Irina Wassilchikoff

[Johan Melle]

Irina Wassilchikoff in Indagine su un delitto perfetto (1978)

Here is another familiar face in many Italian films from the 1970s. Prior to identifying her, I gave her the nickname "Old Countess" because she has a somewhat regal appearance and always seems to be playing noblewomen of high society women, and we later learned that she really was a noblewoman in real life.

She was identified by Ciavazzaro thanks to the film Ash Wednesday (1973) in which she is credited as Irina Wassilchikoff, and Ciavazzaro also found an old news article about about the Hollywood epic Ben-Hur (1959), stating that several noblemen and noblewomen were used as extras for a party scene, and among these the Russian princess Irina Wassilchikoff.

The genealogy website Geneanet has a listing for a certain Princesse Irina Vassiltchikov: here.
She's listed as being born on 28 August 1910 and died 26 February 1992, and her parents are listed as Prince Hilarion Vassiltchikov and Princess Lydia Léonidovna Wiazemsky. Based on the extensive information listed for this family, the informations looks convincing.

FILMOGRAPHY

1960

1. Risate di gioia (uncredited) .... Party guest at the German villa
   
   1963
2. Gidget Goes to Rome (uncredited) .... Party guest
   
   1964
3. I marziani hanno 12 mani (uncredited) .... Party guest
   
   1966
4. After the Fox (uncredited) .... Audience member at the cinema
   
   1967
5. 100 ragazze per un playboy (uncredited) .... Party guest
6. Scusi, facciamo l'amore? (uncredited) .... Woman waiting for the funeral
   
   1968
7. Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell (uncredited) .... Friend of the Countess
8. La matriarca (uncredited) .... Party guest
9. Riusciranno i nostri eroi a ritrovare l'amico misteriosamente scomparso in Africa? (uncredited) .... Party guest
10. Straziami ma di baci saziami (uncredited) .... Party guest
    
    1972
11. Avanti! (uncredited) .... Elegant woman on the plane
12. La prima notte di quiete (uncredited) .... Woman at the funeral
13. Questa specie d'amore (uncredited) .... Banquest guest
14. Sbatti il mostro in prima pagina (uncredited) .... Woman at the funeral
    
    1973
15. Ash Wedensday (credited) .... Silvana Del Campo
16. Io e lui (uncredited) .... Party guest
    
    1974
17. L'erotomane (uncredited) .... Member on the board of directors
    
    1975
18. Attenti al buffone (uncredited) .... Woman at the funeral
19. Cadaveri eccellenti (uncredited) .... Party guest
20. I baroni (uncredited) .... Party guest
    
    1976
21. Il comune senso del pudore (uncredited) .... Princess
22. Il secondo tragico Fantozzi (uncredited) .... Party guest
23. L'innocente (uncredited) .... Party guest
24. Telefoni bianchi (uncredited) .... Party guest
    
    1978
25. Dove vai in vacanza ? (uncredited) .... Woman in resturant
26. Indagine su un delitto perfetto (uncredited) .... Friend of Lady Clementine
27. La cage aux folles / Il vizietto (uncredited) .... Nightclub client
    
    1979
28. Caro papà (uncredited) .... Party guest
    
    1980
29. L'avvertimento (uncredited) .... Wedding guest

[Johan Melle]

She gets a nice close-up and some brief dialogue in L'erotomane (1974) where she plays one of the members on the board of directos

She is also featured at the party in Il secondo tragico Fantozzi (1976) - at the dinner table:

There she becomes the victim of one of Fantozzi's clumsy accidents during the dinner

She is also a party guest in Telefoni bianchi (1976), where Vittorio Gassman tries to get her to takes some cocaine

And here finally as a wedding guest in L'avvertimento (1980)

[Ciavazzaro]

Great news i have identify her !

Yesterday while watching for new generici, i look at the imdb cast list for the movie Gidget Goes to Rome (1963). Among the uncredited names there was a woman playing a role called "lean party guest", and when i saw the movie i recognize that the lean woman was our generica!

So in order to see if she was really her i search for the credited roles of that actress, and i check on Ash Wednesday (1973) where she is credited, and just look who is here in a speaking role, present in many scenes:

Yes our old countess !!!
So let me introduced you Irina Wassilchikoff

At the end Johan was very right in calling her countess, because our generica is really a noblewoman !
I have read an article about Ben-Hur (1959) in wich it is written that the director uses several real nobleman and noblewoman to play generici roles in the party scene, and among them is the Princess Irina Wassilchikoff from Russia!

[Ciavazzaro]

And here is her uncredited speaking role in Gidget Goes to Rome (1963) where she even dance !

Riusciranno i nostri eroi a ritrovare l'amico misteriosamente scomparso in Africa? (1968)

Party guest in Cadaveri eccellenti (1975)

Scusi, facciamo l'amore? (1967)

Avanti! (1972)

[Ciavazzaro]

Speaking role with a nice-close up as german translator in Il comune senso del pudore (1976)

and Noiret called her principessa !


Nice role in Bel ami 2000 a.k.a. 100 ragazze per un playboy (1967)
She is a woman who sees the protagonist naked and she faint, surrended by Howard Nelson Rubien !

But when she is taken away in an ambulance she wanted the naked man back

As wife of Nando Sarlo in I baroni (1975)

Two more party guest roles for Irina:

Straziami ma di baci saziami (1968)

Io e lui (1973) on the left

[Ciavazzaro]

How much i love Irina! In every movie have always a different dress (unlike the other generici you know very well often used the same dress in many many movies

Here at the resturant together with Sordi in Dove vai in vacanza? (1978)

Can our Irina miss a party ?
Off course not and here in La matriarca (1968) with a new dress as always

And with Margherita Horowitz in Questa specie d'amore (1972) - pic by Emiliano

[Johan Melle]

Irina also shows up in Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell (1968) together with another nobleman generico, Andrea Esterhazy - as a friend of the countess played by Giovanna Galletti

And she's also fittingly cast as one of the aristocratic party guests in Visconti's L'innocente (1976)

And it's not possible to get a good pic but she's for sure sitting at the same table as Filippo Perego in La cage aux folles a.k.a. Il vizietto (1978)

[Johan Melle]

Also, since she was a princess, I've been searching around for her as there should be some information about her available out there, and on the genealogy website Geneanet, I came across a very interesting listing for a certain Irina Vassiltchikov: https://gw.geneanet.org/bourelly?lang=e ... siltchikov

She's listed as a princess, born on 28 August 1910 and died 26 February 1992. Her parents are listed as Prince Hilarion Vassiltchikov and Princess Lydia Léonidovna Wiazemsky.

Of course, I can't guarantee for the accuracy of this info, but if you start clicking on the links, there's extensive information entered for this family and other relatives and ancestors etc, so it looks quite convincing.

[Johan Melle]

So.... should we update the first post with this information I found, or...?

In any case, here are two new roles:

Sbatti il mostro in prima pagina (1972) as Woman at funeral

pic by Emiliano

Attenti al buffone (1975) as Woman at funeral

Caro papà (1979) as Party guest

[Ciavazzaro]

I think we should write it, if it is not correct we can change it, but i think she is really her (we already knew she was a noblewoman).