Tano Cimarosa

I was watching Damiano Damiani's The Most Beautiful Wife last night and got confused at one point because there's a character in the film called Tano Cimarosa whom I was sure was being played by the actor Tano Cimarosa. I checked on the IMDB and, in addition to confirming that actor and character name were indeed identical, was saddened to learn that he had died only last week.


Tano Cimarosa, 1922-2008

For what it matters, Cimarosa's very good in the film, which is as much a drama as a crime film and was based on a true story. He plays the peasant farmer father of the girl whom a rising local mafioso decides to take for his bride. Despite all his daughter suffers, Cimarosa's character is unwilling / unable to take a stand or defend her. It's a powerful performance in which he beautifully conveys the frustration and helplessness of the character with his body language and gestures.