Paola Barbara


Paola Barbara was an Italian film actress. She appeared in 62 films between 1935 and 1978. She was sometimes credited as Pauline Baards.

Life and career

Born in Rome as Paola Proto, after her film debut in a small role in Campo di Maggio, in 1936 she produced and had the leading role in White Amazons by Gennaro Righelli; the film had a huge commercial success and launched her career. Barbara was one of the most requested and popular divas in the 1930s Italian cinema industry; in 1941 she met the director Primo Zeglio who later became her husband. In 1943, with the worsening of the war, Barbara moved in Spain where she starred on several films. After the war she moved back in Italy where she failed to recover her popularity, even keeping on appearing in dozens of films, sometimes directed by her husband, usually in supporting roles.

Selected filmography