GIULETTA MASINA
Name: Giulietta Masina
Born: 1921 San Giorgio di Piano
Died: 1994 Rome
Born in San Giorgio di Piano (BO) in 1921, Giulietta Masina spent part of her
teenage years living with a widowed aunt in Rome, where she cultivated a passion
for the theatre and studied for a degree in Philosophy. She began her career on
the radio with the programme Terzoglio (1942), which brought her great success
with the adventures of the newlyweds Cico and Pallina from scripts written by
Federico Fellini. The following year she married Fellini and became the
inspirational muse for many of his films. She made her cinema debut in "Without
pity (Senza pietą)" (1948), directed by Alberto Lattuada, but really established
her reputation with the next few films: "Behind closed shutters (Persiane chiuse)"
(1950), directed by Luigi Comencini, "Variety lights (Luci del varietą)" (1951),
which also marked Fellini's debut as director (the film credits both Fellini and
Lattuada), and "The greatest love (Europa '51)" (1952), directed by Roberto
Rossellini. Her artistic partnership with her husband really took off with the
Oscar-winning La strada (1954), followed by "The swindlers (Il bidone)" (1955)
and the widely acclaimed "Nights of Cabiria (Le notti di Cabiria") (1957), which
again won an Oscar and brought her the award for Best Female Performance at the
Cannes Film Festival. Over the following years, she played many memorable roles
in such films as Fortunella (1958), directed by Eduardo De Filippo, "Nella cittą
l'inferno" (1958), directed by Renato Castellani, and later in "Juliet of the
Spirits (Giulietta degli spiriti)" (1965) and "Ginger e Fred (Ginger and Fred)"
(1985), both directed by Fellini.
From 1966 to 1969 she hosted the immensely popular radio show Lettere aperte a
Giulietta Masina and starred in the television series "Eleonora" (1972), by
Tullio Pinelli, directed by Silverio Blasi, and "Camilla" (1976), directed by
Sandro Bolchi, based on the novel by Fausta Cialente, "Un inverno freddissimo" (1966).
She died in Rome in 1994, just a few months after the death of her husband.
Name: Giulietta Masina
Born: 1921 San Giorgio di Piano
Died: 1994 Rome
Born in San Giorgio di Piano (BO) in 1921, Giulietta Masina spent part of her
teenage years living with a widowed aunt in Rome, where she cultivated a passion
for the theatre and studied for a degree in Philosophy. She began her career on
the radio with the programme Terzoglio (1942), which brought her great success
with the adventures of the newlyweds Cico and Pallina from scripts written by
Federico Fellini. The following year she married Fellini and became the
inspirational muse for many of his films. She made her cinema debut in "Without
pity (Senza pietą)" (1948), directed by Alberto Lattuada, but really established
her reputation with the next few films: "Behind closed shutters (Persiane chiuse)"
(1950), directed by Luigi Comencini, "Variety lights (Luci del varietą)" (1951),
which also marked Fellini's debut as director (the film credits both Fellini and
Lattuada), and "The greatest love (Europa '51)" (1952), directed by Roberto
Rossellini. Her artistic partnership with her husband really took off with the
Oscar-winning La strada (1954), followed by "The swindlers (Il bidone)" (1955)
and the widely acclaimed "Nights of Cabiria (Le notti di Cabiria") (1957), which
again won an Oscar and brought her the award for Best Female Performance at the
Cannes Film Festival. Over the following years, she played many memorable roles
in such films as Fortunella (1958), directed by Eduardo De Filippo, "Nella cittą
l'inferno" (1958), directed by Renato Castellani, and later in "Juliet of the
Spirits (Giulietta degli spiriti)" (1965) and "Ginger e Fred (Ginger and Fred)"
(1985), both directed by Fellini.
From 1966 to 1969 she hosted the immensely popular radio show Lettere aperte a
Giulietta Masina and starred in the television series "Eleonora" (1972), by
Tullio Pinelli, directed by Silverio Blasi, and "Camilla" (1976), directed by
Sandro Bolchi, based on the novel by Fausta Cialente, "Un inverno freddissimo" (1966).
She died in Rome in 1994, just a few months after the death of her husband.