Walter Chiari

Walter Chiari, born Walter Annicchiarico on 8 March 1924 in Verona, Kingdom of Italy, emerged as one of the most versatile Italian performers of the twentieth century. From a modest family originally hailing from Apulia, he survived the turbulence of World War II, serving first in the Decima Flottiglia MAS and later being conscripted into the Wehrmacht, where he was wounded during the D‑Day operations in Normandy and captured by Allied forces. After the war he turned to the stage, quickly gaining fame for his lively presence in musical comedies such as Buonanotte Bettina (1956) and Un mandarino per Teo (1960), often collaborating with celebrated playwrights Garinei and Giovannini. His cinematic breakthrough arrived when Luchino Visconti cast him as the youthful lover in Bellissima (1951), sharing screen time with legends like Anna Magnani; this performance opened doors to international projects, including the English‑language film The Little Hut (1957) where he met Ava Gardner, and later the French‑Italian drama Bonjour Tristesse (1958). Throughout the 1960s Chiari diversified his portfolio, starring in the Australian comedy They're a Weird Mob (1966) and appearing opposite actors such as Alida Chelli, who would become his wife in 1969. His filmography spanned genres from comedy to crime, with notable roles in Chimes at Midnight (1966) and The Valachi Papers (1972).

Despite a flourishing career, his public image suffered a severe blow in 1970 when he was arrested on suspicion of cocaine possession and trafficking; although eventually acquitted of the most serious charges, the scandal effectively barred him from Italian state television and relegated him to minor film parts and regional theatre. He died suddenly of a heart attack at his Milan home on 20 December 1991, leaving behind a legacy of more than four hundred screen appearances and a reputation as a charismatic, if sometimes controversial, figure in post‑war Italian entertainment. His gravestone bears the witty epitaph he once suggested: "Don't worry, I'm merely catching up with sleep."