Filippo Scelzo

Filippo Scelzo (19 April 1900 – 9 October 1980) was an Italian stage, film and television actor. He appeared in more than forty films including Red Passport in which he played the male lead.

Life and career Born in Ivrea, the son of the stage actress Lena Artale, Scelzo started his career at very young age in the theatrical companies of Ettore Paladini and Gualtiero Tumiati. After having worked with Ruggero Ruggeri, in 1923 he got his first leading roles with the stage company of . In the following years he continued an intense theatrical activity, working with prominent actors of the time such as Dina Galli, Irma Gramatica, Antonio Gandusio and Kiki Palmer, as well as in the Mario Mattoli's company Za Bum. In 1934 he started his long career in cinema, even if mostly cast in supporting and character roles. In 1937 he formed his own stage company, together with Gualtiero Tumiati, Enzo Biliotti and Margherita Bagni.

In later years, Scelzo maintained an extensive theatrical schedule, working alongside Vittorio Gassman, Anna Proclemer, Paola Borboni, Sarah Ferrati, Vivi Gioi, and also directing the company of Teatro delle Arti. He was also active as a television actor, and more sporadically as a dubber.

Selected filmography

Loyalty of Love (1934) - Il barone Salvotti Red Passport (1935) - Lorenzo Casati (1936) - Uomo #2 Jeanne Doré (1938) - Perodot L'amor mio non muore! (1938) The Sons of the Marquis Lucera (1939) - Salvatore Le sorprese del divorzio (1939) - Enrico Duval Trial and Death of Socrates (1939) - Cebete Bridge of Glass (1940) - A Ponte de Vidro Kean (1940) - Il principe di Galles Piccolo alpino (1940) - Michele Rasi, suo padre Malombra (1942) - Un medico (uncredited) Piazza San Sepolcro (1942) Odessa in Flames (1942) - Michele Smirnoff Il nostro prossimo (1943) - Il padre di Paola The White Angel (1943) - Giovanni Tempesta sul golfo (1943) - Wolikof - il pittore La signora in nero (1943) - Raimondo Il fiore sotto gli occhi (1944) - Il proffesore Falcini No Turning Back (1945) - Guido Belluzzi The White Devil (1947) - Der Intelektuelle The Man with the Grey Glove (1948) - Tambroni The Earth Cries Out (1949) - Professore Taumen Romanticismo (1949) - General Rienz Duel Without Honor (1950) Il Brigante Musolino (1950) - Public prosecutor The Count of Saint Elmo (1951) - Mancini The Ungrateful Heart (1951) - Avvocato difensore Frontier Wolf (1951) A Thief in Paradise (1952) - Chirurgo La voce del sangue (1952) - Donato Scala Gli uomini non guardano il cielo (1952) - Cardinal Ferrari The Secret of Three Points (1952) - Avvocato Mottola The Enemy (1952) - Notaio Ragaldi Guilt Is Not Mine (1952) The Shadow (1954) - Il dottor Magre The Boatman of Amalfi (1954) - Padre Felice Io, Caterina (1957) Gold of Rome (1961) - Ludovico, President of the Jewish community The Verona Trial (1963) - Giovanni Marinelli Il Successo (1963) - Berto Corruption (1963) - Professore Pleasant Nights (1966) - Messer Bindo La bambolona (1968) - Giulio's father (1972) - Padre Palermo (final film role)