Virna Lisi
Encyclopedia
Virna Lisi is a Cannes
and César
award-winning Italian
film actress. She was born in Ancona
, Marche
, as Virna Lisa Pieralisi.
(The line of steel, 1953). Initially, she did musical films, like in E Napoli canta
(Napoli sings, 1953) and the successful Questa è la vita (1954, with the popular Totò
). Nonetheless, soon Virna Lisi became a figure whose beauty was more valued than her talent, like in Le diciottenni and Lo scapolo
films of 1955. Still, she incarnated demanding roles, particularly in La Donna del Giorno
(1956), Eva (1962), and the Italian-made spectacle Romolo e Remo (1961).
In the late 1950s, Lisi did theater at Piccolo Teatro di Milano, in I giacobini by Federico Zardi, under the direction of Giorgio Strehler
. During the 1960s, Virna Lisi did comedies and, also, she participated in dramatic television productions which were of the most viewed in Italy. Also in television Lisi was the figure who promoted a toothpaste
brand, with a slogan which would become a catchphrase amongst the Italians: "con quella bocca può dire ciò che vuole" (with such mouth, she can say whatever she wants).
vibe and so Virna Lisi made a dent in Hollywood comedy as a tempting blue-eyed blonde starring opposite Jack Lemmon
in How to Murder Your Wife
(1965), and appearing with Tony Curtis
in Not with My Wife, You Don't!
(1966). Lisi starred with Frank Sinatra
, in Assault on a Queen
(1966). Also Lisi starred in films such as La Ragazza e il Generale, co-starring with Rod Steiger
, and two films with Anthony Quinn
, The Secret of Santa Vittoria
, directed by Stanley Kramer
, and the war drama The 25th Hour
. She also gained attention for a photo of her shaving her face that appeared on the March 1965 cover of Esquire
magazine.
and Le bambole
(1965), Arabella
(1967), and Le dolci signore (1968). Also Lisi starred some arthouse films, of which The Birds, the Bees and the Italians (1965) is an example.
In the early 1970s, Virna Lisi decided temporarily to attend to her family, husband Franco Pesci and her son Corrado, born in July 1962. Nonetheless, a career renaissance occurred soon for Virna with a large list of productions, including Al di là del bene e del male (1977), Ernesto
(1979), and La cicala
(1980). For the film La Reine Margot
(1994), Lisi portrayed a malevolent Catherine de' Medici
and so she won both the César
and Cannes Film Festival
awards, along with the David di Donatello
award, the Italian equivalent of the Oscar
.
Particularly since the late 1990s, Virna Lisi did many successful dramatic productions of television. In 2002, Lisi starred in her last film, Il più bel giorno della mia vita.
ian rock band
, Virna Lisi, is named after her. The 1980s Argentinian
band Sumo
(led by Luca Prodan
), made a song for her. The singer's brother is the actor Andrea Prodan
, who appeared with her in the movie I ragazzi di via Panisperna
(1988).
Best Actress Award (Cannes Film Festival)
The Best Actress Award is an award presented at the Cannes Film Festival. It is chosen by the jury from the 'official section' of films at the festival. It was first awarded in 1946.-Award Winners:-External links:* * ....
and César
César Award
The César Award is the national film award of France, first given out in 1975. The nominations are selected by the members of the Académie des arts et techniques du cinéma....
award-winning Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
film actress. She was born in Ancona
Ancona
Ancona is a city and a seaport in the Marche region, in central Italy, with a population of 101,909 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region....
, Marche
Marche
The population density in the region is below the national average. In 2008, it was 161.5 inhabitants per km2, compared to the national figure of 198.8. It is highest in the province of Ancona , and lowest in the province of Macerata...
, as Virna Lisa Pieralisi.
Early career
Virna Lisi began her film career in her teens. She was discovered by two Neapolitan producers (Antonio Ferrigno and Ettore Pesce) in Paris. Her debut was in La corda d'acciaioLa corda d'acciaio
La corda d'acciaio is a 1953 film directed by Carlo Borghesio and starring Brigitte Fossey and Virna Lisi....
(The line of steel, 1953). Initially, she did musical films, like in E Napoli canta
E Napoli canta
E Napoli canta is a 1953 Italian musical film. It was directed by Armando Grottini, starring Virna Lisi....
(Napoli sings, 1953) and the successful Questa è la vita (1954, with the popular Totò
Totò
Prince Antonio Focas Flavio Angelo Ducas Comneno De Curtis di Bisanzio Gagliardi, best known by his stage name Totò and nicknamed il principe della risata was an Italian comedian, film and theatre actor, writer, singer and songwriter...
). Nonetheless, soon Virna Lisi became a figure whose beauty was more valued than her talent, like in Le diciottenni and Lo scapolo
Lo scapolo
The Bachelor is a 1955 film directed by Antonio Pietrangeli, starring Alberto Sordi and Nino Manfredi. It was shown as part of a retrospective on Italian comedy at the 67th Venice International Film Festival.-Cast:* Alberto Sordi - Paolo Anselmi...
films of 1955. Still, she incarnated demanding roles, particularly in La Donna del Giorno
La Donna del Giorno
La Donna del Giorno is an 1956 Italian film starred by Virna Lisi, Haya Harareet and Franco Fabrizi.It is directed by Francesco Maselli and tells the story of a struggling model who concocts a story of being raped and beaten by three strangers and soon becomes a media darling. Complications arise...
(1956), Eva (1962), and the Italian-made spectacle Romolo e Remo (1961).
In the late 1950s, Lisi did theater at Piccolo Teatro di Milano, in I giacobini by Federico Zardi, under the direction of Giorgio Strehler
Giorgio Strehler
Giorgio Strehler was an Italian opera and theatre director.-Biography:Strehler was born in Barcola, Trieste to an Austrian father and a Franco-Slovene mother; he grew up speaking Italian but spoke French well and his German was passable. He became suddenly fatherless at the age of three, his...
. During the 1960s, Virna Lisi did comedies and, also, she participated in dramatic television productions which were of the most viewed in Italy. Also in television Lisi was the figure who promoted a toothpaste
Toothpaste
Toothpaste is a paste or gel dentifrice used with a toothbrush as an accessory to clean and maintain the aesthetics and health of teeth. Toothpaste is used to promote oral hygiene: it serves as an abrasive that aids in removing the dental plaque and food from the teeth, assists in suppressing...
brand, with a slogan which would become a catchphrase amongst the Italians: "con quella bocca può dire ciò che vuole" (with such mouth, she can say whatever she wants).
Hollywood career
In Hollywood, the producers were looking for a new figure of the Marilyn MonroeMarilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, model and showgirl who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s....
vibe and so Virna Lisi made a dent in Hollywood comedy as a tempting blue-eyed blonde starring opposite Jack Lemmon
Jack Lemmon
John Uhler "Jack" Lemmon III was an American actor and musician. He starred in more than 60 films including Some Like It Hot, The Apartment, Mister Roberts , Days of Wine and Roses, The Great Race, Irma la Douce, The Odd Couple, Save the Tiger John Uhler "Jack" Lemmon III (February 8, 1925June...
in How to Murder Your Wife
How to Murder Your Wife
How to Murder Your Wife is a 1965 American comedy film starring Jack Lemmon and Virna Lisi. It was directed by Richard Quine, who also directed Lemmon in My Sister Eileen, It Happened to Jane, Operation Mad Ball and Bell, Book and Candle....
(1965), and appearing with Tony Curtis
Tony Curtis
Tony Curtis was an American film actor whose career spanned six decades, but had his greatest popularity during the 1950s and early 1960s. He acted in over 100 films in roles covering a wide range of genres, from light comedy to serious drama...
in Not with My Wife, You Don't!
Not with My Wife, You Don't!
Not with My Wife, You Don't! is a 1966 comedy film starred by Tony Curtis, Virna Lisi and George C. Scott. The film was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Musical/Comedy....
(1966). Lisi starred with Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
, in Assault on a Queen
Assault on a Queen
Assault on a Queen is a 1966 American action-adventure film, directed by Jack Donohue, starring Frank Sinatra and Italian beauty Virna Lisi. Based on a 1959 novel by Jack Finney, it was adapted for the screen by Rod Serling and released by Paramount Pictures on June 15, 1966.-Plot summary:A World...
(1966). Also Lisi starred in films such as La Ragazza e il Generale, co-starring with Rod Steiger
Rod Steiger
Rodney Stephen "Rod" Steiger was an Academy Award-winning American actor known for his performances in such films as On the Waterfront, The Big Knife, Oklahoma!, The Harder They Fall, Across the Bridge, The Pawnbroker, Doctor Zhivago, In the Heat of the Night, and Waterloo as well as the...
, and two films with Anthony Quinn
Anthony Quinn
Antonio Rodolfo Quinn-Oaxaca , more commonly known as Anthony Quinn, was a Mexican American actor, as well as a painter and writer...
, The Secret of Santa Vittoria
The Secret of Santa Vittoria
The Secret of Santa Vittoria is a 1969 film made by Stanley Kramer Productions and distributed by United Artists. It was produced and directed by Stanley Kramer and co-produced by George Glass from a screenplay by Ben Maddow and William Rose. It was based on the novel by Robert Crichton...
, directed by Stanley Kramer
Stanley Kramer
Stanley Earl Kramer was an American film director and producer. Kramer was responsible for some of Hollywood's most famous "message" movies...
, and the war drama The 25th Hour
The 25th Hour (1967 film)
La Vingt-cinquième Heure is a 1967 war drama film, starring Anthony Quinn and Virna Lisi. It was produced by Italian producer Carlo Ponti and directed by french director Henri Verneuil. The film is based on a novel by C. Virgil Gheorghiu...
. She also gained attention for a photo of her shaving her face that appeared on the March 1965 cover of Esquire
Esquire (magazine)
Esquire is a men's magazine, published in the U.S. by the Hearst Corporation. Founded in 1932, it flourished during the Great Depression under the guidance of founder and editor Arnold Gingrich.-History:...
magazine.
Career renaissance in Europe
Indeed, to overcome her typecast just of a seductive woman, Virna Lisi sought new types of roles, of evil women or of a lover in relationships of disparate age for example. In those years, Virna Lisi participated in Italian productions, in Casanova 70Casanova 70
Casanova 70 is a 1965 Italian comedy film produced by Carlo Ponti, directed by Mario Monicelli and starring Marcello Mastroianni, Virna Lisi, and Michele Mercier.-Plot:...
and Le bambole
Le bambole
Le bambole is a 1965 Italian comedy film in four segments; cast includes Virna Lisi, Nino Manfredi, Gina Lollobrigida, Elke Sommer and Monica Vitti...
(1965), Arabella
Arabella (1967 film)
Arabella is an Italian film comedy in the English language, starring Virna Lisi, Terry-Thomas and James Fox. It was directed by Mauro Bolognini....
(1967), and Le dolci signore (1968). Also Lisi starred some arthouse films, of which The Birds, the Bees and the Italians (1965) is an example.
In the early 1970s, Virna Lisi decided temporarily to attend to her family, husband Franco Pesci and her son Corrado, born in July 1962. Nonetheless, a career renaissance occurred soon for Virna with a large list of productions, including Al di là del bene e del male (1977), Ernesto
Ernesto (film)
Ernesto is a 1979 film directed by Salvatore Samperi and starring Martin Halm and Virna Lisi.-Plot:Ernesto , a 17 year old Jew of the 1911 Italy, abandons his family, going to live with his uncles of Trieste...
(1979), and La cicala
La cicala
La cicala is a 1980 film directed by Alberto Lattuada, starring Anthony Franciosa and Virna Lisi.-Plot:Wilma Malinverni is an aged nightclub singer, who escapes such life with the Cicala , an uneasy young girl who have left her hometown. On the road as prostitutes, they meet Annibale Meneghetti...
(1980). For the film La Reine Margot
La Reine Margot (1994 film)
La Reine Margot is a 1994 French period film directed by Patrice Chéreau, based on the 1845 historical novel of the same name by Alexandre Dumas, père. It stars Isabelle Adjani, Daniel Auteuil, Virna Lisi and Vincent Pérez...
(1994), Lisi portrayed a malevolent Catherine de' Medici
Catherine de' Medici
Catherine de' Medici was an Italian noblewoman who was Queen consort of France from 1547 until 1559, as the wife of King Henry II of France....
and so she won both the César
César Award
The César Award is the national film award of France, first given out in 1975. The nominations are selected by the members of the Académie des arts et techniques du cinéma....
and Cannes Film Festival
1994 Cannes Film Festival
The 1994 Cannes Film Festival started on 12 May and ran until 23 May. The Palme d'Or went to the American film Pulp Fiction directed by Quentin Tarantino.-Official Selection:*Clint Eastwood *Catherine Deneuve...
awards, along with the David di Donatello
David di Donatello
David di Donatello, named after Donatello's David, is a movie award assigned each year for cinematic performances and production by Ente David di Donatello, part of Accademia del Cinema Italiano. It is the Italian equivalent to the Academy Award. There are 24 categories as of 2006.- History :The...
award, the Italian equivalent of the Oscar
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
.
Particularly since the late 1990s, Virna Lisi did many successful dramatic productions of television. In 2002, Lisi starred in her last film, Il più bel giorno della mia vita.
Legacy
A BrazilBrazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian rock band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
, Virna Lisi, is named after her. The 1980s Argentinian
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
band Sumo
Sumo (band)
Sumo was a 1980s Argentine alternative rock band, merging post-punk with reggae and ska. Headed by Italian-born Luca Prodan, it remained underground for most of its short activity, but was extremely influential in shaping contemporary Argentine rock. Sumo introduced British post-punk to the...
(led by Luca Prodan
Luca Prodan
Luca Prodan was a Scottish musician.He was the son of an Italian father and a Scottish mother, born in Rome after the return of the Prodan family from China, where Luca's father had set up a prosperous business becoming an expert in ancient Chinese pottery, because of the Japanese invasion...
), made a song for her. The singer's brother is the actor Andrea Prodan
Andrea Prodan
Andrea Prodan Scottish-Italian film actor, composer and musician is the younger brother of Argentine rock star Luca Prodan. The Prodan family, after suffering internment in a Japanese concentration camp during WW II, was expelled from China due to Mao...
, who appeared with her in the movie I ragazzi di via Panisperna
I ragazzi di via Panisperna
is an Italian movie by director Gianni Amelio, telling the enthusiasms, fears, joys and disappointments of the life of a well-known group of boys fond of physics and mathematics, who just made history as the Via Panisperna boys.-Plot:The story is inspired by a real life fact and set in the...
(1988).
Selected filmography
- The steel rope (1953)
- And Naples sings (1953)
- Eighteen Year OldsEighteen Year OldsEighteen Year Olds is a 1955 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Mattoli and starring Marisa Allasio.-Cast:* Marisa Allasio - Anna Campolmi* Virna Lisi - Maria Rovani* Anthony Steffen - Il professore * Luisella Boni - Luisa...
(1955) - The Bachelor (1955, uncredited)
- Les HussardsLes HussardsLes Hussards , is a French comedy film from 1955, directed by Alex Joffé, written by Gabriel Arout, starring Bernard Blier and Louis de Funès...
(1955) - The woman of the day (1956)
- Romolo e RemoRomolo e RemoRomolo e Remo is a 1961 film directed by Sergio Corbucci and starring Steve Reeves, Gordon Scott, and Virna Lisi.Tagline: "The Legendary Conflict of Mankind's Mightiest Mortals!"-Summary:...
(1961) - EvaEva (1962 film)Eva is a 1962 drama film directed by Joseph Losey starring Jeanne Moreau, Stanley Baker and Virna Lisi, from the novel of James Hadley Chase .-Plot summary:...
(1962) - Ladies and Gentlemen (1965)
- How to Murder Your WifeHow to Murder Your WifeHow to Murder Your Wife is a 1965 American comedy film starring Jack Lemmon and Virna Lisi. It was directed by Richard Quine, who also directed Lemmon in My Sister Eileen, It Happened to Jane, Operation Mad Ball and Bell, Book and Candle....
(1965) - The DollsLe bamboleLe bambole is a 1965 Italian comedy film in four segments; cast includes Virna Lisi, Nino Manfredi, Gina Lollobrigida, Elke Sommer and Monica Vitti...
(1965) - Casanova 70Casanova 70Casanova 70 is a 1965 Italian comedy film produced by Carlo Ponti, directed by Mario Monicelli and starring Marcello Mastroianni, Virna Lisi, and Michele Mercier.-Plot:...
(1965) - Assault on a QueenAssault on a QueenAssault on a Queen is a 1966 American action-adventure film, directed by Jack Donohue, starring Frank Sinatra and Italian beauty Virna Lisi. Based on a 1959 novel by Jack Finney, it was adapted for the screen by Rod Serling and released by Paramount Pictures on June 15, 1966.-Plot summary:A World...
(1966) - Not with My Wife, You Don't!Not with My Wife, You Don't!Not with My Wife, You Don't! is a 1966 comedy film starred by Tony Curtis, Virna Lisi and George C. Scott. The film was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Musical/Comedy....
(1966)
- The 25th Hour (1967 film)The 25th Hour (1967 film)La Vingt-cinquième Heure is a 1967 war drama film, starring Anthony Quinn and Virna Lisi. It was produced by Italian producer Carlo Ponti and directed by french director Henri Verneuil. The film is based on a novel by C. Virgil Gheorghiu...
(1967) - The Girl and the GeneralThe Girl and the GeneralThe Girl and the General is a 1967 anti-war Italian comedy film, starred by Rod Steiger and Virna Lisi and produced by Carlo Ponti.In it, a young woman and a soldier team up to deliver an Austrian General to Italian forces during World War I...
(1967) - ArabellaArabella (1967 film)Arabella is an Italian film comedy in the English language, starring Virna Lisi, Terry-Thomas and James Fox. It was directed by Mauro Bolognini....
(1967) - The sweet ladies (1968)
- The Secret of Santa VittoriaThe Secret of Santa VittoriaThe Secret of Santa Vittoria is a 1969 film made by Stanley Kramer Productions and distributed by United Artists. It was produced and directed by Stanley Kramer and co-produced by George Glass from a screenplay by Ben Maddow and William Rose. It was based on the novel by Robert Crichton...
(1969) - The Voyeur (1970)
- Beyond Good and EvilBeyond Good and EvilBeyond Good and Evil is a book by the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, first published in 1886.It takes up and expands on the ideas of his previous work, Thus Spoke Zarathustra, but approached from a more critical, polemical direction....
(1977) - ErnestoErnesto (film)Ernesto is a 1979 film directed by Salvatore Samperi and starring Martin Halm and Virna Lisi.-Plot:Ernesto , a 17 year old Jew of the 1911 Italy, abandons his family, going to live with his uncles of Trieste...
(1979) - The cricket (1980)
- Happy Christmas Happy New Year (1990)
- La Reine Margot (1994)
- The most beautiful day in my life (2002)
Television
- Cenerentola (1961)
- Il caso Maurizius (1961)
- Una tragedia americana (1962)
- Uno di noi (1996)
- Deserto di fuoco (1997)
- Cristallo di rocca (1999)
- Le ali della vitaLe ali della vitaLe ali della vita is an Italian television series....
(2000) - Piccolo mondo antico (2001)
- Il bello delle donneIl bello delle donneIl bello delle donne is an Italian television series....
(2001) - L'onore e il rispettoL'onore e il rispettoL'onore e il rispetto is an Italian television series....
(2006)
External links
- Virna Lisi, at Celebirony.
- Virna Lisi, at ElCriticon (The critic, in Spanish)