Memmo Carotenuto

Guglielmo Carotenuto known as Memmo (July 24, 1908 Rome, Lazio, Italy - December 23, 1980 Rome, Lazio, Italy) was an Italian actor. Brother of Mario Carotenuto, both sons of Nello Carotenuto, in turn a well-known theatrical actor, and of Corinna Santarnecchi, he made his debut in theater while still a child in the Roman dialectal company of which his father Nello was a part. He entered the cinema, playing the first small part, in 1935 in Alessandro Blasetti's Vecchia guardia. He continues his activity even during the war, adhering to the cinematography of Salò. The first important role comes only with the interpretation of the hospital roommate of the protagonist of Umberto D. (1952), in which Vittorio De Sica gives him the opportunity to show off his dramatic talent, which is perfected with the years in populace roles of sanguine expressiveness and big heart. In 1956 his performance of Quirino, a supporting actor of Marcello Mastroianni in the film Il bigamo by Luciano Emmer, earned him the award of a Nastro d'argento. With a characteristic arrochite voice and typically Roman irrepressible irony, the plebeian but sincere ways, since the 1950s he has shot over one hundred films often with masters of Italian comedy, such as Totò, Alberto Sordi, Peppino De Filippo, the aforementioned Vittorio De Sica and Gina Lollobrigida.