Margherita Horowitz

[Johan Melle]

Margherita Horowitz from the Annuario degli attori 1977

And now finally: a topic for Margherita Horowitz, the great Austrian actress who played supporting roles (many uncredited) in countless Italian films!

Margherita was born in Austria on 9 August 1919. Her birth name was Margarete Horowitz and her mother was Jewish. She started her career as an actress very early, and was only 14 years old when she was discovered and started to play small theater roles in Vienna.

But the growing anti-semitism in Europe in the late 1930s put an end to Margarete's career, and she couldn't get any more work because she was half-Jewish. Desperate for work, the now 18-year-old Margarete heard about opportunities for young singers and dancers in Italy, and decided to go to an audition. The tall, blonde and attractive Margarete impressed on her audition and was given a six-month contract to work on the stage at the Teatro Valle in Rome.

In Rome, she met Renato Trentini, a handsome Italian fascist officer, and the two fell in love with each other. Margarete and Renato quickly got married, and Margarete now changed her name to Margherita Trentini and converted to Roman Catholocism. But the happiness was short-lived because soon World War 2 broke out. Renato started to work as a liaison with the German army. Because of the German occupation of Italy, there was desperate need for translators and a German major offered Margherita a translator job. Terrified that the Nazis would discover that she was half-Jewish, Margherita was too afraid to say no, and she worked with organizing theater performances for the Nazis and translaing their documents and conversations.

Fortunately, the Germans never discovered the truth about Margherita's Jewish heritage and when the war ended in 1945 she could finally feel safe. She divorced Renato, took back her maiden name Horowitz and started to act in the theater again. She also worked as a model, and also started to appear in small movie roles, and can be spotted in many 'generica' parts in the from the 1950s and early 1960s. In the mid 1960s she began to gain more substantial supporting roles, and was a prolific character actress in many, many films, including many credited roles.

In the early 1990s, Margherita retired from acting and then lived quietly outside the limelight, although in 2003 she was interviewed in the Associated Press about her experiences during the war. She died on 19 December 2011 in Vienna, Austria.

This bio for Margherita was made with info found in the aforementioned interview and supplemented by some additional informations supplied here in the forum by Tibor Róbert Szücs in 2014.
(Johan Melle)

CIDb - IMDb

FILMOGRAPHY

1955

1. I pappagalli (uncredited) .... Member of the audience at concert
   
   1957
2. A Farewell to Arms (uncredited) .... Nurse
   
   1958
3. Vento di primavera (uncredited) .... Spectatress at concert
4. Totò a Parigi (uncredited) .... Train passenger
   
   1959
5. Il vedovo (uncredited) .... Party guest
   
   1960
6. Adua e le compagne (uncredited) .... Woman with striped suit in the trattoria
7. Crimen (uncredited) .... Maid
8. Il mattatore (uncredited) .... Night club customer
9. Il vigile (uncredited) .... Party guest
10. Letto a tre piazze (uncredited) .... Dancing woman
    
    1961
11. Fantasmi a Roma (uncredited) .... Journalist
    
    1963
12. Gli imbroglioni (uncredited) .... Woman in the courtroom
13. Gli onorevoli (uncredited) .... Woman discussing politics
14. Il boom (uncredited) .... Restaurant customer
    
    1964
15. 3 notti d'amore (uncredited) .... Party guest (segment "La moglie bambina")
16. I marziani hanno 12 mani (uncredited) .... Party guest
17. Il giovedì (uncredited) .... Kleptomaniac
18. Sedotti e bidonati (uncredited) .... Casino player
    
    1966
19. 3 colpi di Winchester per Ringo (credited) .... Mrs. Carson
20. Come imparai ad amare le donne (uncredited) .... Nun (no pic yet)
21. I criminali della galassia (credited as Margaret Horowitz) .... Mrs. Fowler
22. Io, io, io... e gli altri (uncredited) .... Woman in church
23. Kriminal (uncredited) .... Casino player
24. Missione speciale Lady Chaplin (uncredited) .... Woman at the fashion show
25. Sette pistole per i MacGregor (credited as Margaret Horowitz) .... Annie MacGregor
    
    1967
26. Addio, mamma! (as Margaret Horowitz) .... role? (no pic yet)
27. I giorni dell'ira (uncredited) .... Gambler
28. John il bastardo (credited) .... Old maid aunt
29. OK Connery (credited) .... The Princess
30. Sette donne per i MacGregor (credited) .... Annie MacGregor
    
    1968
31. Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell (uncredited) .... Woman who travels to attend the reunion party for the 293rd Squadron
32. La morte ha fatto l'uovo (credited) .... Marco's secretary
33. I tre che sconvolsero il West (credited as Margareth Horowitz) .... Woman in mourning
    
    1970
34. Il dio chiamato Dorian (uncredited) .... Party guest
35. Lady Barbara (uncredited) .... Party guest
    
    1971
36. All'ultimo minuto (TV series) - episode 1: "Allarme a bordo" (uncredited) Airplane passenger
37. Homo Eroticus (credited but unidentifiable)
38. Il gatto a nove code (uncredited) .... Lori's babysitter
39. Il prete sposato (uncredited) .... role? (no pic yet)
40. La stirpe di Caino (credited) .... role? (no pic yet)
    
    1972
41. ...e poi lo chiamarono il Magnifico (uncredited) .... Stagecoach passenger
42. Il west ti va stretto, amico... è arrivato Alleluja (as Margaret Horowitz) .... Church camp lady
43. Los amigos (as Margherita Trentini) .... Mrs. McDonald
44. Ludwig (uncredited) .... Woman of the court
45. Questa specie d'amore (credited) .... Banquet guest
46. Sette scialli di seta gialla (uncredited) .... Fashion salon worker
47. La vita, a volte, è molto dura, vero Provvidenza? (uncredited) .... Church woman
    
    1973
48. Anche gli angeli mangiano fagioli (credited) .... Gerace's wife
49. Ci risiamo, vero Provvidenza? (uncredited) .... Diner at café
50. L'ultima neve di primavera (credited) .... Mariolina, the maid
51. Troppo rischio per un uomo solo (credited) .... Rudy's maid (no pic yet)
52. Ultimo tango a Zagarol (uncredited) .... Dancer
    
    1974
53. Anno uno (uncredited) .... Journalist
54. Donna è bello .... role? (no pic yet)
55. E cominciò il viaggio nella vertigine (uncredited) .... Participant at the Communist Party meeting
56. Fatevi vivi: la polizia non interverrà (credited) .... The governess
57. Gruppo di famiglia in un interno (credited) .... Woman in flashback with the professor's mother
58. Identikit (uncredited) .... Airplane passenger
59. Il profumo della signora in nero (uncredited) .... Signora Lovati
60. Il ritorno di Zanna Bianca (uncredited) .... Woman at the book launch
61. Il sorriso del grande tentatore (credited) .... Prince Ottavio's mother
    
    1975
62. ...a tutte le auto della polizia (credited) .... Antonietta, Icardi's maid
63. Ah sí? E io lo dico a Zzzorro! (uncredited) .... Wedding guest
64. Attenti al buffone (uncredited) .... Woman at funeral
65. Babysitter - Un maledetto pasticcio (uncredited) .... Maid (no pic yet)
66. Fantozzi (uncredited) .... Guest at Catellani's house
67. Le malizie di venere (uncredited) .... Witness at the trial
68. Lezioni private (uncredited) .... Tourist
69. Macchie solari (uncredited) .... American tourist
70. Prima ti suono e poi ti sparo (uncredited) .... Town woman
71. Quel movimento che mi piace tanto (uncredited) .... Party guest
72. Salon Kitty (credited) .... Margherita's mother
    
    1976
73. Il trucido e lo sbirro (uncredited) .... Restaurant customer
74. L'innocente (credited) .... Gossiping party guest
75. Mark il poliziotto spara per primo (uncredited) .... Maria Clerici
76. Milano violenta (credited) .... Bank employee
77. Quelle strane occasioni (uncredited) .... Woman at nightclub (segment: ''Italian Superman'')
78. Quelli della calibro 38 (uncredited) .... Woman at the casino
79. Uomini si nasce, poliziotti si muore (credited) .... Mona, the hostage
    
    1977
80. Casanova & co. (credited as Margherita Trentini) .... Mother Superior
81. I nuovi mostri (credited) .... Actress (no pic yet)
82. Il marito in collegio (credited) .... role? (no pic yet)
83. La svastica nel ventre (credited) .... Hanna's mother
84. La via della droga (credited) .... Drug-addicted girl's mother
85. Pane, burro e marmellata (uncredited) .... Bruno's neighbor (no pic yet)
86. Suspiria (credited) .... Teacher
    
    1978
87. Il commissario di ferro (uncredited) .... Sergio's neighbor
88. La cage aux folles / Il vizietto (credited) .... Madame Deblon's secretary
89. Tutto suo padre (credited) .... Adalgisa (no pic yet)
    
    1979
90. Caro papà (uncredited) .... Airplane passenger
91. Il giocattolo (uncredited) .... Pizzeria owner (no pic yet)
92. La luna (uncredited) .... One of Caterina's fans
93. Letti selvaggi (uncredited) .... Princess at the casino (segment "Attenzione a quei due")
    
    1980
94. Ciao Marziano (uncredited) .... Party guest
95. La terrazza (credited) .... Guest (no pic yet)
96. Sono fotogenico (uncredited) .... Woman on the train
    
    1981
97. L'isola del gabbiano (TV mini series) (uncredited) .... Woman at the spa
98. Occhio alla penna (uncredited) .... Woman in the train dining car
99. Pierino il fichissimo (uncredited) .... Woman in the phone booth
100. The Salamander (uncredited) .... Wife of Minister of Defence
     
     1982
101. Dio li fa e poi li accoppia (uncredited) .... Woman in the courtroom
102. Morte in Vaticano (credited) .... role? (no pic yet)
103. Sogni mostruosamente proibiti (uncredited) .... Party guest
104. Una tranquilla coppia di killer (TV mini series) .... Woman at the process
105. Vai avanti tu che mi vien da ridere (uncredited) .... Party guest
     
     1983
106. The Lonely Lady (uncredited) .... Woman at the high school awards ceremony
107. Zero in condotta (uncredited) .... Mistress at the finals (no pic yet)
     
     1984
108. I due carabinieri (uncredited) .... Wedding guest
109. Il turno (credited) .... role? (no pic yet)
     
     1985
110. Assisi underground (uncredited) .... Jewish woman
111. Saving Grace (credited) .... Nun interpreter
112. Sono un fenomeno paranormale (uncredited) .... Dinner party guest
     
     1986
113. Il bi e il ba (uncredited) .... Foreign tourist
114. Quando arriva il giudice (TV series) - episode 5: "La notte delle stelle" (uncredited) .... Guest at the costume party
     
     1988
115. War and remembrance (TV mini series) (credited) .... Mrs. Sacerdote (no pic yet)
     
     1989
116. Classe di ferro (TV series) - episode 4: "La licenza" (credited) .... Nun
117. I ragazzi della 3C (TV series) - episode 30: "Il sosia di Bruno Sacchi" (uncredited) .... Shop customer
     
     1991
118. La condanna (uncredited) .... Lawyer

FOTOROMANZI

1. Sogno: "Nel profondo del cuore" (from September 1962 to early 1963)

[Johan Melle]

Let's begin with a look at some of Margherita's best known film roles from the 1960s and 70s.

I criminali della galassia (1966) - small but credited role as Enzo Fiermonte's wife

Quite a nice role for her as Jean-Louis Trintignant's secretary in La morte ha fatto l'uovo (1968)

Il gatto a nove code (1971) - short uncredited role as the baby-sitter

Anche gli angeli mangiano fagioli (1973) - thanks to TRS for the pic

Briefly seen as a journalist in Anno Uno (1974) - uncredited

Very notable appearance for her as Teresa Ann Savoy's fascist mother in Salon Kitty (1975) - really interesting role for Margherita considering her background

Uncredited (and with a bad wig) as one of the guests at Umberto D'Orsi's house in Fantozzi (1975)

And let's not forget her very memorable role as the hostage in Uomini si nasce, poliziotti si muore (1976). I was very impressed with her work in this film as she really gets roughed up by Franco Citti

Margherita is an employee at the bank in Milano violenta (1976)

And again she gets taken as a hostage

[Johan Melle]

Uncredited again as a woman at the casino in Quelli della calibro 38 (1976)

Also memorable as the desperate mother of a drug-addicted girl in La via della droga (1977)

Comical part for Margherita in the sex comedy Casanova & Co. (1977) - the really surprising thing here is that she is credited as Margherita Trentini - the surname of her ex-husband!

She is visible in a few scenes as one of the teachers in the cult horror movie Suspiria (1977)

Short uncredited role as a woman at the spa in the TV mini series L'isola del gabbiano (1981)

Uncredited role in The Salamander (1981), where she is the wife of the Minister of Defence (played by Andrea Esterhazy)

Uncredited as one of the wedding guests I due carabinieri (1984)

Uncredited again as one of the Jewish people hiding from the Nazis in The Assisi Underground (1985)

Margherita as a nun in Saving Grace (1985)

And then one of Margherita's final acting roles - a nice little part as hospital nun in the TV series Classe di ferro - episode 4: "La licenza" (1989)

[Johan Melle]

Margherita's earliest known credited roles are from 1966, but prior to that she appeared numerous times in little uncredited roles (often without dialogue).

So far, the earliest known role for Margherita is in I pappagalli (1955) as a woman at the concert - identification by Ghibarian

Another early appearance is as a nurse in A Farewell to Arms (1957), a Hollywood romance shot in Italy - identification and pics by Chickadee

And here a young and glamourous Margherita as a spectatress at concert in Vento di primavera (1958) - identification and pic by Emiliano

Margherita appears 2 times in Totò a Parigi (1958) as train passenger - identification by Ghibarian

Il vedovo (1959) (uncredited) .... Party guest - identification by Ghibarian

Crimen (1960) (uncredited) .... Maid - identification by Ghibarian

Il vigile (1960) (uncredited) .... Party guest - identification by Ghibarian

[Johan Melle]

Il mattatore (1960) (uncredited) .... Night club customer - pic and identification by Ghibarian

She should appear uncredited in Letto a tre piazze (1960), dancing in the hotel scene - identification by Ghibarian

Margherita as journalist in Fantasmi a Roma (1961) - identification by Ghibarian

Gli imbroglioni (1963) (uncredited) .... Woman in the courtroom - identification by Ghibarian

Margherita (together with Pupita Lea Scuderoni) as a woman discussing politics in Gli onorevoli (1963)

Il boom (1963) (uncredited) .... Restaurant customer - identification by Ghibarian

in I marziani hanno 12 mani (1964). As an austrian woman - identification by TRS

[Johan Melle]

As a kleptomaniac in Il giovedì (1964)

Sedotti e bidonati (1964) (uncredited) .... Casino player - identification by Ghibarian

Io, io, io... e gli altri (1966) (uncredited) .... Woman in church - identification by Ghibarian

Typical casino player role in Kriminal (1966)

A brief part with a little dialogue as an elegant woman at the fashion show in the spy film Missione speciale Lady Chaplin (1966)

On the IMDb it says that Margherita's scenes in OK Connery (1967) were deleted but this is not true. She does appear in the film even though her role is very small. She is a princess who makes some very high bids at an auction but in the end Adolfo Celi wins the bidding.

This should be Margherita (behind Rosita Torosh) as a party guest in Lady Barbara (1970) - identification by Ghibarian

She is also visible in the TV series All'ultimo minuto, episode 1: "Allarme a bordo" (1971) as one of the many airplane passengers - pic and identification by mortimer

Also visible for a few seconds (again as an airplane passenger) in Identikit (1974)

[Johan Melle]

On to a couple of more prominent roles.

3 colpi di Winchester per Ringo (1966), her important credited role as Mama Carson - pic by Carlos

Here her credited role from L'ultima neve di primavera (1973) - pic by Ciavazzaro

Los Amigos (1973) as Sra. McDonald - pic by Carlos

Margherita's credited little role in Il sorriso del grande tentatore (1974)

The big sunglasses makes it a little difficult to see but I am very sure that this is Margherita as one of the American tourists in Macchie solari (1975)

Another tourist role, though a much raunchier one - here's Margherita as one of the old tourist ladies who take pictures of the naked Leopoldo Trieste in Lezioni private (1975)

Margherita have a great little uncredited role from the cult movie Le malizie di venere (1975)
as a witness at the trial schocked by the life of Laura Antonelli and his lover! - identification by Ciavazzaro

[Johan Melle]

And we continue on with an assortment of tiny Margherita roles from the 1970s

She is also credited for Homo eroticus (1971). I don't know if I've missed her or if she is not in the movie.
Btw I've seen a 109 mins version of the movie - post by Ghibarian

Questa specie d'amore (1972) .... Invited to the banquet - pic by Emiliano

Margherita also has a little uncredited role as a woman of the court in Visconti's Ludwig (1972)

Margherita dancing in Ultimo tango a Zagarol (1973) - pic by Emiliano

As a diner at a cafe in Ci risiamo, vero Provvidenza? (1973) - pic by Carlos

She also appears briefly as a woman at the book launch in Il ritorno di Zanna Bianca (1974)

And here uncredited as a woman at the funeral in Attenti al buffone (1975) - identification by Ciavazzaro

Il trucido e lo sbirro (1976) (uncredited) .... Restaurant customer - identification by mortimer

Quelle strane occasioni - segment: ''Italian Superman'' (1976) (uncredited) .... Night club customer - identification by Ghibarian

Letti selvaggi - segment 'Attenzione a quei due' (1979) (uncredited) .... Princess at casino - identification by Ghibarian

Wonderful close-up in Sono fotogenico (1980) as a woman on the train

[Johan Melle]

And here an assortment of tiny 1980s roles.

Margherita uncredited as a party guest in Ciao Marziano (1980) - identification & pic by Ciavazzaro

Pierino il fichissimo (1981) (uncredited) .... Woman in the phone booth - identification by Ghibarian

Dio li fa e poi li accoppia (1982) (uncredited) .... Woman in the courtroom - identification by Ghibarian

Sogni mostruosamente proibiti (1982) (uncredited) .... Party guest - identification by Ghibarian

Una tranquilla coppia di killer (1982) (TV mini series) woman at the process - identification and pic by dusso

Sono un fenomeno paranormale (1985) (uncredited) .... Dinner party guest - identification by Ghibarian

Il bi e il ba (1986) (uncredited) .... Foreign tourist - identification by Ghibarian

Margherita uncredited as a party guest in the TV series Quando arriva il giudice (1986), episode "La notte delle stelle"

And here is another television appearance for Margherita. She appears (uncredited) in the cult TV series I ragazzi della 3C, in the episode "Il sosia di Bruno Sacchi" (1989), where she plays a shop customer who gets angry when Fabrizio Bracconeri tries to cut in front of her in the line

Margherita's last known appearance - in La condanna (1991) as the lawyer on the right - identification and pics by mortimer

[Johan Melle]

Okay, Margherita's topic is now restored and I've added back pictures whereever I've been able to. And now it's time for some more roles as I've taken the time to get pictures from several known roles we never had any pics of, plus I've discovered a few new ones.

Let's start with Margherita's small but credited and important role in La svastica nel ventre (1977) as the mother of Hanna (Sirpa Lane)

The other roles are quite minor, starting with an uncredited part as a party guest in 3 notti d'amore (1964) in the segment "La moglie bambina"

Margherita can be glimpsed briefly in the giallo Sette scialli di seta gialla (1972) as a woman working at the fashion studio (uncredited of course)

She also has a credited but microscopic role in Visconti's Gruppo di famiglia in un interno (1974)

According to the IMDb, she plays a maid but this is wrong! She only appears in the flashback scene featuring Dominique Sanda as the mother of professor, but I don't know what she's supposed to be. Sanda's mother? Or friend? Relative? I don't know...


She's also credited in Visconti's L'innocente (1976) and has a slightly bigger role this time as a gossiping party guest

Also credited in another famous film: La cage aux folles a.k.a. Il vizietto (1978) as a secretary

Margherita really worked with a lot of the important directors. Here uncredited in Bertolucci's La luna (1979) as one the many admirers of Jill Clayburgh