Eduardo De Filippo - Neapolitan dramatist
Playwright captured essence of city's spirit
One of Italy’s greatest dramatists, Eduardo De Filippo, died on this day in 1984 in Rome at the age of 84. An actor and film director as well as a playwright, De Filippo – often referred to simply as Eduardo – is most remembered as the author of a number of classic dramas set in his native Naples in the 1940s that continue to be performed today. Arguably the most famous of these was Filomena Marturano, upon which was based the hit movie Marriage, Italian Style, which starred Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni under the direction of Vittorio de Sica. De Filippo’s other memorable works included Napoli Milionaria, Le voci di dentro and Sabato, domenica e lunedi. All of these plays showcased De Filippo’s ability to capture the essence of life in Naples in his time, particularly in the working class neighbourhoods that he felt were the beating heart of the city. Read more…
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Angelo Rizzoli – publisher
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Rags to riches story of an editorial entrepreneur
Printer, publisher and film producer Angelo Rizzoli was born on this day in 1889 in Milan. Rizzoli was orphaned very young and grew up in poverty, but by the time he was in his 20s he had become an entrepreneur. He was brought up in the orphanage of Martinitt in Milan, which had been founded in the 16th century in Via Manzoni for orphaned and abandoned Roman Catholic boys. It was there that he learnt the trade of a printer. Along with another trained print worker, and using his savings for the downpayment on a Linotype machine, he opened a typographical firm under the name of A. Rizzoli & C. in Via Cerva in Milan in 1911. The company was later to evolve into the publishing giant, RCS MediaGroup. Rizzoli acquired Novella magazine, a bi-weekly aimed mainly at women and went on to add new publications, such as Annabella, Bertoldo, Candido, Omnibus, Oggi and L’Europeo. Read more…
Galileo Ferraris - electrical engineer
Pioneer of alternating current (AC) systems
The physicist and electrical engineer Galileo Ferraris, who was one of the pioneers of the alternating current (AC) system for transmitting electricity and invented the first alternators and induction motors, was born on this day in 1847 in Piedmont. The AC system was a vital element in the development of electricity as a readily-available source of power in that it made it possible to transport electricity economically and efficiently over long distances. Ferraris did not benefit financially from his invention, which is still the basis of induction motors in use today. Another scientist, the Serbian-born Nikola Tesla, patented the device after moving to the United States to work for the Edison Corporation. Tesla had been working simultaneously on creating an induction motor but there is evidence that Ferraris probably developed his first. Read more…
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Bud Spencer – swimmer-turned-actor
Competed at two Olympics before turning to screen career
The actor known as Bud Spencer was born Carlo Pedersoli on this day in 1929 in Naples. He was best known for the series of so-called spaghetti westerns and comedies he made with another Italian-born actor, Terence Hill. Hill was from Venice and his real name was Mario Girotti. They began their partnership in 1967 in a spaghetti western directed by Giuseppe Colizzi called God Forgives…I Don’t! and were asked to change their names so that they would sound more American. Pedersoli came up with Bud Spencer because his movie idol was Spencer Tracy and his favourite American beer was Budweiser. The two would go on to make 18 movies together, with westerns such as Ace High (1968) and They Call Me Trinity (1970) winning them box office success. As Carlo Pedersoli, he had already achieved a measure of fame as a swimmer. Read more…
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Book of the Day: De Filippo Four Plays: The Local Authority; Grand Magic; Filumena Marturano; Napoli Milionaria by Eduardo De Filippo. Translated by Carlo Ardito.
Eduardo de Filippo was a Neapolitan actor, playwright, screenwriter, author and poet. His best known works include Napoli Milionaria, Filumena and Sabato, domenica e lunedì (Saturday, Sunday and Monday). Carlo Ardito is a playwright, adaptor and translator whose work has been performed on stage and BBC radio in Britain, and throughout the English-speaking world.
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