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Laura Betti

Laura Betti

Actor, also writer · Died July 31, 2004, aged 77 · Casalecchio di Reno, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

Laura Betti (née Trombetti; 1 May 1927 – 31 July 2004) was an Italian actress known particularly for her work with directors Federico Fellini, Pier Paolo Pasolini and Bernardo Bertolucci. She had a long friendship with Pasolini and made a documentary about him in 2001. Betti became famous for portraying bizarre, grotesque, eccentric, unstable or maniacal roles, like Regina in Bernardo Bertolucci's 1900, Anna the medium in Twitch of the Death Nerve, Giovanna la pazza in Woman Buried Alive, hysterical Rita Zigai in Sbatti il mostro in prima pagina, Therese in Private Vices, Public Virtues, Emilia the servant in Pier Paolo Pasolini's Teorema for which she won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress, and Mildred the protagonist's wife in Mario Bava's Hatchet for the Honeymoon. Born Laura Trombetti in Casalecchio di Reno, near Bologna, she grew up to be interested in singing. She first worked professionally in the arts as a jazz singer and moved to Rome. Betti made her film debut in Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita (1960). In 1963, she became a close friend of the poet and movie director Pier Paolo Pasolini. Under his direction, she proved a wonderful talent and played in seven of his films, including La ricotta (1963), Teorema (Theorem, 1968), his 1972 version of The Canterbury Tales, in which she played the Wife of Bath; and his controversial Salo (1975) ("120 Days of Sodom"). In 1976, Betti portrayed Regina, a cruel and eroto-maniacal fascist in Bernardo Bertolucci's Novecento (1900). She also played Miss Blandish in his Last Tango in Paris (1972), though her single scene was deleted. In 1973 she dubbed the voice of the Devil for the Italian version of William Friedkin's The Exorcist. From the 1960s, Betti dedicated much of her time to literature and politics. She became the muse for a number of leading political and literary figures in Italy and came to personify the revolutionary and Marxist era of 1970s Italy. In 2001, she made a documentary about Pasolini, Pier Paolo Pasolini e la ragione di un sogno. She also donated her papers related to their long friendship along with more than 1000 volumes and many documents connected to Pasolini to the archives of the Fondazione Cineteca di Bologna, thus creating the Centro Studi Archivio Pier Paolo Pasolini. This Centro, strongly wanted by Betti, owns also thousands of photograph and all the works of Pasolini: poetry, literature, cinema and journalism. After her death in 2004 her brother Sergio Trombetti has donated all the personal documents of her career to the Centro that has absorbed them under the name Fondo Laura Betti. Source: Article "Laura Betti" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
May 1, 1927
Died
July 31, 2004 (aged 77)
From
Casalecchio di Reno, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Works as
Actor, also writer
Titles
27 on MovieCove · 83 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 56% in 30 days

What are Laura Betti's films like?

Across their 21 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Power and Bonds.

Genres

Drama9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 83rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 52nd percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Documentary2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 89th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Horror2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 60th percentile
: browse their Horror movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Power
32%
Bonds
18%
Self
15%
Morality
12%
Society
10%
Survival
9%
Ideas
4%
Class6 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love4 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression4 titles, browse their movies with this themeTradition vs change2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception3 titles, browse their movies with this themeGreed2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 21 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 8 · Serious 4 · Dark 9

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 6 · Stylized 6 · Heightened 9

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 5 · Charged 10 · Intense 6

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 10 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 3

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 9 · Some laughs 8 · Funny 4

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 12 · Even-paced 9 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 7 · Engaged 10 · Full focus 4

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 12 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 7

Roles they play

4 analyzed roles

Usually the Shadow: 2 of 4 analyzed roles.

Shadow
2 of 4
Trickster
1 of 4
Ally
1 of 4

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
9
Absurd
8
Contemplative
8
Warm
5
Melancholic
6
Other
16

How their films linger

Thought-provoking15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 4 with a twist

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet10
  • Tragic4
  • Ambiguous4
  • Cyclical1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Laura Betti's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 13 of their 27 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on The Criterion Channel (5).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Laura Betti's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

83 credits, 27 with a MovieCove page; 9 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Marx Can Wait(2021)

    as Irina (archive footage) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Pasolini and the Secret Humiliation of Chaucer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as Interviewee

  • Fratella e Sorello (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as Presidente Del Tribunale

  • Raul - Right to Kill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as Usuraia

  • Renzo e Lucia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as Madre Superiora

  • Renzo e Lucia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Show 2 episodes · as Madre Superiora

  • Household Accounts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Contessa Celi Sanguineti

  • Happiness Costs Nothing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Suora guardiana

  • Gli astronomi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Pavoncella

  • Il diario di Matilde Manzoni (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Teresa Manzoni Borri

  • Pier Paolo Pasolini and the Reason of a Dream (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Director

  • Fat Girl(2001)

    as Fernando's Mother

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Film (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Writer

  • The Protagonists (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Judge

  • Marianna Ucrìa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as Giuseppa

  • We Free Kings (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    as Una delle ragazze del coro

  • Un eroe borghese (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    as dott.ssa Trebbi

  • Con gli occhi chiusi(1994)

    as Beatrice

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Mario, Maria and Mario (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    as Laura

  • La ribelle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    as Sister Valida

  • The Great Pumpkin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    as Aida

  • Suffocating Heat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    as Laura

  • Dames galantes(1990)

    as Catherine de Medicis

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • The Carpathian Mushroom (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Olympia

  • Le rose blu (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as La donna con la rosa blu

  • I cammelli (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as Milena

  • Jane B. for Agnes V.(1988)

    as Lardy

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Widow's Walk (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as Keli

  • Jenatsch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as Mademoiselle von Planta

  • Sweets from a Stranger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as Jolanda

  • Tutta colpa del paradiso(1985)

    as direttrice

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Mother Ebe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    as Lidia Corradi

  • Cinecittà Cinecittà (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 1 episode · as Caterina Elisabetta Magrevich

  • Class Relations(1984)

    as Brunelda

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • The Defective Detective (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    as Carlotta Batticelli

  • Art of Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    as Clio

  • Venise en hiver (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    as Mme Poli

  • The Charterhouse of Parma (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 6 episodes · as The Vivandière

  • That Night in Varennes(1982)

    as Virginia Capacelli

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Far from Manhattan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    as Madame Hanska

  • The Wings of the Dove (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Show 3 episodes · as Zia Maud

  • The Little Archimedes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    as La signora Bondi

  • Einzelzimmer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    as Calogera

  • Lovers and Liars(1979)

    as Laura

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • The Word (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 4 episodes · as Maria

  • Un papillon sur l'épaule(1978)

    as Mme Carrabo

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • At Night All Cats Are Crazy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    as Jacqueline

  • The Seagull (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    as Irina

  • Le gang(1977)

    as Felicia

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • 1900(1976)

    as Regina

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Private Vices, Public Virtues(1976)

    as Teresa

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Pier Paolo Pasolini : vivre et encore plus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as Elle-même

  • Il silenzio è complicità (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Director

  • The Last Day of School Before Christmas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Passenger coach

  • The Woman with Red Boots (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Léonore

  • The Murri Affair (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Tisa Borghi

  • Allonsanfan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Esther Imbriani

  • The Cousin(1974)

    as Rosalia Scuderi

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • The Return (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Clara

  • Woman Buried Alive (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Giovanna la Pazza

  • Slap the Monster on Page One(1972)

    as Rita Zigai

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • The Canterbury Tales(1972)

    as The Wife from Bath

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Sonny & Jed(1972)

    as Betty

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • In the Name of the Father (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    as Franco's Mother

  • A Bay of Blood(1971)

    Additional Writing · Writer · as Anna Fossati

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • A Man Called Sledge(1970)

    as Sister

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Stop the World... I Want to Get Off! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Writer · Actor

  • Hatchet for the Honeymoon(1970)

    Screenplay · as Mildred Harrington

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Paulina Is Leaving (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    as Hortense

  • RARA (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Actor

  • Orgy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    as Donna

  • Teorema(1968)

    as Emilia, the Servant

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Caprice Italian Style(1968)

    as Desdemona

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • What Are the Clouds? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    as Desdemona

  • Oedipus Rex(1967)

    as Jocasta's Maid (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • The Earth As Seen from the Moon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as un turista

  • The Witches(1967)

    as Male Tourist (segment "La Terra vista dalla Luna")

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • La ricotta (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Actor

  • Ro.Go.Pa.G.(1963)

    as Sonia, the 'Diva' (segment "La ricotta")

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Escape by Night(1960)

    as Teresa

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Red Lips (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as The Painter

  • La Dolce Vita(1960)

    as Laura

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Noi siamo le colonne (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as La cantante annoiata (no acreditado)

Career shape

Star power in the 97th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 83 titles from 1956 to 2021; peak year 2000.

Biggest box office

Fat Girl (2001)

$766K worldwide

Highest rated

1900 (1976)

Midcredits 94th

Most popular right now

The Cousin (1974)

Film career

19562021

Peak 2000 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

  • 1960Screen debut· La Dolce Vita
  • 1972Career best· The Canterbury Tales

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting80 of 83: 77 only acting, 3 with another role · typical Midcredits score64thDirecting2 of 83: 2 only directing, 0 with another roleWriting3 of 83: 1 only writing, 2 with another roleOther crew1 of 83: 0 only other crew, 1 with another role

83 titles, 3 with more than one role — acting and writing overlap on 2 of them.

By decade

1950s1 · acting1960s14 · acting1970s26 · 25 acting · 4 crew1980s17 · acting1990s12 · acting2000s12 · 10 acting · 2 crew2020s1 · acting

Billing

usually 8th · top billed in 0% of 25 roles
607075

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Laura Betti's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 64th percentile, the median of all 27; across their 21 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 69th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

69thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 21

Approval · how many liked their films

68thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 21

Reach · how many have seen their films

66thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 21

Midcredits score across 27 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up11
  • 50th to 74th8
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

17 of their 27 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Crowd Pleaser17
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed7

Most divisive · actor

Con gli occhi chiusi (1994)

62nd percentile spread · 23% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

La Dolce Vita (1960)

Midcredits 97th · 84% liked

Reviewers score the acting 60/100 in their films, across 16 reviewed titles; fans 70, detractors 36. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Laura Betti's work okay for kids?

Across up to 7 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore and sex & nudity run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore5 titles24–91 · median 72 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity7 titles51–83 · median 75 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 43 · moderateMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs4 titlesmedian 34 · mildMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense4 titlesmedian 73 · intenseMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Laura Betti work with?

People who share at least 2 of Laura Betti's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Pier Paolo Pasolini shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles