Gino Cervi | |
|---|---|
 Cervi in 1970 | |
| Born | Luigi Cervi 3 May 1901 |
| Died | 3 January 1974 (aged 72) |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1925–1972 |
| Spouse | Niní Gordini Cervi (1928-74) |
| Children | Tonino Cervi |
| Relatives | Valentina Cervi (granddaughter) |
Luigi Cervi (3 May 1901 – 3 January 1974), better known as Gino Cervi (Italian pronunciation: [ˈdʒiːno ˈtʃɛrvi]), was an Italian actor. He was best known for portraying Peppone in a series of comedies based on the character Don Camillo (1952–1965), and police detective Jules Maigret on the television series Le inchieste del commissario Maigret (1964–1972).
Cervi was born in Bologna as Luigi Cervi. His father was Antonio Cervi, a theatre critic for Il Resto del Carlino. His family held close ties to the town of Casalbuttano ed Uniti, where the elder Cervi would eventually be buried.
He was best known for his role of Giuseppe Bottazzi ("Peppone"), the Communist mayor in the Don Camillo movies of the 1950s and the 1960s. He shared great understanding and friendship with co-star Fernandel during the 15 years playing their respective roles in Don Camillo movies.[1] He was a stage actor, particularly known for his interpretations of Shakespeare,[2] and co-founded the Teatro Eliseo's stable company with Paolo Stoppa and Rina Morelli in 1939.[3]
Toward the end of his career he played Commissioner Maigret for eight years in the Italian TV adaptation of the series of crime novels by Georges Simenon, Le inchieste del commissario Maigret (1964–1972), during which he also starred in a spin-off movie Maigret a Pigalle (1966), produced by his son Tonino Cervi.[4]
Cervi was also a voice actor, and dubbed into Italian the films of Laurence Olivier (Henry V, 1944; Hamlet, 1948; Richard III, 1955),[5] Orson Welles, Clark Gable (It Happened One Night, 1934), and James Stewart (Harvey, 1950). He dubbed Alec Guinness' voice in the Italian version of Brother Sun, Sister Moon (1972) and Charles Boyer in Lucky to Be a Woman (1956).
In 1928, Cervi married actress Nini Gordini and they had a son, Tonino Cervi. He later became the grandfather of actress Valentina Cervi and producer Antonio Levesi Cervi.
He was initiated to the Italian Scottish Rite Freemasonry in the Lodge "Palingenesi" (Rome, 1946) and later he joined the Lodge "Galvani" in Bologna.[6][7]
As a young adult, Cervi was a supporter of the Fascist Party, in large part because of his Catholic faith, and participated in the March on Rome.[8] His political alignment changed during World War II, when he openly denounced Fascism and far-right politics in general. He supported the Christian Democrats during the 1968 general election, and later joined the Italian Liberal Party, winning an election as councilor for the Lazio region.[8]
Cervi died in Punta Ala in 1974.
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