OCR Text |
Show One-Tims Italian Film Star Living Penniless ROME, ITALY An unknown machinist ma-chinist who skyrocketed to fame as the male lead in the priewin-ning priewin-ning film. "The Bicycle Thief," was reported here to be penniless and with no early prospects of mployment. According to a statement released re-leased by CARE relief officals here, Lamberto Maggiorani. had i been unemployed for more than 10 months, despite his one-time screen fame. His three children, it was said, usually go to bed with only glass of milk for supper. Maggiorani, whose fall from the peak of film stardom was as speedy as his ascent, worked for 18 years in the Breda munitions plant near Rome. In May, 1048. Italian director direc-tor Vittorio de Sica chnse him for the starring role in the much heralded her-alded "Bicycle Thief." When the picture was completed. Maggiorani collected a total of : $9fi0 and returned to his machinist bench. He was laid off last spring when Breda dismissed nearly 65 per cent of its employees. T .nr,nr,t snv the film cost me my job," CARE quoted Maggiorani as saying, "but I do think that if I had not started with the movie, ; perhaps, after 18 years, Breda j would have kept me on." j Since the lay-off he has had two temporary jobs-15 days on a movie lot and a month and a half as a . bricklayer at about $2 a day. ! The Maggioranis escaped eviction from their three room, low income . housing project apartment at , Christmas only because a visiting American gave them 6.000 lire ($9 60) to make up a nine-month , rent deficit. CARE said. I |