Celeste Almieri

Biography

Celeste Almieri, stage name of Celeste Calza (Rome, September 25, 1885 - Rome, 1987), was an Italian actress, on stage and on screen. As a theatrical actress, she took part in the late '20s and '30s both in dramas and comic shows. Among the former is "La seconda moglie" (The Second Mrs. Tanqueray) by Arthur W. Pinero, staged in 1932 by the "Società Italiana Drammatica" of Maria Melato at the Bonci Theatre in Cesena, and "Le Trachinie" (Women of Trachis) by Sophocles, staged in 1933 at the Greek Theatre of Syracuse. As for the latter, in 1928 she was with the "Compagnia Italiana degli Spettacoli Za-Bum" directed by Mario Mattioli in the role of the entertainer Lil Rice in the musical comedy "Broadway" by Philip Dunning and George Abbott. She made her debut on screen in 1933 and until 1955 she played in twelve films, also appearing with the names Celeste Almieri Calza or Celeste Calza Almieri. In 1937 she was in the cast of the film "I due barbieri" directed by Duilio Coletti, but the film was not completed. She worked, among others, with Malasomma, Matarazzo, Camerini, and after the war with Mario Monicelli, Mario Costa and Gianni Vernuccio. She was also active on the radio during the '30s. She was married to actor Nino Marchetti, who played several times next to her on the stage. She was a relative of the architect and painter Alberto Calza Bini.