Zanussi, Lydia

[Johan Melle]

Lydia Zanussi, in ...continuavano a chiamarlo Trinità (1971)

Lydia Zanussi (alias Lidia Zanussi/Lia Zanussi) was one of the most important character actresses in fotoromanzi during the 1950s, playing numerous important and credited roles in fotoromanzi published in magazines like Sogno, Cine Illustrato, Luna Park and Grand Hotel.

She was also active in films, and during the 1960s, 70s and 80s, she was one of the most recognizable "golden girls" of the generici scene. It seems the only film she was ever credited in was Grog (1982), but she played fairly large roles in some other films, too, such as La clinica dell'amore (1976).

Her daughter is Isabella Zanussi, who also worked as a generica for many years.

Lydia Zanussi was identified by Emiliano, who found her credited in the fotoromanzo Io ho solo l'amore, with the help of Simone Ribeiro.

Filmography

---

1938

1. L'argine .... Villager at the inn (uncredited)
   
   1939
2. Torna, caro ideal! .... Woman at the recital (uncredited)
   
   1949
3. Antonio di Padova .... Woman listening to Antonio's sermon (uncredited)
   
   1951
4. Senza bandiera .... Train passenger (uncredited)
   
   1952
5. Gli eroi della domenica .... Piero's wife (uncredited)
6. Noi due soli .... Woman at bus stop (uncredited)
   
   1953
7. Il mondo le condanna .... Paolo's secretary (uncredited)
8. Siamo tutti inquilini .... Woman watching the appartment (uncredited)
9. Via Padova 46 (Lo scocciatore) .... Caffè Italia customer (uncredited)
   
   1954
10. Camilla .... Banquet guest (uncredited)
11. Pietà per chi cade .... Spectator at the trial (uncredited)
    
    1965
12. Fantomas minaccia il mondo .... Guest at Cavalieri Hilton hotel (uncredited)
    
    1966
13. Scusi lei è favorevole o contrario? .... Party guest (uncredited)
14. Io, io, io... e gli altri .... Woman at the theatre (uncredited)
    
    1967
15. Arriva Dorellik .... One of the Duponts (uncredited)
16. Assalto al tesoro di stato .... Woman on the train (uncredited)
17. C'era una volta .... Donna Eugenia's handmaid (uncredited)
18. Non stuzzicate la zanzara .... Nightclub customer (uncredited)
19. Silenzio: si uccide .... guest at the Le Sexy Du West club (uncredited)
20. Tutto Totò (TV series) - ep. 9: "Premio Nobel" .... Woman at the Nobel ceremony (uncredited)
    
    1968
21. Brutti di notte .... Franco's aunt (uncredited)
22. Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell .... Woman at the fancy restaurant (uncredited)
23. La famiglia Benvenuti (TV series) - ep. 6 .... A mother (uncredited)
24. La morte ha fatto l'uovo .... Party guest (uncredited)
25. Odissea (TV mini-series) .... Woman of the court (uncredited)
26. Sissignore .... Woman at the ship launching (uncredited)
    
    1969
27. Gli intoccabili .... Woman at the casino (uncredited)
28. Infanzia, vocazione e prime esperienze di Giacomo Casanova veneziano .... Woman standing at card table (uncredited)
29. L'alibi .... Party guest (uncredited)
30. La monaca di Monza .... Nun (uncredited)
31. Giocando a golf una mattina (TV mini-series) .... Woman at the club (uncredited)
32. Orgasmo .... Bar customer (uncredited)
33. Playgirl 70 .... Guest at hippie party (uncredited)
    
    1970
34. F.B.I. - Francesco Bertolazzi investigatore (TV series) - episode 1: "Sparita il giorno delle nozze" .... Woman in film footage (uncredited)
35. I racconti di Padre Brown (TV series) - ep. 6: "Il re dei ladri" .... Audience member at the pantomime show (uncredited)
36. Lacrime d'amore .... London hotel client (uncredited)
37. Lady Barbara .... Woman at the drinking fountain (uncredited)
38. Le regine .... Party guest (uncredited)
39. Satiricosissimo .... Restaurant diner (uncredited)
    
    1971
40. ...continuavano a chiamarlo Trinità .... Restaurant diner (uncredited)
41. Il provinciale .... Woman at the nightclub (uncredited)
42. In nome del popolo italiano .... Party guest (uncredited)
    
    1972
43. Avanti! / Che cosa è successo tra mio padre e tua madre? .... Hotel guest (uncredited)
44. Il generale dorme in piedi .... Spectator (uncredited)
45. Il terrore con gli occhi storti .... Party guest (uncredited)
46. Incensurato, provata disonestà, carriera assicurata, cercasi .... Charity woman (uncredited)
47. La prima notte di quiete .... Woman at the funeral (uncredited)
48. Nonostante le apparenze... e purchè la nazione non lo sappia... all'onorevole piacciono le donne .... Woman at the table at party, view from the TV (uncredited)
49. Roma .... Maîtresse (uncredited)
50. Sette orchidee macchiate di rosso .... Asylum patient (uncredited)
51. Valeria dentro fuori .... Asylum patient (uncredited)
    
    1973
52. Anastasia mio fratello .... Woman in the court room (uncredited)
53. Buona parte di Paolina .... Roman noblewoman (credited?)
54. Crash! Che botte... strippo strappo stroppio .... Wedding guest (uncredited)
55. Io e lui .... Old woman on the stairs (uncredited)
56. La Tosca .... Party guest (uncredited)
57. Polvere di stelle .... Restaurant Alfredo's customer (uncredited)
58. Qui squadra mobile (TV series) - ep. 2: "Rapina a mano armata" .... Woman in the crowd (uncredited)
59. Vogliamo i colonnelli .... Woman at the funeral (uncredited)
    
    1974
60. La poliziotta ...Woman at ceremony (uncredited)
61. L'erotomane .... Woman in the palace (uncredited)
62. Il bacio di una morta .... Woman in cabaret (uncredited)
63. Il lumacone .... Woman at the conference (uncredited - pic lost)
64. Il poliziotto è marcio .... Woman at the art gallery (uncredited)
65. Madeleine, anatomia di un incubo .... Party guest (uncredited)
66. Paolo il freddo .... Party guest (uncredited)
67. Sistemo l'America e torno .... Airplane passenger (uncredited)
    
    1975
68. Ah sí? E io lo dico a Zzzorro! .... Faithful church attendee (uncredited)
69. Attenti al buffone .... Wedding guest (uncredited)
70. Corruzione al palazzo di giustizia .... Wedding guest (uncredited)
71. L'esorciccio .... Sisto's mother (uncredited)
72. La novizia .... Woman in church (uncredited)
73. La poliziotta fa carriera .... Woman outside Gianna's home (uncredited)
74. Le orme .... Chairwoman at the international congress (uncredited)
75. Lezioni private .... Woman at funeral (uncredited)
76. Mondo candido .... Hippie woman (uncredited)
77. Paolo Barca, maestro elementare, praticamente nudista ...Old woman on the train (uncredited)
78. Quel movimento che mi piace tanto .... Party guest (uncredited)
79. Roma drogata: la polizia non può intervenire .... Party guest (uncredited)
80. Salon Kitty .... Client at Salon Kitty (uncredited)
    
    1976
81. Bluff - Storia di truffe e di imbroglioni .... Casino gambler (uncredited)
82. Colpita da improvviso benessere .... Spectator at the hippodrome (uncredited)
83. Il secondo tragico Fantozzi .... Fish shop customer (uncredited)
84. La clinica dell'amore .... Angelo Bortolotti's mother (uncredited)
85. Maestro di violino .... Bar customer at polo club (uncredited)
86. Mark colpisce ancora .... Woman at street café (uncredited)
87. Natale in casa d'appuntamento .... Party guest (uncredited)
88. Roma a mano armata .... Customer in the bank during the robbery (uncredited)
89. Roma, l'altra faccia della violenza .... Party guest who is robbed (uncredited)
90. Spogliamoci così senza pudor .... Friend of the Partibon family (uncredited)
    
    1977
91. Gran bollito .... Woman in church (uncredited)
    
    1978
92. Emanuelle e le porno notti .... Horny woman sitting on dildo-chair (uncredited)
93. I gabbiani volano basso .... Old woman getting on the airplane (uncredited)
94. La cage aux folles / Il vizietto .... Nightclub client (uncredited)
95. Le témoin / Il testimone .... Woman at the hotel (uncredited)
96. Poliziotto senza paura .... Restaurant diner (uncredited)
    
    1979
97. Caro papà .... Old woman at the cello concert (uncredited)
98. Mani di velluto .... One of the Minister's relatives (uncredited)
99. Martin Eden (TV mini-series) .... Passerby on the street (uncredited)
    
    1980
100. Arrivano i gatti .... Old woman at the notary's office (uncredited)
101. Fico d'India .... Old woman on the balcony (uncredited)
102. Io e Caterina .... Airplane passenger (uncredited)
103. L'avvertimento .... Wedding guest (uncredited)
104. La cage aux folles II / Il vizietto II .... Guest at Manderstam's birthday party (uncredited)
105. Sbamm! .... Woman at the park (uncredited)
106. Sono fotogenico .... Extra at Cinecittà (uncredited)
     
     1981
107. Fracchia la belva umana .... Signora Franchini, an old neighbor (uncredited)
108. Kenn' ich, weiß ich, war ich schon! .... Party guest of honor (uncredited)
109. L'assistente sociale tutto pepe... .... Nun (uncredited)
110. Occhio alla penna! ... Old woman in the train dining car (uncredited)
111. Ricomincio da tre .... Bar customer (uncredited)
112. The Salamander .... Party guest (uncredited)
113. Una vacanza del cactus .... Casino player (uncredited)
     
     1982
114. Grog .... Game show contestant in wheelchair (credited as "Lidia Zanussi")
115. La sconosciuta (TV mini-series) .... Woman at the auction (uncredited)
116. Liszt Ferenc (TV mini-series) .... Audience member at the concert (uncredited)
     
     1983
117. Benvenuta .... Restaurant guest (uncredited)
118. Massimamente folle .... role? (uncredited)
     
     1984
119. La bella Otero (TV mini-series) .... Woman at the casino (uncredited)
     
     1985
120. Caccia al ladro d'autore (TV series) - ep. 6: "Il calice di Murano" .... Countess Jaszewski, a guest of the countess (uncredited)

Other works

---

• "Femministe" (TV spot for Birra Peroni, 1972) .... Feminist (uncredited)
• La sberla (TV variety show, 1978) - ep. 3, sketch: "L'atelier" .... Woman at the fashion show (uncredited)

Fotoromanzi

---

1. "Il mio prigioniero" (Published in Sogno from May to October 1950)
2. "Principessa in esilio" (Published in Sogno from July to December 1951)
3. "Noi che ci amiamo" (Published in Sogno from December 1951 to May 1952)
4. "Il nostro amore impossibile" (Published in Sogno from October 1952 to March 1953)
5. "Ho scelto il tuo amore" (Published in Sogno from November 1953 to April 1954)
6. "Desiderio d'amore" (Published in Sogno from April to August 1954) - credited
7. "Io ho solo l'amore" (Published in Grand Hotel from May to October 1954) - credited
8. "Amore e inganno" (Published in Sogno from October 1954 to February 1955) - credited
9. "Alla conquista di un cuore" (Published in Cine Illustrato from February to July 1955) - credited
10. "L'incatenata" (Published in Luna Park from April to September 1955) - credited as Lidia Zanussi
11. "Il prezzo dell'onore" (Published in Cine Illustrato from July to November 1955)
12. "Un fiore tra le spine" (Published in Sogno from August 1955 to January 1956)
13. "La voce del sangue" (Published in Cine Illustrato from March to August 1956)
14. "La figlia dell'assassino" (Published in Sogno from July to December 1956) - credited
15. "Una donna si ribella" (Published in Sogno from October 1956 to March 1957) - credited as Lia Zanussi
16. "La donna del sogno" (Published in Polvere di Stelle from April to July 1957) - credited as Lidia Zanussi
17. Luna Park N. 39: "Jimmy Lord, metti, un giorno alle Bermude" (August 1969)
18. "I giorni dell'odio e dell'amore" (Published in Sogno from January to June 1970)
19. Le sexy avventure di Clegg Moore N. 1: "I venerdì di Madame" (1 October 1971)
20. Cineromanzo N. 6: "Nancy nel deserto" (June 1974)
21. Le avventure di Jacques Douglas N. 108: "Susan e Ken: Un amore unico al mondo" (September 1974)
22. "I fratelli Zaccheo" (Published in Grand Hotel from April to November 1984)

[Johan Melle]

One of Lydia's greatest roles is as Gianni Solaro's mother in the sex comedy La clinica dell'amore (1976)

And then some other wonderful 1970s roles. First as one of the party guests (together with countless other generici) in Quel movimento che mi piace tanto (1975)

As one of the clients in Salon Kitty (1975)

And as a wedding guest in Attenti al bufone (1975)

pic by Ciavazzaro

[Johan Melle]

Various 1960s roles.

First as a party guest in Scusi lei è favorevole o contrario? (1966)

pic by Ciavazzaro

Visible here in the background in Io, io, io... e gli altri (1966)

pic by Ghibarian

Briefly visible as a woman on the train in Assalto al tesoro di stato (1967)

And here a great close-up in a scene full of generici in Arriva Dorellik (1967)

spotted by Ciavazzaro

[Johan Melle]

Another party guest role for Lydia in L'alibi (1969)

And then a few television roles, starting with the famous TV mini series Odissea (1968) where Lydia gets a great close-up

And here in the mini series Giocando a golf una mattina (1969)

pic by Ciavazzaro

Lydia can also be spotted in the film footage being watched in the TV series FBI - Francesco Bertolazzi investigatore - episode 1: "Sparita il giorno delle nozze" (1970)

[Johan Melle]

Lydia was first identified on the old Thrilling Forum back in 2011 - by Emiliano, who with the assistance of S. R. / Tenente Colombo found her credited in the fotoromanzo I romanzi di Grand Hotel N. 124: "Io ho solo l'amore" (published 1 september 1966). This, however, is a re-edition, as "Io ho solo l'amore" was originally published in Grand Hotel from May to October 1954.

Here are the scans from this fotoromanzo - courtesy of Emiliano

[Johan Melle]

After the discovery of Lydia Zanussi in the fotoromanzo "Io ho solo l'amore", I've started to collect fotoromanzo magazines from the 1950s and have discovered Lydia in a whole bunch of old fotoromanzi - and often in big and important roles, too!

The earliest fotoromanzo in which I've been able to find Lydia is "Il mio prigioniero", which was published in the magazine Sogno from May to October 1950. It's a very small role and uncredited and she only appears in these pics

Lydia then appeared in a bigger (but uncredited) role as the queen mother in the very famous fotoromanzo "Principessa in esilio", which was published in Sogno from July to December 1951, and which also features a very young and still unknown Sophia Loren

And then a pretty big (but still uncredited) role as the protagonist's unsympathetic aunt in "Noi che ci amiamo", published in Sogno from December 1951 to May 1952

[Johan Melle]

A more sympathetic role for Lydia in the fotoromanzo "Il nostro amore impossibile", published in Sogno from October 1952 to March 1953, and Lydia is still uncredited

Still uncredited but quite substantial role as the protagonist's mother in "Ho scelto il tuo amore", published in Sogno from November 1953 to April 1954

[Johan Melle]

Finally a credited fotoromanzo role for Lydia in "Desiderio d'amore", published in Sogno from April to August 1954

And credited again in "Amore e inganno" (published in Sogno from October 1954 to February 1955), in which Lydia has one of her very best fotoromanzo roles

I love this role for Lydia, which is full of great expressions and dramatic poses

[Johan Melle]

Lydia is credited yet again in the costumed fotoromanzo production "Alla conquista di un cuore", published in Cine Illustrato from February to July 1955

In the fotoromanzo "L'incatenata" (published in Luna Park from April to September 1955), she's credited again, but this time as Lidia Zanussi

"Il prezzo dell'onore" (published in Cine Illustrato from July to November 1955) - this time Lydia is uncredited again, even though she plays a very substantial role

[Johan Melle]

Yet another uncredited fotoromanzo role in "Un fiore tra le spine", published in Sogno from August 1955 to January 1956

Another good but uncredited fotoromanzo role in "La voce del sangue", published in Cine Illustrato from March to August 1956