He’s been referred to as the “mustachioed matinee idol,” but a newfound interest in 1950s melodramas has made him an international art house legend.  Amedeo Nazzari was born Salvatore Amedeo Buffa on Dec. 10, 1907, in Sardinia. Assuming his maternal grandfather’s last name and moving to Rome during the 1930s to pursue a career in acting, he found an immediate place in theater but had a tough time breaking into film because of his towering height and slim build.

Nazzari landed small film parts during the mid-’30s before scoring the title role in Goffredo Alessandrini’s 1938 “Luciano Serra, pilota” (Luciano Serra, Pilot), about an American pilot attacked by Ethiopian soldiers. The film was awarded the Mussolini Cup for Best Italian Film at the 6th Venice International Film Festival and launched Nazzari’s silver screen career.