Despoina "Despo" Diamantidou (Greek: Δέσπω Διαμαντίδου; 13 July 1916 – 18 February 2004) was a Greek actress.[2] She appeared in more than seventy films from 1949 to 2003, frequently in support of Melina Mercouri and directed four times by Jules Dassin.

Despo Diamantidou
Diamantidou in Jules Dassin's 1970 film Promise at Dawn
Born(1916-07-13)13 July 1916
Died18 February 2004(2004-02-18) (aged 87)
Athens, Greece
OccupationActress
Years active1949–2003
SpouseAndreas Filippidis[1]

She had flashy roles as the ringleader of the Piraeus prostitutes in Never on Sunday (1960) and as Woody Allen's Russian mother in Love and Death (1975). Despo also appeared as Tatiana in Alan King's summer replacement sitcom, Ivan the Terrible starring Lou Jacobi, which aired on ABC from 21 August to 18 September 1976. [3]

Filmography

edit
Year Title Role Notes
1947 Paidia tis Athinas Eleni
1954 Thanassakis o politevomenos Sophia
To koritsi tis geitonias Kakia / Froso
1956 I doukissa tis Plakentias kai o listarhos Bibisis Narrator
1957 To koritsi me ta paramythia Lida's mother
1958 A Matter of Dignity Kaiti
1959 Amaryllis, to koritsi tis agapis
1960 Never on Sunday Despo
Madalena Giokari
I Hionati kai ta 7 gerontopallikara Aglaia
To rantevou tis Kyriakis Afroditi
1961 Alice in the Navy Alice's mother
O thanatos tha xanarthi Liza
Gia sena, tin agapi mou
1962 Prodomeni agapi Vicky
Pote de se xehasa Head Seamstress
O loustrakos Maria's mother
Min erotevesai to Savvato...
Mana, kane kouragio Mrs. Themeli
Angeloi tou pezodromiou
1963 The Red Lanterns Madame Pari
To tempeloskylo Despoina
O babas mou ki ego! Mrs. Papas
1964 Topkapi Voula
Monemvasia
Gamos ala... ellinika Mina's Mother
To koritsi tis Kyriakis
Rimagmeno spiti
1965 And the Wife Shall Revere Her Husband Bebeka
Ohi, ...kyrie Johnson
Adistaktoi Roza
To remali tis Fokionos Negri
Ponesa poly gia sena
Oi katafronemenoi
Dihasmos The Lady
1966 I Stefania Woman Guard
Queen of Clubs Marianthi
Kane ton pono mou hara
Horisame ena deilino Zoi
1967 Cry in the Wind Priest's Wife
Sapila kai aristokratia Mrs. Kalakou
Erotes sti Lesvo
Eis thanaton
1970 Something for Everyone Bobby
Promise at Dawn Aniela
1971 The Horsemen Uljan
Made for Each Other Group member
The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight Mourner
1973 The Werewolf of Washington Gypsy
1975 Love and Death Boris' mother[4]
1978 A Dream of Passion Maria
Ypothesi Polk
1982 O teleftaios dialogos
1985 Varieté House Owner
1989 Athoos i enohos?
1991 O Tzonys Keln, kyria mou
1996 Akropol Seferiadou
2001 Annas Sommer María
2002 Dyskoloi apohairetismoi: O babas mou Grandmother
2003 O haros vgike pagania (final film role)

References

edit
  1. ^ Short bio of Diamantidou, on the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com)
  2. ^ Filmography of the actress, as presented on the British Film Institute's website (www.bfi.org.uk)
  3. ^ Alex McNeil. Total Television: The Comprehnsive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present Fourth Edition. New York: Penguin Books, 1996, 419.
  4. ^ "Love and Death" movie, presented on The Woody Allen Pages
edit