Aldo Fabrizi

Aldo Fabrizi (born Aldo Fabbrizi; 1 November 1905 – 2 April 1990) was an Italian actor, director, screenwriter and comedian, best known for the role of the heroic priest in Roberto Rossellini's Rome, Open City and as partner of Totò in a number of successful comedies.
Life and career
Born in Rome into a humble family, Fabrizi debuted on stage in a suburban theater in 1931. He soon got local success thanks to his comical sketches and macchiette (i.e. comical monologues caricaturing stock characters), and became a star of the Roman revue and avanspettacolo. He made his film debut during the war, in 1942, and in a short time established himself as one of the most talented actors of the time, spacing from comedy to drama. After a number of successful comedies, in 1945 he played the iconic Don Pietro in the neo-realist drama Rome, Open City, and following the critical and commercial success of the film he had a number of leading roles in other neo-realist films. Already active as a screenwriter, in 1948 he debuted as a director with the drama Immigrants. In the 1950s and 1960s he was often paired on the screen with Totò and with Peppino De Filippo. In 1964 he got a large success on stage with the musical comedy Rugantino, he also toured across Europe, in Latin America and in Broadway.
Like the Italian actor Totò and others, Fabrizi was also initiated to the Scottish Rite Freemasonry.
Personal life
Fabrizi was married to the singer Beatrice Rocchi, best known with her stage name Reginella, until her death in 1981. His sister Elena Fabrizi was also an actress.
Awards and recognition
Fabrizi during his career won two Nastro d'Argento Awards, for best actor for Alessandro Blasetti's Prima comunione and for best supporting actor in Ettore Scola's We All Loved Each Other So Much, and a special David di Donatello for his career in 1988. He was also awarded at the 1952 Cannes Film Festival for best screenplay for Cops and Robbers. In 1990 Poste italiane issued a stamp in his honor.
Actor filmography
Avanti, c'è posto... (Before the Postman) by Mario Bonnard (script too ) (1942) as Cesare Montani
Campo de' fiori (The Peddler and the Lady) by Mario Bonnard (script too) (1943) as Peppino Corradini
L'ultima carrozzella by Mario Mattoli (script too) (1943) as Antonio Urbani, detto "Toto"
Circo equestre Za-Bum (episode Dalla finestra and Il postino) by Mario Mattoli (1944) as The postman (segments "Dalla finestra" and "Il postino")
Roma città aperta by Roberto Rossellini (1945) as Don Pietro Pellegrini
Mio figlio professore by Renato Castellani (script too) (1946) as Orazio Belli
To Live in Peace by Luigi Zampa (script too ) (1947) as Tigna
Il vento m'ha cantato una canzone by Camillo Mastrocinque
Il delitto di Giovanni Episcopo by Alberto Lattuada (script too) (1947) as Giovanni Episcopo
Tombolo, paradiso nero by Giorgio Ferroni (1947) as Andrea Rascelli
Christmas at Camp 119 by Pietro Francisci (script too) (1947) as Giuseppe Mancini, il romano
Emigrantes by Aldo Fabrizi (1948) as Giuseppe Bordoni
Benvenuto, reverendo! by Aldo Fabrizi (1949) as Don Peppino
Francesco, giullare di Dio by Roberto Rossellini (1950) as Nicolaio, il tiranno di Viterbo
Prima comunione by Alessandro Blasetti (1950) as Carlo Carloni
Vita da cani by Steno & Mario Monicelli (script too) (1950) as Nino Martoni
Antonio di Padova (Anthony of Padua) by Pietro Francisci (1951) as Ezzelino Da Romano
Tre passi a Nord (Three steps North) by William Lee Wilder (1950) as Pietro
Rome-Paris-Rome by Luigi Zampa (1951) as Vincenzo Nardi
Cameriera bella presenza offresi... by Giorgio Pàstina (1951) as Il commendatore Giovanni Marchetti
Parigi è sempre Parigi by Luciano Emmer (1951) as Andrea De Angelis
Guardie e ladri by Steno & Mario Monicelli (script too) (1951) as Lorenzo Bottoni
The Passaguai Family by Aldo Fabrizi (1951) as Giuseppe Passaguai
Fiorenzo il terzo uomo by Stefano Canzio (cameo) (1951) as Guest star
The Passaguai Family Gets Rich by Aldo Fabrizi (1952) as Giuseppe Passaguai
Papà diventa mamma by Aldo Fabrizi (1952) as Sor Pepe
Altri tempi (episode Il carrettino dei libri vecchi) by Alessandro Blasetti (1952) as Bookseller
Cinque poveri in automobile by Mario Mattoli (script too) (1952) as Cesare Baroni
Una di quelle by Aldo Fabrizi (1953) as Un medico
Siamo tutti inquilini by Mario Mattoli (1953) as Augusto
La voce del silenzio by Georg Wilhelm Pabst (1953) as Pio Fabiani
Too Young for Love by Lionello De Felice (1953) as Coletti, padre di Annette
Funniest Show on Earth by Mario Mattoli (1953) (uncredited)
Cafè Chantant by Camillo Mastrocinque (1953) as Se stesso / Himself
Questa è la vita (episode Marsina stretta) by Aldo Fabrizi (1954) as Il Professore Fabio Gori (segment "Marsina stretta")
Cento anni d'amore (episode Garibaldina) by Lionello De Felice (1954) as Don Pietro, Priest of Monterotondo (segment "Garibaldina")
Cose da pazzi by Georg Wilhelm Pabst (1954) as Gnauli
Carousel of Variety by Aldo Quinti & Aldo Bonaldi (1955)
Accadde al penitenziario by Giorgio Bianchi (1955)
Io piaccio by Giorgio Bianchi (1955) as Giuseppe Tassinetti
I pappagalli by Bruno Paolinelli (1955) as Antonio, the door-keeper
Un po' di cielo by Giorgio Moser (1955) as Pietro Maltoni
The Two Friends by Carlo Borghesio (script too) (1955) as Giovanni Bellini
I pinguini ci guardano by Guido Leoni (1956) (voice)
They Stole a Tram by Aldo Fabrizi (1956) as Cesare Mancini
Guardia, guardia scelta, brigadiere e maresciallo by Mauro Bolognini (1956) as Brigadiere Pietro Spaziani
Donatella by Mario Monicelli (1956) as Padre di Donatella
Allow Me, Daddy! by Mario Bonnard (1956) as Alessandro Biagi - il suocero di Nardi
Il maestro by Aldo Fabrizi (1957) as Giovanni Merino
Festa di maggio (Premier mai) by Luis Saslavsky (1958) as Le vieux camionneur
I prepotenti di Mario Amendola (script too) (1958) as Cesare Pinelli
I tartassati by Steno (script too) (1959) as Maresciallo Fabio Topponi
Ferdinando I re di Napoli by Gianni Franciolini (1959) as Il contadino
Prepotenti più di prima by Mario Mattoli (script too) (1959) as Cesare Pinelli
Un militare e mezzo by Steno (script too) (1960) as Sgt. Giovanni Rossi
La sposa bella (The angel wore red) by Nunnally Johnson (1960) as Canon Rota
Toto, Fabrizi and the Young People Today by Mario Mattoli (1960) as Giuseppe D'Amore
Le meraviglie di Aladino by Mario Bava (1961) as Sultan
Gerarchi si muore by Giorgio Simonelli (1961) as Comm. Frioppi
Fra' Manisco cerca guai by Armando William Tamburella (1961) as Fra Pacifico detto 'Fra Manisco'
Gli italiani e le donne (episode Chi la fa, l'aspetti) by Marino Girolami (1962)
Twist, lolite e vitelloni by Marino Girolami (1962) as Cav. Rossi
I quattro monaci by Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia (1962) as Fra' Giocondo
The Four Musketeers by Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia (1963) as Bouboule
The Shortest Day by Sergio Corbucci (cameo) (1963) as Facchino
The Lightship by Ladislao Vajda (in Germany) (1963) as Don Amilcare
Totò contro i quattro by Steno (1963) as
I quattro tassisti (episode L'uomo in bleu) by Giorgio Bianchi (1963) as Sor Gigi (segment "L'uomo in blue")
Made in Italy by Nanni Loy (1965) as Piras, Gaviro's Father (segment "2 'Il Lavoro', episode 2")
Sette monaci d'oro by Marino Girolami (1966) as Fra' Ugone, padre priore
Three Bites of the Apple by Alvin Ganzer (1967) as Dr. Manzoni
Cose di Cosa Nostra (Gang War) by Steno (script too) (1971) as Il brigadiere Aldo Panzarani
La Tosca by Luigi Magni (1973) as Il governatore
C'eravamo tanto amati (We All Loved Each Other So Much) by Ettore Scola (1974) as Romolo Catenacci
I baroni by Giampaolo Lomi (1975) as Monsignore
Nerone by Mario Castellacci & Pier Francesco Pingitore (1977) as Generale Galba
Il ginecologo della mutua by Aristide Massaccesi (1977) as Pietro Massone
Giovanni Senzapensieri by Marco Colli (1985) as Gino (final film role)
Film director filmography
Emigrantes (script too) (1948)
Benvenuto, reverendo! (producer and script too) (1949)
The Passaguai Family (producer and script too) (1951)
The Passaguai Family Gets Rich (producer and script too) (1952)
Papà diventa mamma (producer and script too) (1952)
Una di quelle (producer and script too) (1953)
Questa è la vita (episode Marsina stretta, script too) (1954)
Hanno rubato un tram (script too) (1954)
Il maestro (script too) (1957)
References
External links
Sito amatoriale su Aldo Fabrizi
La radio di Aldo Fabrizi
Italian male film actors
Italian male stage actors
Italian male comedians
Male actors from Rome
1905 births
1990 deaths
Nastro d'Argento winners
Film directors from Rome
20th-century Italian male actors
David di Donatello Career Award winners
20th-century Italian comedians
Burials at Campo Verano
Comedians from Rome