Harriet White Medin (March 14, 1914 – May 20, 2005) was an American actress and

dialogue coach A dialect coach is an acting coaching, coach who helps an actor design the voice and speech of a character in the context of an on-camera (film, television or commercial), stage (theatre, musical theatre, opera, etc.), radio or animation voiceover p ...

who worked in Italian and American films. She appeared in the

cult film A cult film or cult movie, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a cult following. Cult films are known for their dedicated, passionate fanbase which forms an elaborate subculture, members of which engage ...

Death Race 2000 ''Death Race 2000'' is a 1975 American science fiction action film produced by Roger Corman, directed by Paul Bartel, and starring David Carradine. The film takes place in a dystopian American society in the year 2000, where the murderous Transco ...

''.

Early life

Born to Dr. and Mrs. Edward P. White of

Winthrop, Massachusetts Winthrop is a town in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 19,316 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Winthrop is an ocean-side suburban community in Greater Boston situated at ...

, Harriet, one of five children graduated from Winthrop High School in 1932 where she appeared in many school plays. She later performed in many amateur theatrical productions in the area. She graduated from

The Forsyth Institute The Forsyth Institute, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of the leading centers for dental and craniofacial research in the world. It was envisioned in 1908 by James Forsyth, who left $500,000 in his will for the establishment of a dent ...

where she studied dentistry and worked for five years as a dental assistant where some of her patients included

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...

and

Robert F. Kennedy Robert Francis Kennedy (November 20, 1925June 6, 1968), also known by his initials RFK and by the nickname Bobby, was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 64th United States Attorney General from January 1961 to September 1964, ...

. Harriet moved to New York City to engage in work as an actress. During World War II she became an entertainer with the

United Service Organizations The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed F ...

where she toured American military bases in the US and Europe as part of a production of ''

Junior Miss ''Junior Miss'' is a collection of semi-autobiographical stories by Sally Benson first published in ''The New Yorker''. Between 1929 and the end of 1941, the prolific Benson published 99 stories in ''The New Yorker'', some under her pseudonym of ...

''. Following the war she was one of a group of American actors recruited by Rod E. Geiger to go to Italy to film ''

Paisan ''Paisan'' ( it, Paisà ) is a 1946 Italian neorealist war drama film directed by Roberto Rossellini. In six independent episodes, it tells of the Liberation of Italy by the Allied forces during the late stage of World War II. The film premier ...

'' for

Roberto Rossellini Roberto Gastone Zeffiro Rossellini (8 May 1906 – 3 June 1977) was an Italian film director, producer, and screenwriter. He was one of the most prominent directors of the Italian neorealist cinema, contributing to the movement with films such ...

. She remained in Italy to become one of the first American actresses who made Italian films in the postwar era.

Film career

Offered film work in Italy, Harriet met her director

and ''

s dialogue coach

Federico Fellini Federico Fellini (; 20 January 1920 – 31 October 1993) was an Italian film director and screenwriter known for his distinctive style, which blends fantasy and baroque images with earthiness. He is recognized as one of the greatest and most i ...

. Harriet appeared in several films, acted as a dialogue coach, dubbed films into English and worked as a coach and personal assistant to

Gina Lollobrigida Luigia "Gina" Lollobrigida (born 4 July 1927) is an Italian actress, photojournalist, and politician. She was one of the highest-profile European actresses of the 1950s and early 1960s, a period in which she was an international sex symbol. As o ...

. She met

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...

on the set of ''

Prince of Foxes ''Prince of Foxes'' is a 1947 historical novel by Samuel Shellabarger, following the adventures of the fictional Andrea Orsini, a captain in the service of Cesare Borgia during his conquest of the Romagna. Plot introduction Andrea Zoppo, an Ita ...

'' (1949) with Welles hiring her to teach diction to the actress

Lea Padovani Lea Padovani (28 July 1920 – 23 June 1991) was an Italian film actress. She appeared in 60 films between 1945 and 1990. She starred in the film '' Black Dossier'' which was entered into the 1955 Cannes Film Festival. Partial filmography ...

who Welles wished to play

Desdemona Desdemona () is a character in William Shakespeare's play ''Othello'' (c. 1601–1604). Shakespeare's Desdemona is a Venetian beauty who enrages and disappoints her father, a Venetian senator, when she elopes with Othello, a Moorish Venetian ...

in his ongoing production of ''

Othello ''Othello'' (full title: ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'') is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, probably in 1603, set in the contemporary Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cypru ...

'' (released in 1951). Harriet was originally to have played

Emilia Emilia may refer to: People * Emilia (given name), list of people with this name Places * Emilia (region), a historical region of Italy. Reggio, Emilia * Emilia-Romagna, an administrative region in Italy, including the historical regions of Emi ...

but the lengthy time of production led to her to drop out. During this time she met and married her husband

Gastone Medin Gastone Medin (1905–1973) was an Italian art director.Anile p.132 He worked on more than a hundred and fifty films during his career. Selected filmography * ''Figaro and His Great Day'' (1931) * '' Lowered Sails'' (1931) * ''The Table of the P ...

and remained with him until they separated, but not divorced in 1964. In addition to dubbing Italian films in English, Harriet also acted as a dialogue coach and cast such films as '' Beat the Devil'' (1954) and '' The Hills Run Red'' (1966) as well as acting as a

film extra A background actor or extra is a performer in a film, television show, stage, musical, opera, or ballet production who appears in a nonspeaking or nonsinging (silent) capacity, usually in the background (for example, in an audience or busy street ...

. Harriet's last film in Italy was

John Huston John Marcellus Huston ( ; August 5, 1906 – August 28, 1987) was an American film director, screenwriter, actor and visual artist. He wrote the screenplays for most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered ...

's '' Reflections in a Golden Eye'' (1967); she accompanied Gina Lollobrigida to America to coach her on ''

The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell ''The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell'' is a 1968 American comedy film directed by Frank Tashlin and starring Bob Hope, Phyllis Diller, and Jeffrey Hunter. It was the final film for Tashlin, who died in 1972. Plot Master Sergeant Dan O'Farrell ...

'' (1968). She stayed in Hollywood with her friend director

Andrew Marton Andrew Marton (born Endre Marton; 26 January 1904 – 7 January 1992) was a Hungarian-American film director. In his career, he directed 39 films and television programs, and worked on 16 as a second unit director, including the chariot race in ...

and his wife where she guest starred in several American television series and made several films. One was for John Landis ('' Schlock'') who she knew through the Martons. She believed she scored her role in ''

'' when

Shelley Winters Shelley Winters (born Shirley Schrift; August 18, 1920 – January 14, 2006) was an American actress whose career spanned seven decades. She appeared in numerous films. She won Academy Awards for ''The Diary of Anne Frank'' (1959) and ''A Patch o ...

turned down the role, with Harriet doing an impression of

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...

Death

She died on May 20, 2005 of "natural causes" including a combination of Parkinson's disease, a mild stroke, some internal bleeding and other illnesses.

Filmography

* ''

'' (1946) - Harriet - Nurse (episode IV: Firenze) * '' Genoveffa di Brabante'' (1947) - Genoveffa di Brabante * ''

Black Magic Black magic, also known as dark magic, has traditionally referred to the use of supernatural powers or magic for evil and selfish purposes, specifically the seven magical arts prohibited by canon law, as expounded by Johannes Hartlieb in 145 ...

'' (1949) * ''

Rapture The rapture is an Christian eschatology, eschatological position held by some Christians, particularly those of American evangelicalism, consisting of an Eschatology, end-time event when all Christian believers who are alive, along with resurre ...

'' (1950) - Nurse * ''

Quo Vadis ''Quō vādis?'' (, ) is a Latin phrase meaning "Where are you marching?". It is also commonly translated as "Where are you going?" or, poetically, "Whither goest thou?" The phrase originates from the Christian tradition regarding Saint Pete ...

'' (1951) - woman holding infant on balcony (uncredited) * '' Ha da venì... don Calogero'' (1952) * ''

La Dolce Vita ''La Dolce Vita'' (; Italian for "the sweet life" or "the good life"Kezich, 203) is a 1960 satirical comedy-drama film directed and co-written (with Ennio Flaiano, Tullio Pinelli and Brunello Rondi) by Federico Fellini. The film stars Marcell ...

'' (1960) - Sylvia's Secretary (uncredited) * ''

The Horrible Dr. Hichcock ''The Horrible Dr. Hichcock'' (Italian title: ''L'Orribile Segreto del Dr. Hichcock'', literally ''The Horrible Secret of Dr. Hichcock'') is a 1962 Italian horror film, directed by Riccardo Freda and written by Ernesto Gastaldi. The film stars B ...

'' (1962) - Martha, the Maid * ''

Panic Button A panic alarm is an electronic device that can easily be activated to request help during an emergency situation where danger to persons or property exists. It is designed to minimize time until assistance can arrive. A panic alarm is freque ...

'' (1962, released in 1964) * '' The Eye of the Needle'' (1963) - Mother of Rosaria * '' The Ghost'' (1963) - Catherine Wood, Housekeeper * ''

Black Sabbath Black Sabbath were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy met ...

'' (1963) - Neighbor (segment "La goccia d'acqua") * ''

The Cardinal ''The Cardinal'' is a 1963 American drama film produced independently, directed by Otto Preminger and distributed by Columbia Pictures. The screenplay was written by Robert Dozier, based on the novel of the same name (1950) by Henry Morton Robi ...

'' (1963) - (uncredited) * ''

The Whip and the Body ''The Whip and the Body'' ( it, La frusta e il corpo) is a 1963 gothic horror film directed by Mario Bava under the alias "John M. Old". The film is about Kurt Menliff (Christopher Lee) who is ostracized by his father for his relationship with a ...

'' (1963) - Giorgia * ''

Hot Enough for June ''Hot Enough for June'' is a 1964 British spy comedy film directed by Ralph Thomas, and starring Dirk Bogarde with Sylva Koscina in her English film debut, Robert Morley and Leo McKern. It is based on the 1960 novel '' The Night of Wenceslas'' by ...

'' (1964) - Hotel Receptionist (uncredited) * ''

Blood and Black Lace ''Blood and Black Lace'' ( it, 6 donne per l'assassino, lit=6 Women for the Murderer) is a 1964 ''giallo'' film directed by Mario Bava and starring Eva Bartok and Cameron Mitchell. The story concerns the brutal murders of a Roman fashion house ...

'' (1964) - Clarissa * ''

The Murder Clinic ''The Murder Clinic'' ( it, La lama nel corpo, lit=The Knife in the Body) is a 1966 horror giallo film directed by Lionello De Felice and Elio Scardamaglia. It was produced by Elio Scardamaglia, Francesco Scardamaglia and Luciano Martino;. The scr ...

'' (1966) - Sheena * ''

Your Turn to Die ''Your Turn to Die'' ( it, Troppo per vivere... poco per morire, french: Qui êtes-vous inspecteur Chandler?) is a 1967 Italian-French crime-thriller movie directed by Michele Lupo. Plot A gang of criminals, in agreement with a model, set their ...

'' (1967) - Dr. Evans' assistant * ''

Death of a Gunfighter ''Death of a Gunfighter'' is a 1969 American Western film directed by Allen Smithee and starring Richard Widmark and Lena Horne. and features an original score by Oliver Nelson. The theme of the film is the "passing" of the West, the clash betw ...

'' (1969) * ''

Squares In Euclidean geometry, a square is a regular quadrilateral, which means that it has four equal sides and four equal angles (90-degree angles, π/2 radian angles, or right angles). It can also be defined as a rectangle with two equal-length adj ...

'' (1972) - Hannah Rugh * '' Schlock'' (1973) - Mrs. Blinerman (as Enrica Blankey) * ''

'' (1975) - Thomasina Paine * '' The Captive: The Longest Drive 2'' (1976) - Mrs. McMasters * ''

The Bermuda Triangle The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil's Triangle, is an urban legend focused on a loosely defined region in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean where a number of aircraft and ships are said to have disappeared under mysteriou ...

'' (1979, Documentary) - Frau Meise * '' The Tenth Month'' (1979, TV Movie) - Mrs. Cox the Lawyer * ''

Murder Can Hurt You! ''Murder Can Hurt You'' (stylized onscreen as ''Murder Can Hurt You!'') is a 1980 American television film, made-for-television comedy film that parodies Detective fiction, detective and Police procedural, police TV shows of the 1960s and 1970s, ...

'' (1980, TV Movie) - Great Lady * ''

Blood Beach ''Blood Beach'' is a 1981 American horror film written and directed by Jeffrey Bloom and starring David Huffman, John Saxon, and Burt Young. The premise, conceived by Steven Nalevansky, involves a creature lurking beneath the sand of Santa Moni ...

'' (1981) - Ruth Hutton * ''

The Terminator ''The Terminator'' is a 1984 American science fiction action film directed by James Cameron. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator, a cyborg assassin sent back in time from 2029 to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), whos ...

'' (1984) - Customer #4 * ''

The Witches of Eastwick ''The Witches of Eastwick'' is a 1984 novel by American writer John Updike. A sequel, '' The Widows of Eastwick'', was published in 2008. Plot The story, set in the fictional Rhode Island town of Eastwick in the early 1970s, follows the witch ...

'' (1987) - Woman at Market * ''

Big Bad Mama II ''Big Bad Mama II'' is a 1987 American action–crime– sexploitation comedy film produced by Roger Corman, directed by Jim Wynorski, starring Angie Dickinson, Robert Culp, Danielle Brisebois and Julie McCullough. While it has been identified as a ...

'' (1987) - Hotel manager's wife * ''

The Killing Time The Killing Time was a period of conflict in Scottish history between the Presbyterian Covenanter movement, based largely in the south west of the country, and the government forces of Kings Charles II and James VII. The period, roughl ...

'' (1987) - Nell * '' Daddy's Boys'' (1988) - Marriage Licensor's Wife * ''False Arrest'' (1991, TV Movie) - Helen Phelps * '' All I Want for Christmas'' (1991) - Mrs. Graff * ''Those Secrets'' (1992, TV Movie) - Vivian * '' Troublemakers'' (1994) - Elderly woman * '' Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead'' (1995) - Old Woman

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Medin, Harriet White 1914 births 2005 deaths 20th-century American actresses Actresses from Massachusetts American expatriates in Italy American film actresses People from Winthrop, Massachusetts 21st-century American women