Titina De Filippo, who she was and what she did: biography, films and private life

This evening "The De Filippo Brothers" will be broadcast on Rai 1, Sergio Rubini's film which traces the story of Eduardo, Peppino and Titina De Filippo, paying homage to the trio of artists who made the history of Italian theatre.
Titina De Filippo is the older sister, the first to follow in her father's footsteps, appearing on stage from an early age.
The most famous interpretation is undoubtedly that of Filumena Marturano, the most famous theatrical comedy by her brother Eduardo.
So much so that with "Matrimonio all'italiana", an adaptation of the 1964 work, Vittorio De Sica honors the passing of Titina, with Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni in the roles of the protagonists.
Titina's story and career are, like those of her brothers, full of professional recognition, contrasts and a complex and multifaceted dedication to art.
Here, still 60 years after her death, Titina De Filippo is one of the most illustrious artists on the Italian scene.
Here is his story.
Who was Titina De Filippo, biography Titina was a theater actress, playwright and screenwriter of the late twentieth century, still remembered today for her works and for her collaborations with her brothers Eduardo and Peppino.
Titina (diminutive for Annunziata) De Filippo is the first daughter of Eduardo Scarpetta and Luisa De Filippo.
From his father he takes his theatrical vocation and talent, but not his surname.
The De Filippo brothers in fact took their surname from their mother Luisa, given that they were born out of wedlock and their father already had a "legitimate" family.
He was born on 27 March 1898 in Naples, where he grew up with his brothers and soon began to follow in the family footsteps (Eduardo Scarpetta was an esteemed playwright and actor, himself coming from a lineage of theater actors).
Then, he also began to work with his brothers, not only Eduardo and Peppino, but also Vincenzo Scarpetta (legitimate son of Eduardo Scarpetta and Rosa De Filippo, Luisa's aunt).
Titina's career and films As anticipated, Titina began her theatrical career at a very young age, first in her father's company, then in that of her half-brother Vincenzo Scarpetta, until she changed several to differentiate herself and test herself with various repertoires, from pochade to musical comedy.
His career culminated in the 1929-1930 theater season, when he acted at the Teatro Nuovo in Naples with the Stabile Napoletana Molinari company alongside Totò.
Subsequently, he founded the Teatro Umoristico I De Filippo with his brothers Eduardo and Peppino, which debuted with the comedy "Natale in casa Cupiello".
In 1937 the trio made their film debut with the comedy “It Was Me!” by Raffaello Matarazzo.
Titina was also a prolific author, having written 21 plays, including “Quaranta ma non li prova” and “These ghosts!” Eduardo and Titina founded Eduardo's Company, after the latter had argued with Peppino, with which “Filomena Marturano” and “Napoli milionaria!” came to life.
Private life: brothers and sisters, husband and son Titina De Filippo's private life is also full of particular events, which certainly did not spare her suffering.
The brothers and sisters are 9 in total, children of Eduardo Scarpetta and four different women.
Titina, Peppino and Eduardo are known as the De Filippo brothers, having taken their maternal surname.
Her love life, however, was very different from her father's: in 1922 she married Pietro Carloni and in 1923 the couple had their only son, Augusto Carloni.
Pietro Carloni, Titina's husband, was also a theater actor, in fact the two met in Francesco Corbinci's company and then collaborated with the De Filippo brothers.
Everyone suffered deeply from Titina's premature death, so much so that Pietro died only 5 years after his wife.
Augusto, on the other hand, was a biographer of the De Filippo family, as well as an esteemed parliamentary journalist.
He too, however, took to the stage in the early days, making his debut with his mother and uncle Eduardo.
How Titina De Filippo died, the disease Titina De Filippo died in Rome on 26 December 1963, at the age of 65, after almost 20 years of illness.
It was 1946 when the actress began to suffer from severe heart failure, which however never prevented her from continuing to work.
The funeral was celebrated in the Basilica of the Sacred Immaculate Heart of Mary in Rome and she was initially buried in the Verano cemetery, but later the body was transferred to the local cemetery of Manziana, following the decision of her son Augustus.
read also Peppino De Filippo: what he did, films and private life