Nora Ricci, born in 1924 in Viareggio, Tuscany, was an Italian actress whose career spanned stage and screen. She debuted in 1943 and became known for her compelling performances in films like The Witches (1967) and The Libertine (1968). In The Night Porter (1974), she delivers a haunting portrayal that captures the film's complex themes of power and desire. Ricci's work in The Damned (1969) further solidifies her place in the realm of cult cinema, showcasing her ability to navigate the darker narratives of exploitation and psychological drama.
The Witches
The Witches (Italian: Le streghe) is a 1967 commedia all'italiana anthology film produced by Dino De Laurentiis in 1965.[1] It consists of five comic stories, directed by Luchino Visconti, Franco Rossi, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Mauro Bolognini and Vittorio De Sica. Each story is about witches and features Silvana Mangano. This is one of De Laurentiis' more eclectic films. Clint Eastwood also makes an appearance in the final story. It was the last film released in Toto’s lifetime. "The Witch Burned Alive" A famous actress arrives in an Austrian chalet to spend an evening with friends. The woman is gotten drunk by the guests, and when she falls unconscious, friends remove her makeup to look at the imperfections of her face, always believed beautiful by her fans. "Civic Spirit" A man is wounded in a traffic accident. A woman stops the car and offers to take him to the hospital. The woman, however, only does this to pass the road traffic. When she arrives at her destination, she throws him out. "The Earth Seen from the Moon" This comic episode, directed by Pasolini, tells the story of a red-headed father and son, Ciancicato and Baciu Miao (Totò and Ninetto Davoli). Ciancicato has just lost his wife and wants to marry a new wife. Ciancicato finds a deaf girl among the shacks on the outskirts of Rome and makes her his bride. To buy a better house nearby, he concocts a plan for her to threaten to commit suicide (distraught by her sick children) by jumping from the Coliseum, and take a collection to save her, but she slips on a banana peel and falls, and is buried next to his former wife. "The Sicilian Belle" In this short episode, a Sicilian woman tells her father a man made a pass at her; he retaliates by massacring the family. "An Evening Like the Others" Clint Eastwood is a western movie lover who does not know how to change the flat relationship with his wife. One day the character disguises himself as a gunslinger to entertain his wife, but she is not impressed and he realizes that their relationship is broken forever. In the final scene, she imagines herself as a glamorous star, walking along in an evolving series of haute couture while being ogled by a growing crowd of middle-aged businessmen. She lastly dons a magnificent gown made of multiple layers of silk, each in a vibrant shade, which she peels away layer by layer.
