María Denis (22 November 1916 – 15 April 2004) was an

Argentine Argentines (mistakenly translated Argentineans in the past; in Spanish (masculine) or (feminine)) are people identified with the country of Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, s ...

-born actress in Italian made films. Denis moved to Italy in 1932 when she was 16, and appeared in her first film there the same year. Denis became a top Italian star between 1936 and 1942 playing

girl next door The girl next door is a young female stock character who is often used in romantic stories. She is so named because she often lives next door to the protagonist or is a childhood friend. They start out with a mutual friendship that later often ...

characters.Reich & Garofalo p.334 Denis later appeared in films in several other countries. In 1949 she appeared in the British film '' Private Angelo''. Her younger sister Michela Belmonte was also an actress.

Selected filmography

* ''

What Scoundrels Men Are! ''What Scoundrels Men Are!'' ( it, Gli uomini, che mascalzoni!) is a 1932 Italian " white-telephones" comedy film directed by Mario Camerini. The film was a great success, De Sica and Lia Franca became stars and the song ''Parlami d'amore Mari ...

'' (1932) - (uncredited) * '' The Telephone Operator'' (1932) - (uncredited) * '' Non c'è bisogno di denaro'' (1933) - Caterina * ''

1860 Events January–March * January 2 – The discovery of a hypothetical planet Vulcan is announced at a meeting of the French Academy of Sciences in Paris, France. * January 10 – The Pemberton Mill in Lawrence, Massachusett ...

'' (1933) - Clelia * '' My Little One'' (1933) - La ragazza nel bar all'aperto * ''

Tourist Train ''Tourist Train'' (Italian: ''Treno popolare'') is a 1933 Italian comedy film directed by Raffaello Matarazzo and starring Marcello Spada, Lina Gennari and Carlo Petrangeli. The film portrays the comic adventures of a group of summertime travelle ...

'' (1933) - Maria * '' L'impiegata di papà'' (1933) - Collega * ''

Villafranca Villafranca (Basque: ''Alesbes'') is a town and municipality located in the province and the autonomous community (Comunidad Foral) of Navarre, northern Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo ...

'' (1934) * ''

Seconda B ''Seconda B'' is a 1934 Italian comedy film directed by Goffredo Alessandrini and starring Sergio Tofano, Dina Perbellini and María Denis. It was screened at the Venice Film Festival where it was awarded a prize. It started a trend for "schoolgirl ...

'' (1934) - Marta Renzi * ''

The Matchmaker ''The Matchmaker'' is a 1954 play by Thornton Wilder, a rewritten version of his 1938 play ''The Merchant of Yonkers''. History The play has a long and colorful history. John Oxenford's 1835 one-act farce ''A Day Well Spent'' had been extende ...

'' (1934) * '' La mia vita sei tu'' (1934) - La graziosa ragazza * ''

Mr. Desire ''Mr. Desire'' ( it, Il signore desidera?) is a 1934 Italian comedy film directed by Gennaro Righelli and starring Vittorio De Sica. Cast * Vittorio De Sica as Martino * Dria Paola as Mirella * Ada Dondini as Aunt Clarice * Cesare Zoppetti as ...

'' (1934) * ''

Creatures of the Night ''Creatures of the Night'' is the tenth studio album by American rock band Kiss, released in 1982. It was the band's last for Casablanca Records, the only label for which Kiss had recorded up to that point. The album was dedicated to the memor ...

'' (1934) - L'altra ragazza * ''

Together in the Dark ''Together in the Dark'' (Italian: ''Al buio insieme'') is a 1933 Italian comedy film directed by Gennaro Righelli and starring Sandra Ravel, Maurizio D'Ancora and Lamberto Picasso.Mancini p.216 The film's sets were designed by the art director Ga ...

'' (1935) - Manicure * ''

Lorenzino de' Medici Lorenzino de' Medici (23 March 1514 – 26 February 1548), also known as Lorenzaccio, was an Italian politician, writer, and dramatist, and a member of the Medici family. He became famous for assassinating his cousin, Alessandro de' Medici, Duk ...

'' (1935) - Nella * ''

The Joker King ''The Joker King'' (Italian: ''Il re Burlone'') is a 1935 Italian historical comedy film directed by Enrico Guazzoni and starring Luisa Ferida, Armando Falconi and Luigi Cimara.Moliterno p.158 It was shot at the Cines Studios in Rome. Plot I ...

'' (1936) - Fanya * '' God's Will Be Done'' (1936) - Anna * ''

Joe the Red ''Joe the Red'' (Italian: ''Joe il rosso'') is a 1936 Italian comedy crime film directed by Raffaello Matarazzo and starring Armando Falconi, Luisa Garella and Ada Dondini.Apra p.99 The film's sets were designed by the art director Gastone M ...

'' (1936) - Marietta Clavel * ''

King of Diamonds The king of diamonds is a playing card in the standard 52-card deck. King of Diamonds may also refer to: * ''King of Diamonds'' (film), a 1936 Italian comedy film directed by Enrico Guazzoni * ''King of Diamonds'' (TV series), a 1961–62 Ameri ...

'' (1936) - Lola * ''

The Countess of Parma ''The Countess of Parma'' (Italian: ''La contessa di Parma'') is a 1937 Italian " white-telephones" comedy film directed by Alessandro Blasetti and starring Elisa Cegani, Antonio Centa and María Denis. Marcella, a mannequin working in a fashion ...

'' (1937) - Adriana * ''

Lasciate ogni speranza ''Lasciate ogni speranza'' () is a 1937 Italian comedy film directed by Gennaro Righelli and starring Antonio Gandusio, María Denis and Rosina Anselmi. Cast * Antonio Gandusio as Pasquale Grifone * María Denis as Gina Grifone * Rosina Ansel ...

'' (1937) - La figlia Gina * ''

The Two Misanthropists ''The Two Misanthropists'' (Italian: ''I due misantropi'') is a 1937 Italian " white-telephones" historical comedy film directed by Amleto Palermi and starring Camillo Pilotto, María Denis and Nino Besozzi.Chiti & Poppi p.119-20 It was shot at th ...

'' (1937) - Betty * ''

Naples of Olden Times ''Naples of Olden Times'' (Italy: ''Napoli d'altri tempi'') is a 1938 Italian musical comedy film directed by Amleto Palermi and starring Vittorio De Sica, Emma Gramatica and Elisa Cegani.Gundle p.153 It was made at Cinecittà in Rome. Synopsis At ...

'' (1938) - Ninetta * ''

Ballerine Ballet flats are women's shoes for everyday wear which are similar to/inspired by a women's ballet shoes, with a very thin heel or the appearance of no heel at all. The style sometimes features a ribbon-like binding around the low tops of the sli ...

'' (1938) * '' Departure'' (1938) - Anna Diana * ''

They've Kidnapped a Man ''They've Kidnapped a Man'' (Italian: ''Hanno rapito un uomo'') is a 1938 Italian " white-telephones" comedy film directed by Gennaro Righelli and starring Vittorio De Sica, Caterina Boratto and Maria Denis.Chiti & Poppi p.175 It was shot at the ...

'' (1938) - L'amichetta del attore * '' Who Are You?'' (1939) - Francesca * '' Pretty or Plain They All Get Married'' (1939) - Marcella * ''

The Document ''The Document'' (Italian: ''Il documento'') is a 1939 Italian " white-telephones" comedy film directed by Mario Camerini and starring Ruggero Ruggeri, Armando Falconi and María Denis.Stewart p.71 It was made at the Cinecittà Studios in Rome. ...

'' (1939) - La contessina Luisa Sabelli * ''

Two on a Vacation ''Two on a Vacation'' (Italian: ''Pazza di gioia'') is a 1940 Italian comedy film directed by Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia and starring Vittorio De Sica, María Denis, and Umberto Melnati.Monaco p.208 It was a remake of the 1932 German film ''Two in ...

'' (1940) - Liliana Casali * '' The Last Enemy'' (1940) - Anna Vitali * ''

The Two Mothers ''The Two Mothers'' (Italian: ''Le due madri'') is a 1938 Italian drama film directed by Amleto Palermi and starring Vittorio De Sica, María Denis and Renato Cialente.Cardullo p.268 It was shot at the Cinecittà Studios in Rome. The film's sets ...

'' (1940) - Agatina * ''

Fortuna Fortuna ( la, Fortūna, equivalent to the Greek goddess Tyche) is the goddess of fortune and the personification of luck in Roman religion who, largely thanks to the Late Antique author Boethius, remained popular through the Middle Ages until at ...

'' (1940) - La figlia del direttore del giornale * ''

The Siege of the Alcazar ''The Siege of the Alcazar'' or ''L'Assedio dell'Alcazar'' is a 1940 Italian war film directed by Augusto Genina about the famous siege of the Alcázar during the Spanish Civil War, set in Toledo, Spain. The film won the ''Mussolini Cup'' in Ve ...

'' (1940) - Conchita Alvarez * '' Abandonment'' (1940) - Maria, sua sorella * '' Goodbye Youth'' (1940) - Dorina * '' La compagnia della teppa'' (1941) - Ada Mellario * '' L'amore canta'' (1941) - Vera * '' Yes, Madam'' (1942) - Cristina Zunino * '' I sette peccati'' (1942) - Isa Sturmer * '' The Two Orphans'' (1942) - Luisa * '' La maestrina'' (1942) - Maria Bini, la maestrina * ''

Canal grande The Grand Canal ( it, Canal Grande ; vec, Canal Grando, anciently ''Canałasso'' ) is a channel in Venice, Italy. It forms one of the major water-traffic corridors in the city. One end of the canal leads into the lagoon near the Santa Lucia ...

'' (1943) - Lisa * '' Responsibility Comes Back'' (1945) - Anna Bortone * ''

La Vie de Bohème ''Scenes of Bohemian Life'' (original French title: ''Scènes de la vie de bohème'') is a work by Henri Murger, published in 1851. Although it is commonly called a novel, it does not follow standard novel form. Rather, it is a collection of lo ...

'' (1945) - Mimi / Mimì * '' Malìa'' (1946) - Nedda, sorella di Jana * ''

Crime News ''Cronaca nera'' (Italian for ''Black news'') is a 1947 Italian crime film directed by Giorgio Bianchi and starring María Denis, Gino Cervi and Andrea Checchi. The title refers to the section given over to crime stories in Italian newspapers. ...

'' (1947) * ''

Nada Nada may refer to: Culture * Nāda, a concept in ancient Indian metaphysics Places *Nada, Hainan, China *Nada, Kentucky, an unincorporated community in the United States *Nada, Nepal, village in Achham District, Seti Zone * Nada, Texas, United S ...

'' (1947) - Ena Berenguer * '' Four Women'' (1947) - Blanca / Elena / Lola / Marta * ''

The Dance of Death The ''Danse Macabre'' (; ) (from the French language), also called the Dance of Death, is an artistic genre of allegory of the Late Middle Ages on the universality of death. The ''Danse Macabre'' consists of the dead, or a personification of ...

'' (1948) - Rita * '' Private Angelo'' (1949) - Lucrezia * ''

The Flame That Will Not Die ''The Flame That Will Not Die'' (Italian: ''Fiamma che non si spegne'') is a 1949 Italian war drama film directed by Vittorio Cottafavi and starring Gino Cervi, María Denis and Leonardo Cortese.Bonsaver & Gordon p.104 It is based on the story of S ...

'' (1949) - Maria * '' A Slice of Life'' (1954) - La signora (segment "Scusi ma...") (final film role)

References

Bibliography

* Reich, Jacqueline & Garofalo, Piero. ''Re-viewing Fascism: Italian Cinema, 1922-1943''. Indiana University Press, 2002.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Denis, Maria 1916 births 2004 deaths Argentine film actresses People from Buenos Aires 20th-century Argentine actresses Argentine expatriates in Italy