---
name: "Rafaela Ottiano"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/rafaela-ottiano"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "2 March 1888"
died: "14 August 1942"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 3
average_fi1m_score: 72
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 3
updated: "2026-09-20T00:17:55.722913+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Rafaela Ottiano

Actor. Born 2 March 1888 in Venice, Italy. Died 14 August 1942.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 2 March 1888, Venice, Italy
- **Died:** 14 August 1942
- **Active:** 1933–1940
- **Also known as:** Rafaella Ottiano, Rafaelo Ottiano, Rafael Ottiano, Raphaella Ottiano
- **Average Fi1m score:** 72, as actor, over 3 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1930s 68 (2), 1940s 80 (1)
- **Score spread:** 1 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 2 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 2, Comedy 1, Crime 1, History 1, Romance 1, War 1
- **Screen time:** 5 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $5m across 2 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafaela_Ottiano, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3417293, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0653188/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/103490

## Streaming the US now

- **HBO Max:** [*The Long Voyage Home*](https://film.one/film/the-long-voyage-home.md) (80)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Rafaela Ottiano was an Italian-born American actress. She emigrated to the United States in 1910 and established herself as a stage actress before arriving in Hollywood in 1924. Her film debut was in the drama The Law and the Lady (1924).

Ottiano appeared in the original Broadway production of Diamond Lil and reprised the role of Russian Rita in the 1933 film adaptation She Done Him Wrong. Other notable film roles include Suzette in Grand Hotel (1932), Mrs Higgins in Curly Top (1935), Malita in The Devil-Doll (1936), Bella in The Long Voyage Home (1940) and Lillian in Topper Returns (1941). She specialised in supporting character parts, often as matrons or servants.

Ottiano died in 1942.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (3)

- *The Long Voyage Home* (1940), Fi1m 80, as Bella — [page](https://film.one/film/the-long-voyage-home.md)
- *Anthony Adverse* (1936), Fi1m 57, as Signora Bovino — [page](https://film.one/film/anthony-adverse.md)
- *She Done Him Wrong* (1933), Fi1m 78, as Russian Rita — [page](https://film.one/film/she-done-him-wrong.md)

## Complete filmography (38)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Adventures of Martin Eden* (1942), Actor
- *Topper Returns* (1941), as Lillian
- *Victory* (1940), as Madame Makanoff
- *The Long Voyage Home* (1940), as Bella — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/the-long-voyage-home.md)
- *A Little Bit of Heaven* (1940), as Mme. Lupinsky
- *Vigil in the Night* (1940), as Mrs. Henrietta Sullivan
- *Paris Honeymoon* (1939), as Fluschotska
- *Suez* (1938), as Maria De Teba
- *Marie Antoinette* (1938), as Louise - Marie's Maid (uncredited)
- *I'll Give a Million* (1938), as Barmaid
- *The League of Frightened Men* (1937), as Dora Chapin
- *Maytime* (1937), as Ellen
- *Seventh Heaven* (1937), as Madame Frisson
- *That Girl from Paris* (1936), as Nikki's Personal Maid (uncredited)
- *Mad Holiday* (1936), as Ning
- *Anthony Adverse* (1936), as Signora Bovino — Fi1m 57, [page](https://film.one/film/anthony-adverse.md)
- *The Devil-Doll* (1936), as Malita
- *Riffraff* (1936), as Matron (as Rafaelo Ottiano)
- *We're Only Human* (1935), as Mrs. Anderson
- *Remember Last Night?* (1935), as Mme. Bouclier
- *Curly Top* (1935), as Mrs. Higgins
- *One Frightened Night* (1935), as Elvira
- *The Florentine Dagger* (1935), as Lili Salvatore
- *The Lottery Lover* (1935), as Gaby's Maid
- *Enchanted April* (1935), as Francesca
- *Great Expectations* (1934), as Mrs. Joe
- *A Lost Lady* (1934), as Rosa
- *The Last Gentleman* (1934), as Retta Barr, Judd's wife
- *Mandalay* (1934), as Madame Lacalles
- *Female* (1933), as Della, Alison's Maid (Uncredited)
- *Ann Vickers* (1933), as Mrs. Feldermans
- *Bondage* (1933), as Miss Trigge
- *She Done Him Wrong* (1933), as Russian Rita — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/she-done-him-wrong.md)
- *Grand Hotel* (1932), as Suzette
- *The Washington Masquerade* (1932), as Mona Farrell
- *Night Court* (1932), as Evil Tongued Neighbor (uncredited)
- *As You Desire Me* (1932), as Lena
- *Married?* (1926), as Maid

## Gallery

- ![Rafaela Ottiano](https://film.one/media/person/1226579/gallery-317d69823d79.jpg) Rafaela Ottiano — unknown (Paramount Pictures), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Rafaela_Ottiano_in_She_Done_Him_Wrong.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Rafaela Ottiano](https://film.one/media/person/1226579/gallery-975800f256eb.jpg) Rafaela Ottiano — Image via TMDB

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© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/rafaela-ottiano