THE Nino Manfredialthough he had to contend with the beasts of the huge Italian post-war acting school, he managed to distinguish himself and enter the company of great actors, who left their own stamp on the cinema and especially on the famous Commedia all’ Italiana, which flourished in its decades ’60s and ’70s, deservingly replacing neorealism.

His name may not have the glamor of them Toto, Vittorio Gusman, Alberto Sordi, Hugo Toniatsibut his performances in the more than a hundred films he made were admirable, even when he wasn’t the lead.

Nino Manfredi, one of the main representatives of “comedy all Italian” will write his own pages in the history of Italian cinema, usually embodying popular types, who are victims of fate and political situations, the establishment and the Italian elite, looking for the his identity or as a dreamer who chases the “Italian dream” and breaks his faces in the harsh reality.

THE “comedy ala italian”, is a pivotal point for cinema, born after the withdrawal of the – hugely influential – neorealism, around 1960. It reached its peak in those years, when Italy projected its “economic miracle”, until the end of the decade ’70, when together with the political cinema, the hilarious, often, sex-comedy began to be shown. Commedia all’ Italiana, which was served by important directors such as Monicelli, Rizzi, Scola, Comecini and Loi, had as its main characteristics a strong ironic mood and a spirit of sharp criticism of the post-war Italian society, which was losing its authenticity, the values ​​and surrenders to money and rampant consumerism. Comedies that uniquely combined the comic and the tragic and one of its best representatives was Manfredi.

Completing 20 years since his death (June 4, 2004), Nino Manfredi, with his immense career in cinema, his multifaceted talent and his humanitarian action, has begun to pass into oblivion – truly a great injustice for such an important performer and significant personality.

Tuberculosis and de Sica

Saturnino Manfredi was born on the outskirts of Rome, in Castle dei Volci, on March 22, 1921. He was the first-born son of Romeo Manfredi and Antonina Perfili, two people of rural origin. His father joined the police and in the early 1930s the family settled in Rome. In 1937, Manfredi fell ill with tuberculosis and stayed for a long time in a sanatorium, where at one point he was lucky enough to attend a performance by Vittorio de Sica’s troupe, remaining speechless and now dreaming of acting. However, wanting to satisfy his parents, he will enter the School of Law, from which he graduated in 1945, but, thankfully for all of us, he never practiced.

From Strehler to de Filippo

During the Second World War, to avoid conscription, he will hide with his brother in the mountainous area of ​​Monte Cassino, while when he returned to Rome in 1944 he will enroll in the National Academy of Dramatic Art from which he graduated in 1947. In October of the same year, he played at the “Piccolo Teatro” in Milan, directed by the founder and famous theater person Giorgio Strehlerin the Shakespearean plays “Romeo and Juliet”, “The Tempest” and “Richard II”. In 1952 and for two years he will collaborate with Eduardo de Filippoat the theatre Eliseus of Romewhile in the following years he will deal mainly with musical comedies and reviews, both in musical radio shows and in theaters.

Cantonese

He will enter the cinema for the first time in 1949, with small roles in indifferent sentimental comedies, while his first notable appearance will be in the film “The Lovers” of Mauro Bolognini in 1955. In the same year he will marry the model Erminia Ferrari, with whom he will live until his death and they will have three children. In 1959 he will also enter the television studios and will experience great success with the television variety show “Candy”.

Reveling in misery

In 1959, he will make his first big success in the cinema, with its sequel “Theft of the Thief” (“The Little Scammers”) of Nani Loystarring alongside Vittorio Gusman, Renato Salvatori, Claudia Cardinale, but also the amazing characterists Carlo Pisacane, Tiberio Murza and the then young Gaston Moschin. Immediately, he will establish himself as one of the pillars of “comedy alla Italiana”, embodying mainly marginal, unsuccessful, unsophisticated, petty losers, who, however, maintained their dignity and made fun of their misery.

Immortal Geppetto

Since the mid-60s, he is now one of the leading actors, his films were huge successes at the box office, as he had as his main director Dino Rizzi and then Luigi Mani.

In 1971, he will direct his first film “Married to Zori”, which received great reviews, as well as the Palme d’Or for the debutant director at the Cannes festival and several Italian awards. Shortly after, he will play Geppetto exquisitely in “Adventures of Pinocchio” for television, directed by Comecini, while in 1974 he will shoot two important films “Bread and Chocolate” and “We Were Loved”.

“Violent, Bad and Dirty”

Until 1976 comes along and the classic film “Violent, Dirty and Evil”directed by Ettore Scolawhere he will perform the interpretation of his life, portraying the deplorable and without any moral barrier, Giacchino, who is the patriarch of a family living in poverty and in a slum on the outskirts of Rome and his unacceptable behavior leads his family members to the decision to get him out of the way, believing that he is hiding a small treasure . “Italian comedy” meets neorealism to undermine it, while the inspired script, which plays with grotesque and tragedy, is pessimistic and hangs on Manfredi’s delirious and incredibly dramatic performance. The film won the grand prize at Cannes and Manfredi worldwide recognition.

And a singer

The 1970s, however, had other happy moments for Manfredi, who would make a splash, singing at the famous San Remo song festival, with huge success “Tanto pe’ cantà”, which he would continue by recording many other favorite songs. However, Manfredi did not forget his humble origins, since he also developed a charity project, had voluntary activities, while he was also a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF.

Laughter and bitterness

Nino Manfredi, who suffered almost all his life from a rare disease, will die on June 4, 2004, after two strokes and in between he managed to receive the Career Bianchi award, at the Venice Film Festival. A small award from the top festival of his country, which he glorified with his performances and made all the cinema lovers richer in feelings, laughs and that bitterness without which we would lose the meaning of his high art.