caption death_date death_place years_active birth_place name birth_date image article_title birth_name occupation
pina -rrb- menichelli in '' il fuoco '' -lrb- 1915 29 august 1984 milan , italy 1912 -- 1924 castroreale , italy pina menichelli 10 january 1890 ilfuoco.jpg pina menichelli
 giuseppa iolanda menichelli actress in italian silent films
pina menichelli

giuseppa iolanda menichelli -lrb- 10 january 1890 -- 29 august 1984 -rrb- , known as pina menichelli , was an italian actress and silent film star .
after a career in theatre and a series of small film roles , menichelli was launched as a film star when giovanni pastrone gave her the lead role in `` il fuoco '' -lrb- 1915 -rrb- .
over the next nine years , menichelli made a series of films , often trading on her image as a `` diva '' and on her passionate , decadent eroticism .
menichelli became a global star , and one of the most appreciated actresses in italian cinema , before her retirement in 1924 , aged 34 .
since her death , restorations of menichelli 's surviving films have been shown at important film festivals , and her filmography has been re-assembled and re-evaluated by film historians .
