After playing secondary roles in a number of films, in 1951 he was chosen by Fellini for
the character of the 'White Sheik' in Lo sceicco bianco, and his popularity started to
grow.
In 1954 he created the character of Nando Mericoni in Un americano a Roma, where he
plays a childish young man whose biggest dream is to live the American way of life, and
therefore pretends to be from Kansas City: the film became a cult movie (Sordi was also one
of the authors of the script), and Alberto was soon invited to the United States were he
received a Kansas City honorary citizenship.
|
 |
 |
His films usually carry elements of social satire, sometimes mild, sometimes very bitter;
he likes to play a typical middle class Italian with many defects and few good qualities.
Working for important Italian directors, such as Federico Fellini, Ettore Scola, Cesare
Zavattini, Mario Monicelli, Vittorio De Sica, Luigi Comencini, his films sometimes have an
important cast; he also personally directed some of his movies.
Among the famous national and international stars he worked with, we could mention Vittorio
Gassman, David Niven, Claudia Cardinale, Bette Davis, Monica Vitti, Bernard Blier, Silvana
Mangano, Shelley Winters, and many others.
Alberto Sordi's films are enjoyable both for his Italian fans (especially romans, who adore him)
and for non-Italian spectators.
|
