Acting

Laura Betti

Born May 1, 1927 · Casalecchio di Reno, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

Died July 31, 2004 · aged 77

Laura Betti (née Trombetti; 1 May 1927 – 31 July 2004) was an Italian actress known particularly for her work with directors Federico Fellini, Pier Paolo Pasolini and Bernardo Bertolucci. She had a long friendship with Pasolini and made a documentary about him in 2001. Betti became famous for portraying bizarre, grotesque, eccentric, unstable or maniacal roles, like Regina in Bernardo Bertolucci'…

Known For

The Cousin

The Cousin · 1974

MovieComedyDrama

Italian coming of age story about two cousins, Enzo and Agata, told in three stages.

La Dolce Vita

La Dolce Vita · 1960

MovieComedyDrama

Episodic journey of journalist Marcello who struggles to find his place in the world, torn between the allure of Rome's elite social scene and the stifling domesticity offered by his girlfriend, all the while searching for a way to become a serious writer.

Fat Girl

Fat Girl · 2001

Anaïs is twelve and bears the weight of the world on her shoulders. She watches her older sister, Elena, whom she both loves and hates. Elena is fifteen and devilishly beautiful. Neither more futile, nor more stupid than her younger sister, she cannot understand that she is merely an object of desire. And, as such, she can only be taken. Or had. Indeed, this is the subject: a girl's loss of virginity. And, that summer, it opens a door to tragedy.

1900

MovieDramaHistory

The epic tale of a class struggle in twentieth century Italy, as seen through the eyes of two childhood friends on opposing sides.

The Canterbury Tales

The Canterbury Tales · 1972

The Canterbury Tales

MovieComedyHistory

Glimpses of Chaucer penning his famous work are sprinkled through this re-enactment of several of his stories.

Theorem

Theorem · 1968

MovieMysteryDrama

A wealthy Italian household is turned upside down when a handsome stranger arrives, seduces every family member and then disappears. Each has an epiphany of sorts, but none can figure out who the seductive visitor was or why he came.

A Bay of Blood

A Bay of Blood · 1971

MovieHorrorThriller

An elderly heiress is killed by her husband who wants control of her fortunes. What ensues is an all-out murder spree as relatives and friends attempt to reduce the inheritance playing field, complicated by some teenagers who decide to camp out in a dilapidated building on the estate.

Oedipus Rex

Oedipus Rex · 1967

In pre-war Italy, a young couple have a baby boy. The father, however, is jealous of his son - and the scene moves to antiquity, where the baby is taken into the desert to be killed. He is rescued, given the name Oedipus, and brought up by the King and Queen of Corinth as their son. One day an oracle informs Oedipus that he is destined to kill his father and marry his mother. Horrified, he flees Corinth and his supposed parents - only to get into a fight and kill an older man on the road…

Filmography

Sort

The Cousin

The Cousin · 1974

MovieComedyDrama

Italian coming of age story about two cousins, Enzo and Agata, told in three stages.

Rosalia Scuderi

La Dolce Vita

La Dolce Vita · 1960

MovieComedyDrama

Episodic journey of journalist Marcello who struggles to find his place in the world, torn between the allure of Rome's elite social scene and the stifling domesticity offered by his girlfriend, all the while searching for a way to become a serious writer.

Laura

Fat Girl

Fat Girl · 2001

Anaïs is twelve and bears the weight of the world on her shoulders. She watches her older sister, Elena, whom she both loves and hates. Elena is fifteen and devilishly beautiful. Neither more futile, nor more stupid than her younger sister, she cannot understand that she is merely an object of desire. And, as such, she can only be taken. Or had. Indeed, this is the subject: a girl's loss of virginity. And, that summer, it opens a door to tragedy.

Fernando's Mother

1900

MovieDramaHistory

The epic tale of a class struggle in twentieth century Italy, as seen through the eyes of two childhood friends on opposing sides.

Regina

The Canterbury Tales

The Canterbury Tales · 1972

The Canterbury Tales

MovieComedyHistory

Glimpses of Chaucer penning his famous work are sprinkled through this re-enactment of several of his stories.

The Wife from Bath

Theorem

Theorem · 1968

MovieMysteryDrama

A wealthy Italian household is turned upside down when a handsome stranger arrives, seduces every family member and then disappears. Each has an epiphany of sorts, but none can figure out who the seductive visitor was or why he came.

Emilia, the Servant

A Bay of Blood

A Bay of Blood · 1971

MovieHorrorThriller

An elderly heiress is killed by her husband who wants control of her fortunes. What ensues is an all-out murder spree as relatives and friends attempt to reduce the inheritance playing field, complicated by some teenagers who decide to camp out in a dilapidated building on the estate.

Additional Writing

Oedipus Rex

Oedipus Rex · 1967

In pre-war Italy, a young couple have a baby boy. The father, however, is jealous of his son - and the scene moves to antiquity, where the baby is taken into the desert to be killed. He is rescued, given the name Oedipus, and brought up by the King and Queen of Corinth as their son. One day an oracle informs Oedipus that he is destined to kill his father and marry his mother. Horrified, he flees Corinth and his supposed parents - only to get into a fight and kill an older man on the road…

Jocasta's Maid (uncredited)

The Witches

The Witches · 1967

MovieComedyDrama

Five short stories loosely dealing with the roles of women in society. A superstar actress travels to a mountain resort, only to evoke jealousy from women and lust from men. A woman offers to take an injured man to the hospital. A widowed father and his son seek for a new wife/mother. A man seeks revenge for a woman's honor. A bored housewife tries to explain to her husband that he's not as romantic as he used to be.

Male Tourist (segment "La Terra vista dalla Luna")

The Woman with Red Boots

The Woman with Red Boots · 1974

The Woman with Red Boots

MovieComedyDrama

An elderly millionaire manipulates an avant-garde writer and a happily married man.

Léonore

That Night of Varennes

That Night of Varennes · 1982

That Night of Varennes

MovieHistoryComedy

During the French Revolution, a surprising company shares a coach, trying to catch up something - the time itself, perhaps.

Virginia Capacelli

The Gang

The Gang · 1977

In 1945, as World War Two comes to a close, five small time crooks unite to form a gang. After several bold robberies they become notorious as "the front-wheel drive gang". The police attempt to stop their crime spree with little success, but how long will their luck last?

Felicia

With Closed Eyes

With Closed Eyes · 1994

With Closed Eyes

MovieDramaRomance

In the Tuscan countryside at the end of the 19th century, Pietro, the shy son of a tyrannical landowner, falls in love with Ghisola, a peasant girl with no family. His father has her sent away. Years later, the two meet again: still in love with her, Pietro would like to marry her, but she has become the mistress of a married man.

Beatrice

Jane B. by Agnès V.

Jane B. by Agnès V. · 1988

Jane B. by Agnès V.

The interests, obsessions, and fantasies of two singular artists converge in this inspired collaboration between Agnès Varda and her longtime friend Jane Birkin. Made over the course of a year and motivated by Birkin’s fourtieth birthday—a milestone she admits to have some anxiety over—Jane B. by Agnès V. contrasts the private, reflective Birkin with Birkin the icon.

Lardy

A Man Called Sledge

A Man Called Sledge · 1970

A Man Called Sledge

James Garner is Luther Sledge, the leader of a pack of rebels who are planning to steal a stash of gold. But after the thieves actually manage to get away with the bounty, they soon discover that the enemy lies within their midst. As they begin to bicker over who should get the biggest cut, the stage is set for a deadly showdown. Claude Akins and John Marley co-star in this Italian Western directed by Vic Morrow.

Sister

Private Vices, Public Virtues

Private Vices, Public Virtues · 1976

Private Vices, Public Virtues

The setting is a Central European kingdom, near the turn of the century. Bored by his very proper wife, the youthful heir to the throne spends his time in amorous dalliances at a sprawling country estate. His wife departs at the arrival of his friends, and they organize a celebration which becomes a wild orgy and culminates in death and tragedy.

Teresa

Class Relations

Class Relations · 1984

Class Relations

A young man, recently arrived in New York from Europe, becomes swept up in a series of events that are beyond his knowledge or control.

Brunelda

Caprice Italian Style

Caprice Italian Style · 1968

Caprice Italian Style

The film consists of six short stories created by different directors, but all the stories share one thing: a warm irony to current events.

Desdemona

Lovers and Liars

Lovers and Liars · 1979

Lovers and Liars

An American actress on vacation in Italy falls for her friend's married Italian lover.

Laura

Hatchet for the Honeymoon

Hatchet for the Honeymoon · 1970

Hatchet for the Honeymoon

MovieHorrorThriller

A madman haunted by the ghost of his ex-wife carves a corpse-laden trail.

Screenplay

Sonny and Jed

Sonny and Jed · 1972

MovieWesternComedy

As thoroughly unlikeable a robber as ever walked the West, Joe nonetheless robs from the rich and gives to the poor. Not only is he a murderous, ill-tempered sort, he is bad-mannered, too. When beautiful Sonny decides he should be her man and teach her how to be a proper outlaw, sparks fly.

Betty

Slap the Monster on Page One

Slap the Monster on Page One · 1972

Slap the Monster on Page One

MovieDramaThriller

Days before the general election, after a girl from a rich family is murdered in an attempted rape, the editor-in-chief of a conservative tabloid tries to derail the police investigation in order to help the right-wing candidates supported by his bosses.

Rita Zigai

Marianna Ucrìa

Marianna Ucrìa · 1997

Marianna Ucrìa

In 18th-century Sicily, deaf-mute highborn Marianna Ucrìa is forced to marry at age 13, bearing three children before even turning 16, when she finally gives birth to a boy. Despite everything, she'll find a way to emancipate herself from the oppressive social conventions of the time.

Giuseppa

The Great Pumpkin

The Great Pumpkin · 1993

The Great Pumpkin

MovieComedyDrama

An epileptic 12-year-old girl, Pippi, is hospitalized in the psychiatric ward instead of the neurological ward, due to an administration error. Out of this mistake begins the difficult journey towards being cured.

Aida

Cinecittà Cinecittà

Cinecittà Cinecittà · 1985

Cinecittà Cinecittà

Caterina Elisabetta Magrevich

The Word

The Word · 1978

A document is discovered that appears to be an ancient eyewitness account of the life of Jesus Christ. A public relations executive is hired to publicize this document as a new version of the Bible, but he finds himself enmeshed in controversy and intrigue.

Maria

The Charterhouse of Parma

The Charterhouse of Parma · 1982

The Charterhouse of Parma

Stendhal's epic tale of a young French officer in the Napoleonic wars, and his aunt - a duchess of legendary beauty and resourcefulness.

The Vivandière

Renzo e Lucia

Renzo e Lucia · 2004

Loose adaptation of Italy's national epic, Alessandro Manzoni's “The Betrothed”. In war-torn 17th century Italy, shady feudal lord Don Rodrigo eyes young and beautiful Lucia, who loves—and is reciprocated by—commoner Renzo. The two lovers plan to marry in secret, but Rodrigo discovers it and they are forced to flee their village, becoming separated and each facing many dangers, including the Plague.

Madre Superiora

The Wings of the Dove

The Wings of the Dove · 1981

The Wings of the Dove

An Italian adaptation of Henry James's 1902 novel of the same name. The series is a dramatic interpretation set in Italy, exploring themes of love, morality, and betrayal, as in the original novel, set against the backdrop of early 20th-century Europe.

Zia Maud