Franco Pesce (11 August 1890 – 6 December 1975) was an Italian actor and cinematographer.
Life and career
Franco Pesce was born in
Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
. He was the son of the actor Ettore. At a young age Pesce studied lyric singing with the intention of becoming an opera singer.
At 20 years old he abandoned his studies to enter the cinema industry as a film operator.
Pesce moved to Rome with the
advent of sound film where he became a cinematographer. Later in his life, beginning in 1940, he started a very productive career as a
character actor
A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to b ...
.
In his later years Pesce was mainly active in
spaghetti western films
This list of Spaghetti Western films includes Western films primarily produced and directed by Italian production companies between 1913 and 1978. For a list of non-Italian produced European Westerns see List of Euro-Western films.
In the 19 ...
. He was often credited under English pseudonyms, usually interpreting roles of petulant, pedantic and intriguing old men.
Selected filmography
* ''
Eternal Melodies
''Eternal Melodies'' (Italian: ''Melodie eterne'') is a 1940 Italian historical drama film directed by Carmine Gallone and starring Gino Cervi, Conchita Montenegro and Luisella Beghi. It was one of several musical biopics directed by Gallone.Moli ...
'' (1940)
* ''
Farewell, My Beautiful Naples'' (1946)
* ''
Mad About Opera
''Mad About Opera'' (Italian: ''Follie per l'opera'') is a 1948 Italian musical comedy film directed by Mario Costa and starring Gino Bechi, Gina Lollobrigida, and Carlo Campanini.
It was shot at the Scalera Studios in Rome. The film's sets w ...
'' (1948)
* ''
Baron Carlo Mazza
''Baron Carlo Mazza'' (Italian:''Il barone Carlo Mazza'') is a 1948 Italian musical comedy film directed by Guido Brignone and starring Nino Taranto, Silvana Pampanini and Enzo Turco.D'Amico p.65 The film's art direction was by Virgilio Marchi.
...
'' (1948)
* ''
Crossroads of Passion
''Crossroads of Passion'' (French: ''Carrefour des passions'', Italian: ''Gli uomini sono nemici'') is a 1948 French-Italian drama film directed by Ettore Giannini and Henri Calef and starring Viviane Romance, Clément Duhour and Valentina Cortes ...
'' (1948)
* ''
Flying Squadron'' (1949)
* ''
The Beggar's Daughter
''The Beggar's Daughter'' ( it, La figlia del mendicante) is a 1950 Italian historical melodrama film directed by Carlo Campogalliani and starring Paola Barbara, Franca Maj and Steve Barclay. It is based on a novel of the same name by Carolina In ...
'' (1950)
* ''
The Transporter
''The Transporter'' (French: ''Le Transporteur'') is a 2002 action-thriller film directed by Corey Yuen and Louis Leterrier (who is credited as artistic director on the film), and written by Luc Besson, who was inspired by BMW Films' ''The Hir ...
'' (1950)
* ''
The Bread Peddler'' (1950)
* ''
Song of Spring'' (1951)
* ''
Operation Mitra'' (1951)
* ''
Eran trecento
''They Were Three Hundred'' (Italian: ''Eran trecento'') is a 1952 Italian historical drama film directed by Gian Paolo Callegari and starring Rossano Brazzi, Franca Marzi and Myriam Bru. Di Fiore p.369 It was shot at the Scalera Studios in R ...
'' (1952)
* ''
Prisoner in the Tower of Fire
''Prisoner in the Tower of Fire'' ( it, Prigioniera della torre di fuoco, also known as ''The Prisoner in the Fuoco Tower'') is a 1953 Italian historical drama film written and directed by Giorgio W. Chili.
Plot
15th century. Two young people ...
'' (1952)
* ''
If You Won a Hundred Million'' (1953)
* ''
The Lovers of Manon Lescaut
''The Lovers of Manon Lescaut'' (Italian: ''Gli amori di Manon Lescaut'') is a 1954 French-Italian historical melodrama film directed by Mario Costa and starring Myriam Bru, Franco Interlenghi and Roger Pigaut.Goble p.375 It is based on the 1731 ...
'' (1954)
* ''
The Last Race'' (1954)
* ''
Revolt of the Mercenaries'' (1961)
* ''
Long Days of Hate'' (1968)
* ''
Pistol for a Hundred Coffins'' (1968)
* ''
Orgasmo'' (1969)
* ''
Le Mans, Shortcut to Hell'' (1970)
* ''
Cloud of Dust... Cry of Death... Sartana Is Coming'' (1970)
* ''
Have a Good Funeral, My Friend... Sartana Will Pay'' (1970)
* ''
In Love, Every Pleasure Has Its Pain'' (1971)
* ''
The Last Traitor
''The Last Traitor'' ( it, Il tredicesimo è sempre Giuda, also known as ''Thirteenth Is a Judas'') is a 1971 Italian Spaghetti Western film directed by Giuseppe Vari.
Plot
A wedding is set to take place in Sonora, Mexico sometime after the ...
'' (1971)
* ''
They Call Me Hallelujah'' (1971)
* ''
His Name Was Holy Ghost
''His Name Was Holy Ghost'' ( it, Uomo avvisato mezzo ammazzato... parola di Spirito Santo, es, ...Y le llamaban El Halcón, also known as ''They Call Him Holy Ghost'' and ''El halcón de Sierra Madre'') is a 1972 Italian-Spanish Spaghetti Weste ...
'' (1972)
* ''
We Are No Angels'' (1975)
* ''
The Diamond Peddlers'' (1976)
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pesce, Franco
1975 deaths
1890 births
Film people from Naples
Italian male film actors
20th-century Italian male actors
Italian cinematographers
Male actors from Naples