For a Fistful of Fame

Carnera at the Intersection of Sports and Entertainment

Abstract

This paper explores the figure of Primo Carnera (1906-1967) – the first Italian to win a world boxing title in 1933 – as a paradigmatic case for understanding the transformation of celebrity capital during the post-career phase, within a media environment vastly different from today’s, initially dominated by cinema and later by television. Carnera was notable not only for his athletic achievements; his public image was skillfully renegotiated and reshaped by traditional media – newspapers, cinema, and later television – which solidified his status as a prominent celebrity even after his retirement from the ring. This study focuses particularly on Carnera's ability to reinvent himself during his post-career phase, managing to retain a prominent position despite ageing and physical changes, thanks to the resources offered by the media landscape of his time. His transition from sport to the broader field of entertainment stands as a compelling instance of how celebrity capital can be strategically redeployed beyond the athlete’s initial domain of renown. Through the analysis of various media narratives – from journalistic reports to films, comics, and television portrayals – this paper discusses how Carnera made the most of his fame, leveraging the main media platforms of the era. Adopting a multidisciplinary perspective, this study draws on media analysis and celebrity studies to investigate how strategies of self-narration – mediated through traditional formats such as cinema and television – enabled Carnera to sustain his public profile across shifting media landscapes and biographical ageing.