Remembering Silvio Bagolini

Silvio Bagolini was born on August 4, 1914 in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. Silvio was an eclectic character actor in Italian movies, the theater and television, he obtained his baccalaureate and joined the faculty of architecture without achieving a degree. Passionate about acting, he had the opportunity to play the lead role in the experimental film “Verde nei prati” in 1934, in a competition organized by the Cineguf of Bologna .

 

He abandoned the university and moved to Rome to attend the new Experimental Center of Cinematography. His debut happened when he was 22 years old, in 1936, with the film “La danza delle lancette” by Mario Baffico. From then, until the early 1970s he appeared in a number of films, becoming one of the most well-known and appreciated character actors of Italian cinema.

 

Because of his unique and original physiognomy - his face stretched from sunken cheeks and his pronounced chin are difficult to forget – certainly he was not good looking or handsome, yet he became the ideal actor in the role of shy men, bachelors and was often in trouble with the opposite sex but almost never negative. Bagolini was in possession of a very unique voice which was highlighted alongside some of the best comedians in Italian film history, from Toto to Alberto Sordi, Ugo Tognazzi to Walter Chiari, Erminio Macario to Carlo Dapporto and with Franco Franchi and Ciccio Ingrassia.

 

But he also worked with Massimo Girotti, Amedeo Nazzari, Gino Cervi, Roberto Villa, Vittorio De Sica and Marcello Mastroianni; where he was co-actor in several films, one of which was “Un ettaro di cielo” in 1959. Silvio went on to appear in thirteeen Euro-westerns from “Buffalo Bill in Rome” in 1949 to “Judge Roy Bean” in 1971.

 

Bagolini also appeared on television in several dramas - curiously along with Paolo Ferrari and Sergio Tofano who will take part in the film “Il giornalino di Gian Burrasca” (1964) after which, in 1943 , all 3 had appeared in the film “Gian Burrasca”.

 

He married Adele Conca in 1941, nut never neglected his teenage passion for art which he devoted himself to painting and sculpture, and participated in various exhibitions.

 

He retired from show business a few years before his death on September 26, 1976 in his hometown of Bolonga where he was the director of a spinning mill.

 

Today we remember Silvio Bagolini on what would have been his 100^th birthday.