Birth Anniversary: Clara Calamai — September 7, 1909

Clara Calamai was born at Prato on 7 September 1909. In 1943 Luchino Visconti cast her as Giovanna in Ossessione, against Massimo Girotti: a part that took her out of the range of the well-dressed leading lady and into a register the Italian cinema of those years had rarely asked of an actress.

A note on this date. The year of birth is not settled: Treccani gives 1915, while the Library of Congress authority file and the other records we checked give 1909. We have followed the majority; the day, 7 September, is agreed everywhere. We publish it with the warning rather than leave the page out, and if you can point us to a register or an archive that carries it we will confirm or correct it.

Dates verified on Treccani, Enciclopedia del Cinema; the Library of Congress Name Authority File.