Vittorio Gassman (; born Gassmann; 1 September 1922 – 29 June 2000), popularly known as , was an Italian actor, director and screenwriter. He is considered one of the greatest Italian actors, whose career includes both important productions as well as dozens of ''divertissements''.

Biography

Early life

Gassmann was born in

Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the List of cities in Italy, sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian ce ...

to a German father, Heinrich Gassmann (an engineer from

Karlsruhe Karlsruhe ( , , ; South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the third-largest city of the German state (''Land'') of Baden-Württemberg after its capital of Stuttgart and Mannheim, and the 22nd-largest city in the nation, with 308,436 inhabitants. ...

), and a Jewish mother, Luisa Ambron, born in

Pisa Pisa ( , or ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the cit ...

. While still very young, he moved to Rome, where he studied at the Silvio D'Amico National Academy of Dramatic Arts. Gassman suffered from

bipolar disorder Bipolar disorder, previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of depression and periods of abnormally elevated mood that last from days to weeks each. If the elevated mood is severe or associated with ...

Career

Gassman's debut was in

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

, in 1942, with Alda Borelli in Niccodemi's ''La Nemica'' (theatre). He then moved to Rome and acted at the ''Teatro Eliseo'' joining

Tino Carraro Agostino Carraro (1 December 1910 – 12 January 1995) was an Italian stage, television and film actor. Life and career Born in Milan, Carraro started acting at young age in several amateur stage companies. Carraro then graduated at the , ...

and

Ernesto Calindri Ernesto Calindri (5 February 1909 – 9 June 1999) was an Italian theater and film actor. He appeared in 40 films between 1938 and 1989. Selected filmography * '' Golden Arrow'' (1935) * ''It Always Ends That Way'' (1939) * ''The Children A ...

in a team that remained famous for some time; with them he acted in a range of plays from bourgeois comedy to sophisticated intellectual theatre. In 1946, he made his film debut in ''Preludio d'amore'', while only one year later he appeared in five films. In 1948 he played in '' Riso amaro''. It was with

Luchino Visconti Luchino Visconti di Modrone, Count of Lonate Pozzolo (; 2 November 1906 – 17 March 1976) was an Italian filmmaker, stage director, and screenwriter. A major figure of Italian art and culture in the mid-20th century, Visconti was one of the fat ...

's company that Gassman achieved his mature successes, together with Paolo Stoppa, Rina Morelli and

Paola Borboni Paola Borboni (1 January 1900 – 9 April 1995) was an Italian stage and film actress whose career spanned nine decades of cinema. Early life Borboni was born on 1 January 1900 in Parma, Italy. Career Borboni made her stage debut in 19 ...

. He played

Stanley Kowalski Stanley Kowalski is a fictional character in Tennessee Williams' play ''A Streetcar Named Desire''. In the play Stanley lives in the working-class Faubourg Marigny neighborhood of New Orleans with his wife, Stella ( DuBois), and is employed ...

Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the thre ...

' ''Un tram che si chiama desiderio'' (''

A Streetcar Named Desire ''A Streetcar Named Desire'' is a play written by Tennessee Williams and first performed on Broadway on December 3, 1947. The play dramatizes the experiences of Blanche DuBois, a former Southern belle who, after encountering a series of pers ...

''), as well as in ''Come vi piace'' (''

As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has b ...

'') by

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

and ''Oreste'' (by

Vittorio Alfieri Count Vittorio Alfieri (, also , ; 16 January 17498 October 1803) was an Italian dramatist and poet, considered the "founder of Italian tragedy." He wrote nineteen tragedies, sonnets, satires, and a notable autobiography. Early life Alfieri was ...

). He joined the ''Teatro Nazionale'' with Tommaso Salvini,

Massimo Girotti Massimo Girotti (18 May 1918 – 5 January 2003) was an Italian film actor whose career spanned seven decades. Born in Mogliano, in the province of Macerata, Girotti developed his athletic physique by swimming and playing polo. While studying eng ...

Arnoldo Foà Arnoldo Foà (24 January 1916 – 11 January 2014) was an Italian actor, voice actor, theatre director, singer and writer. He appeared in more than 130 films between 1938 and 2014. Biography Foà was born in Ferrara, Italy, to a Jewish fam ...

to create a successful '' Peer Gynt'' (by

Henrik Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential playw ...

). With

Luigi Squarzina Luigi Squarzina (18 February 1922 – 8 October 2010) was an Italian theatre dramatist and director. Born in Livorno, Squarzina studied in Rome, at the Liceo Classico Tasso, where he had Vittorio Gassman as classmate. He got a degree cum laude i ...

in 1952 he co-founded and co-directed the ''Teatro d'Arte Italiano'', producing the first complete version of ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

'' in Italy, followed by rare works such as

Seneca Seneca may refer to: People and language * Seneca (name), a list of people with either the given name or surname * Seneca people, one of the six Iroquois tribes of North America ** Seneca language, the language of the Seneca people Places Extrat ...

's ''Thyestes'' and

Aeschylus Aeschylus (, ; grc-gre, Αἰσχύλος ; c. 525/524 – c. 456/455 BC) was an ancient Greek tragedian, and is often described as the father of tragedy. Academic knowledge of the genre begins with his work, and understanding of earlier Greek ...

's ''The Persians''. 1957 Grolla d'oro - Vittorio Gassman, Giovanna Ralli and Alberto Lattuada

In 1956 Gassman played the title role in a production of ''

Othello ''Othello'' (full title: ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'') is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, probably in 1603, set in the contemporary Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cypru ...

''. He was so well received by his acting in the television series entitled ' that "Il Mattatore" became the nickname that accompanied him for the rest of his life. Gassman's debut in the

commedia all'italiana Commedia all'italiana (, pl. Commedie all'italiana, "Comedy in the Italian way") or Italian-style comedy is an Italian film genre born in Italy in the 1950s and developed in the 1960s and 1970s. It is widely considered to have started with Mari ...

genre was rather accidental, in

Mario Monicelli Mario Alberto Ettore Monicelli (; 16 May 1915 – 29 November 2010) was an Italian film director and screenwriter and one of the masters of the ''Commedia all'Italiana'' (Comedy Italian style). He was nominated six times for an Oscar, and was awa ...

's ''

I soliti ignoti ''Big Deal on Madonna Street'' ( it, I soliti ignoti; released in the UK as ''Persons Unknown'') is a 1958 Italian comedy caper film directed by Mario Monicelli and considered to be among the masterpieces of Italian cinema. Its original Italian ...

'' (''Big Deal on Madonna Street'', 1958). Famous movies featuring Gassman include: ''

Il sorpasso ''Il sorpasso'' (, occasionally titled ''The Easy Life'') is a 1962 Italian cult comedy film co-written and directed by Dino Risi and starring Vittorio Gassman, Jean-Louis Trintignant and Catherine Spaak. It is considered Risi's masterpiece and ...

'' (1962), '' La Grande Guerra'' (1962), ''

I mostri ''I mostri'' (also known as ''Opiate '67'' or, in a cut version, ''15 from Rome'') is a 1963 commedia all'italiana film by Italian director Dino Risi. It was coproduced with France. The film was a huge success in Italy. It was censored in Spain. ...

'' (1963), ''

L'Armata Brancaleone ''L'armata Brancaleone'' (known in English-speaking countries as ''For Love and Gold'' or ''The Incredible Army of Brancaleone'') is an Italian comedy film released on April 7, 1966, written by the duo Age & Scarpelli and directed by Mario Monice ...

'' (1966), ''

Profumo di donna ''Scent of a Woman'' ( it, Profumo di donna) is a 1974 Commedia all'italiana film directed by Dino Risi, based on ''Il buio e il miele'', a story by Giovanni Arpino. Both Risi and the leading actor Vittorio Gassman won important Italian and Frenc ...

'' (1974) and ''

C'eravamo tanto amati ''We All Loved Each Other So Much'' ( it, C'eravamo tanto amati) is a 1974 Italian comedy-drama film directed by Ettore Scola and written by Scola and the famous screenwriter duo of Age & Scarpelli. It stars Stefania Sandrelli, Vittorio Gassman, N ...

'' (1974). He directed '' Adelchi'', a lesser-known work by

Alessandro Manzoni Alessandro Francesco Tommaso Antonio Manzoni (, , ; 7 March 1785 – 22 May 1873) was an Italian poet, novelist and philosopher. He is famous for the novel '' The Betrothed'' (orig. it, I promessi sposi) (1827), generally ranked among the maste ...

. Gassman brought this production to half a million spectators, crossing Italy with his ''Teatro Popolare Itinerante'' (a newer edition of the famous '' Carro di Tespi''). His productions have included many of the famous authors and playwrights of the 20th century, with repeated returns to the classics of Shakespeare, Dostoyevsky and the Greek tragicians. He also founded a theatre school in

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

( Bottega Teatrale di Firenze), which educated many of the more talented actors of the current generation of Italian thespians. In cinema, he worked frequently both in Italy and abroad. He met and fell in love with American actress

Shelley Winters Shelley Winters (born Shirley Schrift; August 18, 1920 – January 14, 2006) was an American actress whose career spanned seven decades. She appeared in numerous films. She won Academy Awards for ''The Diary of Anne Frank'' (1959) and ''A Patch o ...

while she was touring Europe with fiancé

Farley Granger Farley Earle Granger Jr. (July 1, 1925 – March 27, 2011) was an American actor, best known for his two collaborations with director Alfred Hitchcock: ''Rope'' in 1948 and '' Strangers on a Train'' in 1951. Granger was first noticed in a small ...

. When Winters was forced to return to Hollywood to fulfill contractual obligations, he followed her there and married her. With his natural charisma and his fluency in English he scored a number of roles in Hollywood, including ''

Rhapsody Rhapsody may refer to: * A work of epic poetry, or part of one, that is suitable for recitation at one time ** Rhapsode, a classical Greek professional performer of epic poetry Computer software * Rhapsody (online music service), an online m ...

'' with

Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was a British-American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. ...

and ''

The Glass Wall ''The Glass Wall'' is a 1953 American drama film noir directed by Maxwell Shane and starring Vittorio Gassman and Gloria Grahame. The black-and-white film was produced and distributed by Columbia Pictures. The title refers to a design feature o ...

'' before returning to Italy and the theatre. In the 1990s he took part in the popular Italian

Rai 3 Rai 3 (formerly Rete 3) is an Italian free-to-air television channel owned and operated by state-owned public broadcaster RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana. It was launched on 15 December 1979 and its programming is centred towards cultural and ...

TV show ''

Tunnel A tunnel is an underground passageway, dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, and enclosed except for the entrance and exit, commonly at each end. A pipeline is not a tunnel, though some recent tunnels have used immersed tube cons ...

'' in which he very formally and "seriously"' recited documents such as utility bills, yellow pages and similar trivial texts, such as washing instructions for a wool sweater or cookies ingredients. He rendered them with the same professional skill that made him famous while reciting

Dante Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian poet, writer and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called (modern Italian: '' ...

's ''Divine Comedy''. In 1994, Gassman voiced

Mufasa This article lists the characters appearing in Disney's ''The Lion King'' franchise. Introduced in ''The Lion King'' (1994) Simba Simba (voiced by Matthew Broderick as adult Simba in the films, Jonathan Taylor Thomas as a cub in ''The Lion Kin ...

in the Italian dubbed version of ''

The Lion King ''The Lion King'' is a 1994 American animated musical drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 32nd Disney animated feature film and the fifth produced during the Disney Renaissance ...

''. Gassman's voice was redubbed in several of his films by historical Italian actors and dubbers which include

Emilio Cigoli Emilio Cardi Cigoli (18 November 1909 – 7 November 1980) was an Italian actor and voice actor. Biography Cigoli was born in Livorno to actress Giovanna Cigoli. His grandfather worked as a silent film actor. He began his career on stage a ...

Sandro Ruffini Alessandro "Sandro" Ruffini (21 September 1889 – 29 November 1954) was an Italian actor and voice actor. Born in Rome, Ruffini appeared in 64 films between 1913 and 1954, and was also active in theatre and radio. He was well known for his b ...

Gualtiero De Angelis Gualtiero De Angelis (November 22, 1899 – June 6, 1980) was an Italian actor and voice actor. He was best known for dubbing James Stewart in the Italian language releases of nearly all of his films. Biography Born in Rome, De Angelis began h ...

, Stefano Sibaldi,

Enrico Maria Salerno Enrico Maria Salerno (September 18, 1926 – February 28, 1994) was an Italian actor, voice actor and film director. He was also the voice of Clint Eastwood in the Italian version of Sergio Leone's Dollars Trilogy films, and the voice of Ch ...

and

Pino Locchi Giuseppe "Pino" Locchi (10 November 1925 – 21 November 1994) was an Italian actor and voice actor. After starting his screen career as a child actor in the 1930s, Locchi later became a very prominent voice actor dubbing foreign films for relea ...

Personal life

Gassman married three times, all to actresses:

Nora Ricci Eleonora Ricci (19 July 1924 – 16 April 1976) was an Italian actress. Life and career Born in Viareggio, Tuscany, Ricci was the daughter of actors Renzo Ricci and Margherita Bagni. Ermete Zacconi was her mother's stepfather. At 17 years old, ...

(with whom he had Paola, an actress and wife of Ugo Pagliai);

(mother of his daughter Vittoria); and Diletta D'Andrea (mother of his son Jacopo). While rehearsing ''Hamlet'', he began an affair with

Anna Maria Ferrero Anna Maria Ferrero (18 February 1935 – 21 May 2018) was an Italian actress. Early life and career Born Anna Maria Guerra, she changed her last name to Ferrero in honor of the composer Willy Ferrero. Her film debut came at the age of 15 in '' ...

, his 16-year-old

Ophelia Ophelia () is a character in William Shakespeare's drama '' Hamlet'' (1599–1601). She is a young noblewoman of Denmark, the daughter of Polonius, sister of Laertes and potential wife of Prince Hamlet, who, due to Hamlet's actions, ends u ...

, which ended his marriage to Winters. He and Winters were forced to work together on ''

Mambo Mambo most often refers to: * Mambo (music), a Cuban musical form *Mambo (dance), a dance corresponding to mambo music Mambo may also refer to: Music * Mambo section, a section in arrangements of some types of Afro-Caribbean music, particul ...

'' just as their marriage was unraveling, providing fodder for tabloids all over the world. From 1964 to 1968 he was the partner of French actress Juliette Mayniel (mother of his son

Alessandro Alessandro is both a given name and a surname, the Italian form of the name Alexander. Notable people with the name include: People with the given name Alessandro * Alessandro Allori (1535–1607), Italian portrait painter * Alessandro Baricco ...

, also an actor). Through Alessandro, he is the grandfather of singer-songwriter

Leo Gassmann Leonardo Gassman, better known as Leo Gassmann (born 22 November 1998) is an Italian singer and songwriter. Born in Rome, he is the son of the actors Alessandro Gassmann and Sabrina Knaflitz and the grandson of the actors Vittorio Gassman and Juli ...

. On 29 June 2000, Gassman died of a

heart attack 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 tr ...

in his sleep at his home in Rome at the age of 77. He was buried at

Campo Verano The Campo Verano (Italian: ''Cimitero del Verano'') is a cemetery in Rome, Italy, founded in the early 19th century. The monumental cemetery is currently divided into sections: the Jewish cemetery, the Catholic cemetery, and the monument to the ...

Filmography

Actor

*''Incontro con Laura'' (1945) *''

The Captain's Daughter ''The Captain's Daughter'' (russian: «Капитанская дочка», Kapitanskaya dochka) is a historical novel by the Russian writer Alexander Pushkin. It was first published in 1836 in the fourth issue of the literary journal '' Sovrem ...

'' (1947) as Svabrin *''Preludio d'amore'' (''Love Prelude'', 1947) as Davide *'' Le avventure di Pinocchio'' (''The Adventures of Pinocchio'', 1947) as

The Green Fisherman The Green Fisherman (Italian: ''Il Pescatore Verde'') is a fictional character who appears in Carlo Collodi's book ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' (''Le avventure di Pinocchio''). According to Giacomo Maria Prati, The Green Fisherman is one examp ...

*''

Daniele Cortis ''Daniele Cortis'' (also known as ''Elena'') is a 1947 Italian drama film directed by Mario Soldati and starring Vittorio Gassman, Sarah Churchill and Gino Cervi. The film (set in nineteenth-century Italy) follows the impossible love affair bet ...

'' (1947) as Daniele Cortis *'' L'ebreo errante'' (''The Wandering Jew'', 1948) as Mathieu Nahum / Mathieu Blumenthal *'' Il cavaliere misterioso'' (''The Mysterious Rider'', 1948) as Giacomo Casanova, cavaliere di Seingalt *'' Riso amaro'' (''Bitter Rice'', 1949) as Walter *'' Una voce nel tuo cuore'' (1949) as Paolo Baldini *'' The Wolf of the Sila'' (1949) as Pietro Campolo *'' Ho sognato il paradiso'' (''Streets of Sorrow'', 1950) as Giorgio *'' I fuorilegge'', (''The Outlaws'', 1950) as Turi *'' Lo sparviero del Nilo'' (''Hawk of the Nile'', 1950) as Yussuf *'' Il leone di Amalfi'' (''The Lion of Amalfi'', 1950) as Mauro *''

Il tradimento ''Double Cross'' ( it, Il tradimento, also known as ''Treason'' and ''Passato che uccide'') is a 1951 Italian crime-melodrama film directed by Riccardo Freda and starring Amedeo Nazzari, Vittorio Gassman and Gianna Maria Canale. Plot The engin ...

'' (''Double Cross'', 1951) as Renato Salvi *'' La corona negra'' (1951) as Mauricio *''

Anna Anna may refer to: People Surname and given name * Anna (name) Mononym * Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke * Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773) * Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th century) * Anna (Anisia) (fl. 1218 to 12 ...

'' (1951) as Vittorio *''

The Dream of Zorro ''The Dream of Zorro'' (Italian: ''Il Sogno di Zorro'') is a 1952 Italian comedy adventure film directed by Mario Soldati and starring Walter Chiari, Delia Scala and Vittorio Gassman. The future star Sophia Loren had a minor role in the film. ...

'' (1952) as Don Antonio / Juan *'' Girls Marked Danger'' (1952) as Michele *''

'' (1953) as Peter Kaban *''

Sombrero A sombrero (Spanish , ) is a type of wide-brimmed Mexican men's hat used to shield the face and eyes from the sun. It usually has a high pointed crown, an extra-wide brim (broad enough to cast a shadow over the head, neck and shoulders of the w ...

'' (1953) as Alejandro Castillo *'' Cry of the Hunted'' (1953) as Jory *''

'' (1954) as Paul Bronte *''

'' (1954) as Mario Rossi *'' La donna più bella del mondo'' (1955) as Prince Sergei *''

The Violent Patriot ''The Violent Patriot'' ( it, Giovanni dalle Bande Nere) is a 1956 Italian adventure film directed by Sergio Grieco. It is loosely based on real life events of the Italian condottiero Giovanni dalle Bande Nere. Cast *Vittorio Gassman as Giov ...

'' (1956) as Giovanni de Medici dalle Bande Nere *''

War and Peace ''War and Peace'' (russian: Война и мир, translit=Voyna i mir; pre-reform Russian: ; ) is a literary work by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy that mixes fictional narrative with chapters on history and philosophy. It was first published ...

'' (1956) as Anatol Kuragin *''

Difendo il mio amore ''Difendo il mio amore'' is a 1956 Italian film. It stars actor Gabriele Ferzetti. Plot As part of a story, a reporter goes to meet Elisa, a young woman he met a few years ago on a trial on which she was finally exonerated. Cast *Gabriele Fer ...

'' (1956) as Giovanni Marchi *'' Kean: Genius or Scoundrel'' (1957) as Edmund Kean *''

'' (''Big Deal on Madonna Street'', 1958) as Peppe il pantera *'' La ragazza del palio'' (1958) as Piero di Montalcino *''

La tempesta ''The Tempest'' (Italian ''La Tempesta'') is a Renaissance painting by the Italian master Giorgione dated between 1506 and 1508. Originally commissioned by the Venetian noble Gabriele Vendramin, the painting is now in the Gallerie dell'Accademia ...

'' (1958) as Prosecutor *''

The Great War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

'' (1959) as Giovanni Busacca *'' The Miracle'' (1959) as Guido *''

La cambiale ''La cambiale'' is a 1959 Italian comedy film directed by Camillo Mastrocinque. Plot Commander Bruscatelli, before being imprisoned, leaves the Posalaquaglia cousins a bill of exchange which they give to Temistocle Bisogni in compensation for t ...

'' (1959) as Michele *'' Le sorprese dell'amore'' (1959) as The Schoolteacher (uncredited) *''

Audace colpo dei soliti ignoti ''Audace colpo dei soliti ignoti'' (also known as ''Fiasco in Milan'' or ''Hold-up à la milanaise'') is a 1959 Italian comedy crime film directed by Nanni Loy. The film stars Vittorio Gassman, Renato Salvatori and Claudia Cardinale. It is the s ...

'' (''Hold-up à la milanaise'', 1959) as Peppe er pantera *'' Il Mattatore'' (1960) as Gerardo Latini *'' Crimen'' (''Killing in Monte Carlo'', 1960) as Remo Capretti *''

Fantasmi a Roma ''Ghosts of Rome'' ( it, Fantasmi a Roma) is a 1961 Italian comedy film directed by Antonio Pietrangeli. It was released in the UK in 1964 as ''The Phantom Lovers''. Plot Count di Roviano refuses to sell his palace to a developer, despite having ...

'' (''Ghosts of Rome'', 1961) as Giovanni Battista Villari, aka 'il Caparra' *''

A Difficult Life ''A Difficult Life'' (Italian: ''Una vita difficile'') is a ''Commedia all'italiana'' or Italian-style comedy film directed by Dino Risi in 1961. The film was included on the 100 Italian Films To Be Saved (100 film italiani da salvare). Plot Th ...

'' (1961) as Himself (uncredited) *''

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) as Cimino *'' I briganti italiani'' (1961) as O Caporale *''

Barabbas Barabbas (; ) was, according to the New Testament, a prisoner who was chosen over Jesus by the crowd in Jerusalem to be pardoned and released by Roman governor Pontius Pilate at the Passover feast. Biblical account According to all four canoni ...

'' (1961) as Sahak *'' Anima nera'' (1962) as Adriano Zucchelli *''

Il giorno più corto ''The Shortest Day'' ( it, Il giorno più corto) is a 1963 Italian comedy film. It is a parody of the war movie '' The Longest Day'' and stars the popular duo Franco and Ciccio in the leading roles. Dozens of other well-known actors, from both Eu ...

'' (1962) *''

Il Sorpasso ''Il sorpasso'' (, occasionally titled ''The Easy Life'') is a 1962 Italian cult comedy film co-written and directed by Dino Risi and starring Vittorio Gassman, Jean-Louis Trintignant and Catherine Spaak. It is considered Risi's masterpiece and ...

'' (''The Easy Life'', 1962) as Bruno Cortona *'' La Marcia su Roma'' (''March on Rome'', 1962) as Domenico Rocchetti *''

L'amore difficile ''L'amore difficile'' (internationally released as ''Of Wayward Love'' and as ''Sex Can Be Difficult'') is a 1962 Italian comedy anthology film. The film represents the directorial debut of the four authors, who were however all experienced in ot ...

'' (''Sex Can Be Difficult'', 1962) as L'avvocato (segment "L'avaro") *'' La Smania addosso'' (1963) as Giorgio Mazzanò - lawyer *''

Il Successo ''Il Successo'' (also known as ''The Success'') is a 1963 Italian comedy film directed by Mauro Morassi. It is considered an unofficial sequel of Dino Risi's ''Il Sorpasso'', with Vittorio Gassman and Jean-Louis Trintignant reprising their roles w ...

'' (1963) as Giulio Ceriani *''

I Mostri ''I mostri'' (also known as ''Opiate '67'' or, in a cut version, ''15 from Rome'') is a 1963 commedia all'italiana film by Italian director Dino Risi. It was coproduced with France. The film was a huge success in Italy. It was censored in Spain. ...

'' (1963) as The Actor (segment "La Raccomandazione") / Policeman (segment "Il Mostro") / Production Assistant & Movie Director (segment "Presa dalla Vita") / Nicola (segment "Che Vitaccia!") / Blonde Latin Lover (segment "Latin Lovers-Amanti latini") / Defence Layer D'Amore (segment "Testimone volontario") / Richetto (segment "I due Orfanelli") / Roberto (segment "Il Sacrificato") / Elisa (segment "La Musa") / The Road Hog (segment "La Strada è di Tutti") / The Friar (segment "Il Testamento di Francesco") / Artemio Altidori (segment "La nobile Arte") *'' Frenesia dell'estate'' (1964) as Captain Mario Nardoni *'' Se permettete parliamo di donne'' (''Let's Talk About Women'', 1964) as Stranger / Practical Joker / Client / Lover / Impatient Lover / Waiter / Timid Brother / Ragman / Prisoner *'' Il Gaucho'' (1964) as Marco Ravicchio *'' La Congiuntura'' (''Hard Time for Princes'', 1965) as Giuliano *''

The Dirty Game ''The Dirty Game'' (german: Spione unter sich, french: Guerre secrète, it, La guerra segreta) is a 1965 anthology spy film starring Henry Fonda and Robert Ryan. Robert Ryan as American General Bruce is the link between three different spy stor ...

'' (1965) as Perego / Ferrari (French) *'' Slalom'' (1965) as Lucio Ridolfi *'' Una Vergine per il Principe'' (''Virgin for the Prince'', 1966) as Principe don vincenzo gonzaga *''

'' (1966) as Brancaleone da Norcia *'' Le piacevoli notti'' (1966) as Bastiano da Sangallo *'' The Devil in Love'' (''L'arcidiavolo'', 1966) as Belfagor *''

Il Tigre ''Il Tigre'', internationally released as ''The Tiger and the Pussycat'', is a 1967 Italian comedy film directed by Dino Risi. For his performance, Vittorio Gassman won the David di Donatello for best actor; the film also won the David di Donatel ...

'' (1967) as Francesco Vincenzini *'' Sette Volte Donna'' (''Woman Times Seven'', 1967) as Cenci (segment "Two Against One") *''

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 s ...

'' (''Ghosts – Italian Style'', 1968) as Pasquale Lojacono *'' Lo scatenato'' (1968) as Bob Chiaramonte *'' Il Profeta'' (1968) as Pietro Breccia *'' La pecora nera'' (''The Black Sheep'', 1968) as Mario Agasti / Filippo Agasti *'' L'Alibi'' (''Alibi'', 1969) as Vittorio *'' Dove vai tutta nuda?'' (''Where Are You Going All Naked?'', 1969) as Rufus Conforti *'' Una su 13'' (''The 13 Chairs'', 1969) as Mario Beretti *'' L'Arcangelo'' (1969) as Furio Bertuccia *'' Contestazione generale'' (1970) as Riccardo *''

The Divorce The Divorce was a rock band from Seattle, Washington, originally composed of Shane Berry, lead vocals, keyboard, guitar and tambourine, (bass) and Kyle Risan, drums. History The band's first full-length release was ''There Will Be Blood Tonig ...

'' (1970) as Leonardo Nenci *'' Brancaleone alle Crociate'' (''Brancaleone at the Crusades'', 1970) as Brancaleone da Norcia *''

Scipione detto anche l'africano ''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, desp ...

'' (''Scipio the African'', 1971) as Catone il Censore *''

In nome del popolo italiano ''In the Name of the Italian People'' ( it, In nome del popolo italiano) is a List of Italian films of 1971, 1971 Cinema of Italy, Italian comedy film, comedy-drama film directed by Dino Risi. It represents a reflection about the crisis of the Ital ...

'' (1971) as Lorenzo Santenocito *'' Senza famiglia, nullatenenti cercano affetto'' (1972) as Armando Zavanatti *''

L'udienza ''L'udienza'' is a 1972 Italian-French drama film directed by Marco Ferreri. It was entered into the 22nd Berlin International Film Festival. Cast * Enzo Jannacci - Amedeo * Claudia Cardinale - Aiche * Ugo Tognazzi - Aureliano Diaz * Michel Pi ...

'' (''The Audience'', 1972) as Principe Donati *'' Che c'entriamo noi con la rivoluzione?'' (1972) as Guido Guidi *''

La Tosca ''La Tosca'' is a five- act drama by the 19th-century French playwright Victorien Sardou. It was first performed on 24 November 1887 at the Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin in Paris, with Sarah Bernhardt in the title role. Despite negative ...

'' (1973) as Scarpia *''

'' (''Scent of a Woman'', 1974) as Il capitano Fausto Consolo *''

'' (''We All Loved Each Other So Much'', 1974) as Gianni Perego *'' A mezzanotte va la ronda del piacere'' (''Midnight Pleasures'', 1975) as Andrea Sansoni *''

Telefoni bianchi ''Telefoni Bianchi'' (; white telephones) films, also called deco films, were made by Italian film industry in the 1930s and the 1940s in imitation of American comedies of the time in a sharp contrast to the other important style of the era, cal ...

'' (1976) as Franco Denza *''

Come una rosa al naso ''Pure as a Lily'' ( it, Come una rosa al naso) is a 1976 Italian comedy film directed by Franco Rossi and starring Vittorio Gassman. Cast * Vittorio Gassman - Anthony M. Wilson * Ornella Muti - Lucia Mantuso * Madeleine Hinde - Vanessa Hampto ...

'' (''Pure as a Lily'', 1976) as Anthony M. Wilson *''

Signore e signori, buonanotte ''Goodnight, Ladies and Gentlemen'' ( it, Signore e signori, buonanotte, french: Mesdames et messieurs bonsoir) is a 1976 French-Italian satirical comedy anthology film. It comprises twelve episodes on themes of corruption in various Italian ...

'' (1976) as CIA agent / Tuttumpezzo *''

The Desert of the Tartars ''The Desert of the Tartars'' ( it, Il deserto dei Tartari) is a 1976 Italian film by director Valerio Zurlini with an international cast including Jacques Perrin, Vittorio Gassman, Max von Sydow, Francisco Rabal, Philippe Noiret, Fernando Rey, ...

'' (''The Desert of the Tartars'', 1976) as Colonel Giovanbattista Filimore *''

Anima persa ''The Forbidden Room'' ( it, Anima persa) is a 1977 thriller film directed by Dino Risi. It is based on the novel '' Un'anima persa'' by Giovanni Arpino. The film was co-production between Italy and France by Dean Film and Les Productions Fox Eur ...

'' (''The Forbidden Room'', 1977) as Fabio Stolz *''

I nuovi mostri ''I nuovi mostri'' (English-language version: ''Viva l'Italia!''; meaning of Italian original title: "The new monsters") is a 1977 commedia all'italiana film composed by 14 episodes, directed by Dino Risi, Ettore Scola and Mario Monicelli. It is ...

'' (''Via l'Italia!'', 1977) as Il cardinale (segment "Tantum ergo") / Il cameriere (segment "Hostaria") / Il marito (segment "Sequestro di persona cara") / Il commissario (segment "Il sospetto") / Il padre di famiglia (segment "Cittadino esemplare") *'' A Wedding'' (1978) as Luigi Corelli *''

Quintet A quintet is a group containing five members. It is commonly associated with musical groups, such as a string quintet, or a group of five singers, but can be applied to any situation where five similar or related objects are considered a single ...

'' (1979) as St. Christopher *'' Caro papà'' (''Dear Father'', 1979) as Albino Millozza *'' Due pezzi di pane'' (''Happy Hobos'', 1979) as Pippo Mifà *'' Sono fotogenico'' (1980) as Himself (uncredited) *'' La terrazza'' (''The Terrace'', 1980) as Mario *''

The Nude Bomb ''The Nude Bomb'' (also known as ''The Return of Maxwell Smart'') is a 1980 American spy comedy film based on the 1965-70 television series ''Get Smart''. It stars Don Adams as Maxwell Smart, Agent 86, and was directed by Clive Donner. It was ...

'' (1980) as Sauvage / Nino Salvatori Sebastiani *''

Camera d'albergo ''Camera d'albergo'' is a 1981 Italian comedy film written and directed by Mario Monicelli. Ida Di Benedetto won the David di Donatello for Best Supporting Actress and Ruggero Mastroianni won the David di Donatello for Best Editing. Cast * Vitto ...

'' (''Chambre d'hôtel'', 1981) as Achille Mengaroni *''

Il Turno ''For the film based on the novel, see " Il turno"'' ''The Turn'' ( it, Il Turno ) is the name of Luigi Pirandello's second novel. Originally published in Catania Catania (, , Sicilian and ) is the second largest municipality in Sicily, ...

'' (1981) as Ciro Coppa *''

Sharky's Machine ''Sharky's Machine'' is a 1981 American neo-noir action thriller film directed by Burt Reynolds, who stars in the title role. It is an adaptation of William Diehl's first novel ''Sharky's Machine'' (1978) with a screenplay by Gerald Di Pego. It ...

'' (1981) as Albert Scarelli / Victor D'Anton *'' Di padre in figlio'' (1982) as Himself *''

Tempest Tempest is a synonym for a storm. '' The Tempest'' is a play by William Shakespeare. Tempest or The Tempest may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Films * ''The Tempest'' (1908 film), a British silent film * ''The Tempest'' (1911 film), a ...

'' (1982) as Alonzo *'' Il Conte Tacchia'' (''Count Tacchia'', 1982) as Prince Torquato Terenzi *'' La Vie est un roman'' (''Life Is a Bed of Roses'', 1983) as Walter Guarini *'' Benvenuta'' (1983) as Livio Carpi *'' Paradigma'' (''Power of Evil'', 1985) as Gottfried *'' I Soliti ignoti vent'anni dopo'' (''Big Deal After 20 Years'', 1985) as Peppe il pantera *'' La Famiglia'' (''The Family'', 1987) as Carlo, as a man / Carlo's grandfather *'' I Picari'' (1987) as Marchese Felipe de Aragona *''

Mortacci ''Mortacci'' is a 1989 Italian dark comedy film directed by Sergio Citti. Plot summary In a small town cemetery, the deceased every night host a meeting. They are doomed not to enter the next stage of the afterlife, till the last living human ...

'' (1989) as Domenico *'' Lo zio indegno'' (1989) as Uncle Luca *''

Dimenticare Palermo ''Dimenticare Palermo'' (''Forgetting Palermo'') is a 1989 Italian political thriller film starring James Belushi, directed by Francesco Rosi and co-written by Gore Vidal. The film was released under the title ''The Palermo Connection'' in North Am ...

'' (1990) as Il Principe *''

Tolgo il disturbo ''Tolgo il disturbo'', internationally released as ''I'll Be Going Now'', is a 1990 Italian comedy-drama film directed by Dino Risi.Paolo D'Agostini, ''Dino Risi'', Editrice Il castoro, 1995 Plot Augusto Scribani is an old retired, cultured and ...

'' (1990) as Augusto Scribani *'' Les 1001 Nuits'' (1990) as Sinbad *'' I Divertimenti della vita privata'' (''The Amusements of Private Life'', 1990) as Marquis *''

Rossini! Rossini! ''Rossini! Rossini!'' is a 1991 Italian biographical film written and directed by Mario Monicelli. It depicts real life events of composer Gioachino Rossini. Monicelli replaced Robert Altman, who was experiencing differences with the producers. ...

'' (1991) as Ludwig van Beethoven (uncredited) *'' El Largo invierno'' (1992) as Claudio *'' When We Were Repressed'' (1992) as The Sexologist *''

Abraham Abraham, ; ar, , , name=, group= (originally Abram) is the common Hebrew patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father of the special relationship between the Jew ...

'' (1993, TV series) as Terah *'' Tutti gli anni una volta l'anno'' (1994) as Giuseppe *''

Sleepers ''Sleepers'' is a 1996 American legal crime drama film written, produced, and directed by Barry Levinson, and based on Lorenzo Carcaterra's 1995 book of the same name. The film stars Kevin Bacon, Jason Patric, Brad Pitt, Robert De Niro, Dustin H ...

'' (1996) as Benny 'King Benny' *'' Deserto di fuoco'' (1997, TV Series) as Tarek *'' Un homme digne de confiance'' (1997) as Adriano Venturi *'' La cena'' (1998) as Maestro Pezzullo *'' La bomba'' (1999) as Don Vito Bracalone *''

'' (1999) as Himself

Director

*''Kean'' (1956) *'' L'Alibi'' (1969) *'' Senza famiglia, nullatenenti cercano affetto'' (1972) *''Di padre in figlio'' (1982)

Dubbing roles

Animation

in ''

'' (1994), dubbing

James Earl Jones James Earl Jones (born January 17, 1931) is an American actor. He has been described as "one of America's most distinguished and versatile" actors for his performances in film, television, and theater, and "one of the greatest actors in America ...

Live action

*Narrator in ''

Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...

'' (1968), dubbing

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the Theatre of the U ...

Writer

*''Luca de' Numeri''. Novel, in 1947 won the ''Fogazzaro'' prize, published in 1965 (ed. ''Lerici'') *''Un grande avvenire dietro le spalle''.

, (1981).

Longanesi Longanesi, also known as Longanesi & C., is a publishing house based in Milan, Italy. It was founded in 1946 by Leo Longanesi and industrialist Giovanni Monti.Nanni Delbecchi (13 May 2016). "Longanesi fa settanta. Il 'Dottor Naso' aveva fiuto". ' ...

& C. * ''Vocalizzi''.

, (1988).

& C. * ''Memorie del sottoscala''.

, (1990).

& C.

Audiobooks

*CL 0426 – Antologia moderna – Ungaretti, Cardarelli, Palazzeschi, Montale, Quasimodo. *CL 0401 – Dante Alighieri – Inferno canto quinto. *CL 0437 – Dante Alighieri – Inferno canto XXVI. *CL 0402 – Dante Alighieri – Paradiso canto XXXIII. *CL 0457 – Elogio Olimpico – Poesie sportive. *CL 0459 – Eschilo – Coefore – with Valentina Fortunato and Maria Fabbri. *CL 0438 – Foscolo – Sepolcri. *CL 0439 – Leopardi – Poesie *CL 0440 – Leopardi – Poesie. *CL 0458 – Manzoni – Adelchi, with

Carlo D'Angelo Carlo D'Angelo (February 2, 1919 – June 9, 1973) was an Italian actor and voice actor. Biography Born in Milan, the son of a Neapolitan father and a Florentine mother, at 9 years old D'Angelo was part of the Voci Bianche choir at La Scala. ...

. *CL 0414 – Manzoni – Promessi sposi. *CL 0416 – Manzoni – Il cinque maggio. *CL 0441 – Mistici del '200. *CL 0470 – Pascarella – Sonetti. *CL 0417 – Pascoli – Poesie. *CL 0420 – Saba – Poesie. *CL 0415 – Shakespeare – Amleto. *CL 0427 – Sonetti attraverso i secoli. *CL 0443 – Gassman nel Mattatore prose varie. *CL 0444 – Gassman nel Mattatore prose varie. *CLV 0604 – Shakespeare – Otello. *CLV 0607 – Irma la dolce. *CLV 0609 – Gassman – Il Mattatore prose varie.

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gassman, Vittorio 1922 births 2000 deaths Italian film directors Italian male film actors Italian male stage actors Italian male screenwriters Italian people of German descent Italian people of Jewish descent 20th-century Italian Jews Jewish male actors Actors from Genoa Film people from Genoa Male Spaghetti Western actors Accademia Nazionale di Arte Drammatica Silvio D'Amico alumni Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor winners David di Donatello winners Nastro d'Argento winners David di Donatello Career Award winners Ciak d'oro winners 20th-century Italian male actors People with bipolar disorder Burials at Campo Verano 20th-century Italian screenwriters 20th-century Italian male writers