(who played Teresa's father in ''Il corpo della ragassa''). Sir Archibald plays his games to seduce Adelaide which will eventually end badly for him.
''Il marito in vacanza'' (1981) by
Alessandro Lucidi and
Mario Lucidi would again bring Carati and Montagnani together. Montagnani is a professor who tries to seduce Lucia Coradini (Carati), a beautiful colleague.
In 1984, Carati met director
Joe d'Amato
Aristide Massaccesi (15 December 1936 – 23 January 1999), known professionally as Joe D'Amato, was an Italian film director, producer, cinematographer, and screenwriter who worked in many genres (western (genre), westerns, ''Commedia sexy all' ...
through her actress friend
Jenny Tamburi
Jenny Tamburi (27 November 1952 – 1 March 2006), born as Luciana Tamburini, was an Italian actress and television hostess. Her first stage name was "Luciana della Robbia" and after her first film she changed it to "Jenny Tamburi".
Born in Rom ...
and played in four D'Amato films, among which are ''
L'alcova
''The Alcove'' (; also known as ''Lust''), is a 1985 Italian erotic film directed by Joe D'Amato.
The film contains brief hardcore sex footage on a vintage film reel that the film's characters watch. Otherwise, it is a softcore film.
Plot
It ...
'' (''The Alcove'', 1984) and ''
Il piacere
''Il Piacere'' (''Pleasure'') is the first novel by Gabriele D'Annunzio, written in 1889 at Francavilla al Mare, and published the following year by Fratelli Treves. Beginning in 1895, the novel was republished with the heading ''I Romanzi de ...
'' (''The Pleasure'', 1985), both set in 1930s Italy and with
Laura Gemser
Laurette Marcia Gemser (born 5 October 1950) is an Indonesian-Dutch retired actress, model and costume designer. She is primarily known for her work in Cinema of Italy, Italian Sex in film, erotic cinema, most notably the ''Emmanuelle#Other film ...
.
In 1987–88, she appeared in a number of
adult films by Giorgio Grand, along with a team of performers including
Rocco Siffredi
Rocco Antonio Tano (born 4 May 1964), known professionally as Rocco Siffredi, is an Italian Pornographic film actor, pornographic actor, director, and producer. Known as the "Italian Stallion", Siffredi has starred in more than 1,300 pornograph ...
. In 1989, she was in ''The Whore'' by
Alex de Renzy
Alexander de Renzy (August 13, 1935 – June 8, 2001) was an American film director, director and film producer, producer of pornographic film, pornographic film, movies.
Born in New York City, de Renzy served in the United States Air Force ...
and
Henri Pachard
Henri Pachard, Jackson St. Louis and Crystal Blue were the pseudonyms of the American film director Ron Sullivan (June 4, 1939 – September 27, 2008).
In the late 1960s, using his real name, Sullivan directed a number of sex-and-sadism Sexpl ...
.
Carati's last role was as an occultist in ''Violent Shit – The Movie'' (2015) by Luigi Pastore.
Violent Shit – The Movie Review
The film is a remake of ''Violent Shit
''Violent Shit'' is a 1989 West German horror film written and directed by Andreas Schnaas. It is widely regarded as one of the landmark underground splatter films in German DIY horror, notable for its ultraviolent gore effects and shocking conte ...
'' by Andreas Schnaas
Andreas Schnaas (born 1 April 1968) is a German director and actor working exclusively in the horror genre. Since he first appeared on the film scene in 1989, he has become a leader in Germany's ultra-violent low-budget horror film industry. He ...
. The work is dedicated to Carati, who had died of a brain tumor before the film's release.
References
External links
Scheda su Lilli Carati di My Movies
Scheda su Lilli Carati di SKY Life
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Carati, Lilli
1956 births
2014 deaths
Actors from Varese
Actresses from Lombardy
Italian film actresses
Italian pornographic film actresses
Italian female models
Deaths from brain cancer in Italy