Biographical Details on Boys' Clothing Styles: Marcello Mastroianni (Italy, 1924-96)


Figure 1.--The class picture here is undated, but looks to hav been taken about 1935. A HBC reader indicates that this is an origional photograph from an Italian school that Marcello Mastroianni attended. It is unmistakable which boy he is (5th from left, top row).

Marcello Mastroianni is one of the most famous Italian actors. We have littl information about his childhood clothes, but do know he wore smocks to school as was common in Italy during the 1930s. He is one of the few male Italian actors to avhieve the same international recognition of female statrs like Sophia Loren and Gina Lollobrigida. He appeared in over 80 films, including some of the best known Italian films. He became the prototype Latin lover in Italian movies.

Parents


Childhood

Marcello was born in Fontana Liras, Frosinone, in 1924. His family moved to Turin soon after he was born. They later moved to Rome.

Education

The class picture here is undated, but looks to hav been taken about 1935. A HBC reader indicates that this is an origional photograph from an Italian school that Marcello Mastroianni attended. It is unmistakable which one he is (5th from left, top row). The boys all wear smocks, probably light blue, with white collars and bows. Almost all the boys wear short pants. Mastroianni later studied in the School (Faculty) of Economy and Commerce at the University Center Teatrale.

World War II

While still in school he worked as a teenage extra in films like "The iron crown" (1941), of Blasetti and "The children watch us" (1943) of De Sica. When the Germans seized control of Italy, he was sent to a German prison camp. He escaped and hid in Venice.

Career

He was noticed by Luchino Visconti in a drama club and obtained parts. He started working for the Italian department of Lion Films in 1945. His first credited role was "I Miserabili" (1947). The film was a great success and Mastroianni was soon cast as a leading man in a string of successful movies like "Cronache di poveri amanti" (1954) and "La Bella mugnaia" (1955). Visconti in 1957 cast Mastroianni in the starring role in the Dostoyevski adaptation "Le Notti bianche" (1957) and in next played thief in Mario Monicelli's comedy "I Soliti ignoti" (1958). It was in 1960 that Mastroianni became a major star. Federico Fellini cast him as a weary, amoral reporter following Rome's jet-set in "La Dolce Vita" (1960). This was perhaps the best known Italian film of all time. The movie is perhaps the most famous depiction of the "Latin lover" role. He did not, however, want to be cast type. He would take roles playing passive and sensitive men. He did several other important films with Fellini. He was Fellini's favorite leading man and they movies together for over 20 years. Their last film was "Intervista" (1987). Two of Mastroianni's best known films after "La Dolce Vita" were "Divorse-Italian Style" (1962) and Visconti's adaptation of Albert Camus's "The Stranger" (1967). He also played several middle-aged roles during the 1980s.

Death

Mastroianni dird in 1996 at his home in Paris.






Christopher Wagner






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Created: September 12, 2001
Last updated: September 13, 2001