Anita Durante (28 September 1897 – 2 May 1994) was an Italian actress. Born Anita Bianchi in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

into a humble family, after attending a dramatic society for several years Durante made her official debut on stage in 1919, in

Ettore Petrolini Ettore Petrolini (13 January 1884 – 29 June 1936) was an Italian stage and film actor, playwright, screenwriter and novelist. He is considered one of the most important figures of avanspettacolo, vaudeville and revue. He was noted for his numerou ...

's ''Romani de Roma''. Married with the actor Checco Durante, she stayed with the Petrolini's stage company nine years, then she formed a company with her husband. Also active in films, where she is best remembered as the

Alberto Sordi Alberto Sordi (15 June 1920 – 24 February 2003) was an Italian actor, voice actor, singer, comedian, director and screenwriter. Early life Born in Rome to a schoolteacher and a musician and the last of five children, Sordi was named in hon ...

's mother in '' Un americano a Roma'', Durante was active on stage until 1992. She died in 1994, aged 96, following an accidental fall from the balcony of her home, while cleaning the windows.

Partial filmography

* ''

Scampolo ''Scampolo'' is a 1958 German film directed by Alfred Weidenmann and starring Romy Schneider, Paul Hubschmid, and Georg Thomalla. Schneider plays the title role. Plot Scampolo is a young, poor girl who lives on the island of Ischia. She falls ...

'' (1941) - La proprietaria della stireria * '' The Last Wagon'' (1943) - Adele Urbani * '' Peddlin' in Society'' (1946) - Caterina (uncredited) * ''Fatalità'' (1947) - Adele * '' Cavalcade of Heroes'' (1950) * '' The Two Sisters'' (1950) - Agatina * '' The Ungrateful Heart'' (1951) - Anna, padrona della pensione * ''Core 'ngrato'' (1951) * ''

Viva il cinema! ''Viva il cinema!'' is a 1952 Italian comedy film directed by Giorgio Baldaccini and Enzo Trapani. Cast * Delia Scala as Palmina * Fiorenzo Fiorentini as Tonino * Virgilio Riento as Gambalesta * Corrado Alba as Ugo * Marilyn Buferd as T ...

'' (1952) - Gambalesta's Maid * ''

Vortice ''Vortice'' (i.e. "Vortex") is a 1953 Italian melodrama film directed by Raffaello Matarazzo and starring Massimo Girotti and Silvana Pampanini. Plot Cast * Massimo Girotti as Guido Aureli * Silvana Pampanini as Elena Fanti * Franco F ...

'' (1953) - La portinaia * ''

If You Won a Hundred Million ''If You Won a Hundred Million'' (Italian: ''Se vincessi cento milioni'') is a 1953 Italian comedy film directed by Carlo Campogalliani and Carlo Moscovini and starring Tino Scotti, Nerio Bernardi and Anna Carena.Betz p.249 It is an anthology fil ...

'' (1953) - Pasqua (segment "Il promesso... sposato") * ''

Angels of Darkness ''Angels of Darkness'' (Italian: ''Donne proibite'') is a 1954 Italian melodrama film directed by Giuseppe Amato and starring Linda Darnell, Anthony Quinn and Valentina Cortese. The film's sets were designed by the art director Virgilio Marchi. ...

'' (1954) * ''

Of Life and Love ''Of Life and Love'' ( it, Questa è la vita) is a 1954 Italian comedy film directed by Aldo Fabrizi, Giorgio Pastina, Mario Soldati and Luigi Zampa. Plot The film tells four episodes from stories written by Luigi Pirandello (from the work: '' ...

'' (1954) - (segment "La Patente") * '' Papà Pacifico'' (1954) - The Porter * ''

Orient Express The ''Orient Express'' was a long-distance passenger train service created in 1883 by the Belgian company ''Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits'' (CIWL) that operated until 2009. The train traveled the length of continental Europe and int ...

'' (1954) * '' Guai ai vinti'' (1954) - Popolana sulla scala (uncredited) * ''

An American in Rome ''An American in Rome'' (originally ''Un americano a Roma'') is a 1954 Italian comedy film directed by Steno. The film consists in a satire of Americanization, and it was referred as "a milestone in the evolution of Italian self-identification". ...

'' (1954) - Madre di Nando * ''Il porto della speranza'' (1954) * ''Il vetturale del Moncenisio'' (1954) * '' The Sign of Venus'' (1955) - Madre di Agnese * ''Bella non piangere'' (1955) - Zia di Nina * ''

A Hero of Our Times ''A Hero of Our Times'' ( it, Un eroe dei nostri tempi) is a 1955 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Monicelli and starring Alberto Sordi. Plot Alberto is an employee who is the Italian average of society of the Fifties. Alberto is a go-get ...

'' (1955) * '' Roman Tales'' (1955) - La madre di Alvaro * ''Cortile'' (1955) - Geltrude * ''Processo all'amore'' (1955) - Nona Mariani * '' The Bigamist'' (1956) - Amalia * '' The Courier of Moncenisio'' (1956) - Carmela * '' Il prezzo della gloria'' (1956) - Aunt Bettina * ''I calunniatori'' (1956) * ''Saranno uomini'' (1957) * ''

Ladro lui, ladra lei ''Ladro lui, ladra lei'' is a 1958 Italian comedy film directed by Luigi Zampa. Starring Alberto Sordi and Sylva Koscina, it tells the story of a young woman in Rome who is first sucked into a life of crime by a released convict and then has an ...

'' (1958) - Madre di Cencio * ''

Adorabili e bugiarde ''Adorabili e bugiarde'' (also known as ''Adorable and a Liar'') is a 1958 Italian comedy film directed by Nunzio Malasomma. Plot Three beautiful girls, a model, a journalist and a painter, eager for celebrity at all costs, decide to stage a ...

'' (1958) - The concierge's wife * '' Nella città l'inferno'' (1959) - Assunta * '' Policarpo'' (1959) - Mario Marchetti's Mother * ''Genitori in blue-jeans'' (1960) - The Old Nun (uncredited) * '' Carmen di Trastevere'' (1962) - Landlady of the Bording House (uncredited) * ''Adultero lui, adultera lei'' (1963) - La portinaia * '' Mare matto'' (1963) - Rosario Lo Russo - la madre * ''Siamo tutti pomicioni'' (1963) - Mario's Mother (segment "Le gioie della vita") * '' White Voices'' (1964) - Agnese - Meo's mother * ''

Made in Italy Made in Italy is a merchandise mark indicating that a product is all planned, manufactured and packed in Italy, especially concerning the design, fashion, food, manufacturing, craftsmanship, and engineering industries. History Made in Italy ...

'' (1965) * '' Why Did I Ever Say Yes Twice?'' (1969) - (uncredited) * '' Er Più – storia d'amore e di coltello'' (1971) - Mother of Nino * ''Colpo grosso... grossissimo... anzi probabile'' (1972) - Monsignore's mother * ''Storia di fifa e di coltello - Er seguito d'er più'' (1972) - Caterina * ''Granada, addio!'' (1977) - Peppa * ''

I Hate Blondes ''I Hate Blondes'' ( Italian: ''Odio le bionde'') is a 1980 Italian crime comedy film directed by Giorgio Capitani. Plot Cast * Enrico Montesano as Emilio Serrantoni * Jean Rochefort as Donald * Corinne Cléry as Angelica * Marina ...

'' (1980) * '' Count Tacchia'' (1982) - Fernanda's Grandmother * ''Giovanni Senzapensieri'' (1986) - Zia Teresa (final film role)

References

External links

* 1897 births 1994 deaths Actresses from Rome Italian film actresses Italian stage actresses 20th-century Italian actresses Accidental deaths from falls {{Italy-actor-stub