Armando Falconi

Armando Falconi (1871-1954) was an Italian stage and screen actor. Though he was foremost a theatre actor, he had a prolific career as a comedian in the 1930s and early 1940s Italian cinema.


Italian postcard by Ed. G. Vettori, Bologna. Cav. (Cavaliere) A. Falconi.


Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano in the Cines-Pittaluga series, no. 42. Photo: Cines-Pittaluga. Armando Falconi (the man with the bandage) as Count Armando, and possibly left Giuseppe Pierozzi as the little creditor and Arturo Falconi as Armando's best friend Paolino in Patatrac (Gennaro Righelli, 1931).


Italian postcard, no. 55. Photo: Cines-Pittaluga, Roma. Armando Falconi in Rubacuori (Guido Brignone, 1931). The woman is probably Grazia Del Rio.


Italian postcard, even if with French written captions, no. 26. Photo: Prod. Cines-Pittaluga. Diomira Jacobini and Armando Falconi in L'ultima avventura (Mario Camerini 1932).


Italian postcard. Photo: Stella Film / Distribuzione I.C.I. Primo Carnera and Armando Falconi in the film comedy La nascita di Salomè/The Birth of Salome (Jean Choux, 1940). The back of the card offers a referendum on the two endings of the film, to be sent to the company Stella Film, Via Vittorio Veneto 116 in Rome.


Italian postcard by S.A. Grafitalia, Milano (Milan), no. 10. Photo: Film Lux. Armando Falconi as Don Abbondio in I Promessi Sposi/The Spirit and the Flesh (Mario Camerini, 1941).

Duelling with a reporter

Armando Falconi was born in Rome, Italy in 1871. Falconi followed in his parents’ footsteps: his father Pietro Falconi was first an actor then a company leader, while his mother Adelaide Negri was also an actress. His brother Arturo Falconi was a dramatic actor but had less success than the rest of the family.

At 23, Armando was enrolled in a Neapolitan theatre company. He fared particularly well as a comic actor and was asked to play in many comedies. During a tour in Hungary, Falconi fell in love with his cousin Tina Di Lorenzo, one of the greatest stage actresses of her time.

After duelling with a reporter who had offended her, Falconi married Di Lorenzo in 1901. Their bond was also professional, as they often performed together.

The couple appeared together in short silent films such as La scintilla/The Spark (Eleuterio Rodolfi, 1915) with Oreste Bilancia, and La bella mamma/The Beautiful Mother (1915). They had a son, Dino Falconi (1902-1990), who would become a scriptwriter and film director.

Between 1905 and 1912, Falconi had his own theatre company. Famous stage parts of Falconi were Falstaff in William Shakespeare’s play 'The Merry Wives of Windsor', Peachum in 'The Beggar’s Opera' by John Gay, and Leone in 'Addio Giovinezza' by Sandro Camasio and Nino Oxilia.


Italian postcard by NPC, no. 19. Photo: Varischi Artico & Co., Milano. Armando Falconi and Tina Di Lorenzo.



Italian postcard by Prob. Alterocca, Terni. Commemoration of the marriage of the actors Tina Di Lorenzo and Armando Falconi, in Livorno on 8 and 10 August 1901.


Italian postcard, no. 288. Photo: Badodi.


Italian postcard, no. 289. Photo: Badodi.


Italian postcard by Photo Edizione Bettini, Roma, no. 91. Photo: Riccardo Bettini.


Italian postcard by Edizioni Aperol / Gazzettino di Venezia.

Naive and elderly stealer of hearts

Armando Falconi was a familiar face in Italian films in the 1930s and early 1940s. He was often type-casted as the naive and elderly stealer of hearts. In 1931 Falconi debuted in the film Rubacuori/The Sheik (Guido Brignone, 1931).

That same year, he went to the Paris Paramount studio in Joinville, to act in the Italian version of the multilingual The Devil’s Holiday, La vacanza del Diavolo (Jack Salvatori, 1931). Falconi scripted the film himself.

Afterwards, Falconi had a very prolific career in Italian sound cinema, mostly in comedy. He worked with reputed directors on films like La stella del cinema (Mario Almirante, 1931), La segretaria per tutti (Amleto Palermi, 1933) with Vittorio De Sica, and Joe il Rosso (Raffaello Matarazzo, 1926).

Later films include Felicita Colombo (1937), Don Pasquale (Camillo Mastrocinque, 1940), Il biricchino di papa (Raffaello Matarazzo, 1942), and La locandiera (1943). In I promessi sposi (Mario Camerini, 1941) he played a wise Don Abbondio. Falconi also acted in films directed by foreign directors, such as Cento lettere d’amor (Max Neufeld, 1940) and La nascita di Salomé (Jean Choux, 1940). His son Dino wrote scripts for many films in which his father performed and directed him in Vento di milioni (Dino Falconi, 1940).

In 1943 an accident ruined Armando Falconi’s career: he fell in the Cines studios in Rome and never recovered from this unfortunate event. Afterwards he only rarely reappeared in film. Complicating his condition even more was Parkinon’s disease, which forced him to stay immobile until his death. Armando Falconi died in Milan in 1954. He was 83.


Italian postcard by Stab. Fotografico G.B. Falci, Milano, no. 88. Photo: Production Cines Pittaluga. Armando Falconi and Diomira Jacobini in L'ultima avventura/The last adventure (Mario Camerini, 1932).


Italian postcard. Photo: I.C.A.R. (Generalcine). Nino Taranto and Armando Falconi in the Italian comedy Nonna Felicità (Mario Mattoli, 1938) It was a sequel to the 1937 film Felicità Colombo, again by Mattoli. Taranto played a singer called Nino Senesi, although he looks like a travelling salesman on this card.


Italian postcard. Armando Falconi and Conchita Montenegro in the Italo-Spanish coproduction La nascita di Salome (Jean Choux, 1940), shot in the Cinecittà studios in Rome.


Italian postcard by S.A. Grafitalia, Milano (Milan), no. 3. Photo: Film Lux. Publicity still for I Promessi Sposi/The Spirit and the Flesh (Mario Camerini, 1941). Don Abbondio (Armando Falconi) warns Perpetua (Ines Zacconi) to take the menace seriously and keep her mouth shut.


Italian postcard by Ballerini & Fratini, Firenze, no. 2557. Series Cines-Pittaluga.


Italian postcard by ASER (A. Scarmiglia Edizioni, Roma), no. 207. Photo: Vaselli / Lux.

Sources: MyMovies, Wikipedia (Italian), and IMDb.

This post was last updated on 28 February 2024.

L'ultima avventura (1932)

Diomira Jacobini and Armando Falconi were the stars in the Cines-Pittaluga production of L'ultima avventura/The Last Adventure (Mario Camerini, 1932). The postcards for this early Italian sound film have French-written captions at the backside, but are Italian.


Italian postcard, no. 26. Photo: Prod. Cines-Pittaluga. Diomira Jacobini and Armando Falconi in L'ultima avventura (Mario Camerini, 1932).


Italian postcard, no. 52. Photo: Prod. Cines-Pittaluga. Diomira Jacobini and Armando Falconi in L'ultima avventura (Mario Camerini, 1932).

An old and rich Don Juan

In L'ultima avventura/The Last Adventure (Mario Camerini, 1932), Armando Falconi plays count Armando, an old and rich Don Juan, who hopes to have a final adventure with the charming Lilly (Diomira Jacobini). He takes her on vacation to seaside resort Rapallo, situated on Italy’s Ligurian Coast

When for once in his lifetime Armando is too timid to confess his love, the young woman is courted by a second man of her own age (Carlo Fontana).

When the young man declares his love to Lilly, the young woman leaves the old nobleman, who hesitated too long. The old Don Juan thus lets escape his 'last adventure'.

Jacobini and Falconi had both been stars of the Italian silent cinema. And although Falconi was much older than his female colleague in real life too, he had a longer career in the sound cinema and  starred in films till the late 1940s.

L'ultima avventura/The Last Adventure's sets were designed by the art director Gastone Medin and the photography was done by Ubaldo Arata.


Italian postcard, no. 54. Photo: Prod. Cines-Pittaluga. Diomira Jacobini and Armando Falconi in L'ultima avventura (Mario Camerini, 1932).


Italian postcard, no. 64. Photo: Prod. Cines-Pittaluga. Diomira Jacobini and Carlo Fontana in L'ultima avventura (Mario Camerini, 1932).

Sources: Wikipedia (Italian and English) and IMDb.

Photo by Badodi

Attilio Badodi (1880-1967) was a famous Milanese portrait photographer of the Belle Epoque. His studio became a point of reference for stage and film celebrities who wanted themselves to be portrayed, such as Lyda and Alda Borelli, Antonio Gandusio, and Armando Falconi.


Italian postcard by Fotocelere, Torino, no. 207. Photo: Badodi, Milano.


Italian postcard, no. 319. Photo: Badodi, Milano.


Italian postcard by G. Vettori, Bologna. Photo: Badodi. Sent by mail in 1921.

Lyda Borelli (1887-1959) was already an acclaimed stage actress before she became the first diva of the Italian silent cinema. The fascinating film star caused a craze among female fans called 'Borellismo'.


Italian postcard, no. 303. Photo: A. Badodi, Milano.


Italian postcard, no. 304. Photo A. Badodi, Milano.

Alda Borelli (1879-1964) was an Italian stage and screen actress, who peaked on stage in the 1920s and also acted in a handful of silent films in the 1910s. She was the sister of Italian film diva Lyda Borelli.


Italian postcard by Ed. A. Traldi, Milano, no. 32. Photo: Badodi, Milano.


Italian postcard, no. 294. Photo: Badodi.

Antonio Gandusio (1873-1951) was an Italian stage and screen actor, who had a rich career in the 1930s and 1940s Italian cinema.


Italian postcard, no. 288. Photo: Badodi.


Italian postcard, no. 289. Photo: Badodi.

Armando Falconi (1871-1954) was an Italian stage and screen actor. Though he was foremost a theatre actor and comedian, he had a prolific career as a comedian in Italian cinema of the 1930s and early 1940s.

His studio became a point of reference for stage celebrities

Attilio Badodi was born in Reggio Emilia, in 1880. He learned the techniques and tricks of the photographic trade from an uncle who was a photographer.

At the age of 22, he moved to Milan, wherein 1908 he opened a photo studio in Via Brera, 5. Quite soon he became a well-known studio photographer.

He was so enthusiastic about the world of art and the stage, that soon his studio became a point of reference for stage celebrities who wanted themselves to be portrayed, such as Lyda Borelli and her sister Alda Borelli, Antonio Gandusio, and Armando Falconi. Many of his actors' portraits circulated as postcards as well.

Then, all the famous actors and actresses and the people from the Milanese beau monde - aristocracy, artists, musicians, politicians - had themselves photographed in his studio

In 1922 Badodi participated in the Prima Esposizione Internazionale di Fotografia (First International Exhibition on Photography) in Turin and he was a reporter for Illustrazione Italiana, but he is most remembered for his portraits.

When in the 1960s the vogue for photo portraits was over, he quitted. Attilio Badodi passed away in 1967.


Italian postcard by Ed. A. Vettori, Bologna. Photo: Badodi, Milano. Prob. 1920s.

Emma Gramatica (1874-1965) was not only a ‘monstre sacré’ of the Italian stage but she also played many old ladies in the Italian sound cinema of the 1930s to the 1950s.


Italian postcard by Ed. A. Traldi, Milano, no. 913. Photo: Badodi, Milano.

Nella Regini was not a film actress, but one of the most famous stars of the Italian operetta during the 1920s. She was the star in the operettas of Carlo Lombardo, 'king' of the Italian operetta in the late 1910s and 1920s. Examples are 'Scugnizza' (1922), 'Nel paese dei campanelli' (1923), 'Lunapark' (1924), and 'Primarosa' (1926). In the late 1920s, she had her own operetta company and performed in operettas such as 'Cri-Cri' ((1929) and 'Lo Zarevich' (1929).


Italian postcard, no. 186. Photo: Badodi, Milano.


Italian postcard, no. 504. Photo: Badodi, Milano.

Italian actress Maria Melato (1885-1950) appeared in the theatre, on radio and in the cinema. Her films included Ritorno/Return (1914), Anna Karenina (1917) and Il volo degli aironi/The flight of the herons (1920). Unfortunately, all her films are considered lost.


Italian postcard. Photo: Badodi.

Angelo Musco (1872–1937) was an Italian stage and screen actor. He was known for his comic abilities as well as for his carefully drawn psychological portraits.


Italian postcard, no. 510. Photo Badodi, Milano.

Giovanni Grasso (1873-1930) was an Italian stage and screen actor. While he goes as the best Sicilian tragic actor and one of the best in Italy, he also had a limited but very important career in Italian silent cinema.


Italian postcard, no. 301. Photo: Badodi, Milano.

Dina Galli (1877-1951) was a classic Italian comedienne who also performed in Italian silent and sound cinema.


Italian postcard by Ed. A. Traldi, Milano, no. 535. Photo: Badodi, Milano.

Paola Borboni was one of the greatest stage actresses of Italy (1900-1995). She also played in many films. She was often heard on the radio and seen on television, but her true passion was the stage.


Italian postcard, no. 17. Photo: Badodi, Milano.

Annibale Betrone (1883-1950) was an Italian film, stage, and radio actor.


Italian postcard by Edizioni A. Traldi, Milano, no. 2. Photo: A. Badodi, Milano.

Tullio Carminati (1895-1971) was an Italian stage and film actor with a longstanding career from the 1910s to the 1960s. He played in Italian, German, American, British, and French films and on Italian, American, and British stages.


Italian postcard, no. 57. Photo: Badodi, Milano.

Ermete Zacconi (1857-1948) was a monstre sacré of the Italian theater. He also acted in various Italian silent and sound films.


Italian postcard. Photo: Badodi, Milano. Sent by mail in 1927.

Vera Vergani (1894-1989) was an Italian stage and film actress. She not only performed in the first stagings of Luigi Pirandello’s plays but in 1916-1921 she also knew a career as an actress in Italian silent cinema.


Italian postcard by Ed. Traldi, Milano, no. 583. Photo: Badodi, Milano.

Anna Fougez (1894-1966) was a vaudeville star who shone on the Italian stage from the First World War to the mid-1920s. She also played in various Italian films.


Italian postcard, no. 759. Photo: Badodi, Milano.

Nanda Primavera (1898-1995) was an Italian stage and screen actress and singer. Only in 1940, she made her film debut.

Source: internet.culturale.it (Italian - now defunct), Alinari (Italian), and Fotografia900 (Italian).

This post was last updated on 20 May 2020.