NINCHI, AVE

(1915-1997)

Actress. After studying at the Academy of Dramatic Art in Rome, Ninchi distinguished herself working with a number of important theater companies. She moved to the cinema in the immediate postwar period with small parts in films such asGuido Brignone'sCanto, ma sottovoce. . . (I'm Singing but Quietly, 1945) andCarmine Gallone'sAvanti a lui tremava tutta Roma(Before Him All Rome Trembled, 1946). She began taking on more substantial roles inAlberto Lattuada'sIl delitto di Giovanni Episcopo(Flesh Will Surrender, 1947) andLuigi Zampa'sVivere in pace(To Live in Peace, 1946), for which she received aNastro d'argentofor best supporting female interpretation.Although undoubtedly a talented dramatic actress, in the 1950s she was most often seen in comedies, among themAldo Fabrizi'sLa famiglia Passaguai(The Passaguai Family, 1951) and its two sequels,Pietro Germi'sLa presidentessa(Mademoiselle Gobete, 1952), and many of theTotofilms, includingTotb cerca moglie(Toto Looks for a Wife, 1950),Guardie e ladri(Cops and Robbers, 1951),Totb e le donne(Toto and the Women, 1952), andTotb cerca pace(Toto Wants Peace, 1954). During the 1960s, while not abandoning screen comedy, she moved progressively more toward television, appearing not only in a number of serials, telefilms, and a famous advertisement, but also as the presenter of a cooking program and the hostess of the popular variety showSpecialeper noi(Special for Us, 1971).

Her last appearance on the big screen was in a small supporting role in Louis Malle'sLacombe Lucien(Lacombe, Lucien, 1973).