Enzo Staiola, Child Star in Vittorio De Sica’s ‘Bicycle Thieves,’ Dies at 85

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9-year-old Italian actor Enzo Staiola, famously recognized for portraying the somber-faced son Bruno Ricci in Vittorio De Sica’s 1948 Neo-realist classic Ladri di Biciclette (Bicycle Thieves), has passed away at the age of 85.

On Wednesday, La Repubblica, an Italian newspaper, broke the news about the passing of Staiola, a renowned actor who gained international acclaim for his role in the Academy Award-winning film. The cause of his death remains undisclosed.

In “Bicycle Thieves,” Lamberto Maggiorani played the character of Antonio Ricci, who was Antonio’s impoverished father in real life. De Sica, the director, chose Maggiorani, a factory worker turned actor, to add an authentic working-class touch to his humanist drama. Throughout the movie, Antonio and his son are on a mission to find the thief and recover their stolen bicycle. Without it, Antonio can neither earn a living nor provide for his family.

Losing his bicycle dealt a heavy blow to the distraught father, who embarked on an intense, unsuccessful search through the streets of Rome. At one point, a desperate Antonio resorted to stealing a bike and was apprehended by passersby. When they chose compassion instead of punishment, the embarrassed father felt humiliated in front of his son.

The loss of his bicycle struck the downcast father with great force, leading him on a desperate, fruitless journey through Rome’s streets. At one point, Antonio, who was at his wit’s end, stole a bike and was caught by bystanders. When they showed kindness rather than punishment, the father felt ashamed in front of his son.

The timeless Neorealist Italian film immortalized Staiola within cinematic lore, portraying him as Bruno Ricci – a character whose large, emotive eyes beautifully captured the essence of childhood purity as he accompanied his troubled father through the post-war streets of Rome.

15th November, 1939 saw the birth of Staiola in Rome. In a 2023 conversation with La Repubblica, he reminisced about his initial encounter with De Sica, the renowned Italian film director, who apparently spotted him on his way home from school.

As I was heading home from school, there was a large car that seemed to be tailing me on foot. Eventually, an older gentleman with gray hair stepped out and asked me my name. Initially, I remained quiet. He then inquired if I didn’t talk, to which I responded that I wasn’t in the mood for conversation. My mother always warned me about being too friendly when strangers approached us. However, De Sica persisted and followed me home. When we arrived, my parents immediately recognized him as a well-known actor. He sat at our dining table, trying to persuade them to allow me to act in his upcoming movie, but they refused.

Eventually, Staiola secured the role of Bruno without needing to audition, as his uncle arranged a visit to De Sica’s studio for a reintroduction. Despite the acclaim and success of the film “Bicycle Thieves“, which received the Academy Award for best foreign film, Staiola never collaborated with the renowned Italian director again.

In that interview from 2023, he mentioned that De Sica was a unique figure who recognized him. Once spotted, his acting career took off. If perhaps De Sica had continued to guide me and offer more opportunities, I might have spent my whole life as an actor,” he reminisced.

Following his notable performance in “Bicycle Thieves” (also recognized as “The Bicycle Thief”), Staiola continued his acting career, appearing in several other films. One of these was the 1954 drama “The Barefoot Contessa,” directed by Joseph L Mankeiwicz and featuring Humphrey Bogart and Ava Gardner. During the 1950s, he also starred in Italian films such as “Hearts Without Borders,” “Vulcano,” “Guilt is Not Mine,” and “A Tale of Five Women.” Additionally, he had a minor role in “The Girl in the Yellow Pyjamas” directed by Flavio Mogherini in 1977.

However, following his initial cinematic triumphs, Staiola opted to step away from the film industry and instead took up roles as a mathematics instructor and a long-term employee at a land registry office. It seems that he expressed remorse for his career choice as an Italian film star.

Ultimately, it was incredibly frustrating for him to say,” he expressed to La Repubblica. “As a child, I could never join my friends in play due to the fear of marking my face, as it would halt my film career. Additionally, the lengthy periods associated with cinema were tedious.

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2025-06-06 04:25