Moira Orfei
Moira Orfei (actually Miranda Orfei ; born December 21, 1931 in Codroipo ; † November 15, 2015 in Brescia ) was an Italian circus director , artist and actress .
Life
Orfei was born in her parents' trailer, two circus performers. Her family belongs to the ethnic minority of the Italian Sinti . Like her cousin Liana , she was trained in numerous artistic arts from childhood and performed regularly in the arena. In 1960 she began a parallel career as an actress, which she showed in around forty mostly adventurous commercial films, often based on mythological subjects, but also in comedies and westerns that were made during the heyday of Italian genre cinema.
In 1961 Orfei married the acrobatic dancer Walter Nones , with whom she founded her own circus the following year alongside the Austrian Swoboda siblings and soon afterwards created her own “Circo Moira Orfei”, which soon became known for its quality and elaborate productions. Orfei and Nones were the first - in 1969 - to create the “circus on ice” with a ring and ice rink and also to employ big show stars. In 1976, the two branches of business separated into the traditional circus and the combined form. Orfei was best known as an artist for elephant training.
Until well into the 21st century, Orfei often only used her face to advertise her tours, but Orfei traveled with her circus well into old age. Due to its presence and visual presentation, it was considered an “icon of kitsch”.
In 2006 the documentation Amore e fiori about the artist was created.
Filmography (selection)
- 1960: The Love Nights of Hercules (Gli amori di Ercole)
- 1960: Ursus - avenger of the slaves (Ursus)
- 1961: Maciste and the Queen of the Night (Maciste l'uomo più forte del mondo)
- 1962: Ursus in the Valley of the Lions (Ursus nella valle dei leoni)
- 1962: Zorro versus Maciste - Fight of the Invincible (Zorro contro Maciste)
- 1963: The Slaves of Damascus (L'eroe di Babilonia)
- 1964: The strongest man in the world (Il trionfo di Ercole)
- 1964: The hour of tough men (Ercole, Sansone Maciste e Ursus gli invincibili)
- 1965: Casanova '70 (Casanova '70)
- 1965: Mr. Major, two bottles are on the spot (I due sergenti del generale Custer)
- 1966: But, but, gentlemen ... (Signore & signori)
- 1966: In the nest of the yellow viper (FBI operazione vipera gialla)
- 1974: The fragrance of women (Profumo di donna)
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Addio a Moira Orfei, signora del circo italiano
- ^ Addio a Moira Orfei, signora del circo italiano
- ^ Deirdre Pirro: Italian sketches. 2009. pp. 3–5
- ↑ biography at mymovies (Italian)
- ↑ http://www.cinemaitaliano.info/moiraorfeiamoreefiori
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Orfei, Moira |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Orfei, Miranda (real name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Italian circus director, artist and actress |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 21, 1931 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Codroipo |
| DATE OF DEATH | 15th November 2015 |
| Place of death | Brescia |