Fanfulla
Luigi Visconti, better known by his stage name Fanfulla, (26 February 1913 – 5 January 1971) was an Italian actor and comedian.
Fanfulla | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Luigi Visconti 26 February 1913 Rome, Italy |
| Died | 5 January 1971 (aged 57) Bologna, Italy |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, comedian |
Life and career
Born in Rome, Visconti debuted at very young age on stage alongside his mother, the actress Mercedes Menolesi (best known as "Diavolina").[1][2]
From the mid-forties to the late fifties, he adopted the stage name Fanfulla and was a popular comedian of cabaret and avanspettacolo shows, acclaimed for his brilliant style, referred to as "The King of Avanspettacolo"[2] and even paired with Ettore Petrolini.[1]
His career was relaunched by Federico Fellini, who chose him for the role of Vernacchio in Fellini Satyricon,[3] a role that gave Fanfulla a Nastro d'Argento for best supporting actor.[1][4] In 1970, Fellini gave him a main role in The Clowns.[1]
In 1971, Fanfulla died from a heart attack in a hotel in Bologna, while he was on tour with his avanspettacolo company.[1]
Partial filmography
- Era lui... sì! sì! (1951) - La guardia
- Tizio, Caio, Sempronio (1951)
- A Thief in Paradise (1952) - Truffatore
- The Piano Tuner Has Arrived (1952) - Adetto militare di Limodia
- Canto per te (1953) - Silva
- Vacanze a Villa Igea (1954)
- Rommel's Treasure (1955) - Muezir
- Toto and Marcellino (1958) - Zio Alvaro Merini
- Toto, Peppino and the Fanatics (1958) - Giacinti
- Toto in Paris (1958) - Il signore del treno
- Son of the Red Corsair (1959) - Marquese di Montélimar
- World of Miracles (1959)
- La Pica sul Pacifico (1959) - Manolo Kivalù
- Quanto sei bella Roma (1959)
- Il Mattatore (1960) - Sor Annibale
- The Dam on the Yellow River (1960)
- Death of a Friend (1960) - DeAmicis
- Caccia al marito (1960) - The Head Waiter
- La banda del buco (1960)
- La sceriffa (1960) - Ciccio - Sceriffa's assistant
- The Passionate Thief (1960)
- The Traffic Policeman (1960) - marito di Amalia (uncredited)
- Love in Rome (1960) - Moreno
- Rapina al quartiere Ovest (1960)
- The Thief of Baghdad (1961) - Abdul
- The Joy of Living (1961) - Prison Chaplain
- Il carabiniere a cavallo (1961)
- Maciste contro Ercole nella valle dei guai (1961)
- Caccia all'uomo (1961)
- Rocco e le sorelle (1961)
- Cacciatori di dote (1961) - Police Commissioner
- I magnifici tre (1961) - Pedro
- Gerarchi si muore (1961) - Police Inspector Capece
- Che femmina!! E... che dollari! (1961)
- Roaring Years (1962) - Comico
- I tre nemici (1962)
- Night Train to Milan (1962) - Il conduttore
- Swordsman of Siena (1962)
- Destination Rome (1963) - Torquato
- La donna degli altri è sempre più bella (1963) - The Manager of the Beach Resort (segment "Bagnino Lover") (uncredited)
- Torpedo Bay (1963)
- Adultero lui, adultera lei (1963)
- The Swindlers (1963) - The Arab merchant (segment "Società calicistica, La")
- Follie d'estate (1963) - Passeggero treno
- Scandali nudi (1963) - De Roberti
- Un marito in condominio (1963)
- Siamo tutti pomicioni (1963) - Colonel Siti (segment "Colonnello e signora")
- Dark Purpose (1964) - Florist
- Una storia di notte (1964) - Barman
- Me, Me, Me... and the Others (1966) - Concierge
- Omicidio per appuntamento (1967)
- Non Pensare a Me (1967)
- Fellini Satyricon (1969) - Vernacchio
- The Clowns (1970) - Owner of the Varieties Restaurant (final film role)
References
- Achille Valdata (6 January 1971). "E' morto Fanfulla, un "re" del varietà". La Stampa. p. 6.
- Enrico Lancia. Dizionario del cinema italiano. Gli attori. Gremese Editore, 2003. ISBN 8884402131.
- Tullio Kezich (2007). Federico Fellini: His Life and Work. Macmillan. p. 291. ISBN 9781429923255.
- Enrico Lancia (1998). I premi del cinema. Gremese Editore, 1998. ISBN 8877422211.