Ninetto Davoli
Italy- Ninetto Davoli: The Eternal Boy of Italian Cinema
- Early Career with Pasolini
- Collaborations with Other Directors
- International Recognition in Soviet Cinema
- Decline in Film Career
- Television Career
Ninetto Davoli: The Eternal Boy of Italian Cinema
Ninetto Davoli, Italian actor, rose to prominence as a regular collaborator with the legendary filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini. He typically played comedic and naive characters.
Early Career with Pasolini
Davoli's career began with a silent role in Pasolini's "The Gospel According to Matthew" (1964). He subsequently starred alongside the great comedian Totò in "Birds Big and Small" (1966). After establishing himself as a favorite of Pasolini, Davoli featured in such masterpieces as "Oedipus Rex" (1967), "Teorema" (1968), "Pigsty" (1969), "The Decameron" (1971), "The Canterbury Tales" (1972), and "Arabian Nights" (1974).
Collaborations with Other Directors
While primarily associated with Pasolini, Davoli also worked with other Italian directors during this period, including Bernardo Bertolucci in "Partner" (1968), Sergio Citti in "Ostia" (1970) and "Casotto" (1977), and Carlo Lizzani in "Requiescant" (1968). By the mid-1970s, he had become a popular and beloved actor.
International Recognition in Soviet Cinema
International audiences discovered Davoli through Eldar Ryazanov's Soviet-Italian comedy "The Incredible Adventures of Italians in Russia" (1974), in which he played a bumbling and temperamental Italian treasure hunter. Voiced by Mikhail Kononov in the Soviet version, the film became a huge success, introducing Davoli to millions of viewers worldwide.
Decline in Film Career
After the 1970s, Davoli's film career declined. He continued to make occasional appearances in films directed by Elio Petri, Vittorio Gassman, and Miklós Jancsó, but his roles became less frequent.
Television Career
In recent years, Davoli has shifted his focus to television, where he continues to work as an actor. His enduring legacy as the naive and comedic sidekick of Pier Paolo Pasolini remains a testament to his unique talent and the indelible mark he left on Italian cinema.
