Overlay: Cast ages in the film The Leopard (1963)

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Errors	Missing	Unverified	Supported
1	0	0	4

How were these counts calculated?

Errors (1)

Major discrepancy: IMDb and other databases list Franco Gulà's birth year as 189wrong-date

#Q ORIGINAL QUESTION

Regarding the film The Leopard (1963), who was the oldest cast member at time of filming, how old were they, and what was their role?

#M ANNOTATED LLM RESPONSE

In the 1963 film The Leopard (Il Gattopardo), the oldest credited cast member at the time of filming was the Sicilian character actor Giovanni Melisenda.

Specific Details:

Actor: Giovanni Melisenda (1882–1964)
Age at Filming: Melisenda was 80 years old when principal photography began in May 1962. (He was born on April 17, 1882, in Trapani, Sicily).
Role: He played Don Onofrio Rotolo, the aging and loyal land agent (steward) of the Salina family at their summer estate in Donnafugata.

Role Detail:

In both Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa's novel and Luchino Visconti’s adaptation, Don Onofrio Rotolo represents the absolute devotion of the old feudal order. He is the first to greet Prince Fabrizio (Burt Lancaster) upon the family's arrival at Donnafugata and remains a silent, stoic observer of the shifting political tides. His character is noted for his refusal to adapt to the new "liberal" Italy, mirroring the Prince’s own internal struggle but from a lower social station. Melisenda’s casting was part of Visconti’s meticulous effort to achieve "philological" accuracy by using native Sicilian actors whose faces and demeanors embodied the region's history.

Other Notable Veteran Cast Members:

While Melisenda was the oldest, Visconti filled the film with several other veterans of the Italian stage and silent screen:

Franco Gulà (1887–1970): Aged 75, he played Mimì, the Salina family's majordomo (valet).
Lola Braccini (1889–1969): Aged 73, she played Donna Margherita, the Princess of Ponteleone and hostess of the grand ball.
Rina De Liguoro (1892–1966): Aged 69/70, she was a legendary diva of the Italian silent era. Visconti cast her in the symbolic role of the Princess of Presicce, the Prince’s table companion during the climactic ballroom sequence.

#F CORRECTION FEED (CLICK TO SEARCH)

[1] Giovanni Melisenda is credited as Don Onofrio Rotolo in the film's cast lists.

[2] The specific birth date (April 17, 1882) and death year (1964) are highly specific but not found in standard English or Italian web snippets. However, the actor's role as an elderly retainer and Visconti's casting habits make this plausible.

[3] Calculated age of 80 relies on the unverified 1882 birth date. If correct, he is the oldest.

[4] Role of Don Onofrio Rotolo is confirmed.

[5] Major discrepancy: IMDb and other databases list Franco Gulà's birth year as 1899, which would make him 63. The AI claims 1887 (75). If 1899 is correct, he is not one of the oldest veterans in the same bracket as Braccini.

[6] Lola Braccini was born March 28, 1889. She was 73 in 1962.

[7] Rina De Liguoro was born July 24, 1892. She was 69 turning 70 in 1962.

#O MISSED POINTS & OVERSIGHTS

No oversights detected.

#C RELATED QUERIES

#01 Verify Giovanni Melisenda birth date Italian archives

#02 Franco Gulà birth year 1887 or 1899

#S SOURCES

buffalo.edu

#R ORIGINAL AI RESPONSE

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In the 1963 film **The Leopard** (*Il Gattopardo*), the oldest credited cast member at the time of filming was the Sicilian character actor **Giovanni Melisenda**. ### Specific Details: * **Actor:** Giovanni Melisenda (1882–1964) * **Age at Filming:** Melisenda was **80 years old** when principal photography began in May 1962. (He was born on April 17, 1882, in Trapani, Sicily). * **Role:** He played **Don Onofrio Rotolo**, the aging and loyal **land agent (steward)** of the Salina family at their summer estate in Donnafugata. ### Role Detail: In both Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa's novel and Luchino Visconti’s adaptation, Don Onofrio Rotolo represents the absolute devotion of the old feudal order. He is the first to greet Prince Fabrizio (Burt Lancaster) upon the family's arrival at Donnafugata and remains a silent, stoic observer of the shifting political tides. His character is noted for his refusal to adapt to the new "liberal" Italy, mirroring the Prince’s own internal struggle but from a lower social station. Melisenda’s casting was part of Visconti’s meticulous effort to achieve "philological" accuracy by using native Sicilian actors whose faces and demeanors embodied the region's history. ### Other Notable Veteran Cast Members: While Melisenda was the oldest, Visconti filled the film with several other veterans of the Italian stage and silent screen: * **Franco Gulà (1887–1970):** Aged **75**, he played **Mimì**, the Salina family's majordomo (valet). * **Lola Braccini (1889–1969):** Aged **73**, she played **Donna Margherita**, the Princess of Ponteleone and hostess of the grand ball. * **Rina De Liguoro (1892–1966):** Aged **69/70**, she was a legendary diva of the Italian silent era. Visconti cast her in the symbolic role of the **Princess of Presicce**, the Prince’s table companion during the climactic ballroom sequence.

#A DIRECT ANSWER (VERIFIED ANALYSIS)

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The oldest credited cast member was likely Giovanni Melisenda (playing Don Onofrio Rotolo), who was reportedly born in 1882 (making him 80), though his specific dates are difficult to verify in standard online databases. The oldest fully verified cast member was Lola Braccini (Donna Margherita), who was 73 (born 1889). Rina De Liguoro was 69/70.

OVERLAY REPORT