Gino Cervi


Luigi "Gino" Cervi was an Italian actor. He was best known for portraying Peppone in a series of comedies based on the character Don Camillo, and police detective Jules Maigret on the television series Le inchieste del commissario Maigret.

Life and career

Cervi was born in Bologna as Luigi Cervi. His father was Antonio Cervi, a theatre critic for Il Resto del Carlino. His family held close ties to the town of Casalbuttano ed Uniti, where the elder Cervi would eventually be buried.
He was best known for his role of Giuseppe Bottazzi, the Communist mayor in the Don Camillo movies of the 1950s and the 1960s. He shared great understanding and friendship with co-star Fernandel during the 15 years playing their respective roles in Don Camillo movies. He was a stage actor, particularly known for his interpretations of Shakespeare, and co-founded the Teatro Eliseo's stable company with Paolo Stoppa and Rina Morelli in 1939.
Toward the end of his career he played Commissioner Maigret for eight years in the Italian TV adaptation of the series of crime novels by Georges Simenon, Le inchieste del commissario Maigret, during which he also starred in a spin-off movie Maigret a Pigalle, produced by his son Tonino Cervi.
Cervi was also a voice actor, and dubbed into Italian the films of Laurence Olivier, Orson Welles, Clark Gable, and James Stewart. He dubbed Alec Guinness' voice in the Italian version of Brother Sun, Sister Moon and Charles Boyer in Lucky to Be a Woman.

Personal life

In 1928, Cervi married actress Ninì Gordini and they had a son, Tonino Cervi. He later became the grandfather of actress Valentina Cervi and producer Antonio Levesi Cervi.
He was initiated to the Italian Scottish Rite Freemasonry in the Lodge "Palingenesi" and later he joined the Lodge "Galvani" in Bologna.
As a young adult, Cervi was a supporter of the Fascist Party and participated in the March on Rome. His political alignment changed during World War II, when he openly denounced Fascism and far-right politics in general. He supported the Christian Democrats during the 1968 general election, and later joined the Italian Liberal Party, winning an election as councilor for the Lazio region.

Death

Cervi died in Punta Ala in 1974.

Selected filmography

The Blue Fleet Frontiere The Two Sergeants - Commander Federico Martelli / Sergeant Guglielmo SalvoniAldebaran - Cmdr. Corrado ValeriAmore - Paolo VenieriGli uomini non sono ingrati - Ferencz KorvatI Want to Live with Letizia - BebeL'argine - ZvanìEttore Fieramosca - Ettore FieramoscaInventiamo l'amore - Carlo MorelliThe Sons of the Marquis Lucera - ErmannoUn'avventura di Salvator Rosa - Salvador Rosa, il "Formica"The Sinner - AlbertoA Romantic Adventure - LuigiEternal Melodies - Wolfgang Amadeus MozartIl sogno di tutti - Baby's fatheThe Iron Crown - King Sedemondo of KindaorThe Betrothed - Renzo TramaglinoL'ultimo addio - Doctor Gino LandiThe Queen of Navarre - Carlo VºDon Cesare di Bazan - Don Cesare of BazanTorrents of Spring - FrancescoFourth Page - Former inmateFour Steps in the Clouds - Paolo BianchiGente dell'aria - Captain Pietro SandriSad Loves - Giulio ScarliI'll Always Love You - Mario FabbriniThe Innkeeper - The poetVivere ancora Quartetto pazzo - RobertoWhat a Distinguished Family - Michele MontischiMy Widow and I - Mr. GuglielmiHis Young Wife - Knight Commander Francesco BattilocchioUn uomo ritorna - Sergio TibaldiMalìa - Don AlfonsoL'angelo e il diavolo - Giulio SerraBlack Eagle - Kirila PetrovicUmanità Crime News Fury - OresteDaniele Cortis - Elena's husbandI miserabili - Jean ValjeanAnna Karenina - EnricoFabiola - QuadratusWilliam Tell - William TellThe Flame That Will Not Die - Luigi ManfrediThe Bride Can't Wait - Anselmo BrunelliYvonne of the Night - Colonnel BarettiIl cielo è rosso The Cliff of Sin - SilvanoWomen Without Names - MP Sergeant Pietro ZaniniStory of a Love Affair Red Seal Il caimano del Piave - Colonel of TorrebrunaThe Forbidden Christ - The SextonCameriera bella presenza offresi... - Filiberto 'Berto' MorucchiO.K. Nerone - NeroHello Elephant - NarratorDon Camillo - Giuseppe 'Peppone' BottazziWife For a Night - Count D'OrigoThree Forbidden Stories - Prof. Aragona The Queen of Sheba - King Solomon of JerusalemLa scogliera del peccato The Lady Without Camelias - Ercole 'Ercolino' BorraTerminal Station - Police commissionerThe Return of Don Camillo - Giuseppe 'Peppone' BottazziNero and the Burning of Rome - NeroThe Three Musketeers - PorthosThe Lady of the Camellias - Monsieur DuvalCavallina storna - Ruggero PascoliRoyal Affairs in Versailles - CagliostroMaddalena - Don VincenzoCardinal Lambertini - Cardinal LambertiniA Free Woman - Knight Commander Massimo MarchiLa grande avventura Farewell, My Beautiful Lady - Count Riccardo SalluzzoFrou-Frou - Prince Vladimir BilinskyNon c'è amore più grande Don Camillo's Last Round - Giuseppe 'Peppone' BottazziIl coraggio - Comm. Aristide PaoloniWild Love - Sor CesareGuardia, guardia scelta, brigadiere e maresciallo - MarshallBeatrice Cenci - Francesco CenciWives and Obscurities - John CattabrigaDesert Warrior - IbrahimTrapped in Tangier - Prof. BolevascoLe belle dell'aria - Don FogazzaAmore e chiacchiere - PaseroniEl pasado te acusa - Comisario' - VitalisThe Naked Maja - King Carlos IV of SpainNel Segno di Roma - Aurelianus - Emperor of RomeThe Big Chief - PauloThe Black Chapel - Police commissioner FerrariVacations in Majorca - André BretonThe Employee - King Lear David and Goliath - King Saul Siege of Syracuse - GeromeMistress of the World - Professor JohansonLong Night in 1943 - Carlo Aretusi aka "Sciagura"Le olimpiadi dei mariti - Director of the newspaperFemmine di lusso - Comm. Lemeni, Ugo's fatherThe Revolt of the Slaves - FabioUn figlio d'oggi - AndreaThe Joy of Living - Olinto FossatiDon Camillo: Monsignor - Giuseppe 'Peppone' BottazziThe Orderly - Major PennaTen Italians for One German - Duke Alfonso di San SeverinoRoaring Years - Podestà Salvatore AcquamanoLa monaca di Monza - Cardinale BorromeoLe Crime ne paie pas - L'inquisiteur The Changing of the Guard - Mario VinicioAvventura al motel - Knight CommanderThe Shortest Day - Colonel DainiThe Eye of the Needle - D'Angelo - lawyerGli onorevoli - Senator Rossani BraschiLe Bon Roi Dagobert - Le ministre saint-eloi