Argentina Brunetti
Argentina Brunetti was an Argentine stage and film actress and writer.
Early life
Brunetti was born Argentina Ferraù in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Italian parents; h father was Vincenzo "Vicente" Ferraù and her mother was the Sicilian actress Mimi Aguglia. She began her show-business career at the age of three with a walk-on role in the opera Cavalleria rusticana and followed in the footsteps of her mother, performing supporting roles on stage throughout Europe and South America. In 1928, she and her family immigrated to the United States.
Career
In 1937, she was placed under contract to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and began dubbing the voices of Jeanette MacDonald and Norma Shearer into Italian. She became a narrator for the Voice of America, interviewing American movie stars for broadcast in Italy. At the same time, she made her movie debut in the classic It's a Wonderful Life as Mrs. Maria Martini.
Brunetti wrote and performed in daily radio shows; she became a member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, writing numerous articles on Hollywood personalities; she authored books, wrote music, and appeared in nearly 60 television programmes and almost 70 films. She hosted a weekly weblog on the Internet called Argentina Brunetti's Hollywood Stories, which her son plans to continue running, and wrote a biographical novel called In Sicilian Company. She continued to act into her nineties, most notably as a relative from the Old World who visits and stays with the Barone family in a 1998 episode of Everybody Loves Raymond; her last role was in 2002.
Personal life
She wed Miro Brunetti, a foreign correspondent in Hollywood. The two helped to co-found the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. The couple had one son, Mario. Miro Brunetti died in 1966. Argentina Brunetti never remarried.
Later life
Brunetti moved to Rome in 2004 to be with her family.
Death
Brunetti died on December 20, 2005, aged 98.
Filmography
Gilda .... Woman The Return of Monte Cristo .... It's a Wonderful Life .... Mrs. Maria MartiniCalifornia .... ElviraHigh Tide .... Mrs. CresserTycoon .... Señora Ayora – House Guest Tenth Avenue Angel .... Boy's Mother Man-Eater of Kumaon .... SitaMexican Hayride .... Indian Woman Shockproof .... Stella Knock on Any Door .... Ma Romano El Paso .... Don Nacho's Woman We Were Strangers .... Mother House of Strangers .... Applicant The Red Danube .... Italian Woman Holiday in Havana .... Mrs. Estrada The Silver Theater .... Mama RomaniThe Blonde Bandit .... Mama SapelliCaptain Carey, U.S.A. .... Villager The Lawless .... Mrs. RodriguezBroken Arrow .... Nalikadeya, Cochise's Wife Dial 1119 .... Bus Passenger Southside 1–1000 .... Storekeeper Babo's Wife Ghost Chasers .... Mrs. ParelliThe Great Caruso .... Signora BarrettoSirocco .... Woman Force of Arms .... Signora Maduvalli Rose of Cimarron .... Red FawnThe Fighter .... MariaWhen in Rome .... Mrs. LugacettiBal Tabarin .... Teresa Apache War Smoke .... MadreWoman in the Dark .... 'Mama' MorelloThe Iron Mistress .... Duenna Hopalong Cassidy .... Senora SoledadRacket Squad .... Mrs. ScarpitaMy Cousin Rachel .... Signora Tropic Zone .... Tia FelicianaSan Antone .... Mexican WomanThe Story of Three Loves .... Saleswoman The Caddy .... Mama AnthonyKing of the Khyber Rifles .... LaliWaterfront .... Mama FerreraMake Haste to Live .... Mrs. GonzalesThe Lone Wolf .... Mama CrocettiThe Public Defender .... Mrs. DerekLux Video Theatre The Lone Ranger .... MariaThe Prodigal .... Townswoman Hell's Island .... Pottery Maker The Far Horizons .... Old CroneThe Last Command .... Maria Jane Wyman Presents The Fireside Theatre .... Mrs. AdamsThe Tall Men .... Maria the Dressmaker Letter to Loretta .... Mrs. Nardo / Mrs. FerenziThe Rains of Ranchipur .... Mrs. Adoani TV Reader's Digest .... Mrs. BarrettThe 20th Century-Fox Hour .... Mrs. Rosa HernandezMatinee Theatre Celebrity Playhouse Anything Goes .... SuzanneTelephone Time .... Senora ValdesAlfred Hitchcock Presents .... Mrs. SalvatoreNavy Log .... Mme. DeschampsThree Violent People .... MariaDuel at Apache Wells .... Tia MariaThe Adventures of Jim Bowie .... Tri RosaPanic! .... Tina D'AlessioCode 3 .... Mrs. MoralesThe Unholy Wife .... TheresaThe Midnight Story .... Mama MalatestaThe Brothers Rico .... Mrs. RicoThe Veil .... MariaThe Thin Man .... Shana DauphaShowdown at Boot Hill .... Mrs. BarabbasM Squad .... Mrs. Doris MichaelsJet Over the Atlantic .... Miss HootenWestinghouse Desilu Playhouse .... ElenaThe Detectives Starring Robert Taylor .... Mrs. MorettiThe Untouchables .... Mrs. Swoboda / Sophia CestariGeneral Electric Theater .... SaralBonanza .... Bruja's HelperRawhide .... Rosa PatinesThe Deputy .... EvitaThriller .... Mrs. RomanoWanted: Dead or Alive .... Juanita DomingoThe Roaring Twenties .... Mamma ZorichCoronado 9 .... Mrs. DominguezTales of Wells Fargo .... MariaLock Up .... Mrs. VoltaireAlcoa Presents: One Step Beyond .... Maria Gonzalez / Margarita CasteraCheckmate .... BertaWagon Train .... Lisa CanevariRoute 66 .... Senora Maria OteroThe Lawless Years .... Mama MatteoMiami Undercover .... Mrs. AlemadaThe George Raft Story .... Mrs. RaftThe Many Loves of Dobie Gillis .... GrandmotherThe Rifleman .... Mrs. RamirezThe Horizontal Lieutenant .... The Nun The Pigeon That Took Rome .... Relative at Easter Dinner The Gallant Men .... Mother SuperiorGoing My Way .... Mrs. Molletti / Mrs. SeverinoGeneral Hospital .... Filomena Soltini 7 Faces of Dr. Lao .... Sarah BenedictStage to Thunder Rock .... SaritaBen Casey .... Mrs. SanchezThe Money Trap .... AuntGunsmoke .... Louise DanbyThe F.B.I. .... Tia RodriguezThe Fugitive .... Mexican WomanThe Andy Griffith Show.... La Farona The Appaloosa .... Yaqui woman The Venetian Affair .... The Nun The Invaders .... LuzThe Man from U.N.C.L.E. .... ProprietorGomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. .... CaraThe Big Valley .... MariaI Spy .... ChicaThe Shakiest Gun in the West .... Squaw Ironside .... Rita's AuntThe Flying Nun .... Consuelo Gomez / Woman #2The High Chaparral .... Duena LopezTo Rome with Love .... JosieThe Barefoot Executive .... Mrs. Bernaducci The Streets of San Francisco .... ConsuelaTemperatures Rising The Magician .... LandladyKojak .... ChristinaFlight to Holocaust .... Woman in ElevatorWonder Woman .... ManageressBlack Market Baby .... Aunt ImeldaBlue Sunshine .... Mrs. RosellaQuincy, M.E. .... Mrs. MaggioreFantasy Island .... TeresaTenspeed and Brown Shoe .... Celeste DiagustaFatso .... Zi JuleEvita Peron .... Old womanThe Quest Joanie Loves Chachi .... Aunt Gina1st & Ten .... Mama ArcolaBooker .... Grandma PetrelliThe New Adam-12 .... Old Woman on BusLookin' Italian .... GrandmotherEverybody Loves Raymond .... Zia SarinaThat's Life .... Aunt RoseThe 4th Tenor .... Neighbor Woman