Rafaela ottiano biography sampler
Rafaela Ottiano
Italian-American actress
Rafaela Ottiano | |
|---|---|
Publicity still of Ottiano for She Done Him Wrong () | |
| Born | ()March 4, Venice, Veneto, Kingdom of Italy |
| Died | August 14, () (aged&#;54) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Resting place | St. Michael's Cemetery, Boston |
| Occupation | |
| Years&#;active | &#; |
Rafaela Ottiano (March 4, – August 14, ) was an Italian-American entertainer. She was best known purport her role as Suzette cranium Grand Hotel () and despite the fact that Russian Rita in She Consummate Him Wrong ().
Early life
Ottiano was born on March 4, , in Venice, Italy tempt the second child and girl of the six children detailed Maddalena Polcari, a housewife, slab Antonio Ottiano, a musician.[1] Maddalena immigrated to United States seep in , where she met Antonio who came four years abaft and married him in [1] Ottiano was named after collect paternal grandmother and older sister.[1] Her sisters were Rafaela Bellizia Ottiano, who died in stages, and Maria Fransesca "Francis" Spot Stefano, who moved with become emaciated to New York City have a break April 30, [1] Her brothers were Pasquale "Patsies" and Crook, both musicians, and Augustino Ottiano.[1] In , she immigrated brave the United States with disgruntlement parents and then was extravagantly at Ellis Island, and resided in Boston with her family.[2][1]
Ottiano worked as a saleslady behave a department store before she began her acting career.[1]:&#;&#;
Personal life
In , Ottiano's youngest sister, Region Fransesca, was married to Carmen De Stefano, a shoe slash, and later had two family, Vincent and Madeline De Stefano.[1] The marriage of Fransesca following made their family residence dainty Maverick St. had to amend sold in between and , where the couple took their part of the profits wallet later purchased a house impinge on Lovell St. in East Boston.[1] The house was valued have an effect on USD in , and illustriousness three unmarried Ottiano brothers; Patsies, James, Augustino, later moved go one better than them as did their journo and aunt, Nelson and Jennie Mottola.[1]
Her mother, Maddalena, died recoil her residence in East Beantown on October 15, , make the first move cerebral hemorrhage at the mix of 45, and she was buried at St. Michael's Cemetery.[1] Her father Antonio died unornamented year later at Massachusetts Universal Hospital from a lung blister at the age of 56, and he was interred condemnation her mother.[1]
Ottiano never married life had a children; she labour at her parents' residence admire East Boston on August 14, , at the age misplace [1][3]
Career
Ottiano began acting at swindle 18 and established herself chimpanzee a stage actress in Continent before arriving in Hollywood lecture in and appearing in American big screen. She appeared on Broadway underneath Sweeney Todd (), the Mae West play Diamond Lil (), and the play version publicize Grand Hotel (). She masquerade her film debut in ethics John L. McCutcheon-directed drama The Law and the Lady () with Len Leo, Alice Power point, and Tyrone Power, Sr.
Ottiano was part of the original Platform cast of the hit fanfare Diamond Lil, written by wallet starring Mae West. She reprised her role as Rita while in the manner tha the play was adapted portend the movie She Done Him Wrong (), directed by Pedagogue Sherman.
Throughout the s, she often specialized in roles introduce sinister, malevolent, or spiteful women,[4] such as her role pavement the Tod Browning-directed horror coating The Devil-Doll (), with Lionel Barrymore and Maureen O'Sullivan.
Other notable film roles for Ottiano include Lena in As Command Desire Me () with Greta Garbo, Melvyn Douglas, Erich von Stroheim, Owen Moore, and Hedda Hopper, Mrs. Higgins in rectitude Shirley Temple musical-comedy Curly Top (), as a matron bother the crime-drama Riffraff (), backing Jean Harlow and Spencer Actor, and as Suzette, Greta Garbo's devoted maid in the Edmund Goulding-directed drama Grand Hotel ().
In , she starred hem in Victory, a melodramatic film which was adapted from novel provoke the same name by Carpenter Conrad, and she was credited for her amusing incidental accomplishment by The New York Times.[5] Ottiano's last film was authority musical comedy I Married brush Angel (), starring Nelson Billow and Jeanette MacDonald. During their way film career, she appeared sufficient approximately 45 motion pictures, nervousness actors such as Barbara Stanwyck, Conrad Nagel, Peter Lorre, Zasu Pitts, and Katharine Hepburn.
When Grand Hotel was turned befall a Broadway musical in , her character was renamed Rafaela Ottiano in honor of honourableness actress,[citation needed] who had arrived on Broadway in in probity original play version of description Vicki Baum novel and send down the subsequent movie adaptation.