Biography of Laura Betti

1 may 1927 31 July 2004 Laura Betti, born Laura Trombetti, was an Italian singer and actress in both theatrical and cinematic. With a mind blowing and an unusual voice, low and Husky, became famous to the general public for the relationship, both human and professional, who tied her up to the writer and filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini for which, during his long career, he starred in many films. But in addition to having worked with the poet of "Scritti Corsari", Bailey is known in Italy, and not only, for starring in films such as "La dolce vita" graduate of Fellini, "in the name of the father" and "Sbatti il mostro in prima pagina" by Marco Bellocchio, "the Seagull" by Anton Chekhov and "Novecento" by Bernardo Bertolucci.

His debut as a singer

The daughter of a lawyer and grandson of the famous linguist Alfredo Trombetti, Laura Betti was born in Casalecchio di Reno (Bologna) on 1 may 1927 and took his first steps in show business as a singer of jazz tunes. After a brief stint in Cabaret with Walter Chiari, in 1955 he debuted in theater playing a part in "the Crucible" by Arthur Miller, directed by the celebrated Director of "Il Gattopardo" Luchino Visconti. A performance degree, that of Laura Betti, followed by parts, increasingly important in other plays such as: "Le Cid" by Pierre Corneille ", starred with Enrico Maria Salerno, and" seven deadly sins "from Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill. At first theatrical experiences, follows, in 1960, a recital of songs, titled "Round in circles", during which the young Laura Betti performs in the interpretation of songs inspired some celebrated literary texts to Buzzati, Italo Calvino, Flaiano, Bassani, Moravia and Pasolini. Performance, the latter, which turns out to be for her an important stepping stone. In fact, after seeing the opera while he played his songs, Pier Paolo Pasolini decides to have her by his side as a companion, in a duo of storytellers, to sing "The Ballad of Brecht s poor man", a work that marks the episodes of the tv series "all over again, poor man," directed by Eros Macchi, and faithfully adapted from the novel "and" little man, what now? "by Hans Fallada.

The blockbusters

Once it becomes popular, Laura Betti was first directed by Pasolini, as an actress in the film "La ricotta" (episode of the collective film ro. Go. Pa. G., which collected the small by four different directors: Rossellini, Godard, Pasolini, Gregoretti), during the filming of which plays Sonia, a self-centered and snobbish movie star. In 1968, after starring in the play "Orgy" and in the movie "Teorema," directed by Pasolini, won the Volpi Cup for best actress at the Venice Film Festival. In the same year published his LP,Powerful Lady"u", containing a set of songs, all written by his inseparable friend and colleague Pasolini, among which the famous "Waltz" patch, later engraved by Gabriella Ferri. From 1972 to 1995 is still the undisputed star of the big screen with magisterial interpretations in movies like: Bernardo Bertolucci's "last tango in Paris" (1975, with Marlon Brando) "the Canterbury Tales" by Pasolini (1974), "Allonsanfàn" by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani (1974), "private vices, public pleasures" by Miklós Jancsó (1975), "journey with Anita" by Mario Monicelli (1975), "Candy from a stranger" by Franco Ferrini (1987) "The great pumpkin" by Francesca Archibugi (1993) and "ordinary hero" by Michele Placido (1995). His last film appearance instead of 2002 when, directed by Mimmo Calopresti, plays the role of a nun in the film "La felicità non costa niente".

Pasolini: a friend never forgotten

In 1980, in honor of its greatest friend and collaborator (tragically murdered in Ostia on November 2, 1975), he founded and directed the Pasolini Fund. In fact, what binds Laura Betti poet is not a simple relationship, but a real act of faith and devotion. The same writer describes it as "a tragic Marlene, a true Garbo with above the face mask unalterable of blonde chicken." A beautiful and emotionally charged phrase to underscore the fact that Bailey was actually an amiable and likeable besides that, probably because of its origins of Emilia, a very excellent cook. In 1996, after bringing forward masterfully the activities of the Fund, the actress manages to arrange and put in scene a recital of poems and texts on such issues to which decides to give the title: "a desperate vitality". In 2003, after acquiring all the material collected by the actress in Rome by Pier Paolo Pasolini Archive study center in Bologna, where he was transferred to the headquarters of the Fund, Laura Betti begins to have many frictions, precisely because of that choice, with the administration of his adopted city, Rome, where it turns itself off, after a life of ups and downs at the age of 77 years, July 31, 2004. The actress rests, to his own will, the Certosa Cemetery in Bologna, in the family plot.
Article contributed by the team of collaborators.