"Life is a show“, he said Elio Pandolfi. And he, an artist with many talents, truly crossed all genres. Actor, singer, one of the greatest Italian voice actors with over 500 films to his credit (and also the voice of Stanlio from the duo Laurel & Hardy), passed away this night in his Roman home at 95 years old.
According to his own wishes, his family has announced that there will be no funeral. He leaves behind an adopted son, Orioles Christmas, but above all, remember the director today Strabioli pine, "with him goes one of the last of that generation of actors who had done everything, from prose to revue"
Born in Rome on June 17, 1926, the third of four children of Saturno, custodian of the Vincenzo Gioberti Technical Institute in the historic center, Pandolfi had begun to show his eclecticism since he was still wearing shorts.I didn't ask for anything, but God gave me so many talents.“, he enjoyed telling.
His first supporter, mother Mary who immediately understood how different that son was from the others, always busy inventing comedies, organizing plays. The first time on stage, in 1940, with an operetta, To the little white horse, in the parish theatre. “I felt like a born actor. It wasn't a choice. I absolutely had to be an actor. At all costs.“, he said.
His professional career began shortly after, with his diploma at the National Academy of Dramatic Arts in Rome, his debut in Venice in 1948 as a mime-dancer in The Misfortunes of Orpheus di Milhaud and finally the entrance with Orazio Costa al Piccolo teatro of Rome and the meeting with Garinei and Giovannini, introduced by the friend Bice Values, who sign him up for The car transporter and, further on, for Hallelujah good people!.
These are the golden years of musical theatre and Pandolfi acts with Wanda Osiris, with Nino Manfredi o Carlo Giuffre. Luchino Visconti chooses him for the role of the castrated singer of The impresario of Smyrna together with Rina Morelli.
Always ready to laugh, as well as the right Roman twist, the clean and brilliant voice, the general public remembers him above all for the many years as a couple with Antonella Steni, with which he made his operetta debut The Comedians' Boat, but he also made many radio broadcasts, such as Extremely light-hearted together with Alighiero Noschese; for the great variety shows that kept everyone at home, like Studio One to Mina; is The happy widow, which since its debut in 1985 at the San Carlo in Naples will always remain one of his signature songs.
Among the films, not many, in which he acted, especially in the 50s, there is Excuse me! di Mario Costa but also a cult like Totò folds or doubles? di Camillo Mastrocinque.
"And of all this – says Strabioli – he was a true living memory: he remembered everything, every meeting with Wanda Osiris and that world that no longer exists today. He had always filmed everything. He had an archive full of images of Panelli, Mastroianni, Bice Valori".
In 2016 comes the Silver Ribbon for Lifetime Achievement for the documentary dedicated to him Some people will like it, Directed by Catherine Taricano e Claudio DePasqualis.
"But maybe – adds Strabioli – he was little recognized and honored. He always scolded me: 'on TV you dedicated a special to everyone except me'. Rai's laziness".
"The entertainment world mourns today the loss of one of its great protagonists“, the Minister of Culture now joins in, Dario Franceschini.
The last time on stage, in 2019 in Rome in “I remember"With Riccardo Castagnari and the direction of Paul Silvestrini, in which Pandolfi retraced those golden years in his own way. Because, as he said, “there is no one who had fun with me".
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