Claudia Cardinale: "The Best Invention of Italians After Spaghetti"

Claudia Cardinale was one of the most important stars in Italian cinema. Born in Tunis on April 15, 1938, to Sicily, Cardinale proved that with her talent and undeniable beauty, she deservedly won an important place in the history of cinema. He has collaborated with leading directors such as Lucino Visconti, Federico Fellini and Richard Brooks, and has more than 150 films and 900 covers in 25 countries magazines.

Cardinale belongs to the category of the protagonists who, in addition to her necessary radiation, her unparalleled charm, her unique rocky and so much erotic voice, her sketch and freshness, her black big and shiny eyes, had all the features of the stars who shone. He could easily interpret a huge range of roles, from the classic poor Napolitana to the princess or a distant diva, all with a cinematic ethos that is difficult to find.

Claude Josephine Pink Cardinale – as her real name was – as well as many of the Italian stars of her time, started from beauty. In 1957 he won the beauty contest ‘The most beautiful girl in Tunisia’with a prize trip to the Venice Film Festival, which was also the reason for its subsequent career.

Learned his basics of cinema in the famous “Experimental Film Center” (Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia) in Rome, and in 1958 made her debut on the big screen with his Cannes comedy award -winning comedy Jacques Baratiier ‘Goha’starring him Omar Sharif. In the same year he had a bigger role in the classic comedy of Mario Monitselli “The Thief’s Thief” (“I Soliti Ignoti”).

Having already a child from an ephemeral relationship with an aviator (she will talk later about rape), she will meet the producer Franco Cristaldiwho will bring her to a symbol of sex. Their relationship will turn into marriage and Cristaldi will recognize his child as his own. The couple will split in 1975, as the young protagonist, an independent spirit, did not tolerate the dominant character of her husband and the burdensome terms that put on some of her film contracts. The director Pasquale It will be the next chapter of her life. They will live a lot together and have a daughter.

Cardinale continued her appearances in films of great directors, such as in his mystery drama Pietro Jermi ‘We are all guilty’ (“Un maledetto Imbroglio”, 1959), in his war epic Abel Gans “The Battle of Austrlic” (“Austerlitz”, 1960), in his drama Lucino Visconti “Rocco and his brothers” (“Rocco Ei Suoi Fratelli”, 1960) and his comic adventure Philip de Broka ‘Cartouche’ (1962). In 1963 she played herself in his masterpiece Federico Fellini “Eight and a half” (“Otto E Mezzo”)being the object of the fantasies of her co -star Marcello Mastrogianiwhile in the same year he appeared in another major film, in his drama Lucino Visconti “The Catfish” (‘Il Gattopardo’), next to the Bart Lancaster and Alain Delon.

Her cinematic performance caught Hollywood’s interest, and in 1963 she appeared as a Countess in his comedy Blake Edwards “The Pink Panther”. Escape by her charm, the film’s protagonist and a well -known cardiac conqueror Peter Selers had stated that ‘Claudia is the most beautiful invention after spaghetti’. In 1964 he played in his dramatic film Henry Hathaway ‘The biggest circus in the world’ (‘Circus World’), with co -stars the John Wayne and Rita Hayworth.

By the end of the 1960s she continued to share her time between Hollywood and Europe, playing in various films ranging from his drama Lucino Visconti “The Long Stars of the Bear” (“Vaghe Stelle Dell ‘Orsa”, 1965) to his western Richard Brooks “The Professionals” (“The Professionals”, 1966). In 1968 he participated in his classic western-spangle Sergio Leone “Once in the West” (‘Once upon a time in the west’), next to the Henry Fonda, Jason Robardz and Charles Bronson.

In the following years, Claudia Cardinale focused mainly on European productions. 1976 reappeared in Hollywood with the continuation of ‘Pink Panther’ (“The Pink Panther Strikes Again”). A year later, he also participated in his television series Franco Jefirelli “Jesus from Nazareth”in the role of adult. In 1979 he played in the Greek -American war adventure George Kosmatos “Escape to Athens” (“Escape to Athena”) and in 1982 in his adventure Werner Hertzog “Fitzaraldo, the Amazon adventurer” (“Fitzcarraldo”).

She had never dared to play in the theater because she always thought that her voice would not have the right appeal to a living audience. Finally, in 2000 he is convinced to play in ‘Venetiana » rising to the Paris theater. Following a tour in Italy in 2002/2003 with the work of Pirandello directed Squiker. In 2005 he participates in uploading his ‘Sweet bird of youth’ and the next year of his “Glass World” by Tennessee Williams.

In 2002 she was awarded her ‘Golden Bear’ of the Berlin Film Festival for her entire career and in 2011 “Golden Leopard” of the Locarno Film Festival for her overall offer to cinema. She has been decorated twice (1995 and 2002) by the Italian Republic for her contribution to the seventh art and for the same reason she has been honored with the Knight’s Knight and Legion Officer of Honor by the French Republic.