Delia Scala
Scala in 1963
Born
Odette Bedogni

(1929-07-25)25 July 1929
Bracciano, Lazio, Italy
Died15 January 2004(2004-01-15) (aged 74)
Livorno, Tuscany, Italy
NationalityItalian
Occupations
  • Actress
  • singer
  • dancer
Delia Scala, 1951
Delia Scala, 1950

Delia Scala (born Odette Bedogni; 25 September 1929 – 15 January 2004) was an Italian ballerina, actress and singer who played a leading role in the nascent commedia musicale.[1]

Career

Scala was born as Odette Bedogni in Bracciano, Lazio, Italy. When she was a young girl, her family moved to Milan where she studied ballet at "La Scala" Ballet School for seven years.[2] She performed in numerous ballets until World War II, after which she began appearing in motion pictures using the stage name, Delia Scala. These include Difficult Years (Anni difficili, 1948), Side Street Story (Napoli milionaria, 1950), Rome 11:00 (Roma ore 11, 1952), Touchez pas au grisbi (1954), Gentlemen Are Born (Signori si nasce, 1960).

In 1954 Delia made her theatre debut with Giove in doppiopetto (Double-breasted Jupiter). The show is considered the first "Commedia musicale", an italian musical genre created by playwrights Pietro Garinei and Sandro Giovannini with the collaboration of the musician and songwriter Gorni Kramer. Scala later starred in Buonanotte Bettina (Goodnight Bettina, 1956) with Walter Chiari, L'adorabile Giulio (The Adorable Giulio, 1957) with Carlo Dapporto, Un trapezio per Lisistrata (A Trapeze for Lisistrata, 1958) with Nino Manfredi and Paolo Panelli, Delia Scala Show (1960), Rinaldo in campo (Rinaldo into the Field, 1961) with Domenico Modugno, My Fair Lady (1964) with Gianrico Tedeschi and Mario Carotenuto, and Il giorno della tartaruga (The Day of the Turtle, 1965) with Renato Rascel.

In 1956 Scala appeared in the TV show Lui e Lei (Him and Her, 1956) with Nino Taranto. In 1959–60 she co-hosted Canzonissima with Nino Manfredi and Paolo Panelli.

After twelve consecutive years of performances in Italy and Europe, Scala began to experience fatigue. In 1965, at the height of her success (she had received offers from Broadway), she suddenly decided to drop out from live performances. In 1966 she married and temporarily retired to spend time with her family.

In 1968 Scala made a comeback with Delia Scala Story, a show written by Garinei and Giovannini. This was followed in 1970 by the very successful Signore e signora (Mr. and Madame) with Lando Buzzanca. After a nine-year break, she starred in the show Che combinazione (What a Coincidence) alongside Don Lurio.

From 1980 to 1983, Scala conceived and hosted the show Una rosa per la Vita (A Rose for Life) to raise funds to support cancer prevention and research at the Bussoladomani arena in Lido di Camaiore, together with Raimondo Vianello and Sandra Mondaini, .

In 1982 Scala returned to television with the RAI fiction Casa Cecilia (Cecilia's Home), where she performed for three seasons. Her final TV role was in the sitcom Io e la mamma, (Mum and I) aired between 1996 and 1998 on Canale 5.[3]

Personal life

Scala achieved great professional success, but her personal life was marred by misfortune and tragedy. In 1946, at the age 17, she married a Greek military officer who had come to Italy to join the partisan forces in the fight against the Nazi-fascists. They separated two years later, and she got the marriage voided in 1956.

During the mid-1950s Scala was engaged with Formula One race car driver Eugenio Castellotti. He died in 1957 when his Ferrari crashed while attempting a speed record at the Modena race track.[4]

In 1967 she married Piero Giannotti.The marriage lasted until 1982 when Giannotti died of a heart attack while cycling along the beach in Viareggio. She married a third time in 1985 with industrialist Arturo Fremura. The marriage ended with her husband's death of liver cancer in 2001.[5]

In 1974 Delia Scala was diagnosed with breast cancer, and underwent a radical mastectomy. Although she appeared to have made a full recovery, in 2002 she was struck again with the same illness. Scala died in 2004 in Livorno, Tuscany. She rests in the Cimitero della Misericordia in Livorno.

At the time of her death, Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi called her a "model of enthusiasm and rigorous professionalism" and said he rated her among "the most beloved and popular artists in the history of Italian entertainment".

Credits

Stage

Year Show Role(s) Notes
1937 La Boutique fantasque Dancer Teatro alla Scala, April 1937
The Sleeping Beauty Dancer Teatro alla Scala, October 1937
1940 Zazà Dufresne's daughter Teatro alla Scala, April 1940
1954 Giove in doppiopetto Lia Teatro Lirico, September 1954
1956 Buonanotte Bettina Bettina Teatro Alfieri, November–December 1956
1957 The Tempest Ariel Palazzo Giusti, July 1957
L'adorabile Giulio Penny Teatro Sistina, November 1957
1958 Un trapezio per Lisistrata Lisistrata Teatro Sistina, October 1958
1961 Delia Scala Show Herself Teatro Biondo, March 1961
Rinaldo in campo Angelica Teatro Alfieri, September 1961
1963 My Fair Lady Eliza Doolittle Teatro Nuovo, November 1963
1964 Il giorno della tartaruga Maria / Maria's mother / Federica Teatro Sistina, October 1964

Film

Year Title Role(s) Notes
1943 Principessina Classmate Cameo appearance
1947 Difficult Years Elena
1948 L'eroe della strada Giulietta Marchi
1949 Ti ritroverò Maria Riva
1950 How I Discovered America Lisa
Side Street Story Maria Rosaria
A Dog's Life Vera
The Cliff of Sin Anna
1951 Beauties on Bicycles Delia
Song of Spring Rosetta
Cameriera bella presenza offresi… Wife Cameo appearance
Auguri e figli maschi! Silvana Sostacchini
The Steamship Owner Herself Although playing herself, she's the lead actress
Messalina Cinzia
Appointment for Murder Silvia Pietrangeli
1952 I'm the Hero Silvia
Rome 11:00 Angelina
The Dream of Zorro Estrella
Giovinezza Tamara
Ragazze da marito Gabriella
The Flame Teresa Derrieux
1953 Matrimonial Agency Mitzi
Gioventù alla sbarra Franca
Viva il cinema! Palmina
Cavalcade of Song Titina Segment: "Io cerco la Titina"
1954 Public Opinion Lauretta
Di qua, di là del Piave Angiolina Segment: "Angiolina, bella Angiolina"
Gran varietà The Dancer Segment: "Il fine dicitore"
Cañas y barro Marieta
Before the Deluge Josette
Touchez pas au grisbi Hughette
My Seven Little Sins Luisella
1955 Magic Village Agatina
1956 Goubbiah, mon amour Trinida
1960 Terror in Oklahoma Betsabea
Gentlemen Are Born Patrizia
I Teddyboys della canzone Delia Amato
Madri pericolose Maura Ornano
Le olimpiadi dei mariti Delia Final film role

Television

Year Title Role(s) Notes
1956 Lui e lei Herself / co-host Talk show
1959–1960 Canzonissima Herself / Host Variety/musical show (season 2)
1961 La padrona di Raggio di Luna Marta Gray Television movie
1968 Delia Scala Story Herself / Host Variety show
1970 Signore e signora Herself / Host Variety show
1972 Colazione allo studio sette Herself / Host Variety show
1975 Tanto piacere Herself / Guest Talk show
1978–1979 Che combinazione Herself / Host Variety show (season 1)
1982–1987 Casa Cecilia Cecilia Lead role
1987 Telegatto 1987 Herself / Host Annual ceremony
1997–1998 Io e la mamma Delia, the mother Co-lead role (final television role)

Radio

Year Title Role(s) Notes
1972 The Mistress of the Inn Mirandolina Radio poscast

References

  1. "Delia Scala, ballerina, actress and star of early Italian television dies at 74". AP Worldstream. (15 January 2004). Retrieved 5 July 2015.
  2. Delia Scala. Variety (20 January 2004). Retrieved 5 July 2015.
  3. "Delia, la soubrette della porta accanto – Il Piccolo". Archivio – Il Piccolo (in Italian). Retrieved 27 September 2019.
  4. "Eugenio Castellotti: Con le corse nel sangue" (in Italian). archivio.unita.news. 2 January 2013. Retrieved 9 September 2019. Nei primi mesi del 1957 il nome di Castellotti compare sui giornali non-per le sue imprese sportive, ma per la sua discussa relazione con la soubrette Delia Scala
  5. "Delia Scala". IMDb. Retrieved 27 September 2019.
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