Salvatore "Turi" Ferro (10 January 1921 – 10 May 2001) was an Italian film, television and stage actor. He is considered the most important actor in the Sicilian theatre post-World War II era.

Life and career

Born in

Catania Catania (, , Sicilian and ) is the second largest municipality in Sicily, after Palermo. Despite its reputation as the second city of the island, Catania is the largest Sicilian conurbation, among the largest in Italy, as evidenced also by ...

, Ferro launched his own theatrical company in 1953 alongside his wife, actress Ida Carrara. He later staged a great number of works by Sicilian authors. He was one of the co-founders of the

Teatro Stabile di Catania The Teatro Stabile di Catania (Permanent theatre of Catania) is a theatrical institution based in Catania, Sicily, Italy which was formed in 1958. It has two theatres, the Teatro Giovanni Verga, the Teatro Angelo Musco. Annually, the program offer ...

. His stage credits include works directed by

Roberto Rossellini Roberto Gastone Zeffiro Rossellini (8 May 1906 – 3 June 1977) was an Italian film director, producer, and screenwriter. He was one of the most prominent directors of the Italian neorealist cinema, contributing to the movement with films such ...

and

Giorgio Strehler Giorgio Strehler (; ; 14 August 1921 – 25 December 1997) was an actor, Italian opera and theatre director. Biography Strehler was born in Barcola, Trieste; His father, Bruno Strehler, was a native of Trieste with family roots in Vienna and died ...

. From the early 1970s he started appearing in

RAI Television RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana (; commercially styled as Rai since 2000; known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane) is the national public broadcasting company of Italy, owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. RAI operates many te ...

, in appreciated and successful TV-series. His film career is less prolific (he appeared in only 33 films between 1962 and 1998), but includes notable roles in popular titles as the Mafioso of ''

The Seduction of Mimi ''The Seduction of Mimi'' ( it, Mimì metallurgico ferito nell'onore, lit=Mimi the Metalworker, Wounded in Honor) is a 1972 Italian comedy-drama film written and directed by Lina Wertmüller, starring Giancarlo Giannini as Mimi and featuring Ma ...

'' and "Ignazio" of '' Malizia''. In 1974 he received a special

David di Donatello The David di Donatello Awards, named after Donatello's ''David'', a symbolic statue of the Italian Renaissance, are film awards given out each year by the ''Accademia del Cinema Italiano'' (The Academy of Italian Cinema). There are 26 award cat ...

for "the value and success of his performances". The film director

Lina Wertmüller Arcangela Felice Assunta Wertmüller von Elgg Spanol von Braueich (14 August 1928 – 9 December 2021), known as Lina Wertmüller (), was an Italian film director and screenwriter. She is best known for her 1970s art film, art house films ''Sev ...

referred to him as "the greatest Sicilian actor after

Angelo Musco Angelo Musco (18 December 1872 – 6 October 1937) was an Italian actor in theater and film. He was known for his comic abilities as well as for his carefully drawn psychological portraits. Life and career Born in Catania, Catania, Sicily to ...

". He died of a

myocardial infarction A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may ...

Partial filmography

* '' A Man for Burning'' (1962) - Don Vincenzo * ''Extraconiugale'' (1964) - Padre di Renato (segment "La moglie svedese") * '' I Knew Her Well'' (1965) - Il commissario * ''

Rita the Mosquito ''Rita the Mosquito'' ( it, Rita la zanzara) is a 1966 Italian "musicarello" film directed by Lina Wertmüller (under the stage name George H. Brown). It has a sequel, ''Don't Sting the Mosquito''. Plot Cast * Rita Pavone: Rita * Gianc ...

'' (1966) - Sicilian professor * ''

Don't Sting the Mosquito ''Don't Sting the Mosquito'' ( it, Non stuzzicate la zanzara) is a 1967 Italian "musicarello" film directed by Lina Wertmüller (under the stage name George H. Brown). It is the sequel of '' Rita the Mosquito''. Cast * Rita Pavone: Rita Santa ...

'' (1967) * ''

Seven Times Seven ''Seven Times Seven'' ( it, Sette volte sette) is a 1968 Italian crime comedy caper directed by Michele Lupo and starring Gastone Moschin. Plot A gang of prison inmates escape and rob the UK's Royal Mint. They then sneak back to prison. Cast * ...

'' (1968) - Bernard * ''

Un caso di coscienza ''Un caso di coscienza'' (Italian for ''A matter of conscience'') is a 1970 Italian comedy-drama film written and directed by Giovanni Grimaldi. It is based on the Leonardo Sciascia's short story with the same name, which is part of the collect ...

'' (1970) - Judge * ''

Scipio the African ''Scipio the African'' ( it, Scipione detto anche l'Africano "Scipio, also called the African") is a 1971 Italian comedy film directed by Luigi Magni. Plot Years after the Second Punic War, Scipio Africanus finds himself generally unliked, de ...

'' (1971) - Giove Capitolino * ''

The Case Is Closed, Forget It ''L'istruttoria è chiusa: dimentichi '' (internationally released as ''The Case Is Closed, Forget It'') is a List of Italian films of 1971, 1971 Cinema of Italy, Italian crime drama film directed by Damiano Damiani. It is based on the novel ''Tan ...

'' (1971) - Chef of Prison Guards * ''

The Sicilian Checkmate ''The Sicilian Checkmate'' ( it, La violenza: quinto potere) is a 1972 Cinema of Italy, Italian crime film, crime-drama film directed by Florestano Vancini. Plot The construction of a dam in Sicily triggers unspeakable interests and appetites th ...

'' (1972) - Judge Nicola Altofascio * ''

Chronicle of a Homicide ''Chronicle of a Homicide'' ( it, Imputazione di omicidio per uno studente, also known as ''Italian Streetfighters'') is a 1972 Italian crime-drama film directed by Mauro Bolognini. Cast *Massimo Ranieri: Fabio Sola *Martin Balsam: Judge Aldo Sol ...

'' (1972) - Commissario Malacarne * ''

'' (1972) - Don Calogero / Vico Tricarico / Salvatore Tricarico * '' Malicious'' (1973) - Ignazio * ''

La governante ''La governante'' (''The Governess'') is a 1974 Italian comedy-drama film directed by Giovanni Grimaldi and starring Turi Ferro and Martine Brochard. It is based on a stage play by Vitaliano Brancati. The film got a great commercial success, gross ...

'' (1974) - Leopoldo Platania * ''

Virility Virility (from the Latin ''virilitas'', manhood or virility, derived from Latin ''vir'', man) refers to any of a wide range of masculine characteristics viewed positively. Virile means "marked by strength or force". Virility is commonly associ ...

'' (1974) - don Vito * ''

Il lumacone ''Il lumacone'' (''The Big Snail'') is a 1974 Italian comedy-drama film directed by Paolo Cavara.Achille Valdata (15 January 1975). "Amore e spaghetti". '' La Stampa''. p. 7. Cast * Turi Ferro as Gianni Rodinò * Agostina Belli as Elisa * Ninet ...

'' (1974) - Gianni * ''

Vergine e di nome Maria ''Vergine e di nome Maria'' (''Virgin and Called Mary'') is a 1975 Italian comedy-drama film directed by Sergio Nasca. A few days after its first release it was confiscated for contempt of religion; it was subsequently re-edited and redistributed ...

'' (1975) - Don Vito * ''I baroni'' (1975) - Il barone Leopoldo Lalumera * ''Che notte quella notte!'' (1977) - Maurizio * ''

Stato interessante ''Stato interessante'' is a 1977 Italian comedy-drama film directed by Sergio Nasca. It consists of three segments, all sharing the abortion as the main theme. Cast First segment * Janet Agren: Carla * Duilio Del Prete: Federico * Qui ...

'' (1977) - Domenico La Monica (second story) * ''

Blood Feud A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one part ...

'' (1978) - Vito Acicatena * ''

Ernesto Ernesto, form of the name Ernest in several Romance languages, may refer to: * ''Ernesto'' (novel) (1953), an unfinished autobiographical novel by Umberto Saba, published posthumously in 1975 ** ''Ernesto'' (film), a 1979 Italian drama loosely ba ...

'' (1979) - Carlo Wilder * '' The Turn'' (1981) - Don Diego Alcozér * ''La posta in gioco'' (1988) - Prosecutor Mario Bellomo * ''Malizia 2mila'' (1991) - Ignazio / Husband * ''

You Laugh ''Tu ridi'' (internationally released as ''You Laugh'', ''Two Kidnappings'' and ''Kaos II'') is a 1998 Italian drama film. It is the second film adaptation based on short stories by Luigi Pirandello after Kaos directed by Paolo and Vittorio Tavian ...

'' (1998) - Dottor Ballarò (segment "Due sequestri")

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ferro, Turi 1921 births 2001 deaths 20th-century Italian male actors Actors from Catania David di Donatello winners Italian male film actors Italian male stage actors Italian male television actors

Life and career

Partial filmography

References

Further reading

External links