Gemma Bolognesi (4 November 1894 – 26 March 1983) was an Italian actress. She appeared in more than thirty films from 1916 to 1954.

Gemma Bolognesi
Born(1894-11-04)4 November 1894
Died26 March 1983(1983-03-26) (aged 88)
Cesenatico, Italy
OccupationActress
Years active1916-1954

Biography

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Bolognesi began acting at an early age and made her debut with the ensemble of the Teatro Manzoni in Milan under Marco Praga. In 1919 she became the ensemble's first actress alongside Aristide Baghetti [it] and the following year led her ensemble with Ettore Berti [it]. Further seasons of her stage career were alongside Enzo Biliotti (1921) and from 1922 to 1926 the Teatro del Popolo (as its first actress from 1924), again in Milan.[1] The following season saw her in the theater company around Luigi Zoncada and later, in 1932, next to Carlo Tamberlani.

Bolognesi made her film debut in 1916 in Cura di baci by Emilio Graziani-Walter, but found little satisfaction with it, so she concentrated on her theater work. It was not until the mid-1930s, when the time of the big stage roles was over, that she developed into a sought-after character actress playing cultured women, who with her appearance with her blonde, luscious hair also gave her secondary roles the flair of "the Italian Mae West".[2] After World War II she continued her film career until 1954 and then withdrew to her birthplace.[3]

In the 1930s, Bolognesi also worked frequently for the EIAR, the Italian radio service.

Selected filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1935 I'll Give a Million
Aldebaran
Territorial Militia
1936 Music in the Square
1938 The Last Enemy
Ettore Fieramosca
The Cuckoo Clock
1939 The Silent Partner
Father For a Night
I, His Father
The Sons of the Marquis Lucera
1943 Sad Loves
The White Angel
1944 Resurrection Matriona
1950 Ring Around the Clock
1953 Siamo tutti inquilini
La valigia dei sogni
Gioventù alla sbarra
1954 My Life Is Yours

References

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Bibliography

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  • Scarpellini, Emanuela (2000). Il Teatro del popolo.
  • Forgacs, David; Gundle, Stephen (2007). Mass Culture and Italian Society from Fascism to the Cold War. Indiana University Press.
  • Lancia, Enrico; Poppi, Roberto (2003). Dizionario del cinema italiano. Le attrici. Rome.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
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