Maria Grazia Francia (17 September 1931 – 4 March 2021) was an Italian actress of classic cinema.

Career

Born in

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany Regions of Italy, region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilan ...

, in the mid-1940s Francia moved to Rome to attend the

Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia The Centro sperimentale di cinematografia (Experimental Film Centre or Italian National film school) was established in 1935 in Italy and aims to promote the art and technique of cinematography and film. The centre is the oldest film school in ...

. She eventually left the course to star alongside

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 ...

Gennaro Righelli Gennaro Righelli (12 December 1886 – 6 January 1949) was an Italian film director, screenwriter and acting, actor. He directed more than 110 films in Italy and Germany between 1910 and 1947. In 1930, he directed the first Italian sound fil ...

's '' Abbasso la ricchezza!''. Since then she appeared in several important films, directed by directors such as

Luigi Zampa Luigi Zampa (2 January 1905 – 16 August 1991) was an Italian film director. Biography Son of a worker, Zampa studied filmmaking from 1932 to 1937 at the Italian film school Centro sperimentale di cinematografia in Rome. He directed several ...

Giuseppe De Santis Giuseppe De Santis (11 February 1917 – 16 May 1997) was an Italian film director. One of the most idealistic Neorealism (art), neorealist filmmakers of the 1940s and 1950s, he wrote and directed films punctuated by ardent cries for social ...

and

Mario Bonnard Mario Bonnard (24 December 1889 – 22 March 1965) was an Italian actor and film director. Bonnard was born and died in Rome. He began his cinematic career as an actor becoming a popular romantic lead in numerous silent films made before World ...

. She was also active on stage and on television dramas, before retiring from acting in the early 1970s. She died on March 4, 2021 at the age of 90i n Terni, Italy.

Selected filmography

*'' Peddlin' in Society'' (1946) *'' L'onorevole Angelina'' (1947) *''

Bitter Rice ''Bitter Rice'' ( it, Riso Amaro ) is a 1949 Italian film made by Lux Film, written and directed by Giuseppe De Santis. Produced by Dino De Laurentiis, starring Silvana Mangano, Raf Vallone, Doris Dowling and Vittorio Gassman, ''Bitter Rice'' was ...

'' (1949) * '' Flying Squadron'' (1949) *''

No Peace Under the Olive Tree ''No Peace Under the Olive Tree'' (Italian: ''Non c'è pace tra gli ulivi'') is a 1950 Italian neorealist drama film directed by Giuseppe De Santis and starring Raf Vallone, Lucia Bosé and Folco Lulli. It was the director's follow-up to ''Bitter ...

'' (1950) *'' The Outlaws'' (1950) *'' Il voto'' (1950) Il voto 1950

*'' Santa Lucia luntana...'' (1951) *''

Due sorelle amano ''Due sorelle amano'' is a 1950 Italian romantic drama film directed by Jacopo Comin. Cast * Jone Salinas as Maria Pia * Eleonora Rossi Drago as Marilù, Maria Pia's sister * Peter Trent as Tom * Maria Grazia Francia as Other ...

'' (1951) *'' Auguri e figli maschi'' (1951) *''

I figli non si vendono ''I figli non si vendono'' (literally, ''Children must not be sold'') is a 1952 Italian melodrama film by Mario Bonnard. Plot Cast * Lea Padovani as Anna * Jacques Sernas as Carlo Dazzeni / Roberto Dazzeni * Maria Grazia Francia as Luisa * ...

'' (1952) *'' Rome 11:00'' (1952) *'' L'angelo del peccato'' (1952) *'' Voice of Silence'' (1953) *'' Rimorso'' (1953) *'' Milady and the Musketeers'' (1953) *'' La peccatrice dell'isola'' (1953) *'' I piombi di Venezia'' (1953) *'' Schiava del peccato'' (1954) * '' Goodbye Naples'' (1955) *'' I pappagalli'' (1956) *'' Accadde una notte'' (1956) *'' La donna che amo'' (1957) *'' Goodbye, Firenze!'' (1958) *'' Tiro al piccione'' (1961) * '' The Shoot'' (1964) *''

I soldi ''I soldi'' is a 1965 Italian anthology comedy film directed by Gianni Puccini. Cast * Sylva Koscina as Leda *Tomas Milian as Bob *Enrico Maria Salerno * Alberto Lionello *Barbara Steele * Agnès Spaak *Andrea Checchi *Carlo Giuffrè * Mari ...

'' (1965) *'' Una carabina per Schüt'' (1966)

References

External links

* 1931 births 2021 deaths 20th-century Italian actresses Actors from Florence Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia alumni Italian film actresses Italian stage actresses Italian television actresses {{Italy-actor-stub