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 song "Romantica" which was placed equal eighth out of thirteen entries.

Biography

He was born to Cesare and Paola Ranucci in

Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. Th ...

. It was in Turin where his parents, who were

opera singer Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libret ...

s, were performing a show at the time Renato could really say that he was born in the back stage of the theater and that's where he spent all of his life. His father tried to make it up to him by having him baptized at Saint Peter's in Rome and apparently it worked because growing up in that neighborhood he ended up singing for the "white voices choir" of Saint Peter with the leadership of composer-conductor

Lorenzo Perosi Monsignor Lorenzo Perosi (21 December 1872 – 12 October 1956) was an Italian composer of sacred music and the only member of the Giovane Scuola who did not write opera. In the late 1890s, while he was still only in his twenties, Perosi was ...

. At the age of 14 Renato started to play drums in ballrooms around Rome. Soon after, he joined the Di Fiorenza Sisters as an actor, dancer and clown and in 1934 he was hired for his first big role by the Schwarts Brothers in the operetta "Al Cavallino bianco". In 1935, he joined Elena Gray for his first foreign tour in Africa. In 1941 he created his own theater company and he began to develop his distinctive kind of humor that in the following years will crown him as the inventor of the "non-sense" with phrases like "two friends that didn't know each other". He decided to make his small size work for him, being only 5'2" tall, one of his major assets becoming known as the "Tiny Italian" (il piccoletto nazionale) and in his show he accentuated his stature by wearing huge extravagant coats, his most famous one had a large pocket on the back. In this time he created some of his most famous characters such as "Napoleon" and "Il Corazziere" (a parody on his size since the Corazziere is a military division that employs only soldiers over 6 feet tall) that brought him to an extraordinary popularity in Italy. In 1942 he shot the first of a long series of films, ''Pazzo d'amore'' (Crazy For Love) developing and establishing his very peculiar kind of humor. Among the sixty plus films he worked in, one of the most relevant was ''Il Cappotto'' (The Overcoat) by Gogol, winner of the

Golden Palm The Palme d'Or (; en, Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Fe ...

in Cannes. He also had a leading role in ''

The Secret of Santa Vittoria ''The Secret of Santa Vittoria'' is a 1969 American war film distributed by United Artists. It was produced and directed by Stanley Kramer and co-produced by George Glass from a screenplay by Ben Maddow and William Rose. It was based on the best ...

'' with

Anthony Quinn Manuel Antonio Rodolfo Quinn Oaxaca (April 21, 1915 – June 3, 2001), known professionally as Anthony Quinn, was a Mexican-American actor. He was known for his portrayal of earthy, passionate characters "marked by a brutal and elemental ...

and

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

, ''

Seven Hills of Rome The seven hills of Rome ( la, Septem colles/montes Romae, it, Sette colli di Roma ) east of the river Tiber form the geographical heart of Rome, within the walls of the city. Hills The seven hills are: * Aventine Hill (Latin: ''Collis Aventi ...

'' with

Mario Lanza Mario Lanza (, ; born Alfredo Arnold Cocozza ; January 31, 1921 – October 7, 1959) was an American tenor and actor. He was a Hollywood film star popular in the late 1940s and the 1950s. Lanza began studying to be a professional singer at ...

, ''

Questi fantasmi Giulio Questi (18 March 1924 – 3 December 2014) was an Italian film director and screenwriter.Marco Giusti, Dizionario dei film italiani stracult, Roma, Frassinelli, 2004. Questi was born in Bergamo. He wrote short stories and filmed se ...

'' with

Eduardo De Filippo Eduardo De Filippo (; 24 May 1900 – 31 October 1984), also known simply as ''Eduardo'', was an Italian actor, director, screenwriter and playwright, best known for his Neapolitan works '' Filumena Marturano'' and '' Napoli Milionaria''. Cons ...

and ''

Figaro qua Figaro là Figaro may refer to: Literature * Figaro, the central character in: ** ''The Barber of Seville'' (play), a 1775 play by Pierre Beaumarchais *** ''The Barber of Seville'' (Paisiello), a 1782 opera by Paisiello based on the play *** '' The Ba ...

'' with Totò. In 1977, he appeared in the Zeffirelli film ''

Jesus of Nazareth Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religiou ...

'' as the blind man. His post second World War success is due mainly to his leading roles in the musicals by

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 an ...

and Sandro Giovannini. The artistic trio is responsible for the existence of the "musical" in Italy with '' Attanasio cavallo vanesio'' in 1952 (featuring the American trio

Peters Sisters Peters may refer to: People * Peters (surname) * Peters Band, a First Nations band in British Columbia, Canada Places United States * Peters, California, a census-designated place * Peters, Florida, a town * Peters Township, Kingman County, Kan ...

, '' Alvaro piuttosto corsaro'' (1953), '' Tobia la candida spia'' (1955), '' Un paio d'ali'' (1957), '' Rascelinaria'' (1958), '' Enrico '61'' (1961), and also performed for an entire year in London at the

Piccadilly Theatre The Piccadilly Theatre is a West End theatre located at 16 Denman Street, behind Piccadilly Circus and adjacent to the Regent Palace Hotel, in the City of Westminster, London, England. Early years Built by Bertie Crewe and Edward A. Stone ...

in 1962, along with '' Il giorno della tartaruga'' (1965) and '' Alleluja, brava gente'' (1970). In his career, Rascel had established himself as a comic and dramatic actor, dancer, singer and songwriter. His most famous song, "

Arrivederci Roma "Arrivederci Roma" (English: "Goodbye, Rome") is the title and refrain of a popular Italian song, composed in 1955 by Renato Rascel, with lyrics by Pietro Garinei and Sandro Giovannini. It was published in 1957 as part of the soundtrack of the I ...

," is among the three most famous Italian songs of all time. He also wrote a number of internationally famous songs such as "Venticello de Roma", "Con un po' di fantasia", "Vogliamoci tanto bene", "Romantica", and "Te voglio bene tanto tanto". With the arrival of the television set in the Italian household, RAI (the national Italian Television) entrusted Rascel with the role of entertaining the country in the very first live Saturday night show. Among his most memorable performances are "Rascel la nuit" in 1956 and "Stasera Rascel City" in 1964. His performance in "Father Brown" in 1970, where he interprets a priest that solves crimes in his community, was one of the biggest television successes of the decade. He represented Italy in the

Eurovision Song Contest 1960 The Eurovision Song Contest 1960 was the fifth edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest, held on Tuesday 29 March 1960 at the Royal Festival Hall in London, United Kingdom, and hosted by British television presenter and actress Catherine ...

with the song "Romantica".

Selected filmography

* '' Pazzo d'amore'' (1942) - Renato * ''Maracatumba... ma non è una rumba!'' (1949) - rag. Filippo De Bellis * ''Botta e risposta'' (1950) * '' Figaro Here, Figaro There'' (1950) - Don Alonzo * ''

Beauties on Bicycles ''Beauties on Bicycles'' (Italian: ''Bellezze in '') is a 1951 Italian comedy film directed by Carlo Campogalliani and starring Silvana Pampanini and Delia Scala.Parish p.142 It was filmed at the Cinecittà Studios in Rome with sets designed by A ...

'' (1951) - Il figlio del meccanico * ''

I'm the Capataz ''I'm the Capataz'' (Italian: ''Io sono il capataz'') is a 1951 Italian western-comedy film directed by Giorgio Simonelli and starring Renato Rascel, Silvana Pampanini and Marilyn Buferd. It was shot at the Incir-De Paolis Studios in Rome. The f ...

'' (1951)) - Uguccione / Rascelito Villa * '' Amor non ho... però... però'' (1951) - Teodoro * '' Napoleon'' (1951) - Napoleone * ''

L' eroe sono io ''I'm the Hero'' (Italian: ''L' eroe sono io'') is a 1952 Italian comedy film directed by Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia and starring Renato Rascel, Delia Scala and Marisa Merlini. Chiti & Poppi p.142 It was shot at the Cinecittà Studios in Rome. The f ...

'' (1951) - Righetto * ''

The Overcoat "The Overcoat" (russian: Шине́ль, translit. Shinyél’; sometimes translated as "The Cloak") is a short story by Russian author Nikolai Gogol, published in 1842. The story has had a great influence on Russian literature. Eugène-Me ...

'' (1952) - Carmine De Carmine * ''

Il bandolero stanco ''The Tired Outlaw'' (Italian: ''Il bandolero stanco'') is a 1952 Italian comedy western film directed by Fernando Cerchio and starring Renato Rascel, Lauretta Masiero and Lia Di Leo.Curti p.77 The film's sets were designed by the art directo ...

'' (1952) - Pepito * ''

I Chose Love ''I Chose Love'' (French: ''J'ai choisi l'amour'', Italian: ''Ho scelto l'amore'') is a 1953 French-Italian comedy film directed by Mario Zampi and starring Renato Rascel and Marisa Pavan. It was shot at the Cinecittà studios in Rome. Plot Bori ...

'' (1953) - Boris Popovic * ''Piovuto dal cielo'' (1953) - Renato * '' The Walk'' (1953, also director) - Paolo Barbato * ''Attanasio cavallo vanesio'' (1953) - Fantino Leo * ''

Marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

'' (1954) - Dmitry Marinin, il 'generale' * ''Gran varietà'' (1954) - Il comico e il censore (segment "Il censore") * ''

Half a Century of Song ''Half a Century of Song'' ( it, Canzoni di mezzo secolo) is a 1952 Italian anthology comedy film by Domenico Paolella. Plot Cast * Marco Vicario * Cosetta Greco * Anna Maria Ferrero * Franco Interlenghi * Maria Fiore * Flora Mariel * Olga ...

'' (1954) * ''Questi fantasmi'' (1954) * ''Alvaro piuttosto corsaro'' (1954) - Alvaro * '' Carousel of Variety'' (1955) * '' Red and Black'' (1955) * ''Io sono la Primula Rossa'' (1955) - Sir Archibald * ''I pinguini ci guardano'' (1956) * ''

The Monte Carlo Story ''The Monte Carlo Story'' is a 1956 Italian comedy-drama film production made by Titanus and distributed by United Artists. Samuel A. Taylor directed, and also wrote the screenplay based on a story by Marcello Girosi and Dino Risi. Marcello Giro ...

'' (1956) - Duval * ''

Oh! Sabella ''La nonna Sabella'' (internationally released as ''Oh! Sabella'') is a 1957 Italian comedy film directed by Dino Risi. It is based on the novel of the same name written by Pasquale Festa Campanile. The film won the Golden Shell at the San Sebasti ...

'' (1957) - Don Gregorio (uncredited) * ''

'' (1957) - Pepe Bonelli * ''

Rascel-Fifì ''Rascel-Fifì'' is a 1957 Italian crime-comedy film directed by . It is a parody of Jules Dassin's ''Rififi''. The film was a success at the Italian box office. Plot Renato and Gideone team up in business and open a Night in one of the worst ...

'' (1957) - Renato / Renatino - il suo figlio * ''Rascel marine'' (1958) - Caporale Ronny Rascel * '' Move and I'll Shoot'' (1958) - Renato Tuzzi - il professore * '' Policarpo'' (1959) - Policarpo De Tappetti * '' Uncle Was a Vampire'' (1959) - Il conte Osvaldo Lambertenghi * ''

Ferdinando I, re di Napoli ''Ferdinando I, re di Napoli'' is a 1959 Italian comedy film directed by Gianni Franciolini. Plot Naples, 1806. The king Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies is frowned upon by the people, especially the comic theatrical Pulcinella, which contin ...

'' (1959) - Mimi * ''Un militare e mezzo'' (1960) - Nicola Carletti * ''Little Girls and High Finance'' (1960) * ''The Bear'' (1960) - Médard * ''Il corazziere'' (1960) - Urbano Marangoni * ''Sanremo - La grande sfida'' (1960) - Uno spettatore (uncredited) * ''

Destination Fury ''Destination Fury'' ( it, Mani in alto, french: En pleine bagarre) is a 1961 Italian-French criminal comedy film directed by Giorgio Bianchi and starring Renato Rascel and Eddie Constantine.Marco Giusti. ''007 all'italiana''. Isbn Edizioni, 2010 ...

'' (1961) - Renato Micacci * ''

The Last Judgement The Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Reckoning, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, Doomsday, Day of Resurrection or The Day of the Lord (; ar, یوم القيامة, translit=Yawm al-Qiyāmah or ar, یوم الدین, translit=Yawm ad-Dīn, ...

'' (1961) - Coppola * '' The Orderly'' (1961) - Remigio De Acutis * '' The Four Days of Naples'' (1962) - Neapolitan Citizen (uncredited) * ''Follie d'estate'' (1963) - Sognatore * ''

'' (1969) - Babbaluche * ''Il trapianto'' (1970) - Dario Barbieri - l'impiegato * ''

The Adventures of Pinocchio ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' ( ; it, Le avventure di Pinocchio ; commonly shortened to ''Pinocchio'') is a children's fantasy novel by Italian author Carlo Collodi. It is about the mischievous adventures of an animated marionette named Pin ...

'' (1972) - Narrator (voice) * ''

'' (1977, TV Mini-Series) - The Blind Man

References

External links

* *
Renato Rascel official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rascel, Renato 1912 births 1991 deaths Italian male film actors Actors from Turin Eurovision Song Contest entrants for Italy Eurovision Song Contest entrants of 1960 Sanremo Music Festival winners Nastro d'Argento winners 20th-century Italian male actors Musicians from Turin