Italian postcard by Ed. A. Traldi, Milano, no. 383. Photo: Badodi, Milano. This postcard was mailed in 1922.
Italian postcard, no. 130. Photo: Vettori, Bologna.
Italian postcard. Photo: Vettori, Bologna.
A famous and long-lived dynasty of Italian actors
Alfonsina Pieri was born in Rome, Italy, in 1880. She was born into a famous and long-lived dynasty of Italian actors.
In the early 20th century, she became a theatre actress and participated in the premiere of Gabriele d'Annunzio's tragedy 'La nave' in 1908, which proved to be a great success.
Alfonsina Pieri was the 'first actress' in the prose company of her husband Amedeo Chiantoni, which he had founded in 1912. Chiantoni was also born into a dynasty of actors.
She appeared in several films of the silent period. Pieri began in 1913 with two films at Film d'Arte Italiana, the Italian branch of Pathé Frères: La rinunzia / The Renunciation (Ugo Falena, 1913) and L'intrusa / The Intruder (?, 1913). In both films, she co-starred with Ettore Berti.
In 1915 Pieri played at Sabaudo Film in Debito di sangue / Blood Debt (Salvatore Aversano, 1915), with Pina Fabbri and Lina Millefleurs.
Spanish cromo (collector card) by Chocolate Imperiale, no. 4 of 6. Photo: Sabaudo Film / Spanish distr. J. Verdaguer. Diana Karenne (left), Alfonsina Pieri and Umberto Casilini in Lea (Diana Karenne, Salvatore Aversano, 1916).
Spanish cromo (collector card) by Chocolate Imperiale, no. 5 of 6. Photo: Sabaudo Film / Spanish distr. J. Verdaguer. Possibly Umberto Casilini and Alfonsina Pieri in Lea (Diana Karenne, Salvatore Aversano, 1916). The two could also be Teresa Boetti-Valvassura (the Duchess) and Roberto Vilani (Duke of Baiamonte), as indeed Pieri seems to look different. The little boy could be instead a girl actress, Carmen Varriale, who plays little Peppino in the film.
Italian postcard by Sacchetti, Bologna. Photo: Vettori, Bologna.
The female antagonist of Diana Karenne
Alfonsina Pieri acted opposite Ruggero Lupi and her husband, Amedeo Chiantoni, in Il ciclone / The Cyclone (Eugenio Perego, 1916). In the same year, she was the female antagonist of Diana Karenne in Lea (Salvatore Aversano, Diana Karenne, 1916), again produced by Sabaudo Film.
Pieri's last film was an Italian version of Mister Wu (unknown director, 1920), based on the famous play by Harold Owen and Harry M. Vernon. Pieri again acted opposite her husband and this time also opposite Marcello Giorda.
From the beginning of the 1930s, she was present in radio plays for Ente Italiano per le Audizioni Radiofoniche (EIAR), and later in those of RAI, as part of the Compagnia di Radio Roma.
In the 1950s, she was part of the Compagnia del Teatro delle Muse in Rome, directed by Carlo Tamberlani. A few plays from the 1955 season would also be programmed on television, again directed by Tamberlani.
Alfonsina Pieri died in Milan, Italy, in 1959. Pieri and Amedeo Chiantoni were the parents of actor Renato Chiantoni (1906-1979). Her sister-in-law was the actress Giannina Chiantoni.
Italian postcard, no. 32. Photo: Vettori, Bologna.
Italian postcard. Photo: Vettori, Bologna.
Italian postcard, no. 18. Photo: Badodi, Milano. Amedeo Chiantoni.
Sources: Wikipedia (Italian) and IMDb.
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