Hugo Togniazzi: The Legend of Italian Cinematography

Initially, a person and a character, and only then an actor. So Marco Ferreri described his colleague in the workshop of Tonjazzi, mentioning him in an interview as one of the creators of the comedy in the Italian style. Due to the extraordinary performing talent, irony and sensual presentation, Hugo Tognazzi managed to present a lot of complex, ironic, and sometimes grotesque images on the big screen. They immediately fell in love with the audience and laid the foundation for the very concept of "comedy in the Italian style."

Childhood and youth

The future famous Italian actor and director was born in Cremona on March 23, 1922. His father worked as a simple inspector of the insurance company, and although the budget of the Tognazzi family was very modest, the head of the family did not spare money for his son's education and paid for his violin lessons. Despite the talent and acting talent that manifested itself at an early age, fourteen-year-old Ottavio (Ugo) Tonjazzi still had to quit his studies and go to work for the sausage production company Salumificio Negroni to help his family. The young man, however, continued to dream about the theater scene and attended various competitions and castings to participate in theatrical productions and variety shows. Moreover, he had a chance to taste the fruits of acting glory at the tender age of four, when he entered the stage of Donizetti di Bergamo as part of the dramatic society of his city.

Comic genre

During the Second World War Hugo Tonjazzi was drafted into the army. For some time the young man served in the Navy, where in the short moments of rest he entertained his fellow workers with his acting skills. His comic talent was noticed by the command, which considered that in the composition of the front theater brigades, Tonjazzi would be more useful. So the young talent became a nail of entertainment programs designed to raise the morale of soldiers. Created by the actor on the basis of anecdotes and folk tales, the characters enjoyed a special popularity among the military, and Tonyazzi, determined his role, decided not to stop there.

First successes

Returning in 1943 to his native Cremona, Hugo Tonjazzi arranged to work as an archivist, and in his spare time, arranges small performances in theaters before the session. Comic scenes with his participation are beginning to be enjoyed by the audience very popular, and an ambitious young man decides to leave the province and sent to Milan. There he at first continues to entertain the audience with his humor, but very soon the attention of the impresario of the theatrical collective "Osiris" draws the attention. Touring and acting in the composition of this troupe, Tonjazzi is gaining experience and achieves significant success in the acting career. Towards the end of the war, the theater team disintegrates, and the actor moves into the troupe of the famous Roman comedy theater Vittorio Caprioli.

The way to a big movie

A talented actor was seen by the director Mario Mattoli, who invites Tognazzi to take part in the film "Boys-cadets" (1950). This was the debut of the actor in the cinema. He begins to receive a lot of proposals for participation in comedy films, though not always of high quality, but claimed by the postwar spectator, who yearns for humor.

Glory and recognition of the audience

Along with filming a movie actor with his humorous sketches becomes a favorite participant of the TV show Raimondo Vianello. For six years, it enjoyed immense popularity with the Italian viewer, thanks in large part to the talented comedian Hugo Toniatzi. Films with his participation, such as "The Joy of Life", "The Fascist Leader", "Modern History: The Queen of Bees", "The Trek to Rome", "Monsters", "Antisex", "Monkey Woman" and many others also use the same Popularity of the viewer.

Recognition of critics

The work of the actor in the film directed by Antonio Pietrangeli "I knew her well" in 1965 finally brought Tonyatstsi recognition of film critics. He was awarded the prize of the association of Italian film journalists "Silver Ribbon". The winner of this national award Tonyatstsi subsequently became three more times. One of the most beloved actors of the European spectator played roles in more than a hundred or more films, as the director has released six full-length films. The actor's recognized works are The Scroll in the Nose of 1967 (the nomination "The Golden Bear" of the Berlin Film Festival), the "Immoral" in 1968 (the Golden Globe nomination), but the most significant roles, according to critics, Tonyatstsi performed in the films "The Great Grub "(1973) directed by Marco Ferreri and in the trilogy of" The Cell for the Eccentrics "(1978, 1980, 1985) directed by Primo Spagiarri.

Best Actor

The main and deserved for Tognazzi was the prize of the International Cannes Film Festival in 1981. Working with director Bernardo Bertolucci over the dramatic role of the protagonist Primo Spaggyari, who is tormented by a difficult choice: losing his son or the whole life, brought the actor world recognition and recognition of critics. For the role of the master of the cheese salad Spaggyari in the film "The Tragedy of the Funny Man" Tonjazzi received the award for Best Actor.

Personal life

Friends called Tonyatstsi a man "too much": his irrepressible energy was boiling both on the set and in his personal life. Many novels, including the French actress Helen Chanel, could not help but reflect on his image. The actor is known as a noble heartthrob, however it does not entreat women's interest in his person. In 1955, he falls in love with Pat O'Hara, an Irish dancer. After living with her for many years, but without having formalized the relationship, he breaks, despite Ricky's son, who emerged from this union. From the novel with the Norwegian actress Margaret Robsham in 1964, Tonyatstsi has another son, Thomas. Finally, in 1965, the actor meets the love of his life, the Italian actress Frank Betoya. In this marriage union they had two children: Jean-Marco in 1967 and Maria in 1971. With Franco Tognazzi lived to the end of his days, sons from previous unions also lived with his father, and later followed in his footsteps. Despite the successes in film and television in recent years, Tognazzi was in a creative depression and appeared mainly only on the stage. The actor died suddenly from a stroke on October 27, 1990, leaving behind a rich heritage in the form of his roles for all movie fans.