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Erminio Macario | |
---|---|
![]() Macario in the movie Il chiromante | |
Born | Turin, Kingdom of Italy | 27 May 1902
Died | 25 March 1980 Turin, Italy | (aged 77)
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1933–1975 |
Spouses |
Giulia Dardanelli
(m. 1938; died 1980) |
Children | Alberto (1943) Mauro (1947) |
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.
Born 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]