Lina Ferri in the fotoromanzo "Amore sublime" (1960) |
Usually cast as simple working class women, she appears in numerous comedies and melodramas from the 1950s, as well as films by prestigious directors like Elio Petri and Roberto Rossellini, but her most well-known role was probably as the mother of Renato Salvatori and Alessandra Panaro in Dino Risi's trilogy of Poveri ma belli (1957), Belle ma povere (1957) and Poveri milionari (1959). Although uncredited in most of her films, many of her appearances were speaking roles of a certain relevance, displaying an impressive talent for both comedic and dramatic parts.
In addition to her work in films, Lina Ferri was also an important character actress in fotoromanzi, where she was frequently cast as a kind and loyal maid, and sometimes as the protagonist's mother. Her earliest fotoromanzi roles were published in the mid 1950s in the weekly fotoromanzo magazines Sogno, Luna Park, Cine Illustrato, Tipo and Polvere di Stelle. Later, she also appeared in fotoromanzi for the famed publisher Lancio and for popular magazines of that time such as Moulin Rouge, Sentimentale, I fotoromanzi del Settimo Cielo etc. Although the roles she played were often fairly significant, she was credited only sporadically.
- Papà diventa mamma .... Neighbor (uncredited)
1953 - Una di quelle .... Babysitter (credited as "Carolina Ferri")
- Villa Borghese .... Virginia's mother (uncredited)
1954 - Cose da pazzi .... Concerned neighbor (uncredited)
1955 - Gli innamorati .... Neighborhood woman (uncredited)
1956 - Il bigamo .... Gossiping neighbor (uncredited)
- Il tetto .... Francesco's wife (credited as "Carolina Ferri")
1957 - Belle ma povere .... Sora Cecilia (credited)
- La finestra sul Luna Park .... Neighbor in the window (uncredited)
- La nonna Sabella ....Mescogliano family member (credited)
- Le notti di Cabiria .... Woman in the religious procession (uncredited)
- Poveri ma belli .... Sora Cecilia (credited)
1958 - Adorabili e bugiarde .... Neighbor at the crime scene (uncredited)
- Amore e guai... .... Teresa's mother (credited)
- Il pirata dello sparviero nero .... Ettore's stepmother (uncredited)
- Mogli pericolose .... Neighbor (uncredited)
1959 - Audace colpo dei soliti ignoti .... Neighbour (uncredited)
- Erode il grande .... Woman at the crucifixions (uncredited)
- Poveri milionari .... Sora Cecilia (credited)
1960 - Era notte a Roma .... Fake nun (uncredited)
- Il conquistatore dell'Oriente .... Villager (uncredited)
- Il vigile .... Woman scared by a gunshot (uncredited)
- Letto a tre piazze .... The porter's wife (uncredited)
- Un militare e mezzo .... The colonel's housekeeper (uncredited)
1961 - Akiko .... Neighbor (uncredited)
- Il carabiniere a cavallo .... Mother of the girl taken hostage (uncredited)
- Il federale .... Countrywoman (uncredited)
- Il terrore dei mari .... Jean's mother (uncredited)
- L'assassino .... Concierge (credited)
- L'oro di Roma .... Davide's mother (uncredited)
1962 - L'attico .... A relative (uncredited)
- Lo smemorato di collegno .... Nursing-nun (uncredited)
1963 - Il boom .... Woman at the loans company (uncredited)
1964 - Queste pazze pazze donne - segment "Gentil sesso" .... Maid (uncredited)
- Totò contro il pirata nero .... Woman cooling black pirate's butt (uncredited)
1967 - The Taming of the Shrew .... Woman watching the argument in the street (uncredited)
- "Stelle senza luce" (Published in Cine Tipo from March to August 1956)
- "Questo povero amore" (Published in Sogno from May to September 1956)
- "L'uomo del mare" (Published in Luna Park from December 1956 to June 1957)
- "Paura di te" (Published in Cine Illustrato from February to June 1957)
- "Patto di sangue" (Published in Luna Park from June to October 1957)
- "La sepolta viva" (Published in Sogno from September 1957 to January 1958)
- "L'orgoglio ti perderà" (Published in Cine Illustrato from November 1957 to May 1958)
- "Briciola" (Published in Sogno from April to August 1958)
- "L'azzurro confine" (Published in Sogno from September 1958 to February 1959)
- "Primi sogni" (Published in Cine Tipo from July to December 1959)
- "Il marchese di Roccaverdina" (Published in Cine Tipo from December 1960 to May 1961)
- "Fiamme tra i fiordalisi" (Published in Cine Tipo from September to December 1961) - credited
- "Amore sublime" (Published in Polvere di Stelle from October 1960 to 1961)
- "Piccerella" (Published in Polvere di Stelle from November 1960 to 1961) - credited
- Letizia N. 10: "Finché vivrò" (Published January 1962)
- Moulin Rouge N. 4: "I figli non si vendono" (Published 1 April 1962)
- Gli albi di Polvere di Stelle N. 46: "Dal primo incontro" (Published 14 April 1962)
- Tipo N. 5: "Una folata di vento" (Published May 1962)
- Gli albi di Polvere di Stelle N. 47: "Angoscioso dilemma" (Published 14 May 1962)
- Mina N. 5: "Lacrime di sposa" (Published August 1962)
- I fotoromanzi del Settimo Cielo N. 62: "La figlia straniera" (Published 16 August 1962)
- Mina N. 7: "Il tuo fuoco nelle mie vene" (Published October 1962)
- Gli albi di Polvere di Stelle N. 53: "Dopo l'altare il piombo" (Published 14 November 1962) - credited
- Gli albi di Polvere di Stelle N. 54: "Bellezza fatale" (Published 14 December 1962)
- I fotoromanzi della Fontana N. 2: "Non lasciarmi più!" (Published February 1963) - credited
- Letizia N. 28: "Il fiore del male" (Published July 1963)
- I fotoromanzi del Settimo Cielo N. 87: "Amore dannato" (Published 1 September 1963)
- Polvere di Stelle N. 14: "Magia di un nome" (Published October 1963) - credited
- Charme N. 63: "Questa donna è mia" (Published 10 November 1963)
- I fotoromanzi del Settimo Cielo N. 93: "L'eroe dall'anima sporca" (Published 1 December 1963)
- I fotoromanzi del Settimo Cielo N. 95: "Un uomo in fuga" (Published 1 January 1964)
- Moulin Rouge N. 46: "Ti ho tradito per salvarti" (Published 1 January 1964) - credited
- Marina N. 29: "Nessuno mi crederà" (Published March 1964)
- Magali N. 4: "Il segreto di Nanette" (Published 1 April 1964)
- Polvere di Stelle N. 21: "La notte del loro incontro" (Published May 1964) - credited
- I fotoromanzi della Fontana N. 1: "Il sapore della vendetta" (Published January 1965)
- "Desiderio d'amore" (Published in Luna Park during August 1965)
- Polvere di Stelle N. 40: "La madre di Suor Angelica" (Published February 1966)
- Polvere di Stelle N. 41: "Amore... salvami!" (Published March 1966)
- Albi del Firmamento N. 3: "Passione ai tropici" (Published April 1966)
- Sentimentale N. 6: "Amare la propria pena" (Published June 1967)
- Grand Hotel N. 1098: "Lacrime perdute" (Published 8 July 1967) - credited
- Tipo N. 69: "Il prezzo del peccato" (Published September 1967)
- Fotoromanzi della Fontana N. 11: "Quella bambina è tornata" (Published November 1967) - credited
- Il re dell'F.B.I. N. 8: "Morirai domani" (Published October 1968) - credited
- "L'avventura di vivere" (Published in Sogno from January to September 1969)
- Rendez-Vous N. 3: "...e tutto fu cenere" (Published March 1969)
- I racconti di Sogno N. 45: "Il giorno delle mimose" (Published July 1969)
- I racconti di Sogno N. 46: "Paolo delle borgate" (Published August 1969)
- Penny N. 14: "L'incubo di una notte" (Published August 1969)