Walter Chiari
Walter Chiari (actually Walter Annicchiarico ; born March 2, 1924 in Verona , † December 20, 1991 in Milan ) was an Italian actor , comedian and television presenter.
biography
Origin and youth
Chiari comes from an Apulian family who moved from Verona to Milan shortly after he was born.
Start of career
Chiari wrote a weekly column for the magazine "L'Orizzonte", which appeared in an edition of fifty thousand copies, which he shares with Ugo Tognazzi wrote, and he also worked for the program "Radiofante" which in Milan for soldiers of the Italian Social Republic was broadcast . Chiari is not known to have participated in the fighting that followed the Normandy landings.
After the liberation he was a prisoner in the Coltano camp near Pisa for a short time . In January 1944 he went with friends to the Teatro Olimpia in Milan for an evening for amateur actors, where he was able to delight the audience with two skits. In 1946 he got his first big theater role through the mediation of Marisa Maresca in the play "Se ti bacia Lola". This began a long career on revue stages, which Chiari owes not only to his good looks, but above all to his ability to improvise. He appeared in "Simpatia", "Allegro" and "Burlesco". In 1950 he starred in "Gildo" alongside Miriam Glori , the following year he was seen in "Sogno di un Walter" with Carlo Campanini and Dorian Gray , and in 1952 he confirmed the success with "Tutto fa Broadway" alongside Lucy D'Albert and again Campanini.
In addition, he appeared in 1953 and the following year as a songwriter for “Controcorrente” and “Saltimbanchi”.
Later years
Chiari was a well-known jet-set exponent in Rome in the 1950s and 1960s. He played alongside Anna Magnani in Luchino Visconti's Bellissima (1951). Since he had no problems with the English language, he also appeared in US productions. He played, for example, in Otto Preminger's Bonjour Tristesse (1958) and also appeared on Broadway in 1961 in the musical The Gay Life . While he was shooting with Ava Gardner in Die kleine Hütte (directed by Mark Robson , 1957), he had a headline-grabbing affair with his colleague, who was then still married to Frank Sinatra . In 1970 he hit the headlines again when he was jailed for 70 days in custody for cocaine possession. Since his drug addiction (like that of many other actors and celebrities) was otherwise tolerated by the authorities, it was seen as an attempt to divert attention from the unsuccessful investigation into the bombing of Piazza Fontana in Milan. Although he got off lightly at the trial, his career never recovered and he was denied appearances on Italian state television. Chiari concentrated on his theater work. In 1972 he had a role in the mafia film The Valachi Papers by Terence Young . He died of a heart attack in 1991.
Filmography (selection)
|
|
- As a director:
- 1977: Ride bene… chi ride ultimo (also actor)
Web links
- Walter Chiari in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Biography at italica.rai
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Chiari, Walter |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Annicchiarico, Walter |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Italian actor |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 2, 1924 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Verona |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 20, 1991 |
| Place of death | Milan |