Ugo Tognazzi

Ugo Tognazzi is a topic that has captured the attention of millions of people around the world. Since its emergence, it has aroused great interest and has been the subject of numerous debates and discussions. In this article, we will thoroughly explore the most relevant aspects related to Ugo Tognazzi, from its origin to its implications today. We will analyze its impact on society, its evolution over time and possible future perspectives. In addition, we will examine the various opinions and points of view of experts on the subject, with the aim of providing a comprehensive and detailed vision that allows our readers to fully understand the importance and relevance of Ugo Tognazzi today.

Ugo Tognazzi
Tognazzi in the movie The Magnificent Cuckold (1964)
Born
Ottavio Tognazzi[1]

(1922-03-23)23 March 1922
Cremona, Kingdom of Italy
Died27 October 1990(1990-10-27) (aged 68)
Rome, Italy
Resting placeVelletri, Italy
Occupations
  • Actor
  • director
  • screenwriter
Years active1950–1990
Height1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Political partyRadical Party
Spouse(s)
​
​
(m. 1963; div. 1966)​

​
(m. 1972)​
Children

Ottavio "Ugo" Tognazzi (23 March 1922 – 27 October 1990) was an Italian actor, director, and screenwriter.[2][3]

He is considered one of the most important faces of Italian comedy together with Vittorio Gassman, Nino Manfredi,[4] Marcello Mastroianni[5][6] and Alberto Sordi.

Early life

Tognazzi was born in Cremona, in northern Italy but spent his youth in various localities as his father was a travelling clerk for an insurance company.[7]

After his return to his native city in 1936, he worked in a cured meats production plant where he achieved the position of accountant. During World War II, he was inducted into the Army and returned home after the Armistice of 8 September 1943, and joined the Black Brigades for a while. His passion for theater and acting dates from his early years, and also during the conflict he organized shows for his fellow soldiers. In 1945, he moved to Milan, where he was enrolled in the theatrical company led by Wanda Osiris. A few years later, he formed his own successful musical revue company.

Career

In 1950, Tognazzi made his cinematic debut in The Cadets of Gascony directed by Mario Mattoli.[8] The following year, he met Raimondo Vianello, with whom he formed a successful comedy duo for the new-born RAI TV (1954–1960).[3] Their shows, sometimes containing satirical material, were among the first to be censored on Italian television.

After the successful role in The Fascist (Il Federale) (1961), directed by Luciano Salce, Tognazzi became one of the most renowned characters of the so-called Commedia all'Italiana (Italian comedy style). He worked with all the main directors of Italian cinema, including Mario Monicelli (My Friends), Marco Ferreri (La Grande Bouffe), Carlo Lizzani (La vita agra), Dino Risi, Pier Paolo Pasolini (Pigsty), Ettore Scola, Alberto Lattuada, Nanni Loy, Pupi Avati and others. Tognazzi also directed some of his films, including the 1967 film The Seventh Floor. The film was entered into the 17th Berlin International Film Festival.[9]

He was a well-known actor in Italy, and starred in several important international films, which brought him fame in other parts of the world.

Roger Vadim cast Tognazzi as Mark Hand, the Catchman, in Barbarella (1968). He rescues Barbarella (Jane Fonda) from the biting dolls she encounters, and after her rescue, he requests payment by asking her to make love with him (the "old-fashioned" way, not the psycho-cardiopathic way of their future).

In 1981, he won the Best Male Actor Award at the Cannes Film Festival for Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man, directed by Bernardo Bertolucci.[10] While he worked primarily in Italian cinema, Tognazzi is perhaps best remembered for his role as Renato Baldi, the gay owner of a St. Tropez nightclub, in the 1978 French comedy La Cage aux Folles which became the highest grossing foreign film ever released in the U.S.

Personal life and death

Tognazzi had various relationships during his life, being married to actresses Margarete Robsahm and later Franca Bettoia. He had four children from three different women: his sons Ricky Tognazzi (b. 1955) and Gianmarco Tognazzi (b. 1967) are actors; another son, Thomas Robsahm (b. 1964), is a Norwegian film director and producer; his daughter, Maria Sole Tognazzi (b. 1971), is also a film director.

Ugo Tognazzi died of a brain hemorrhage in Rome in 1990, although there were rumors that his chronic depression led to suicide.[3] He is buried in the cemetery of Velletri.

Filmography

Actor

Director

References

  1. ^ "BIOGRAFIA UGO RACCONTA". Psicougo. 5 April 2024.
  2. ^ Aldo Bernardini, Ugo Tognazzi, Gremese, 1978, ISBN 88-7605-030-2
  3. ^ a b c "Ugo Tognazzi, 68, a Comic Actor Who Starred in 'Cage aux Folles'". The New York Times. Associated Press. 29 October 1990. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  4. ^ "I colonnelli del cinema italiano". Il Davinotti. 10 March 2008. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  5. ^ Teche RAI Consultato il 18 agosto 2016
  6. ^ Treccani — Enciclopedia del Cinema (2003) — Scheda di M. d'Amico — Consultato il 18 agosto 2016
  7. ^ "23 marzo 1922, nasce Ugo Tognazzi. Una vita da film". La Nazione. 22 March 2024.
  8. ^ "Ugo Tognazzi: attore monumentale che racconta l'italia". lifeandpeople.it. 22 March 2023.
  9. ^ "IMDB.com: Awards for The Seventh Floor". imdb.com. Retrieved 27 February 2010.
  10. ^ "Ugo Tognazzi Tragedies of a Ridiculous Man" (Press release). Museum of Modern Art. 5 December 2018.
  11. ^ "La mazurka del barone, della santa e del fico fiorone (The Mazurka of the Baron, the Saint and the Florentine Fig Tree). 1975. Directed by Pupi Avati". MoMA. Associated Press. December 2018. Retrieved 11 March 2019.