Bellissima (1951) is an Italian neorealism film by Italian director Luchino Visconti. The film, which is a satire of the film industry, was shot at the Cinecittà studios. Alessandro Blasetti, a contemporary film director, appears as himself.
Plot
Bellissima centers on a working-class mother in Rome, Maddalena (Anna Magnani), who drags her young daughter (Tina Apicella) to Cinecittà for the “Prettiest Girl in Rome” contest. Maddalena is a stage mother who loves movies and whose efforts to promote her daughter grow increasingly frenzied.
Cast
Anna Magnani – Maddalena Cecconi
Walter Chiari – Alberto Annovazzi
Tina Apicella – Maria Cecconi
Gastone Renzelli – Spartaco Cecconi
Tecla Scarano – Tilde Spernanzoni
Lola Braccini – the photographer’s wife
Anton Giulio Bragaglia – the photographer
Nora Ricci – the laundry girl
Vittorina Benvenuti
Linda Sini – Mimmetta
Teresa Battaggi – the snobistic mother
Gisella Monaldi – the concierge
Amalia Pellegrini
Cinema Neorealismo Italiano 