Little Known Spaghetti Western actors ~ Giulietta De Riso

[These daily posts will cover little known actors or people that have appeared in more recent films and TV series. Various degrees of information that I was able to find will be given and anything that you can add would be appreciated.]

Giulietta De Riso was born on July 16, 1898, in Smyrna, Turkey, Ottoman Empire. She was the elder sister of the screenwriter Arpad De Riso and a relative of the actors Alfonso, Camillo, and Giuseppe De Riso.

De Riso made her debut as a film actress in 1911 at the age of thirteen with short films produced by Arturo Ambrosio for Ambrosio Film alongside Giuseppe De Riso. She mostly played supporting parts at Ambrosio.

From 1913, De Riso also acted in features at Ambrosio, among which the 1913 film “Mater Dolorosa”, starring Mary Cléo Tarlarini. In 1914-1915, Enrico Novelli, son of actor Ermete Novelli and using the pseudonym of Yambo, cast De Riso in several films such as “L'eredità della laguna” (1914) and “Fiorenza mia!” (1915).

In 1917 De Riso was one of the actors in the D'Annunzio adaptation “La crociata degli innocenti” by Alessandro Blasetti, Gino Rossetti and Alberto Traversa in 1917, also with Bianca Virginia Camagni and Luigi Serventi. This debut of Blasetti as film director, nowadays a lost film, has a bizarre plot scripted by Gabriele D'Annunzio, after his stage play.

Giuletta appeared in twenty-two films between 1911 and 1957.

In the 1920s De Riso then concentrated on her stage performances. She was part of the company of Luigi Almirante, with Italia Almirante and Tullio Carminati.

In 1928 she founded her own company with Memo Benassi. During the sound era De Riso's film presence was sporadic; she only appeared in four films between 1934 and 1957. Her role as Isabella Pietramelara is relevant in the first sound version of “Il cardinale Lambertini/Cardinal Lambertini” by Parsifal Bassi in 1934 which starred Ermete Zacconi.

Giulietta De Riso appeared in one Euro-western “Il bersaglio vivente” (The Human Target) as Lucy in 1913.

De RISO, Giulietta [7/16/1898, Smyrna, Turkey, Ottoman Empire – 4/17/1988, Rome, Lazio, Italy] – theater, film, radio, actress, sister of writer Arpad De Riso [1909-1983].

The Human Target – 1913 (Lucy)