Anna Maria Ferrero

When recalling famous Italian film goddesses, the names of Loren, Lollobrigida and Cardinale quickly role off the tongue. Not so for this Rome-born lead actress who nevertheless made a respectable impact in 1950s film. She was born Anna Maria Guerra but took the surname Ferrero as her stage moniker in tribute to the famed musical director and conductor Willy Ferrero (1906-1954). She entered films as a teenager with The Sky Is Red (1949). Her delicate, photogenic beauty and assured talent would subsequently be captured on lens for such important directors as Michelangelo Antonioni, Mario Monicelli, Carlo Lizzani, Gianni Franciolini, Dino Risi and Francesco Maselli. Although her career spanned slightly more than a decade, Ferrero achieved reasonable status in such films as The Forbidden Christ (1950), Half a Century of Song (1952), The Mute of Portici (1952), The Vanquished (1953), and The Unfaithfuls (1953), the latter also co-starring Lollobrigida. Ferrero's obvious allure and sensitive approach to acting made her a frequent, popular choice with many directors. Her rich role in Chronicle of Poor Lovers (1954) was noted and the film went on to win two Silver Ribbons at the Cannes Film Festival. Although she acted rarely outside her native Italy, she was featured in the star-studded King Vidor epic production of War and Peace (1956) starring Audrey Hepburn, Mel Ferrer and Henry Fonda. Obviously recognized for her outpouring of film work, Ferrero also was accomplished on stage, joining Vittorio Gassman's theatre company and working there for several seasons. Notable were her Ophelia in "Hamlet," Desdemona in "Othello" and title role in the musical "Irma la Douce." With Gassman, Ferrero played Anna Damby in the cinematic version of the Alexandre Dumas' drama Kean (1956). Following some spirited performances in the adventurous The Hunchback of Rome (1960) and Gold of Rome (1961), Ferrero surprised many by suddenly abandoning her career after marrying French actor Jean Sorel.