Editing Delia Scala

{{short description|Italian actress}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Delia Scala
| image = Delia Scala 1963.jpg
| caption = Scala in 1963
| birth_name = Odette Bedogni
| birth_date = {{birth date|1929|9|25|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Bracciano]], Lazio, Italy
| death_date = {{death date and age|2004|1|15|1929|7|25|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Livorno]], Tuscany, Italy
| nationality = Italian
| occupation = {{Flatlist|
*Actress
*singer
*dancer
}}
}}
[[File:Delia Scala 1951.jpg|thumb|Delia Scala, 1951]]
[[File:Delia Scala 1950.jpg|thumb|Delia Scala, 1950]]
'''Delia Scala''' (born '''Odette Bedogni'''; 25 September 1929 – 15 January 2004) was an Italian [[ballerina]], actress and singer who played a leading role in the nascent ''commedia musicale''.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070606074406/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-89431901.html "Delia Scala, ballerina, actress and star of early Italian television dies at 74"]. ''AP Worldstream''. (15 January 2004). Retrieved 5 July 2015.</ref>

== Career ==
Scala was born as '''Odette Bedogni''' in [[Bracciano]], Lazio, Italy. When she was a young girl, her family moved to [[Milan]] where she studied ballet at [[Scuola di Ballo del Teatro alla Scala|"La Scala" Ballet School]] for seven years.<ref>[https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117898827.html?categoryid=25&cs=1 Delia Scala]. ''Variety'' (20 January 2004). Retrieved 5 July 2015.</ref> She performed in numerous ballets until [[World War II]], after which she began appearing in motion pictures using the stage name, Delia Scala. These include ''[[Difficult Years]]'' (''Anni difficili,'' 1948)'', [[Side Street Story]]'' (''Napoli milionaria,'' 1950)'', [[Rome 11:00]]'' (''Roma ore 11'', 1952), ''[[Touchez pas au grisbi]]'' (1954)'', [[Gentlemen Are Born (1960 film)|Gentlemen Are Born]]'' (''Signori si nasce,'' 1960).

In 1954 Delia made her theatre debut with ''Giove in doppiopetto'' (Double-breasted Jupiter). The show is considered the first "Commedia musicale", an italian musical genre created by playwrights [[Pietro Garinei]] and [[Sandro Giovannini]] with the collaboration of the musician and songwriter [[Gorni Kramer]]. Scala later starred in ''[[Buonanotte Bettina]]'' (Goodnight Bettina'','' 1956) with [[Walter Chiari]], ''L'adorabile Giulio'' (The Adorable Giulio, 1957) with [[Carlo Dapporto]], ''Un trapezio per Lisistrata'' (A Trapeze for Lisistrata, 1958) with [[Nino Manfredi]] and [[Paolo Panelli]], ''Delia Scala Show'' (1960), ''Rinaldo in campo'' (Rinaldo into the Field, 1961) with [[Domenico Modugno]], ''My Fair Lady'' (1964) with [[Gianrico Tedeschi]] and [[Mario Carotenuto]], and ''Il giorno della tartaruga'' (The Day of the Turtle, 1965) with [[Renato Rascel]].

In 1956 Scala appeared in the TV show ''Lui e Lei'' (Him and Her, 1956) with [[Nino Taranto]]. In 1959–60 she co-hosted ''[[Canzonissima]]'' with [[Nino Manfredi]] and [[Paolo Panelli]].

After twelve consecutive years of performances in Italy and Europe, Scala began to experience fatigue. In 1965, at the height of her success (she had received offers from [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]]), she suddenly decided to drop out from live performances. In 1966 she married and temporarily retired to spend time with her family.

In 1968 Scala made a comeback with ''Delia Scala Story'', a show written by Garinei and Giovannini. This was followed in 1970 by the very successful ''Signore e signora'' (Mr. and Madame) with [[Lando Buzzanca]]. After a nine-year break, she starred in the show ''Che combinazione'' (What a Coincidence) alongside [[Don Lurio]].

From 1980 to 1983, Scala conceived and hosted the show ''Una rosa per la Vita'' (A Rose for Life) to raise funds to support cancer prevention and research at the Bussoladomani arena in [[Camaiore|Lido di Camaiore]], together with [[Raimondo Vianello]] and [[Sandra Mondaini]], .

In 1982 Scala returned to television with the [[RAI]] fiction ''Casa Cecilia'' (Cecilia's Home), where she performed for three seasons. Her final TV role was in the sitcom ''Io e la mamma'', (Mum and I) aired between 1996 and 1998 on [[Canale 5]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ricerca.gelocal.it/ilpiccolo/archivio/ilpiccolo/2004/01/16/NZ_23_SCAL.html|title=Delia, la soubrette della porta accanto – Il Piccolo|website=Archivio – Il Piccolo|language=it|access-date=27 September 2019}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Scala achieved great professional success, but her personal life was marred by misfortune and tragedy. In 1946, at the age 17, she married a Greek military officer who had come to Italy to join the partisan forces in the fight against the Nazi-fascists. They separated two years later, and she got the marriage voided in 1956.

During the mid-1950s Scala was engaged with [[Formula One]] race car driver [[Eugenio Castellotti]]. He died in 1957 when his [[Ferrari]] crashed while attempting a speed record at the [[Modena]] race track.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.formulapassion.it/motorsport/storia/f1-eugenio-castellotti-con-le-corse-nel-sangue-14551.html|title=Eugenio Castellotti: Con le corse nel sangue|date=2 January 2013 |quote=Nei primi mesi del 1957 il nome di Castellotti compare sui giornali non-per le sue imprese sportive, ma per la sua discussa relazione con la soubrette Delia Scala|language=it|publisher=archivio.unita.news|accessdate=9 September 2019}}</ref>

In 1967 she married Piero Giannotti.The marriage lasted until 1982 when Giannotti died of a heart attack while cycling along the beach in [[Viareggio]]. She married a third time in 1985 with industrialist Arturo Fremura. The marriage ended with her husband's death of liver cancer in 2001.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0768742/bio|title=Delia Scala|publisher=IMDb|access-date=27 September 2019}}</ref>

In 1974 Delia Scala was diagnosed with breast cancer, and underwent a radical [[mastectomy]]. Although she appeared to have made a full recovery, in 2002 she was struck again with the same illness. Scala died in 2004 in [[Livorno]], Tuscany. She rests in the Cimitero della Misericordia in Livorno.

At the time of her death, Italian President [[Carlo Azeglio Ciampi]] called her a "model of enthusiasm and rigorous professionalism" and said he rated her among ''"the most beloved and popular artists in the history of Italian entertainment"''.

==Credits==
===Stage===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
!scope="col"|Year
!scope="col"|Show
!scope="col"|Role(s)
!scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
|rowspan="2"|1937
|''[[La Boutique fantasque]]''
|Dancer
|[[La Scala|Teatro alla Scala]], April 1937
|-
|''[[The Sleeping Beauty (ballet)|The Sleeping Beauty]]''
|Dancer
|[[La Scala|Teatro alla Scala]], October 1937
|-
|1940
|''[[Zazà]]''
|Dufresne's daughter
|[[La Scala|Teatro alla Scala]], April 1940
|-
|1954
|''Giove in doppiopetto''
|Lia
|[[Teatro Lirico (Milan)|Teatro Lirico]], September 1954
|-
|1956
|''[[Buonanotte Bettina]]''
|Bettina
|Teatro Alfieri, November–December 1956
|-
|rowspan="2"|1957
|''[[The Tempest]]''
|[[Ariel (The Tempest)|Ariel]]
|[[Palazzo Giusti]], July 1957
|-
|''L'adorabile Giulio''
|Penny
|[[Teatro Sistina]], November 1957
|-
|1958
|''Un trapezio per Lisistrata''
|Lisistrata
|[[Teatro Sistina]], October 1958
|-
|rowspan="2"|1961
|''Delia Scala Show''
|Herself
|[[Teatro Biondo]], March 1961
|-
|''Rinaldo in campo''
|Angelica
|Teatro Alfieri, September 1961
|-
|1963
|''[[My Fair Lady]]''
|[[Eliza Doolittle]]
|[[Teatro Nuovo (Milan)|Teatro Nuovo]], November 1963
|-
|1964
|''Il giorno della tartaruga''
|Maria / Maria's mother / Federica
|[[Teatro Sistina]], October 1964
|}

===Film===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
!scope="col"|Year
!scope="col"|Title
!scope="col"|Role(s)
!scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
|1943
|''[[Principessina]]''
|Classmate
|Cameo appearance 
|-
|1947
|''[[Difficult Years]]''
|Elena
|
|-
|1948
|''[[L'eroe della strada]]''
|Giulietta Marchi
|
|-
|1949
|''Ti ritroverò''
|Maria Riva
|
|-
|rowspan="4"|1950
|''[[How I Discovered America]]''
|Lisa
|
|-
|''[[Side Street Story]]''
|Maria Rosaria
|
|-
|''[[A Dog's Life (1950 film)|A Dog's Life]]''
|Vera
|
|-
|''[[The Cliff of Sin]]''
|Anna
|
|-
|rowspan="7"|1951
|''[[Beauties on Bicycles]]''
|Delia
|
|-
|''[[Song of Spring (1950 film)|Song of Spring]]''
|Rosetta
|
|-
|''Cameriera bella presenza offresi…''
|Wife
|Cameo appearance 
|-
|''[[Auguri e figli maschi!]]''
|Silvana Sostacchini
|
|-
| ''[[The Steamship Owner]]'' 
|Herself
|Although playing herself, she's the lead actress
|-
|''[[Messalina (1951 film)|Messalina]]''
|Cinzia
|
|-
|''[[Appointment for Murder]]''
|Silvia Pietrangeli
|
|-
|rowspan="6"|1952
|''[[I'm the Hero]]''
|Silvia
|
|-
|''[[Rome 11:00]]''
|Angelina
|
|-
|''[[The Dream of Zorro]]''
|Estrella
|
|-
| ''[[Giovinezza (film)|Giovinezza]]''
|Tamara
|
|-
|''[[Ragazze da marito]]''
|Gabriella
|
|-
|''[[The Flame (1952 film)|The Flame]]''
|Teresa Derrieux
|
|-
|rowspan="4"|1953
|''[[Matrimonial Agency (1953 film)|Matrimonial Agency]]''
|Mitzi
|
|-
|''[[Gioventù alla sbarra]]''
|Franca
|
|-
|''[[Viva il cinema!]]''
|Palmina
|
|-
|''[[Cavalcade of Song]]''
|Titina
|Segment: "Io cerco la Titina"
|-
|rowspan="7"|1954
|''[[Public Opinion (1954 film)|Public Opinion]]''
|Lauretta
|
|-
|''Di qua, di là del Piave''
|Angiolina
|Segment: "Angiolina, bella Angiolina"
|-
|''Gran varietà''
|The Dancer
|Segment: "Il fine dicitore"
|-
|''Cañas y barro''
|Marieta
|
|-
|''[[Before the Deluge]]''
|Josette
|
|-
|''[[Touchez pas au grisbi]]''
|Hughette
|
|-
|''[[My Seven Little Sins]]''
|Luisella
|
|-
|1955
|''[[Magic Village]]''
|Agatina
|
|-
|1956
|''[[Goubbiah, mon amour]]''
|Trinida
|
|-
|rowspan="5"|1960
|''Terror in Oklahoma''
|Betsabea
|
|-
|''[[Gentlemen Are Born (1960 film)|Gentlemen Are Born]]''
|Patrizia
|
|-
|''I Teddyboys della canzone''
|Delia Amato
|
|-
|''Madri pericolose''
|Maura Ornano
|
|-
|''[[Le olimpiadi dei mariti]]''
|Delia
|Final film role
|}

===Television===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
!scope="col"|Year
!scope="col"|Title
!scope="col"|Role(s)
!scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
|1956
|''Lui e lei''
|Herself / co-host
|Talk show
|-
|1959–1960
|''[[Canzonissima]]''
|Herself / Host
|Variety/musical show (season 2)
|-
|1961
|''La padrona di Raggio di Luna''
|Marta Gray
|Television movie
|-
|1968
|''Delia Scala Story''
|Herself / Host
|Variety show
|-
|1970
|''[[Signore e signora]]''
|Herself / Host
|Variety show
|-
|1972
|''Colazione allo studio sette''
|Herself / Host
|Variety show
|-
|1975
|''Tanto piacere''
|Herself / Guest
|Talk show
|-
|1978–1979
|''Che combinazione''
|Herself / Host
|Variety show (season 1)
|-
|1982–1987
|''[[Casa Cecilia]]''
|Cecilia
|Lead role
|-
|1987
|''[[Telegatto|Telegatto 1987]]''
|Herself / Host
|Annual ceremony
|-
|1997–1998
|''[[Io e la mamma]]''
|Delia, the mother
|Co-lead role (final television role)
|}

===Radio===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
!scope="col"|Year
!scope="col"|Title
!scope="col"|Role(s)
!scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
|1972
|''[[The Mistress of the Inn]]''
|Mirandolina
|Radio poscast
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{IMDb name|id=0768742|name=Delia Scala}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Scala, Delia}}
[[Category:1929 births]]
[[Category:2004 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Bracciano]]
[[Category:Actresses from Lazio]]
[[Category:Italian ballerinas]]
[[Category:Italian film actresses]]
[[Category:Italian television actresses]]
[[Category:Deaths from breast cancer in Italy]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in Tuscany]]
[[Category:Italian television presenters]]
[[Category:Italian women television presenters]]