Paolina Pezzaglia Greco (13 September 1886 – 17 December 1925) was an Italian

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

and

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a Character (arts), character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek ...

Early life

Pezzaglia was the only daughter of the VIP hair-stylist Gerolamo Pezzaglia (1854–1899) and Adelinda Monti (1854–1940). The family name was ''Pezzaglia'', however, the variant spelling ''Pazzaglia'' is also found in some documents and sources. Her uncle was the actor and "capocomico" Angelo Pezzaglia, who encouraged her to start acting on stage. At the age of 6 she already enchanted the public in theatre, and she grew to be a popular actress, acting in more than 120 theatrical pieces throughout

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

and

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

Career

She was first actress in

Ermete Zacconi Ermete Zacconi (14 September 1857, Montecchio Emilia, Province of Reggio Emilia – 14 October 1948 in Viareggio) was an Italian stage and film actor and a representative of naturalism and verism in acting. His leading ladies on stage were his ...

's "Compagnia", which was highly successful. In 1914 Pezzaglia played the character of ''Sofia'' in the film ''

Il fornaretto di Venezia ''Il Fornaretto di Venezia'' (US TV title: ''The Scapegoat,'' French title ''Le Petit Boulanger de Venise'' or, alternatively, ''Le Procès des Doges — as seen on the poster'') is a 1963 Italian-French film directed by Duccio Tessari who co-wro ...

'', directed by

Luigi Maggi Luigi Maggi (21 December 1867 – 22 August 1946) was an Italian actor and film director who worked prolifically during the silent era. Working for Ambrosio Film he co-directed the 1908 hit film '' The Last Days of Pompeii'', which launched the h ...

. In 1918 she was cast as ''Biribì'' in the four-film serial movie ''Il mistero dei Montfleury''. In 1918 she performed in ''La capanna dello zio Tom'', directed by Riccardo Tolentino, and ''Le peripezie dell'emulo di Fortunello e compagni'', directed by Cesare Zocchi Collani, playing the character of ''Madama Girasole''. She was a nonconformist artist, playing also male or grotesque characters. In 1921 she was in the cast of ''La vendetta dello scemo'', directed by Umberto Mucci.

Death

Pezzaglia continued acting on stage till the end of her life, when, during a successful theatrical season, she died of pneumonia in Florence at the age of 39. She is buried at

Trespiano Cemetery The Cimitero di Trespiano ("Trespiano Cemetery") is a cemetery along the Via Bolognese near Florence, Italy, named after the hamlet of Trespiano in the hills north of Fiesole. History It was inaugurated on May 1, 1784 following the reforms of L ...

in Florence, Italy.

Personal life

In 1908 she married the actor Antonio Greco and they had a son, Ruggero. Antonio died in 1913, at 29. In 1920 she had a daughter, Anna, with the actor and producer Luigi Mottura, who was 16 years younger. The two never married.

In Popular Culture

The story of her life is told in the website "Archivio Pezzaglia-Greco" ("Pezzaglia-Greco Archive") by her grandson Gianni Greco, an Italian writer and radio-TV anchorman, with a lot of unpublished documents and photos. And in 2013 the Pezzaglia-Greco Archive was declared "of historical interest particularly important" by the Italian Ministry of Heritage and Culture and Tourism.Pezzaglia-Greco Archive
In

Amber Tamblyn Amber Rose Tamblyn (born May 14, 1983) is an American actress and writer. She first came to national attention in her role on the soap opera ''General Hospital'' as Emily Quartermaine at the age of 11. She followed with a starring role on the pr ...

's book, ''Dark Sparkler'' (2015), Pezzaglia is mentioned in a poem.

Filmography

*''

'' (1914) *'' Muoio per lei!'' (1918) *''

La capanna dello zio Tom LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figure ...

'' (1918) *'' Le peripezie dell'emulo di Fortunello e compagni'' (1918) *'' L'emulo di Fortunello direttore d'orchestra'' (1918) *'' Il mistero dei Montfleury'' (1918), serial movie in four full-length films: *'' Il campo maledetto'' *''

I bimbi di nessuno I, or i, is the ninth letter and the third vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''i'' (pronounced ), plural ...

'' *'' La sagra dei martiri'' *'' Il giardino del silenzio'' *'' La vendetta dello scemo'' (1921) *'' Lo scemo Salvatore'' (1921)

References

External links

Pezzaglia-Greco Archive
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Pezzaglia, Paola 1886 births 1925 deaths Actresses from Milan Italian stage actresses Italian silent film actresses 20th-century Italian actresses Deaths from pneumonia in Tuscany