Maria Caserini

{{Short description|Italian actress (1884–1969)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2016}} thumb|Caserini in 1914 '''Maria Caserini''' (née '''Gasperini'''; 24 July 1884 – 15 April 1969) was an Italian stage and film actress, as well as a pioneer of filmmaking during the early 20th century. She often starred in adaptations of stage and film productions for the works of William Shakespeare.

Born in Milan, she started acting in stage productions at a young age. Her first film was in 1906, in what is believed to be the earliest film adaptation of Shakespeare's ''Othello'', titled ''Otello'', which was directed by her husband, Mario Caserini.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fema La Rochelle {{!}} Mario Caserini, cinéaste |url=https://festival-larochelle.org/cineaste/mario-caserini/ |access-date=2025-03-15 |website=festival-larochelle.org |language=fr-FR}}</ref> She appeared in a film adaptation of ''Romeo and Juliet'' in 1907, along with appearing in another thirteen films through 1909. One of those films was the 1909 production ''Macbeth'', which was directed by her husband.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Leonard |first=Kendra Preston |url=https://www.google.pt/books/edition/Shakespeare_Madness_and_Music/-91975YbbnIC?hl=fr&gbpv=1&dq=macbeth+maria+caserini&pg=PA136&printsec=frontcover |title=Shakespeare, Madness, and Music: Scoring Insanity in Cinematic Adaptations |date=2009-07-09 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=978-0-8108-6958-5 |language=en}}</ref>

From 1910 to 1927 she appeared in sixty five films, all produced in Italy, most of which were directed by her husband, and many of which were Shakespearean adaptations. She also appears in ''Ma l’amor mio non muore!'', in 1913.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.torinocittadelcinema.it/schedafilm.php?film_id=19&stile=small|language=it|title=Ma l'amor mio non muore! |encyclopedia=Enciclopedia del cinema in Piemonte}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Ma l'amore mio non muore, Mario Caserini, 1913 (1h20) |url=https://www.fondation-jeromeseydoux-pathe.com/event/425 |access-date=2025-03-15 |website=www.fondation-jeromeseydoux-pathe.com |language=fr}}</ref>

She continued to perform in theater productions well after she left her film career. She was residing in Milan at the time of her death on 15 April 1969.

==Selected filmography== * ''Messalina'' (1910) * ''Agrippina'' (1911) * ''Love Everlasting'' (1913) * ''Floretta and Patapon'' (1913) * ''Monna Vanna'' (1915) * ''The Railway Owner'' (1919) * ''The Shadow'' (1920)

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{commons category}} *{{IMDb name|0143332}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Caserini, Maria}} Category:20th-century Italian actresses Category:1884 births Category:1969 deaths Category:Italian film actresses Category:Italian silent film actresses Category:Italian stage actresses Category:Actresses from Milan Category:Italian women film directors