Erminio Macario (27 May 1902 – 25 March 1980), best known as Macario, was an Italian film actor and comedian. He appeared in 42 films between 1933 and 1975.
Erminio Macario | |
|---|---|
 Macario in the movie Il chiromante | |
| Born | 27 May 1902 Turin, Kingdom of Italy |
| Died | 25 March 1980 (aged 77) Turin, Italy |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1933–1975 |
| Spouses |
Giulia Dardanelli
(m. 1938; died 1980) |
| Children | Alberto (1943) Mauro (1947) |
Life and career
editBorn in Turin, Macario made his debut at a young age in the amateur dramatics company Don Bosco Oratory in Valdocco,[1] then he was part of some small amateur companies in his hometown until 1924. At this time, he was cast in the company of dancing and pantomime of Giovanni Molasso.[2] Soon after, he entered the company of Wanda Osiris, the undisputed queen of the revue of that time in Italy.[2] Between the two wars he became, in a short time, one of the most popular comedians of the revue theatre.[3]
Macario made his film debut in 1933 with Aria di paese, but the success came just six years later with two comedy films directed by Mario Mattoli and co-written by a young Federico Fellini, Imputato alzatevi! and Lo vedi come sei... lo vedi come sei?.[2] After a series of successful comedies directed by Carlo Borghesio since the early fifties, Macario appeared in short characterizations in anthology films and was sidekick of Totò in a number of films.[2] Starting from the mid-sixties he finally dedicated himself to television and theatre.[2]
His comical style was referred to as a mixture between Chaplin's Charlot and Marx Brothers.[4]
Partial filmography
edit- Country Air (1933) - Mac
- Defendant, Stand Up! (1939) - Cipriano Duval
- Lo vedi come sei... lo vedi come sei? (1939) - Michele Bernisconi
- The Pirate's Dream (1940) - José
- Non me lo dire! (1940) - Michele Colombelli, marchese di Castel Perrone
- Il chiromante (1941) - Candido
- Il vagabondo (1941) - Pippo, il vagabondo
- Il fanciullo del West (1943) - Mac Carey
- Charley's Aunt (1943) - Terenzio
- Arcobaleno (1943)
- Macario Against Zagomar (1944) - Macario Duplessis
- The Innocent Casimiro (1945) - Casimiro Pelagatti
- L'eroe della strada (1948) - Felice Manetti
- How I Lost the War (1948) - Leo Bianchetti
- Adam and Eve (1949) - Adamo Rossi
- How I Discovered America (1949) - Cristoforo Colombo
- Il monello della strada (1950) - Carletto Po
- The Passaguai Family Gets Rich (1952) - Giocondo Diotallevi
- My Wife, My Cow and Me (1952) - Mario
- I, Hamlet (1952) - Amleto
- Matrimonial Agency (1953) - Peppino
- Carosello del varietà (1955)
- Italia piccola (1957) - Sandrin
- La cambiale (1959) - Tommaso
- Lo smemorato di Collegno (1962) - Nicola Politi
- Toto's First Night (1962) - Mimi Makò
- I 4 monaci (1962) - Fra' Martino
- Sexy Toto (1963) - Mimi Cocco
- Avventura al motel (1963) - Erminio
- Uno strano tipo (1963) - Giovanni
- Totò contro i quattro (1963) - La Matta
- The Monk of Monza (1963) - Fra' Mamozio
- I 4 tassisti (1963) - Pomilio Barone (segment "Caccia al tesoro")
- The Four Musketeers (1963)
- Lisa dagli occhi blu (1970) - Tramp with the cats
- Nel giorno del signore (1970) - Don Giacinto
- The Mighty Anselmo and His Squire (1972) - Frà Prosdocimo Zatterin da' San Donà di Piave
- Ante Up (1974)
- Due sul pianerottolo (1976) - Prof. Luigi Savoia
References
edit- ^ Domenico Seren Gay. Teatro popolare dialettale: indagine-enciclopedia sul teatro piemontese. Priuli & Verlucca, 1977.
- ^ a b c d e Gianni Canova (2005). Enciclopedia del cinema. Garzanti, 2009. ISBN 881150516-X.
- ^ Ennio Fulgheri (1998). Manuale del cinema italiano. Swan, 1998. ISBN 8886464150.
- ^ Valerio Venturi (2010). Cesare Andrea Bixio. L'attività musicale di Bixio per l'industria cinematografica (1920-1945). Libreria Universitaria, 2010. ISBN 978-8862920223.
Further reading
edit- Maurizio Ternavasio, Macario: vita di un comico, Lindau, 1998, ISBN 8871802411.