Ave Ninchi

Much-loved in her native Italy, supporting actress Ave Ninchi played character roles on stage, television, and in over 98 feature films that included Tomorrow Is Too Late (1949) and Louis Malle's Lacombe Lucien (1974). Ninchi has worked beside some of Italy's brightest stars, including Paolo Toppa, Alida Valli, Sophia Loren, Marcello Mastroianni, and Gina Lollobrigida, but she was most favorably teamed with comedian Antonio "Toto" de Curtis. Ninchi came from a theatrical family and both her brothers Carlo Ninchi and Annibale Ninchi were actors. She started out on-stage at age 18, appearing in a wide variety of productions. Ninchi made her film debut in Circo Equestre Za-Bum (The Za-bum Circus) (1943). She and Toto teamed up for the first time in Toto Seeks a Wife (1950). Her television career was at its peak during the '60s and '70s when she was appearing in some of her country's top-rated series. Ninchi was 83 when she died on November 10, 1997, after a longtime fight with diabetes.

~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide